Is fine china safe in a dishwasher?
Q. I’m about to purchase a new dishwasher and want to know which models will not harm my delicate china. (It has gold trim around the edges.) I’m mainly considering the Frigidaire Gallery FGHD2472PF model. What do you think?—Orah Rosenblatt, Brooklyn, NY
A. We don’t do any tests using delicate china, says Emilio Gonzalez, our senior test program leader for appliances, but we consulted the manual for the Frigidaire model you mentioned. It says that the appliance's china crystal cycle, “for lightly soiled china and crystal,” uses less water than the other cycles and is of shorter duration. Always closely follow the user manual and, of course, carefully load delicate items, making sure they don’t touch other dishes. The manual doesn’t mention gold-trimmed china, so it wouldn’t hurt to call the manufacturer to see what it recommends. And when in doubt, hand-wash.
For related information check our buying guides for dishwashers and detergents.
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This article also appeared in the January 2015 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
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