- No installation needed, add water to 5L tank
- Or connect water inlet to a faucet with hose
- Measures 16.9" L x 16.8" W x 18.1" H
- Washes more than 30 pieces at one time
- Size H17.2" x W21.7" x D19.7", fits 2-3 people
- Fits up to 70 pieces and 10-inch plates
- Connects to faucet directly with adaptor
- 8 washing cycles with extra-drying function
- Keep 19.6" between countertop and wall cupboard
- 1.32Gal built-in water tank, no tap connection
- Washes 30+ items, up to 9.5-inch plates
- Hygiene cycle heats water up to 162℉
- Built-in 5-liter water tank, no hookup needed
- Fits 12-inch diameter dishes
- Rated power 750W, water pressure 20-120PSI
- Five wash cycles including baby care and fruit
- 7 wash cycles including Normal, Intensive, Eco
- Measures 21.5" x 21.7" x 17.2"
- LED display with touch controls and child lock
- Fits up to 6 place settings at one time
- Fits 6 place settings, plates up to 10"
- Six wash cycles including Normal, Eco, Speed
- Quick Connect hooks directly to a faucet
- LED display with delayed start and child lock
- Semi-integrated electronic controls with push buttons
- Operates quietly at 52 decibels
- Holds up to 6 standard place settings
- Stainless steel interior for durability
Best Countertop Dishwashers for Small Kitchens
If your kitchen has no space for a full-size dishwasher, handwashing every plate gets old fast. The best countertop dishwashers sit on your counter, hook up in minutes, and clean a full day’s dishes while you do something else. But the listings all sound alike, and the details that matter — tank size, plate diameter, how many place settings — are buried in the fine print. This guide walks through seven models, one at a time, so you can match the machine to your kitchen, your dishes, and how you actually live.
Start with water. Four of the seven models carry a built-in tank, which means you can run them anywhere: the HAVA holds 5 liters, the Farberware holds 5 liters, and the COMFEE’ mini holds 1.32 gallons. Fill the tank by hand and the machine needs no plumbing at all. The other three — the two BLACK+DECKER units and the larger COMFEE’ — connect to a faucet through a quick-connect assembly or an included hose and adapter, so they need a tap nearby but no permanent installation.
Then check the tallest plate you own. The HAVA fits dishes up to 11 inches loaded at an angle, the Farberware takes 12-inch dishes, and the COMFEE’ mini maxes out at 9.5 inches. If your dinner plates run large, that single number decides it.
Capacity splits along the same lines. The HAVA washes more than 30 pieces and holds 4 place settings; the COMFEE’ mini washes 30-plus items; the larger COMFEE’ fits up to 70 pieces and 6 place settings; both BLACK+DECKER models and the Magic Chef hold 6 place settings.
1. HAVA Countertop Dishwasher
The HAVA is the one to look at first if you have no faucet free for a hose. It carries a built-in 5L water tank, so you fill it by hand and park it anywhere with a socket. That makes it a real option for a dorm, a boat, or a camper where plumbing isn’t happening. The listing puts the body at 16.9″ L x 16.8″ W x 18.1″ H, with room for up to 4 full place settings and plates up to 11″ loaded at an angle.
Pros
- Two water modes: built-in tank, or a hose to the faucet with the included adapter
- 6 programs, including a Heavy/Baby Care cycle at 167 °F and a dedicated Fruit mode with its own basket
- 14 spray ports on the arms give top and bottom coverage for a 360° wash
- Drying mode runs 60 minutes of hot air plus 72 hours of automatic ventilation
Cons
- The listing says only dishwasher-specific detergent works — pods, liquid, or powder, about 0.2–0.3 oz per load
- It holds up to 4 place settings, fewer than the 6-setting machines below, so a big family will run it more often
- The seller notes a little residual water inside is normal from factory testing, which can surprise you on day one
2. COMFEE’ COMFEE’ Countertop Dishwasher
This COMFEE’ model is the capacity pick of the group. The listing claims room for up to 70 pieces of tableware and plates up to 10 inches across, sized for 2–3 people. At H17.2″ × W21.7″ × D19.7″ it takes more counter than the HAVA, so measure your space before you commit.
The 8 cycles split into two groups. Six of them — Heavy, Normal, Baby-Care, ECO, Glass and Speed — carry an extra-drying function. The other three, Speed, Mini-party and Rinse, are the flexible options for odd jobs. Speed appears in both lists.
Pros
- A full dinner service for a small household, plus 8 wash cycles including Heavy, Normal, Baby-Care, ECO, Glass, Speed, Mini-party, and Rinse
- Speed program cleans in 45 minutes, which the listing pitches for parties and busy nights
- Energy Star rated, using as little as 2.77 gallons per cycle
- Heavy cycle runs 12 nozzles with a 360° spiral spray and water up to 154 °F
Cons
- The faucet connection uses an adapter, and the listing notes a suitable one is needed
- It’s 21.7″ wide, so it may not fit under a low wall cupboard
- Factory testing can leave water inside, which the seller says is normal
Installation is the part to plan around. It connects straight to a faucet, with the adapter above, and it can sit on a countertop or table. It can also be fitted into a cupboard if you want the built-in look.
