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I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

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Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He mentioned that it's not due to voltage but rather low current circuits. A 15 amp circuit translates to around 1,800 watts in the US and if you derate it to 80% of that like the NEC requires a continuous load you'd have around 1,440 watts available. His argument is that appliance manufacturers are trying to simplify their lineup by making models that would work in homes without a dedicated circuit (15 or 20 amp). A…

It's the same issue, if you have a higher voltage then you can get more power without increasing current. For example in Australia a standard house circuit is 10 Amps, but because it's at 240V we can get 2400 Watts (realistically more like 2300) out of a _standard_ wall outlet that is in every room of your house.

It's not the same issue. The vast majority of kitchens in the US have 20 amp circuits (so 2,400 watts peak, 1,920 watts continuous) exclusively. It's a bog standard receptacle (NEMA 5-20R instead of 5-15R) that's backwards compatible with 15 amp plugs. In fact these days most 5-15R receptacles have identical guts to their 20 amp counterparts save for the additional provision for a horizontal blade.

The electrical code (NEC) has started moving towards requiring 20 amp circuits in other rooms and more 20 amp circuits in kitchens.

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#292

I inferred a trick from his original video. Dish soap and dishwasher detergent are not the same; the latter contains an enzyme that breaks food down. If you have something that is completely wrecked, fill it with piping hot water and put a dose of dishwasher detergent in it. Leave it overnight. I strongly doubt the stuff is good for your skin, so I've only done this a few times.

This works for cleaning a lot of things. I regularly clean the coffee maker (a Bialetti espresso thing) by putting some powder detergent in the water compartment, then „make coffee“ without actual coffee and leave it in overnight. Neutralize with white vinegar (which has the added benefit of descaling) and rinse thoroughly. It‘s as new afterwards.

And yes, it’s not good for your skin, so avoid immersing your hands in it or wear gloves.

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#293
post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've micro-optimized my dishwasher setup to have all my 100+ pods and other in-bulk dishwashing-chemicals stored in a compartment between my two dishwashers. I'm also firmly in the camp of having a flat cutlery compartment at the top and not that inefficient, and uncivilized, scarring, basket in bottom section. Until seeing that video I thought I was crazy. I've found my master.

You have two dishwashers in one kitchen?

I recall reading, I think in a comment here long ago, of someone who did that. He had just enough items to fill one dishwasher. By having two he could use one for storage and one for cleaning, with the two alternating roles.

I.e., he started off with all his things clean and in dishwasher A. As he used things he pulled them from A and put them in B. When B is nearly full and A is nearly empty, run B, move any remaining items from A to B. Then B becomes the storage space and A becomes the place to put the dirty items.

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#294

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My Samsung bespoke combo washer dryer has that feature. It uses less detergent than we are used to so my wife uses pods, but I think this is better un general since the clothes come out clean even if they don’t smell like detergent. So not only do I not need to load detergent, I don’t need to transfer to the dryer. Still have to load sanitizer in unfortunately.

I heard the dryer in those is slow and breakable. Does it take forever to dry stuff?

In the few months I’ve had the Samsung All-in-One my experience has been at least a 50% increase in time spent drying compared to an LG stack I had previously. Also, when complete, if you do get to it within 5 to 10 minutes of finishing, it feels damp, but that clears on its own after 15 to 30 minutes or so if it sitting in the dryer with the door automatically opened.

Very pleased with the experience personally. I am very happy to trade not having to transfer the laundry in the middle with it simply being done when I get back to it a few hours later. YMMV.

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#295

I inferred a trick from his original video. Dish soap and dishwasher detergent are not the same; the latter contains an enzyme that breaks food down. If you have something that is completely wrecked, fill it with piping hot water and put a dose of dishwasher detergent in it. Leave it overnight. I strongly doubt the stuff is good for your skin, so I've only done this a few times.

This works for cleaning a lot of things. I regularly clean the coffee maker (a Bialetti espresso thing) by putting some powder detergent in the water compartment, then „make coffee“ without actual coffee and leave it in overnight. Neutralize with white vinegar (which has the added benefit of descaling) and rinse thoroughly. It‘s as new afterwards. And yes, it’s not good for your skin, so avoid immersing your hands in…

I don't think boiling water with dishwasher detergent in it is a great idea (because of potential fumes). I might have misunderstood what you mean by "make coffee" but maybe something to look into if you do this regularly.

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#296
A few things that stood out to me:

- One of the key factors in powder over pods in his prior videos was cost. Cheap powder runs about 6.6¢/oz. The brand he’s promoting is $1.11/oz, nearly 17x more expensive than traditional powder. When comparing per-load costs, Cascade pods are about 39.5¢ per load and the promoted powder is 58.5¢ per load, or 48% more costly than pods. The price to performance is terrible and could only be justified if you also consider external factors like their sustainability practices and the donation of all profits to coral reef restoration. Not discussing price seems like a huge gap to me.

- I was disappointed that he only personally compared and tested washing performance against a pod and the promoted powder, rather than also evaluating a traditional powder. Could he have replicated and compared the subpar performance reported by others?

- I would have assumed that, if the pre-rinse is supposed to get hot, the heater would run until it reaches the temperature target. Is it normal for a unit to simply not care? Last I had done reading on this, whether to attach to the hot or cold side is actually a contentious issue, mostly around the gas vs. induction-based heating costs in water heaters, in addition to temperature losses in the pipes. If the pre-wash expects hot water, then that’s an extra point for the hot side backers. I guess one should always check their manual to determine best-practice on the purge and line placement.

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#297

A few things that stood out to me: - One of the key factors in powder over pods in his prior videos was cost. Cheap powder runs about 6.6¢/oz. The brand he’s promoting is $1.11/oz, nearly 17x more expensive than traditional powder. When comparing per-load costs, Cascade pods are about 39.5¢ per load and the promoted powder is 58.5¢ per load, or 48% more costly than pods. The price to performance is terrible and could…

It’s a well made, elaborate infomercial with a science hook.

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#298

A few things that stood out to me: - One of the key factors in powder over pods in his prior videos was cost. Cheap powder runs about 6.6¢/oz. The brand he’s promoting is $1.11/oz, nearly 17x more expensive than traditional powder. When comparing per-load costs, Cascade pods are about 39.5¢ per load and the promoted powder is 58.5¢ per load, or 48% more costly than pods. The price to performance is terrible and could…

The price was also an immediate turn-off for me, and I really don't like he's advertising it. It feels like a product that is marked up crazy amounts, greenwashed with "profits get donated" (profits AFTER the people involved get their salaries, obviously).

It feels like his channel suddenly changed to go into "let's make some money", carefully packaged in a "non-profit / charity" deal.

Maybe I'm just overly pessimistic.

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#299
This just leaves me wondering if I’m the only one manually wiping off the dishes before they go in the washer? I’ve never had a dirty dish issue and pods work just fine, the powder works just fine, etc. pods are just a little more convenient so I use them. Also, if you rinse your dishes first there’s no large food going into the washer and I’ve already got the warm water primed.

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#300

This just leaves me wondering if I’m the only one manually wiping off the dishes before they go in the washer? I’ve never had a dirty dish issue and pods work just fine, the powder works just fine, etc. pods are just a little more convenient so I use them. Also, if you rinse your dishes first there’s no large food going into the washer and I’ve already got the warm water primed.

That beats the point of the dishwasher for me. I don’t really want to do any pre rinsing or scrubbing/wiping. If I’m doing that, I might as well just use a sponge with soap for an extra five seconds and wash the dish completely.
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