Description
The Farberware FDW05WHA is a countertop dishwasher, which is a genuinely different appliance from the built in machines in this catalog rather than a smaller version of one. Farberware records 120 volts, five cycle options covering Baby Care, Glass, Fruit Wash, Normal and Economy, an LED display, a portable countertop style, 5 liters of water consumption, an annual energy consumption of 130 kilowatt hours, a listed weight of 43 pounds, dimensions of 17.3 by 16.5 by 17.3 inches, a China country of origin and first availability in September 2023.
What it is and where it fits in a home
The defining feature is the built in water tank. A conventional dishwasher needs a permanent supply line and a drain connection; this one can be filled by hand and drained into a sink, which means it works in a rental, an apartment with no dishwasher provision, an RV, a boat or an office kitchen. It can also be connected to a faucet with an adapter where one is available. That flexibility is the entire reason the format exists.
Physically it is a cube roughly 17 inches in each direction, so it occupies a meaningful piece of counter and needs clearance behind for its hoses. It is not something that gets tucked away. In a kitchen with room for a proper 18 or 24 inch built in machine such as the Frigidaire FFBD1831US, a countertop unit makes little sense. In a kitchen with no plumbing provision at all, it is the only option.
Living with it day to day
Capacity is the honest constraint. Farberware does not publish a place setting figure on this listing, and units of this size in this category generally handle a small load rather than a family’s dinner dishes. Anything large, such as a baking sheet or a stockpot, will not go in. The realistic use is glasses, plates, bowls, mugs and cutlery for one or two people, run more often than a full sized machine would be.
The tank changes the daily rhythm in a way people underestimate. Five liters per cycle has to get into the machine somehow, and if there is no faucet adapter that means filling it by jug before each run. That is a small ritual, and whether it is acceptable depends entirely on the alternative. Draining also needs somewhere for the hose to go.
The Fruit Wash cycle is an unusual inclusion and it is worth noting rather than dismissing: it is a low temperature rinse program aimed at produce rather than dishes. Baby Care is the high temperature end of the range. Farberware describes a 40 minute cycle in the product listing, though the cycle time for each of the five programs is not published individually.
Noise is not published. Countertop dishwashers sit at ear height on a work surface rather than behind a cabinet door, so the same decibel figure is subjectively louder than it would be from a built in machine. That is a structural point about the format, and the absence of a rating here means it cannot be compared with the Bosch SHEM63W55N, which does publish one.
Controls and what still works without an app
There is nothing connected on this appliance. No Wi-Fi, no app, no phone control. An LED display and buttons are the whole interface, and everything works with the machine plugged in and nothing else. On an appliance likely to move between apartments over its life, that is entirely the right design.
The five cycles are selected directly rather than through menus, which keeps operation simple. The comparison worth drawing is with the built in machines in the built in dishwasher category, several of which carry app connectivity, remote start and cycle notifications. None of that applies here, and for a machine you stand next to while filling it, none of it would add much.
Running cost and upkeep
Detergent is the only routine consumable, and countertop machines generally take a small quantity of standard dishwasher detergent rather than a full tablet. Farberware does not state the detergent type or dose on this listing. There is no salt reservoir and no rinse aid dispenser described, which means hard water scale is managed by cleaning rather than by softening, unlike machines that publish a built in softener.
The parts that need attention are the filter at the bottom of the tub, the spray arm jets, the tank and the door seal. A tank that holds standing water needs emptying and drying if the machine sits unused, or it will smell.
The energy data on this listing has a formatting fault. The energy consumption field reads 1.3E plus 2 kilowatt hours, which is scientific notation for 130 and matches the annual energy consumption figure of 130 kilowatt hours published separately. So the underlying number is consistent, but one field is corrupted. Water use is given as 5 liters per cycle, which is genuinely low, though that reflects the small load size as much as efficiency and no comparison should be drawn from it against a full sized machine.
One further data fault: the brand name field contains FDW05WHA, which is the model number rather than a brand. It is an import artifact rather than anything meaningful.
Highlights
- A built in water tank, so it runs with no permanent plumbing connection at all.
- Five cycles including a dedicated Baby Care program and a produce rinse.
- Voltage is published, which several appliances in this catalog omit.
- 5 liters per cycle and 130 kilowatt hours a year are both published figures.
- Entirely local controls, appropriate for an appliance that may move house.
Things To Consider
- No place setting capacity is published, so load size cannot be assessed on paper.
- Filling the tank by hand before each cycle is a real daily commitment without a faucet adapter.
- No noise rating, on a machine that sits at ear height on a counter.
- No water softener or rinse aid dispenser is described, so hard water is managed manually.
- Two data fields are faulty: scientific notation in energy use, and a model number in the brand field.
Who it is not for
Any household with plumbing provision and space should buy a built in machine instead, and the countertop dishwasher category covers those properly. Families washing full dinner loads will find the capacity frustrating. Anyone who washes large bakeware or stockpots cannot use this at all. And anyone in a hard water area should note the absence of a softener, since machines such as the HAVA TDJR09 publish one specifically for that reason.
