If you don't have room in your kitchen for a built-in dishwasher, a portable dishwasher can be an option. These dishwashers are small in size, and are designed to be portable. Some are larger and you can move them around on wheels. Others are small and compact, meant to be placed on the counter while in use. Portable dishwashers allow you to use them when you need them and store them when you don't. Typically these dishwashers are easy to connect and use. If you're tired of washing dishes by hand and are looking for a portable dishwasher, check these ones out. They are five of the best available. hOmeLabs Compact Countertop Dishwasher Simple to UseYou don't need any tools to connect this portable dishwasher. Best Overall Find on Amazon This portable dishwasher can handle up to six place settings at a time. It has a convenient silverware basket and a dish rack to help ensure everything comes clean. Designed to sit on the counter, this appliance is compact. It measures 17.2 X 19.6 X 21.6 inches, so it doesn’t take up a lot of space. This dishwasher is simple to use. It comes with everything you need, and no tools are required. You use the quick connect assembly to connect the hose to your faucet, and plug it in. It uses only 3.1 gallons of water per load, which is less then you’d use doing the same amount of dishes by hand. Pros Holds up to six place settings Has a dish rack and silverware basket Easy to connect Cons It is heavy to move (almost 45 pounds) SPT SD-9241W Energy Star Portable Dishwasher Holds A Lot of DishesYou can clean up to eight plate settings of dishes in this portable machine. Largest Capacity Find on Amazon If you don’t want your portable dishwasher to take up counter space, this is a great option. It is on wheels and easily rolls up to the sink for use. It’s 18 inches wide, and can hold a lot of dishes. There are two trays, and a silverware basket to help you fit more into each load. When you’re ready to wash dishes, it’s easy to connect. It comes with the hoses and adapters you will need for most faucet styles. There are six different wash programs include heavy, light, and speed. Most loads take about two hours to complete, and the speed one takes just over one hour. There is a delay setting, which is helpful if you want to load this after dinner and run it later in the evening. Pros Large capacity Delay feature Uses 3.65 gallons per normal cycle Cons Some water will come out of your sprayer if you have one. You may need to install a separate water line to prevent this from happening if you don’t want to replace your current faucet setup EdgeStar DWP62SV 6 Place Setting Energy Star Rated Portable Countertop Dishwasher Very Energy EfficientThis portable dishwasher uses only 200 kilowatt hours per year, and 2.85 gallons of water for each load. Most Energy Efficient Find on Amazon This portable dishwasher is super energy efficient. It uses only 200 kilowatt hours a year, which is over 60 percent less energy than similar models. Additionally, it uses less than three gallons of water as it runs on the normal cycle. This unit will not cause a huge increase in your power bill. Designed to fit on your countertop, underneath your upper cabinets, this dishwasher holds six standard place settings. It has seven different wash cycles, so you can adjust it based on the dishes you load. There’s a built-in rinse agent dispenser. You can fill this with a rinse agent, and it will help minimize water spots. It’s easy to connect with a faucet adapter, and the five-foot hose is long enough for most kitchens. The digital display is easy to read, and the controls are simple. Pros Efficient Fits on the counter under most upper cabinets Easy to connect Cons The hoses can leak if not connected properly Danby New Model DDW621WDB 6 Wash CyclesYou can run a rapid wash cycle in only 45 minutes. Quickest Wash Find on Amazon Do you want a dishwasher with a cycle that can be done in less than an hour? The rapid wash cycle on this portable dishwasher gets your dishes clean in only 45 minutes. There are other settings you can use as well, when you have more time. This unit is fairly quiet to run, putting out 52 decibels during operation. It is compact, but still holds six place settings. There’s a silverware basket to help get all your spoons and forks clean. It’s simple to hook up, featuring a quick connect adapter. When you’re done, you can leave it on your counter or store it away. Pros Quick wash cycle Fairly quiet Quick connect adapter Cons No timer feature BLACK + DECKER BCD6W Compact Counter Dishwasher Child LocksYou won't have to worry about your kids accidentally turning it on. Best Control Options Find on Amazon The controls on this portable dishwasher are simple to use. The LED display is bright, and shows you how much time is left on the cycle. You can lock the controls to keep your kids from accidentally messing up settings if they randomly push buttons. There are seven different wash cycles, include soak, eco, and 90 minutes. There is a delayed start option, and you can set it for up to 24 hours. This dishwasher holds up to six plate settings, and can accommodate 10 inch plates. The rack slides out and you can remove the utensil basket to make it easier to load and unload. It’s sized perfectly for countertop use, and will fit underneath most upper cabinets. Pros Seven different wash cycles Child lock Easy to read display Cons Many dinner plates are 10.5″ and won’t fit properly Frequently Asked Questions How do you connect a portable dishwasher? Portable dishwashers have two hoses. One is for clean water coming in. The other is for dirty water coming out, or the drain hose. When you’re ready to run your dishwasher, you will need to connect the clean water hose to your faucet. You must have a removable aerator in your faucet. If you do not have the right size or style of faucet, the product will not work. You may need to purchase additional adapters or a new faucet. Once you have the incoming water hose connected properly, the drain hose goes in the sink. Make sure both hoses are tightly connected at the back of the dishwasher to avoid leaks. How much water do portable dishwashers use? Portable dishwashers are designed to be efficient. They do not use a lot of water. Most use between 3-5 gallons for an entire load. If you were to wash the same amount of dishes by hand, you would use much more water than that. Can I leave my portable dishwasher on my counter? Some portable dishwashers will fit on your counter. Once you find a good home for it, you can leave it there all the time. However, some people don’t like the look of it just sitting there. There are moveable carts available that allow you to wheel it up to the sink when you’re ready and take it away when your dishes are done. Since the portable dishwashers are about 45 pounds, most people prefer using carts to moving them by hand.