What do you think: dishwasher drawer

Image via: Stuff That I Bought

 I attended a CDECA (Canadian Decorators' Association) event yesterday, which was about not about appliances but happened to be hosted in the gorgeous Fisher & Paykel showroom in Mississauga. I was smitten with the streamlined design and wondered why I didn't know more about this brand.

​Turns out Fisher & Paykel (which is pronounced like Michael with a P, by the way!) has been around a really long time: since 1934 in fact. It is the best-selling appliance brand in New Zealand. Yes. New Zealand. They have expansionist eyes on North America so you should add it to your watch list if you're in the market for new appliances. They are positioned as a luxury brand but below top-end pricing.

​All of the F&P appliances looked really sleek and European, but I was especially taken with the dishwashing drawer, which apparently was their innovation.

You can see the main advantage right? No bending down. I recently switched our dinner plates to a heavy 12" stoneware and, wow, it is an actual physical effort to pull out a fully loaded dishwasher tray. The counter height drawer is good design - especially for folks with limited mobility. The double drawer model retails for $1800 - $2200 CAD.

​Let's talk about the two-drawer set-up. Amazing, right? Great energy efficiency to run half a load or do a quick mid-party clean-up. Some models have adjustable racks to custom fit tall stem glassware and large plates.

Image via: Domesti-Tech

Image Via: Ikea Hackers 

Small kitchens and small households can take advantage of the single drawer unit and save cabinet space. This makes so much sense in a new-build condo where every square foot of reclaimed space is precious. Here, an Ikea cabinet was hacked to accommodate a dishwasher drawer with space leftover. This model retails for around $1100 CAD.

​Fisher & Paykel is carried in Toronto at Tasco Appliance (who publish prices online) and Caplan's on Weston Road (who do not publish prices). The showroom in Mississauga shows the full range but is not open for retail sales and does not show MSRP.