3. COMFEE’ Portable Mini Dishwasher Countertop with 1.32Gal Built-in Water Tank
This is the smaller COMFEE’ — the tank model. It has a 1.32-gallon built-in tank, so no hookup is needed, and you can also run it straight off the faucet with the included hose and adapter. The listing asks for more than 19.6″ of clearance between your countertop and the wall cupboard, which is worth checking with a tape measure first.
Pros
- No installation needed: fill the tank by hand using the included guide, or connect to the tap
- A full spread of programs — Normal, Rapid, Hygiene, Fruit, Glass, and an Air Refresh drying mode
- Hygiene cycle heats water to 162 °F, which the listing says suits baby dinnerware and heavily soiled dishes
- Ultra-compact footprint, holding 30+ items with plates up to 9.5 inches
Cons
- The 9.5″ plate limit is the smallest here, so large dinner plates won’t fit
- Standard dishwasher powder or detergent only — regular liquid dish soap will cause problems
- The Rapid cycle needs half the normal detergent dose, and Fruit needs none, so you have to adjust each time
The 19.6″ figure is the one measurement that decides whether this machine works in your kitchen at all. If the gap above your counter is tighter than that, no amount of clever placement saves it.
If it clears, the tank is what you’re paying for. Fill it by hand from the guide when there’s no tap nearby, or run the hose to the faucet and skip the refills. The faucet route needs water pressure between 0.04 and 1.0 MPa.
Detergent is where people go wrong. Liquid dish soap isn’t a substitute at any dose — it causes dishwasher problems, so keep powder or standard dishwasher detergent on hand.
4. Farberware Portable Countertop Dishwasher with 5-Liter Built-in Water Tank
Farberware’s entry leans on the brand’s kitchen reputation and a simple pitch: 40 minutes, water, and electricity. It has a 5-liter built-in tank, so no hookup is required, and it’s rated at 750W with a water pressure range of 20–120 PSI. Socket is 10A 120VAC.
Fill it by hand and the dishwasher runs without a plumbing connection at all, which is what puts it in an RV, a boat, or a rental kitchen where you can’t tap into a supply line.
The listing pairs the 5-liter tank with a 12-inch maximum plate diameter rather than a place-setting count.
Pros
- Fits 12-inch diameter dishes
- Five wash cycles, including baby care, glass, and a fruit wash
- 40-minute cycle for a fast turnaround
- LED display with simple controls, and a tank that’s easy to refill and clean
Cons
- Five cycles is the fewest here, so you have less fine-tuning for mixed loads
The five cycles are worth reading before you buy, because two of them are specialty programs.
If your loads are mostly plates, glasses, and bottles, the cycle list covers them. If you routinely run greasy cookware alongside delicate glassware and want a setting for each, the COMFEE’ and BLACK+DECKER models give you more to choose from.
5. BLACK+DECKER Countertop Dishwasher, BCD6W
The BCD6W is the full-size countertop option. It measures 21.5″ x 21.7″ x 17.2″ and holds a full dinner service for a small household. It hooks to your faucet with a Quick Connect assembly, so there’s no plumbing and no permanent install — connect it when you need it, disconnect when you don’t.
Pros
- 7 wash cycles: Normal, Intensive, Eco, Glass, 90 Minutes, Rapid, and Soak
- Energy Star certified
- Stainless steel interior, which the listing says retains heat for better drying
- LED display with remaining cycle time, delay start, and a child lock
Cons
- At 46.2 lbs., it’s heavy to lift on and off the counter
- It needs a free faucet while running, so no tank option here
- The larger body takes real counter space, and the listing suggests cupboard storage between uses
Seven cycles is more choice than most people use, but two of them earn their place. Rapid is for a light load you want done now. Soak is for the baked-on dish you would otherwise scrub first.
The 90 Minutes cycle sits between those extremes, and Eco trades time for lower energy use. Normal and Intensive cover the everyday and the heavily soiled. Glass is the one to pick when the load is mostly stemware.
The delay start matters more than it looks. Load after dinner, set the delay, and the machine runs when you aren’t in the kitchen. The child lock keeps the touch controls from being changed mid-cycle.
Two things to plan for. The 46.2 lb. weight is a two-hand lift, so decide where it lives before it arrives. And because it draws from the faucet, the sink is out of service while it runs.
6. BLACK+DECKER Countertop Dishwasher, BCD6SD
The BCD6SD is the second BLACK+DECKER here, and it’s the simpler of the two. Same capacity for a full dinner service, same Quick Connect faucet hookup, same stainless steel interior. The difference is in the cycle list and the controls.
