Midea MDWEB1004LS-W built-in dishwasher, 45 cm, 10 place settings, class E

A 45 cm dishwasher fits the narrow cabinet module that is often left over in smaller kitchens, or when an oven and a drawer unit already sit next to it. The baskets hold 10 place settings – each one being the plates, glass, cup and cutlery for one person. A day's dishes for a household of two or three can go through one cycle, leaving the sink free.

The machine has 8 programmes, selected on the electronic control panel, and the display shows which programme and settings are currently chosen. That makes it easy to use the same programme every day and pick a different one when the dishes are more or less soiled than usual. According to the supplier there is no dedicated quick wash programme on this model.

The delay start lets you postpone the start of a wash by up to 12 hours. Load the machine after dinner and let it start during the night when nobody is in the kitchen, or time it so the wash is finished by the morning and the clean dishes can be put away before you leave for work. Planning the washing-up becomes easy even on long days when you are hardly at home.

On the EU energy label scale from A to G the MDWEB1004LS-W is rated class E, using 76 kWh per 100 wash cycles. Its noise class is C on the A–D scale. Because the machine is built into furniture, the cabinet door absorbs some of the sound, but in an open-plan flat it makes sense to use the delay start and run longer programmes when nobody is in the kitchen.

The machine measures 45 × 55 × 82 cm (width × depth × height) and weighs 33 kg. Before installation, measure the width and depth of the opening and the height to the underside of the worktop, and compare them with the installation manual. A built-in dishwasher needs a water inlet, a drain and a nearby socket, which are easiest to prepare while the kitchen is being renovated.

The Midea MDWEB1004LS-W suits a smaller kitchen with a 45 cm space reserved for a dishwasher, and a household of two or three for whom 10 place settings is about right. It is especially convenient for anyone who likes to time the wash for the night or the morning and prefers a control panel with a display that shows the settings at a glance.