You’re keeping your kitchen cabinet door
If the cabinet door and alignment with the surrounding units need to stay as they are, check how the door is fitted and how it moves when opened before comparing wash programmes.
Who is this option for?
Your kitchen has a low plinth or a tall cabinet space
A low plinth can affect your choice of door mechanism, while a tall cabinet space may call for a taller model. In either case, compare your cabinet measurements with the instructions for the model you’re considering.
You’re having it installed by a professional
Ask whether the installation includes fitting the cabinet door and making any necessary adjustments to the unit. Installation services may exclude alterations to the plumbing, electrics or cabinet door.
What should you check before choosing?
Fully integrated
Choose this if: you want the cabinet door to conceal the appliance and its controls completely.
Bear in mind: the cabinet door must be suitable for fitting and opening with the new model’s mechanism.
Semi-integrated
Choose this if: you want an integrated appliance but are happy for its control panel to remain visible.
Bear in mind: the cabinet door won’t cover the whole front, but it must still be compatible.
Freestanding
Consider this: only if the space can accommodate an appliance without relying on the existing cabinet space or door.
What this means: the look of the kitchen unit and the installation requirements will change. This isn’t a straightforward swap for an integrated model.
| Priority | What to check | Depending on your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet space dimensions | Measure the internal width, height beneath the worktop and usable depth. Compare them with the installation diagram for the exact model, allowing for the space needed for connections. | I want to replace the appliance without changing its designated position in the kitchen. |
| Cabinet door and opening | Measure the plinth height and the cabinet door. Check its weight, fixings and the type of door mechanism the appliance allows: fixed or sliding. | The cabinet door needs to stay in place and open without hitting the plinth. Bosch explains the difference between the two door mechanisms in its installation advice; the instructions for your chosen model are what matter. |
| Installation and connections | Check access to the water supply, waste pipe and electricity supply. Ask whether the service includes removing the old appliance, fitting the cabinet door and any alterations to the unit or connections. | If I’m having the appliance installed, I want to know what’s included before arranging the work. For example, Darty states that its integrated installation service excludes alterations to cabinet doors and connections. |
| Everyday use | Once you’ve checked the fit, compare capacity, basket layout, and washing and drying performance. For energy, water and noise, use indicators measured on the same basis. | I want an appliance suited to my household’s dishes, rather than choosing based on its external dimensions alone. ADEME describes the energy label as a useful way to compare energy and water consumption, as well as noise. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Ordering a “60 cm” model based on the stated width alone
Two appliances with the same nominal width can have different heights. Insufficient depth can also make it difficult to connect the appliance.
Measure the cabinet space’s internal width, height and depth, along with the plinth, then check the installation diagram for the exact model.
Adjusting the unit, plinth or connections may require a separate service.
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Assuming the old cabinet door will fit the new appliance
Fixed and sliding doors move the cabinet door in different ways. In particular, it may catch on a low plinth.
Check how the current door is fitted and compare its measurements with the template for the new model before drilling any holes.
Modifying or replacing the cabinet door, and fitting it, may involve extra work.
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Assuming installation includes alterations to your kitchen
Connecting the appliance to existing services doesn’t necessarily include alterations to the plumbing, electrics or cabinet door. Darty excludes these alterations from its integrated installation service.
Ask for written confirmation of what’s included for removal, connections, the cabinet door, the plinth and any preparatory work.
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Choosing a freestanding model to get around a cabinet door issue
According to UFC-Que Choisir, an integrated dishwasher is designed to fit in a dedicated cabinet space. Switching to a freestanding model won’t, by itself, solve questions about positioning and connections.
Before changing appliance type, check that the space is stable, consider the worktop and any visible sides, and make sure all three connections are accessible.
A guide to the brands
Bosch
Bosch’s French range includes 45 cm and 60 cm integrated dishwashers, with standard-height and taller models.
- Bosch explains the choice between fixed and sliding doors. Its SBH4HVX14E model is listed with a height of 865 mm.
- A Bosch model’s mechanism and dimensions don’t guarantee that it will fit a particular cabinet door or cabinet space.
Siemens
Siemens distinguishes between models whose cabinet door conceals the controls completely and those with a visible control panel.
- Siemens describes the SN95EX22CE as a 60 cm fully integrated model with a varioHinge hinge, measuring 815 × 598 × 550 mm.
- These specifications apply to this particular model. Check its instructions and your installation dimensions before choosing this type of door.
Electrolux
Electrolux offers fully integrated dishwashers for which the cabinet door needs to be supplied separately.
- Electrolux’s product details for a 60 cm fully integrated model state that it’s supplied without a cabinet door.
- Having an old cabinet door doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be able to reuse it with this model.
Whirlpool
Whirlpool’s French range includes integrated appliances and models with sliding doors.
- Whirlpool describes the W7IHP40LSC as a sliding-door model suited, among other things, to kitchens with a very low plinth.
- This information doesn’t replace the need to check the cabinet space height, cabinet door and installation diagram for the model.
Miele
Miele offers under-worktop integrated dishwashers for existing kitchens.
- The brand presents this under-worktop configuration as an option when replacing an old appliance.
- If you want to keep the look of a fully integrated cabinet door, check the door configuration of the model you’re considering.
Integrated dishwashers on Joybuy
These two 60 cm integrated models are worth considering if you’re replacing an appliance in a fitted kitchen. Their stated size doesn’t remove the need to check the cabinet space and cabinet door compatibility before buying.
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Samsung DW80H72YBB0U1 — 60 cm, 13 place settings, class B
If you’re keeping your fitted kitchen, compare this 60 cm integrated model with the dimensions of the cabinet space. It has a stated capacity of 13 place settings and an energy rating of B. Before reusing the cabinet door, check its measurements and fixings, and make sure the instructions allow for its door mechanism.
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Whirlpool W2I HD526 A — 60 cm, 14 place settings, white, class E
If you’re replacing an integrated appliance in a fitted kitchen, compare this 60 cm model with the existing cabinet space. The product title states that it has 14 place settings, a white finish and an energy rating of E. Also check the plinth and the cabinet door fixing type in the installation instructions.
Frequently asked questions
What should I measure before ordering a replacement?
Measure the cabinet space’s internal width, height beneath the worktop and usable depth, as well as the plinth height. Note where the connections are and compare these measurements with the installation diagram for the exact model. The appliance’s nominal width alone isn’t enough.
Can I reuse the old dishwasher’s cabinet door?
Yes, if its dimensions, weight and fixings are suitable for the new model and it can open with its door mechanism. Check the cabinet door and plinth against the fitting instructions before drilling or ordering the appliance.
Which connections should I check before installation?
A dishwasher needs a water supply, a waste water outlet and an electricity supply, as UFC-Que Choisir reminds readers in its installation advice. Check that they’re accessible from the intended position and ask the installer whether any alterations will be needed.
What should an installation service include?
Ask for details of removal, connections, fitting the cabinet door and any adjustments to the plinth or unit. Services vary: Darty states, for example, that alterations to the cabinet door, plumbing and electrics are excluded from its integrated installation service.
How should I compare appliances once I’ve checked the cabinet space?
Compare models that fit the cabinet space and are compatible with the cabinet door, then look at their capacity, washing and drying performance, and ease of use. ADEME says the energy label can also be used to compare energy and water consumption, as well as noise. Make sure the models you’re comparing use the same measurement basis.