There's nothing quite as satisfying as finding out that one of the cheapest products on the market is also one of the best.
And that's exactly what happened during our latest round of dishwasher detergent testing: an expensive big-name brand took out first place, but it shares the honour with a dirt-cheap supermarket detergent and a lower-priced 'eco' product.
A big-name brand took out first place, but it shares the honour with a dirt-cheap supermarket detergent and a lower-priced 'eco' product
Our experts tested 41 products in our labs and rated their cleaning performance on food stains such as egg yolk, baked-on cheese, rice starch, red wine and bolognaise sauce.
The best products can power through even the most stubborn, dried-on food stains, while the worst will leave you stuck at the sink scrubbing the bits that your detergent couldn't handle – which kind of defeats the purpose of having a dishwasher in the first place.
Here are the products that'll give you the best wash for the least cash, and the washed-up duds that'll leave you with crusty crockery.
The top three
These dishwasher detergents tied for first place.
Aldi's Logix Platinum Dishwasher Capsules are hard on stains but easy on your wallet.
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 76%
- Cost per wash: 26 cents
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 76%
- Cost per wash: 64 cents
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 76%
- Cost per wash: $1.26
The Finish tablets are undeniably top-notch, but they cost almost five times more than the Aldi capsules and about twice as much as the Ecostore tablets – but deliver exactly the same results.
This is great news for shoppers: you can scrub dollars from your grocery bills without sacrificing cleaning power.
This is great news for shoppers: you can scrub dollars from your grocery bills without sacrificing cleaning power
"This goes to show that if you shop smart, you can get a great clean while saving money," says Matt Steen, CHOICE head of reviews and testing.
"A cheaper Aldi detergent – the Logix All in One tablets – scored 72%, so they're another great option if you're on a tight budget. They cost just 14 cents per wash.
"However, Aldi's powder detergent scored just 47%, so make sure you don't grab the wrong one off the shelf."
This is Aldi's second year in the top spot: in 2023, its Logix Platinum 18 in 1 Dishwashing Tablets Lemon Fragrance were the highest scoring product overall, coming in ahead of products costing nearly 10 times more.
The runners up
Coming in a whisker behind these three top scorers were five more Finish products plus two capsule detergents from Fairy.
However, the Fairy products are the most expensive of the lot: you'll pay as much as $1.52 per wash – that's almost a whopping six times more than Aldi's capsules.
If you can't access an Aldi store but still want a high-performing dishwasher detergent at a low price, your next best bet is probably the Finish Powerball Quantum All In 1 Tabs.
These Fairy capsules scored well in our tests, but you can get the same results for far less.
They're the second-cheapest of the top scorers at 44 cents per wash – that's still great value.
With a CHOICE Expert Rating of 75%, these seven dishwasher detergents are the equal second-highest scorers from lab tests:
- Fairy Platinum Plus 30 Minute Miracle Dishwasher Capsules Fresh Scent ($1.47 per wash)
- Fairy Platinum Plus 30 Minute Miracle Dishwasher Capsules Lemon ($1.52 per wash)
- Finish Powerball Quantum All In 1 Tabs (44 cents per wash)
- Finish Powerball Ultimate Material Care All In 1 Tabs ($1.12 per wash)
- Finish Powerball Ultimate Plus All in 1 ($1.38 per wash)
- Finish Powerball Ultimate Plus Material Care ($1.16 per wash)
- Finish Powerball Ultimate All in 1 Tabs (75 cents per wash)
How important is choosing the right dishwasher detergent?
Yes, buying a good dishwasher detergent is important – and since detergent makes up a significant proportion of your dishwasher's running costs, you'll want to make sure you're not spending too much on products that don't work.
But detergents aren't the be-all and end-all: your dishwasher matters too.
A high-performing dishwasher will do most of the grunt work of cleaning, so if the detergent you're already using is affordable and does the job, then there's no need to switch.
If you have a good dishwasher, you won't necessarily need to buy the best performing detergent – you can opt for a cheaper product instead
"If you have a good dishwasher, then you won't necessarily need to buy the best performing detergent – you can opt for a cheaper product instead, or one that aligns with your ethical of environmental priorities," says Matt.
However, if you're using a good detergent but your dishes are still coming out dirty, your dishwasher could be the issue, or it might just be how you're stacking it.
You could also try cleaning your dishwasher to make sure there aren't any blockages.
CHOICE tip: You don't need to put your dishwasher tablets into the dispenser – just throw them into the bottom of the dishwasher before you start a cycle.
Dishwasher detergent sheets
A relatively new entry to the market, dishwasher detergent sheets are touted as being biodegradable, plastic-free, gentle on sensitive skin and less allergenic than traditional dishwasher detergents.
We tested two detergent sheet products alongside traditional dishwasher detergents.
So, how did they stack up? Not well, unfortunately.
They were the lowest scoring products overall, one with a CHOICE Expert Rating of just 30% and the other with 33%.
To their credit, the sheet detergent we tested in 2023 has improved significantly since last year's test, where it scored just 12% – the same as plain water.
With some development detergent sheets may end up being great, but for now our test results suggest they need work
Detergent sheets are a relatively new product, so with some development they may end up being great, but for now our test results suggest they need work.
However, as we've mentioned above, your dishwasher is the key factor in how clean your dishes will be, so if you have a great dishwasher and you love the idea of detergent sheets, then by all means give them a try.
The dishwasher detergents not to buy
Earning a CHOICE Expert Rating of 50% or less, these dishwasher detergents listed below leave a lot to be desired.
Powders, gels and sheets are generally less effective than tablets, but these products are definitely at the bottom of the pile.
While some of them are much cheaper than some of the tablets in our test, buying these products to save money is a false economy: you'll end up having to wash your dishes twice, unless you've got a great dishwasher.
Buying these products to save money is a false economy: you'll end up having to wash your dishes twice
Lucent Globe Dishwashing Detergent Sheets. Environmentally friendly? Yes. Effective? Not really.
Lucent Globe Ultra Concentrated Dishwashing Detergents Sheets
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 30%
- Cost per wash: 37 cents
Earth Rescue Dishwasher Detergent Sheets
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 33%
- Cost per wash: 53 cents
Somat Excellence Duo Power Gel
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 41%
- Cost per wash: 76 cents
Earth Choice Dishwasher Powder
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 44%
- Cost per wash: 21 cents
Coles Ultra Concentrate Dishwasher Powder
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 45%
- Cost per wash: 8 cents
Aldi Logix 2x Concentrate Automatic Dishwashing Powder
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 47%
- Cost per wash: 8 cents
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 50%
- Cost per wash: 47 cents
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
