The modern dishwasher has been a kitchen fixture since at least the 1960s, so a lot of people take the appliance for granted. But many of us living in apartments or small homes with tiny kitchens have resigned ourselves to doing the chore by hand, either because there’s no place to put one or we don’t want something monopolizing the kitchen faucet. The French company Daan Tech might have the solution: A countertop appliance it calls “Bob.”
Daan Tech launched in Europe in 2021, selling about 35,000 units. The company’s second-generation washer ships summer and will be available in two versions: the $299 “Bob minimalist,” which comes in your choice of black or white, and the $399 “Bob custom” that lets you choose either black or white for the body and 24 colors for the door. The pricier model also includes a host of extras, including Wi-Fi connectivity, a color display, backlit buttons, and UV-C disinfection.
Countertop dishwashers are nothing new, but they typically connect to your kitchen faucet with hose. In fact, I just bought one myself—the Farberware countertop dishwasher—and I only discovered its extence through a TikTok video. But a complete cycle with Farberware’s machine takes about two hours if you include drying. It’s also rather large: 45 pounds and about a foot-and-a-half square.
Daan Tech
Daan Tech says its Bob countertop dishwasher should fit under the typical kitchen cabinet.
Daan Tech says its Bob is the world’s smallest countertop dishwasher, measuring 19.3 x 13.4 x 19.3 inches (HxWxD) and weighing just 22 pounds. While taller than many countertop models, Daan Tech says it should fit under most cabinets, and its extra height enables it to wash plates up to 11.4 inches in diameter.
A wash-and-dry cycle takes about 20 minutes on the “express” setting and uses a gallon of water to wash two full place settings or up to 16 glasses or cups. Bob uses a proprietary detergent cassette good for up to 30 washes; however, you can use standard dishwasher detergent if you’d prefer. The dishwasher’s touch-to-open door automatically opens during the drying cycle to help dry dishes faster. You can also use the UV-C feature in the custom model by itself to disinfect small objects.
The Bob custom isn’t currently compatible with Alex or Google Assistant, but it does have Wi-Fi connectivity to download updates and custom wash cycles. The company said it plans to add additional functionality, including virtual assistant support, in future updates. We hope to have the opportunity review Bob soon and extremely interested to see just how well it performs.