Danby DDW621WDB countertop dishwasher review

The Danby DDW621WDB is an affordable and reliable countertop dishwasher that offers impressive energy savings.

Danby DDW621WDB countertop dishwasher review
(Image: © Amazon)

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

Able to wash up to six place settings with six wash cycles to choose from, this portable dishwasher is easy to set up and cleans dishes and cutlery to a brilliant shine, all while running super-quiet and reducing energy consumption to a minimum.

Pros

  • +

    Quick connect installation

  • +

    Energy efficient

Cons

  • -

    Only available in white

  • -

    No digital timer

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If your kitchen can’t accommodate a full-sized dishwasher,  the Danby DDW621WDB offers the next best solution. In fact, many people find the versatility, and affordability of the best countertop dishwashers a better choice all-round thanks to their ease of installation and the kind of performance that rivals that of even the best dishwashers.

Danby DDW621WDB: Essential info

1. Washes up to six standard place settings
2.  Number of racks: 1
3.
LED Display
4. Six wash cycles
5. Low water consumption  
6. Delayed start options
7. Quick connect installation
8. Stainless steel interior  
9. Decibel rating: 52
10. Energy Star certified

In this review, we’ll take a closer look at the Danby DDW621WDB countertop dishwasher. This machine is a compact and efficient portable dishwasher that can accommodate six place settings, a silverware basket and offers a choice of six wash cycles (light, normal, heavy, speed, rinse, and glass) and delayed start options of two, four, six and eight hours. Operating the dishwasher is done through an easy-to-read LED dial and just a couple of key presses.

Just like its full-size cousins, the Danby DDW621WDB employs an auto detergent and rinse aid dispenser to ensure your dishes and cutlery come out dazzlingly clean.

The Danby DDW621WDB is also a remarkably energy-efficient machine, as testified to by its Energy Star rating and low water consumption.

Danby DDW621WDB: How big is it?

  • Length: 17.24 inches 
  • Width: 21.65 inches 
  • Height: 19.69 inches

The Danby DDW621WDB has been designed to sit under most standard cabinetry, so you shouldn’t experience any problems finding a suitable perch for your dishwasher. It can hold up to six full place settings, cutlery in the included silverware basket, and the cup rack can carry about five standard-sized cups or mugs. If you’re in any way concerned that a compact dishwasher prevents you from washing larger items like saucepans and pots, you’ll be pleased to know that the Danby’s plate racks can be positioned horizontally allowing for larger dishes and pans to benefit from the dishwasher’s excellent cleaning performance. 

Danby DDW621WDB: How easy is it to install?

The convenience of countertop dishwashers becomes most apparent when it comes to installation, and the Danby DDW621WDB is no exception. There’s no need to hire the services of a qualified plumber as the machine includes everything you need to simply attach the appliance to a faucet, with an included drain hose, inlet hose, faucet adaptor and quick-connect attachment with a pressure relief valve. Instructions are simple to follow and hooking up the machine for a wash should become second nature after just a couple of operations.

Danby DDW621WDB countertop dishwasher review

(Image credit: Amazon)

Danby DDW621WDB: What’s good about it?

Aside from the convenience a compact countertop dishwasher affords, the Danby DDW621WDB wouldn’t be much good if it failed the only test that really matters: getting your dishes, crockery, and cutlery sparkling clean. Happily, as the majority of users have reported, the Danby achieves excellent results time after time, whatever setting you choose.

Its six-place setting capacity should easily meet the needs of a single household or small family, with the flexibility to wash larger items as well with little creative Tetris skills.

What helps the Danby truly stand out, however, is how economical the machine is. Its energy consumption earns it an Energy Star certification and the machine is rated at approximately 203kWh per year, with an estimated yearly energy cost of $18 (when used with a natural gas water heater). That puts it on a fairly even standing with another economical countertop dishwasher we’ve reviewed, the EdgeStar DWP62BL, which is also Energy Star certified and affordable to run. As a further testament to the machine’s efficiency, the dishwasher’s low water consumption of up to 3.1 gallons of water per wash should also help to save you money over the machine’s life cycle.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Danby DDW621WDB is impressively quiet to run, with a decibel rating of 52, similar to what you’d notice if it were raining quietly outside your window, making it about as unobtrusive as another quiet model we’ve reviewed, the Magic Chef MCSCD6B5.

Danby DDW621WDB: What’s not so good?

If we had to pick any complaints with the Danby DDW621WDB, we’d lament the rather plain, sterile aesthetic. It’s a shame that it’s only available in one color, white, as some rival countertop dishwashers, like the EdgeStar DWP62BL, offer more than one style to help you choose a machine to best suit your kitchen’s look.

Furthermore, like many portable dishwashers, the Danby doesn’t include a drying function, but this isn’t too much of an issue as the machine has an internal water heater that leaves your dishes steaming hot at the end of a wash, which helps them to dry so long as you leave the door ajar for a short while after the wash is complete.

The LED dial is simple to understand when it comes to selecting your desired program, but we would have liked to have seen a digital timer to give us an idea of when the current cycle is nearing completion. If you’ve ever wanted to get your dinnerware squeaky clean ahead of a dinner party, then you’ll understand what a useful feature something as simple as a digital counter can be!

Danby DDW621WDB countertop dishwasher review

(Image credit: Amazon)

Danby DDW621WDB: User reviews

The Danby DDW621WDB has been generally well-reviewed by the majority of customers, who love the machine’s compact form, solid build and components, and excellent cleaning performance. Most users express satisfaction at how easy the dishwasher is position and to hook up to the faucet, though some have mentioned that the included three-foot hoses are a little on the short side for some setups. 

It is so quiet while running, I'm astounded!

Amazon customer

A very few users weren’t too thrilled with the tray layout, finding it frustrating to load larger items alongside regular dishes. Other customers also mentioned that small items can easily fall through the gaps in the tray, blocking the dispenser arm.

Above all, however, most users were super-impressed with how quiet the Danby DDW621WDB is to run, as well as the cost savings such an economical appliance offers over many years of use.

Should you buy the Danby DDW621WDB?

Overall, the Danby DDW621WDB gets all the important things right. It is compact and easy to install, the stainless-steel interior is durable and easy to clean as are the rest of the materials and components, and the cleaning performance is excellent.

The Danby’s energy efficiency and cost savings make it a great choice if you run a home on a tight budget, especially as it is one of the more affordable countertop dishwashers we’ve reviewed. And every owner will appreciate the Danby’s low volume as it quietly and efficiently cleans their dishes, cutlery and pans to a bright shine.

We would have preferred the dishwasher to come with a digital timer to monitor how long a cycle has left, and the single choice of stark white might not suit every kitchen. But in spite of these small issues, the Danby DDW621WDB’s ease-of-use, versatility and performance make it a great value countertop dishwasher to recommend.

Rich Lee

Rich Lee is Tech Editor at Top Ten Reviews and writes about all forms of consumer technology, especially products that make domestic life easier and more fun. When he's not pouring over current affairs, pop culture and the latest developments in tech in his free time, Rich is probably pouring his seventh coffee of the day and pondering where to go out for dinner.