6 Best Dishwasher Tablets, Tested by Cleaning Experts
You can't beat these packs for cleaning and convenience!
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Choosing the right dishwasher detergent can mean the difference between spotless results the first time and having to pre-wash (or, worse, re-wash!) your dishes. While powder and gel dishwasher detergents clean well, tablets or packs stand out for their convenience and storage ease. According to manufacturers, much of their development dollars and innovation efforts are focused on tablets, meaning they're more likely to give you cleaner results over other dishwasher detergent forms.
The Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care & Cleaning Lab has tested not only the best dishwasher detergents and the best performing dishwashers, but also top rinse aids and the best dishwasher cleaners. When we test all dishwasher detergents, including tablets, we evaluate everything from their ingredients and how well they clean the toughest messes from all types of dinnerware to how crystal clear they leave our glasses and how neat and easy they are to use and store. These are the best dishwasher detergent tablets from our testing for the most sparkling results.
Cascade Platinum Plus Dishwasher Pods
Pros
- Leaves glassware shiny and spot-free
- Helps with drying
- Cuts through grease and dried-on soils
Cons
- Among the most expensive per load
Form: Powder and gel | Loads per tub: 47 | Cost per load: 50 cents
Cascade sets the standard for what a great dishwasher tablet should be. It cleans so well in our Good Housekeeping Cleaning Lab tests that we use the brand as our standard detergent when testing dishwashers. Our test kitchens use it to clean their grimy cookware and dishes too.
But Cascade doesn't rest on its laurels. This new pack formula delivers more enzymes, grease cutters and grime fighters to tackle the toughest, most common soils, like cheese and fats. Even stuff that's been sitting on dishes and baked onto cookware is history without pre-rinsing. Cascade Platinum Plus packs also contain ingredients to minimize spotting, protect glassware from harmful etching and help items dry better, so glasses emerge crystal clear.
Even though it is among the most expensive tablets per load, Cascade Platinum Plus packs so much cleaning into each wash that we have no qualms backing it with our Good Housekeeping Seal.
Pros
- Everything emerged shiny and spotless
- Suitable for moderately hard water households
- Cut tough grease
- Well-priced
Cons
- May still need to use a separate rinse aid
Form: Powder and gel | Loads per tub: 76 | Cost per load: 30 cents
I had to do a double-take when I calculated the cost per load for Finish Ultimate — another top-performing brand in our tests — as it comes in at such an affordable price. Its three-chamber packs work with a special proprietary technology that the brand says releases the right ingredient at the right time in the cycle, including Finish's trademark red ball rinse aid center to help minimize spotting and filming, especially in harder water.
In GH Cleaning Lab tests, we were highly impressed by the enzyme-based formula. It obliterated stuck-on food from a greasy roasting pan and completely rinsed away residues, leaving everything exceptionally shiny and spotless. For very hard water households and anyone who needs better drying performance, we still recommend adding a separate rinse aid liquid to your dishwasher.
Pros
- Fresh Lemon Mint scent
- Made with plant- and mineral-based ingredients
- Package is easy to open, use and store
- Effective on even 48-hour buildup
Cons
- Pricier than some on our list
Form: Powder | Loads per tub: 30 | Cost per load: 55 cents
If you're a fan of Method products, then you know that they come with some amazing scents, and these dishwasher packs are no exception. They come in a fresh but subtle Lemon Mint scent or Free & Clear for those who prefer to skip scent altogether. "Plus they smell fantastic and let's be honest, it makes cleaning more fun!" said one Amazon reviewer.
In our tests, the Method's formula — containing enzymes and plant- and mineral-based ingredients — cleaned very well and even removed foods that had been dried onto dishes for 48 hours, making it a previous winner of a Good Housekeeping Best Cleaning & Organizing Award. Some of our consumer testers even said they were switching to these from their regular packs after testing them.
Though the packs are on the pricey side, we are also fans of Method's slim, easy-to-grab snap-top container, which saves space in under-sink storage and keeps the packs clean and dry.
Pros
- Eliminates plastic packaging
- Forever tin is easy and neat to store
- Can be ordered via subscription to lower cost
Cons
- Some tablets may break but extras are included
Form: Powder | Loads per tub: 60 | Cost per load starter kit: 42 cents | Cost per load refills: 38 cents
There's a definite move to eliminate excess plastic packaging and Blueland is one of the main cleaning product brands leading the charge. Its Dishwasher Starter Set includes unwrapped solid powder dishwasher tablets shipped in a compostable paper pouch along with an aluminum "forever" tin. Simply transfer the tablets to the tin and recycle the pouch. Once you have the tin, you'll need to order only a refill pouch.
