is 6' of drawer space worth giving up dwd for 18' dw?

11 years ago

(That's 6 inches, not feet as in the title)

The thread about the 36" drawers got me thinking that maybe I should consider trading my planned for deep DWD with a base cab drawer underneath for an 18" DW and then I could add the 6" to the drawer base next to it and have a 30" drawerbase instead of 24". That base will be in the 'clean up' area and hold tupperware, wraps, etc. Any thoughts on the pros and cons of this? I don't need a 24" DW which is why I thought a deep DWD would be fine (and my back would appreciate it, too), but now I'm wondering if I'd appreciate more the extra drawer space?

Thanks

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Comments (10)

mjsee
11 years ago
Is resale likely to be an issue? Because that would be a deal-breaker for me. I rented a house at the beach once with an 18" DW...miserable experience. At least with the deep DWD one could probably retro-fit...or add a second DWD. Not so much with an 18" space.

Even if you don't THINK resale will be an issue...it can be an issue. Stuff happens. I would go with the solution that can be most easily reversed and turned into a more standard layout.
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francoise47
11 years ago
Hi Deedles,

Anything less than a standard-size dishwasher
would be a deal breaker for me as well.

Well, maybe I would consider an 18" dishwasher if I was an octogenarian widow with no children or grandchildren and it was the only thing I didn't like about the super glam New York City (ditto Paris, London, Berlin...) apartment I was contemplating buying....
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We went through the same process -- we will have kids at home for another 6 years or more and the extended family gathers here. We are using them both regularly, and I have been glad we got the two full size DW's so we can easily wash mixing bowls and larger items when I want to. It seems to maximize the benefit of having two DWs and I now think I'd be frustrated if I had more limitations on one side. We figure that if we get at least 8 years (had them nearly 2) out of a DW and then decide our lifestyle no longer justifies 2, we have a 24" space ready for some DW drawers, more cabinet drawers, an open cabinet if we put a floor in, a beverage fridge, fridge drawers right next to the sink for veggies, an ice maker and a narrow cutting board cabinet -- lots of options with little change to the space. In the meantime, we have a DW that is quiet, cleans well and cost less than the drawers. I understand the thought process you ar going through. I'm sure either option will be good, but I have no regrets with our choice. And as much as I talk about not worrying about symmetry on this forum, I do like the fact that the two DWs balance on either side of the sink. Of course, the drawers on either side of the DWs are different. ;-)
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lascatx
11 years ago
I think a 24" deep drawer will very likely give you more storage options than 6" added to the 24" drawer and have the benefit of being able to put in a standard DW down the road. And you get the higher DW loading you wanted now - why rethink this for some plastic containers that are so easy to get too many of?
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davidro1
11 years ago
deedles,

perhaps you have posted previously in another thread.

I would need to know about the condo or house, before commenting on the finetuned differences between an 18"w DW or a single drawer Dishdrawer DW.

The 6" tradeoff is not just in relation to the adjacent cabinet.
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deedles
Original Author
11 years ago
It's our little 1200 sq. ft. retirement house. Rural, small village in Wisconsin. Not a high end area by any means.

Just me and DH which is why I don't really need a full size dw. I can hardly get it filled up now in our current house (of course with all the remodeling we're doing, cooking isn't happening so much either).

Point taken re: having a standard sized opening for future eventualities, though. The kitchen is so small that I'm trying to think of every storage maximizer that I can.

Maybe I'll stick with my back and the DWD then...

thanks for the input!
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rhome410
11 years ago
I do think you're making the right decision. The convenience of the reach, and the drawer beneath are worth giving up the 6" in the drawer stack next to it, I think... Plus, the option to change to a regular dishwasher in the future. Many pluses to your initial plan.
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davidro1
11 years ago
is the original plan to have a single (24"w) dishwasher drawer? This is good. Under it you can have a single deep drawer, or two.
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deedles
Original Author
11 years ago
Yup, that was the original plan... just got to thinking as I said in reading through the 36" drawer thread. Okay... I'm good on this... thanks you guys.
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alvmusick
11 years ago
Deedles -

Although I am late to the game and you might already have made up your mind, I just thought I would give you some thoughts on your option #2. We opted for an 18" DW (I have a family of 3 and cook from scratch daily) and a 6" spice drawer stack next to our range - so glad we went with this option in our small galley kitchen. The 6" drawers are perfect for utensils and other items that I felt would do better in a drawer of their own vs a larger drawer.

Yes, I am in NYC (Brooklyn) and no, I don't worry about resale (plus this apartment never had a DW before). Ultimately, we went with what we wanted for our family - not the next owner.

Good luck with your kitchen!

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to 18
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Fori
11 years ago
Since you plan on getting really old there, do the drawer. It doesn't get any easier to bend...
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is 6' of drawer space worth giving up dwd for 18' dw?

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is 6' of drawer space worth giving up dwd for 18' dw?

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