Pros
- A full spread of wash cycles: Normal, Rinse, Glass, Eco, Speed, and Heavy
- Fits dinner plates up to 10″, plus bowls, glasses, cups, cutlery, and serving platters
- Quick Connect hooks straight to the faucet — no plumbing or permanent installation
- LED display with delayed start, child lock, and time functions
Cons
- One fewer cycle than the BCD6W, with no dedicated soak program
- Faucet-dependent, so there’s no built-in tank for off-grid use
The cycle list is where this model earns its place. Normal and Heavy cover the everyday load and the baked-on one. Eco is the setting to reach for when you run the machine most days. Glass and Rinse handle the delicate end, and Speed is there when you need the load back before you leave the kitchen.
The stainless steel interior is doing two jobs at once. It resists food stains, so the walls wipe clean instead of holding onto a ring of sauce. It also retains heat, which is what the drying performance at the end of the cycle is built on.
The controls are all on the LED display: cycle, delayed start, child lock, and time. The child lock matters more than it sounds. It stops a small hand from changing the program mid-wash, which is the kind of interruption you only notice when the load comes out wet.
Where this one stops is the soak program. If your dishes regularly sit overnight with dried food on them, the BCD6W is the one to look at. If they don’t, you’re paying for a cycle you won’t press.
7. Magic Chef Compact Countertop Dishwasher
Magic Chef’s entry is the quiet one. The listing rates it at 52 decibels, the only noise figure given in this group, which matters in a studio or an open-plan space. It holds a full dinner service for a small household and uses a stainless steel interior.
The cycle list is heavy, normal, light, speed, glass and rinse. Heavy and normal cover everyday loads; light and glass are for things you would rather not blast; speed is the short cycle; rinse is for holding a part-load until you run a real one. If your dishes sit overnight before you get to them, rinse is the cycle that keeps them from drying out.
Delay start runs across a full day in 1-hour steps. That’s fine enough to line the wash up with your return from work, and it’s set through the same push-button panel as everything else.
Loading help comes from a detergent and rinse aid dispenser, plus a rack with a cup shelf and a flatware basket. The cup shelf is the piece that lets mugs and small bowls go in upside down without tipping.
Pros
- Operates quietly at 52 decibels
- 6 wash cycles: heavy, normal, light, speed, glass, and rinse
- Delay start across a full day, in 1-hour steps
- Detergent and rinse aid dispenser, plus a rack with cup shelf and flatware basket
Cons
- Semi-integrated push-button controls, so no touch panel here
- No Energy Star mention in the listing
FAQ
Do I need a plumber to install a countertop dishwasher?
No. Every model here connects to your kitchen faucet with a hose, and two of them — the HAVA and the smaller COMFEE’ — also carry a built-in tank you fill by hand. That means no plumbing changes and no permanent installation. You just need a free faucet while it runs, or a tank model if your faucet is always in use.
How many place settings do I actually need?
Count how many people eat at home on a normal day, then add one. A 4-setting machine like the HAVA suits one or two people who run it daily. The 6-setting models — both BLACK+DECKERs, the Magic Chef, and the larger COMFEE’ — handle a family of three or four without running twice. If you cook a lot, the 6-setting machines give you room for pots and serving dishes too.
Can I use regular dish soap in these machines?
No, and this is the mistake that causes the most problems. The listings for the HAVA and the smaller COMFEE’ both call for dishwasher-specific detergent — pods, powder, or liquid made for dishwashers. Regular hand dish soap foams up and can damage the machine. The smaller COMFEE’ also notes that its Rapid cycle needs half the normal dose and its Fruit cycle needs none.
Will a countertop dishwasher fit my plates?
Check the plate diameter in the listing against your biggest dinner plate. The Farberware takes 12-inch dishes, the HAVA takes up to 11″, both BLACK+DECKERs and the larger COMFEE’ take 10″, and the smaller COMFEE’ tops out at 9.5″. If you use wide pasta bowls or big platters, measure them before you choose.
Do these machines dry the dishes too?
Most do, but the method varies. The HAVA runs 60 minutes of hot air plus 72 hours of automatic ventilation. The smaller COMFEE’ has an Air Refresh mode that circulates air and can be switched off. The larger COMFEE’ adds extra drying to most cycles. The BLACK+DECKER models rely on the stainless steel interior retaining heat. Expect some light spotting on plastic items either way.
What should I check before I buy?
Three things: the counter space you have, the clearance above it, and your largest plates. The smaller COMFEE’ asks for more than 19.6″ between countertop and wall cupboard, and the larger COMFEE’ is 21.7″ wide. The BLACK+DECKER BCD6W weighs 46.2 lbs., so plan where it lives before it arrives.
Conclusion
The most useful thing to decide first is how you’ll supply water. If you have a free faucet, the full-size machines — both BLACK+DECKERs, the Magic Chef, and the larger COMFEE’ — give you the most room per load. If you don’t, the HAVA and the smaller COMFEE’ fill from a built-in tank and go anywhere with a socket. Match that one detail to your kitchen, then check plate diameter and clearance, and the rest falls into place.