Pans in dishwashers!

15 years ago when we had our kitchen refitted I treated myself to a set of copper saucepans that all have iron handles. When I puit them in the dishwasher I found that the handles got very rusty so they do not go in the DW anymore. I just stack them up in the sink, fill them with hotwater and detergent and leave them overnight. Previously I had had stainless steel and enamel pans which I always put in the dishwasher without any problem.

Stainless steel pans and small frying pan and small wok, big wok too big.

No, I don't put pans in, because I always understood that a dishwasher is justifiable only if you run it when it's full. You can get an awful lot of plates and mugs in the space of a couple of pans. As I try to be as green as possible and would hate to get rid of my dishwasher, I spend a lot of time trying to get as much in as possible before turning it on. (My name is wheniwasyourage and I am a sad person.)

Wheniwasyourage, you have a wonderful sense of humour and obviously lots of crocks! Kittylester, I'm with you; it keeps the kitchen clean and tidy and I only hand wash good glasses and the roast meat tins that need a bit of a scour after I have also made the gravy on the hob in them.

I AM the dishwasher!

I agree with 'wheniwasyourage'. There are only 2 of us so to use the dishwasher every day is very wasteful imho--every 3/4 days is enough. Therefore, I have to hand wash saucepans. I have a friend who is very green in most things but has a 'mental block' with the DW--she washes every night, despite only being 2 of them and her husband always having the same mug, which is hand washed every time it's used!!! Each to their own!!!!

Actually, most of the time I LIKE being the dishwasher and wouldn't have it any other way. There's not even enough room in our kitchen for a fridge, let alone another piece of kit.

I put saucepans in the dishwasher unless they've been used for something like white sauce or custard both of which usually require more "power" than the dishwasher can give. Although there are only two of us most days I generally run the dishwasher daily (overnight on the cheaper electricity tariff) but I nearly always use the 35 minute economy cycle which gets things beautifully clean. Mind you - I rinse most of the muck off the plates before they go in so I don't treat the dishwasher as a waste disposal unit as well

Mr absent is in charge of washing up and the dishwasher. Custard and scrambled egg pans never go in the dishwasher; otherwise it's up to him to make sure that I have enough clean pans, chopping boards, etc. for cooking the next supper. There are only two of us as a rule, so the dishwasher goes on every 3 days or so.

I just use my dishwasher as a very large draining board. Not sure when I actually used it as a dishwasher.

What goes into the dishwasher? Everything. Mr. Flower was in charge of the dishwashing - would re-stack the machine after me - and he didn't put pots and pans in because he washed them himself. When he died I stopped using 'best things' so that I could bung everything in. I always use best quality dishwasher tabs.

trishs - hello from another non-dishwasher-owner! I think we're becoming a rare breed...

Pans in the dishwasher? No way!

trish and Ana another pot washer here, no room for a machine and there's only me anyway.
In the interest of 'green' living, I only wash up every so often!

My Oh also rinses and cleans EVERYTHING before he puts it in on the lowest temperature cycle. Can't see the point myself.Maybe he is trying to save electricity.

But, but look at his: fisherpaykel.co.uk a New Zealand Company who actually make dishwashers in two parts. Two drawers. Small load use one, large load use two.
Sounds ideal.

Ana - I remember being taught how to wash up in domestic science at school. I take great pride in accomplishing the process properly without wasting any water. I always wear Marigolds and use Ecover and hot water. Washing up and standing at the sink for the time it takes also helps my arthritis both in the morning and late at night.
http://phyzzezee.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/hot-water-helps/

Since I had a water meter I only wash up once a day [if that ]. It really annoys me when the S.O. does the washing up as I've told him not to do it; ever! I have my little system going and I hate it done any other way .

No crimson I'm not a control freak either!

I don't put pans in the dishwasher purely because I have cream enameled pans and it will take the surface off as it says in the care instructions, I did have some black enamel pans and they went very dull and nasty looking after a few washes in the dishwasher. I also don't put my glass measuring jugs in as eventually the markings wear off.

I don't put pans in dishwasher but everything else goes in. It goes on once a day usually after dinner when we have had our coffee. Don't use a short wash as it does not dissolve the tablets and leaves granules on plates. Instruction book says if you use short washes you must use separate detergent, rinse and salt, life is way too short for that faff. My machine is AAA+ so that is environmetally friendly isn't it ?

I put pans in as well as pyrex and the grill pan if there is room.
I can fill up a dish washer most days with two people. Its possibly the large number of tea cups we get through.

Everything except the butter-spreading knives with bone handles. We managed to buy six in a market and are cherishing them as they don't seem to make them any more.

We've had several dishwashers over the years and no longer put pans in. Some are too big if both trays are in and it's easier to wash them by hand than wait to see if they come out clean and then wash them by hand! What about melamine and plastic items, though? They never come out dry and then have to be drained or dried with a tea towel. I understand this counteracts the hygienic effect of the dishwasher but there doesn't seem to be an alternative.

Ella; I think I did 4 days worth of washing up on Thursday night whilst watching a programme I'd been planning to watch that evening . I think I'm going to make up another little rule which is that we only use one cup and wash it after each use [using as little water as possible each time] though. I must have washed @ 20+ cups t'other night! I'm eating a lot of sardines and pilchareds at the moment to feed my brain and it's difficult to get the smell off everything without using a splash of bleach. [the dog loves the fishy tomato juice on her boring dried food ].