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  • Attractive Design

  • Inside Features

  • Commendable Cleaning

  • The Bottom Line

  • Why You Might Consider Buying It

  • Attractive Design
  • Inside Features
  • Commendable Cleaning
  • The Bottom Line
  • Why You Might Consider Buying It

Pros

  • Great cleaning ability

  • LED interior lighting

  • Sleek exterior

Cons

  • Poor cost-to-performance ratio

If your goal is to come in under $1,000 for the new model, and it should be, a number of retailers are offering it for a hundred bucks less than that. Even at that price, it's expensive compared to other dishwashers with similar features. It costs more than some Bosch models that offer a superior clean and an even quieter wash.

Attractive Design

If you bring it home, you'll find that the sleek look of the Electrolux will integrate well into most contemporary kitchens, with a clean exterior, hidden controls, and no branding on the outside. (Clean is a relative term. Like most stainless finishes, this one does little to hide the inevitable fingerprints, so you’ll be wiping off smudges every day.)

Inside Features

Inside, it’s attractive and functional, with LED interior lighting, a third rack for cooking/serving utensils, a stainless-steel tub, and a low enough noise rating—45 dBA—lets you to carry on a conversation in the kitchen.

The tines on the bottom rack allow you to load the dishes in whatever configuration works for you, and on the top rack, you can fold down the cup holder shelf to admit two levels of cups.

The tines on the bottom rack allow flexibility

The tines on the bottom rack allow you to load the dishwasher in whatever configuration works for the dishes you need to wash

Wine glasses fit securely into the stemware holder, so they can get clean without breaking. Silicone bottle holders let the dishwasher spray water directly into baby bottles or vases.

Silverware goes into a removable covered basket that offers slots for individual pieces of cutlery. You can flip open the cover for a more flexible arrangement.

The silverware basket is removable and has slots for individual pieces
Credit: Reviewed.com / Jackson Ruckar

You can lift out the silverware basket to load or empty it. There are slots for individual pieces of cutlery or you can lift the cover and put them wherever you want.

Commendable Cleaning

You need a dishwasher that cleans as well as it looks. In terms of cleaning, you get quite a bit of versatility with this machine. Nine different cycles—including an upper rack-only wash, a stemware cycle, and an Eco wash—are backed up by a more modest set of features. You get a high temp setting, sanitize option, max dry, air dry, and delay.

The actual cleaning is fine. The Fast cycle certainly was that—only 30 minutes long—but fast cycles tend to have trouble cleaning up every type of stain. Don’t wash really dirty dishes in this cycle, but if you’re going to need to reuse the appetizer plates for dessert at the end of the meal, give it a try.

Normal and Heavy both did much better, and Heavy duty knocked it out of the park, leaving just a few flecks of spinach behind. Normal came in at a close second, having a little more trouble with some meat-covered plates in addition to the spinach issue, but was otherwise fantastic.

There are nine different cycles you can run
Credit: Reviewed.com / Jackson Ruckar

Nine different cycles, including an upper rack-only wash, a stemware cycle, and an eco wash are backed up by a modest set of features.

We always test using rinse aid. It’s necessary to ensure that dishes come out dry.

Our major complaint about this machine? It’s very slow. With Normal taking two and a half hours, and Heavy clocking in at a whopping 3 hours and 15 minutes, this one is not about fast cleanup. But when it finally finishes, it shines a little blue light on the floor to let you know that the load is done.

The Bottom Line

The biggest hurdle that the EI24ID81SS faces is its competition. This is a great looking machine with lots of options, and a high quality clean. But given the other excellent options out there, you might find it hard to justify the price point.

If you want a dishwasher with good looks that’s easier on the budget, this amazing LG sells for under $600, saving you hundreds over the Electrolux model.

Why You Might Consider Buying It

You should consider the Electrolux if you can pick it up as part of a kitchen package, or catch it on a great sale. Bear in mind that the standards around what makes a good dishwasher are higher than ever, and this machine may not be the best choice around.

Meet the testers

Matthew Zahnzinger

Matthew Zahnzinger

Logistics Manager & Staff Writer

@ReviewedHome

Matthew is a native of Brockton, MA and a graduate of Northeastern, where he earned a degree in English and Theatre. He has also studied at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin and spends most of his free time pursuing a performance career in the greater Boston area.

See all of Matthew Zahnzinger's reviews
Cindy Bailen

Cindy Bailen

Editor

@orangesandlemon

Cindy Bailen loves writing about major appliances and home design and has spent over 15 years immersed in that. In her spare time, Cindy hosts pledge programs for WGBH-TV in Boston and other public television stations.

See all of Cindy Bailen's reviews

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