Hi Fori, Thanks very much for your input. A quick aside: any regrets on choosing a DD rather than a conventional washer? How clean do your dishes get?? Thanks again.

I'm on my third DD (3 houses--they don't require constant replacement!). I haven't had a normal dishwasher in...yikes...20 years? (except for the few months before replacing them in new houses. They always broke--I'm too cheap to replace a functional DW). But I've loaded DWs of others and prefer loading the DD, and 2 singles mounted on top would be very nice.

I don't think they are as quiet as others in the price range. Dishes get clean enough but I suspect that depends a lot on water quality and loading schemes, as well as scraping protocol.

Of all the appliances reviewed on GardenWeb, I think the F&P DD is likely the most controversial. Reviews are quite polarized between lovers and haters. I THINK that is a result of many incorrect installs by inexperienced plumbers who haven't read the instructions AND perhaps more electronics issues, too. I hope I won't become one of the regretters!

Back toward the original post topic: when I look into a display-model DD, it isn't crystal clear how best to load a DD. And 2 things that concern me are:

1. seemingly limited area for glasses;

2. the flatware basket allows clumping of various utensils as it doesn't have a gridded basket cover.

Any comments on this Fori? Thanks very much!

1. That's why you have 2 of them! :P I can fit about 10-12 cups, mugs, or glasses on the glasses side, plus 5 or 6 on the top flippy thing. If you're comfortable filling both drawers if needed, you should be fine. If you want to avoid using a cabinet for your dishes by moving from one drawer to another....well, if there aren't too many of you it might work.

2. Not sure what you mean. You just stand stuff up. It has compartments similar to other DWs I've seen but you can't isolate every piece (unless you have fewer than nine). You'll be doing smaller loads of dishes so the basket won't need hold as much flatware as a big DW since it'll have the correspondingly smaller amount.

There are some pretty detailed threads somewhere on here about the DDs. Even the old ones are still useful; I had one of the first models and the things haven't changed much at all except for minor improvements.

Thanks, Fori: pictures by F&P always show 4 or 6 cups and lots of plates. My goal in getting individual DD's was to run a small load almost daily for 2 people, and perhaps machine wash bowls that I've always done by hand, given the space. You are right: I will have a lot less flatware in one day than in 3, as is my typical rate of fill-up/run the DW. I'm hoping I will do much less rinsing than is currently required on the Frigidaire that we inherited in a temp. house.

It'll be fine for 2--the extra DD might even be superfluous! There are 4 of us and we're just barely breaking the one drawer a day limit when school is in session. You could probably get away with a regular double drawer unit and use the bottom drawer rarely. (But two singles at a good height sounds so luxurious!)

You should only have to scrape dishes for any modern DW, especially if you're running it more often. No more rinsing.

Hi Fori,

Thanks for all your good advice. The second drawer will be used to drain hand-wash items, and I plan to alternate regularly to get rid of stagnant water. Need the second drawer for party cleanup, too. I'm hoping to learn to not rinse -- hate food smell when opening the DW, so running daily (if I use enough dishes) should be more practical for us. I spend too much time rinsing / washing each day for 2 people!

Ya know, if you have any doubts--ANY!--you should maybe get a double drawer instead of the two singles. Not so good as a draining spot, but if you turn out to be someone who can't stand DDs, a double can be replaced with a standard dishwasher. Replacing two singles will require custom cabinet work. (Miele and maybe a few others will run a half load or something weird like that...)

I thought I wanted two DDs, flanking my sink. Instead, I got the double DD and a pull-out on the left of the sink for garbage and recycling. My first DD lasted 14 years. It could have been repaired for half the cost of a new pair, but I opted for the new one. Very quiet. I sometimes run it on the 54 minute cycle. I use the 120 minute cycle if dishes are greasy. We are two adults. We run the top DD after dinner. I have to remind myself to use the lower drawer -- just to keep the hoses flexible. You can run the two drawers together, on different cycles.

The truth is, if I order the DD's, I will have committed. DH would have a cow if I changed my mind within the first 7+ years!!