In our Cleaning Lab tests, the tablets delivered impressive results, leaving glasses and flatware clean and shiny at the end of the cycle. Plus, they were easy to use and store. Some of the tablets may arrive broken, but Blueland makes up for the loss by including a few extra tablets in the pouch. Blueland is already one of the more reasonably priced options but signing up to receive the tablets with a subscription can save even more money.
Miele Ultra Tabs All in 1 Dishwasher Tablets
Pros
- Very neat to handle and store
- Fits easily into all dispensers
- Works in all dishwashers
Cons
- High cost per load
Form: Powder | Loads per box: 60 | Cost per load: 58 cents
We're fans of Miele appliances in the GH Cleaning Lab, especially its top-performing dishwashers. But a great dishwasher also needs a great detergent to work its best, and that's what we found with the super-effective formula in Miele UltraTabs All in 1.
The solid powder detergent tablets are easy to use, tidy to store and dissolve completely — including the water-soluble wrapper. Each tablet contains three distinct layers of cleaning ingredients that, in our tests, erased stuck-on grime and left stainless steel cookware and flatware shiny and glassware squeaky clean, even in a Miele dishwasher's 58-minute QuickIntense cycle.
And because they are perfectly shaped little blocks, they fit neatly in all dishwasher dispensers — both from Miele and other brands. And it's unlikely you'll find any burst packs or broken tablets in the neatly packed box. While they do come at a higher cost per load, they are formulated with specialty ingredients for rinsing and glassware protection as well as salt to help soften hard water.
Seventh Generation Triple Action Clean Dishwasher Detergent Packs
Pros
- 73% USDA Certified Biobased Product
- Package lists all ingredients
- Made without fragrance, dyes and chlorine bleach
Cons
- Product may darken in heat and humidity but will still be effective
Form: Powder and gel | Loads per pouch: 54 | Cost per load: 39 cents
Seventh Generation is well-known for its eco-cleaning formulations and, like our Method pick above, is proving that plant and mineral-based dishwasher detergents can be just as effective as traditional formulas. 73% of the ingredients in these packs are USDA Certified Biobased and, according to the brand, they are made without fragrance, dyes or chlorine bleach.
But in our tests, those omissions didn't compromise cleaning. This enzyme-packed grease-cutting formula left our loads cleaner than with other eco-formulas we've tried and the glassware and flatware were literally sparkling.
We like that the back of the pouch lists all of the ingredients that make up the formula and dissolvable film. It also alerts users that due to the lack of dyes, the pack color may turn golden if exposed to heat and humidity but performance won't be impacted.
How we test dishwasher tablets
For each dishwasher detergent tablet we test in the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we apply our own recipe of a greasy spinach mix to 10 place settings of dinner plates, salad plates, bowls and 50 pieces of flatware. Glasses get microwaved with milk, while beaten egg yolk is brushed onto some of the bowls and plates. Coffee cup rims are "kissed" with lipstick and then filled with coffee that we allow to spill over onto the matching saucers. Serving platters get smeared with measured amounts of margarine.
We also bake macaroni and cheese and baked beans onto casserole dishes, fry a hamburger in a skillet and make a serving of oatmeal in a saucepan.
Everything gets dried or baked on for two hours before we load up the two identical dishwashers we use for all our side-by-side detergent testing. We load each dishwasher the exact same way and choose either the "auto" or "heavy" cycle.
Post-cleaning, we visually check every single item (all 176 of them!) for remaining food bits and greasy residue. The glasses are closely examined for spots and leftover film in a special light box (pictured). Every detergent is tested the same way for repeatable and reliable results.
Each detergent package is also evaluated for ease of use, dispensing and storage and the labels are reviewed for thoroughness of the directions, any safety warnings required by law and first aid recommendations.
Are dishwasher tablets better than gel or powder?
Dishwasher detergent tablets are so convenient and popular with consumers that manufacturers prioritize their formulation innovation, and, therefore, they tend to perform best. That said, they are also generally more expensive per load than powders or gels. Tablets often contain top-tier ingredients like powerful enzymes, grease-cutters, glassware protectors and drying aids. You'll still get great cleaning from a powder or gel, but if you love a brand and see subpar results with its powder or gel form, it's worth stepping up to the tablets.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Carolyn Forté is a consumer products expert with over 40 years of experience evaluating cleaning products and appliances for Good Housekeeping, including dishwashers and dishwasher detergents. She has attended and presented at many industry events related to dishwashing, writes the bi-monthly "Ask the GH Cleaning Lab" column, has authored several Good Housekeeping cleaning and home care advice books and most recently conducted a Reddit AMA on dishwashing.
Some of the most frequently asked questions Forté answers are about how to properly load a dishwasher and whether pre-rinsing is really necessary (often to settle the all-too-common marital and family spats). In Forté's opinion, dishes aren't worth fighting over!
Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York.
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