What are the pros and cons of knobs, push buttons and electronic touchpads?
No doubt, electronic touchpads give your kitchen a sleek look. They are also the controls that are easiest to clean—soil comes off with one swipe of a sponge. Still sleeker looking are the newest models with integrated or hidden controls you can’t see until the door is opened. Knobs on a dishwasher, like those on a range, must be cleaned around. Push buttons also tend to collect soil and can be difficult to clean between. (A nice compromise is rubberized mechanical touchpads. They work like buttons but are flatter and easier to clean.) As you might expect, a dishwasher with mechanical controls will be less expensive than one with electronic controls. Still, the additional cost may be worth the dent to your wallet when you consider the time you’ll save scrubbing appliance grime. What’s more, electronic controls give you feedback: Some have words denoting the wash stage; others alert you if there’s a blocked wash arm or power failure.
