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Kitchen & Food

3 Best Countertop Dishwashers for Apartments

Compare countertop dishwashers for apartments by water supply, counter footprint, plate clearance, place settings, drying, drainage, and faucet requirements.

Compact kitchen counter and sink area showing the space constraints around a countertop dishwasher

Kitchen & Food · Kitchen Appliances

Among countertop dishwashers for apartments, the HAVA R01 is the strongest default when you cannot dedicate a faucet connection because its 5-liter tank can be filled manually. The Farberware FDW05ASBWHA is a similar no-plumbing alternative with a slightly different loading shape, while the BLACK+DECKER BCD6W makes more sense when you can connect to a kitchen faucet and want a larger six-place-setting rack. The real decision is not wash-cycle count. It is water supply, counter depth, plate clearance, and where the drain hose can safely empty.

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Quick Verdict

HAVA R01: best overall for renters who want a compact dishwasher without permanent plumbing. Its built-in 5-liter tank and 16.9-inch square footprint are easy to plan around. Limitation: capacity is much smaller than a full-width countertop model.

Farberware FDW05ASBWHA: best alternative for a manual-fill tank and compact format. Limitation: the older model family has less certain long-term listing continuity.

BLACK+DECKER BCD6W: best for renters who can use a faucet quick-connect and want six-place-setting capacity. Limitation: it is much wider, deeper, and heavier and does not offer a built-in fill tank.

HAVA R01

Best no-plumbing default. HAVA specifies a 5-liter built-in tank, 16.9 × 16.9 × 18.1-inch body, five wash programs, 950-watt US power rating, and upper/lower spray arms.

Watch for: measure door-opening clearance too; HAVA lists about 29.2 inches of depth with the door open.

Farberware FDW05ASBWHA

Best tank-style alternative. Its manual documents a 5-liter tank, 120-volt / 750-watt power, five wash programs, and a compact two-place-setting class rack.

Watch for: verify the current listing and your actual counter before ordering because this is an older model family.

BLACK+DECKER BCD6W

Best for larger countertop loads. BLACK+DECKER specifies six place settings, plates up to 10 inches, seven wash programs, and a 21.7 × 19.5 × 16.9-inch body.

Watch for: it depends on a faucet connection and requires substantially more counter area than the two tank-style models.

Countertop dishwashers for apartments at a glance

Countertop dishwashers for apartments at a glance
Decision factorHAVA R01Farberware FDW05ASBWHABLACK+DECKER BCD6W
Water supply5 L tank or faucet5 L tank or faucetFaucet quick-connect
Capacity classCompact 2–4 person dish mix2 place settings6 place settings
Body size16.9 × 16.9 × 18.1 inabout 17.3 × 16.5 × 17.3 in21.7 × 19.5 × 16.9 in
Power950 W750 W110 V appliance
Best fitNo-plumbing renter setupAlternative tank setupLarger faucet-connected loads
The practical split is manual-fill portability versus larger faucet-connected capacity.

What matters most before you buy

Water supply changes the whole workflow. A built-in tank is valuable when a landlord, faucet shape, or daily kitchen routine makes a quick-connect awkward. A faucet-connected model is easier when you can leave the adapter ready and want more rack volume per cycle.

Counter depth is not enough. Measure width, height under cabinets, door swing, drain-hose route, and access to the fill opening. HAVA’s body is only 16.9 inches deep, but its open door extends the working depth to roughly 29.2 inches.

Plate diameter is a hard compatibility limit. HAVA says round plates up to about 10.2 inches fit vertically and up to 10.6 inches at an angle. BLACK+DECKER specifies up to 10-inch plates. Large dinnerware can therefore matter more than the advertised place-setting count.

Detailed evaluations

HAVA R01: best overall for no-plumbing apartment use

The R01 is the easiest of these three to recommend when installation freedom is the priority. Its 5-liter tank can be pitcher-filled, the drain hose can empty into a sink or suitable container, and the US version is rated for 110–120 V / 60 Hz. That means the buyer decision is mostly about finding safe counter space and drain routing rather than modifying plumbing.

Watch for: compact capacity means more frequent cycles, and tall or oddly shaped plates can interfere with spray-arm clearance even when their diameter appears acceptable.

Farberware FDW05ASBWHA: best tank-style alternative

Farberware’s manual documents the same basic renter-friendly idea: a 5-liter built-in tank, optional faucet connection, 120-volt operation, and five wash programs. Its two-place-setting rating makes it a better fit for one or two people than for a household trying to replace a full-size dishwasher.

Watch for: this is an older model family, so verify the current Amazon listing and dimensions immediately before purchase rather than treating historical retail copy as permanent.

BLACK+DECKER BCD6W: best when capacity matters more than portability

The BCD6W changes the trade-off. It uses much more counter area, but BLACK+DECKER rates it for six place settings and plates up to 10 inches. If you can reliably connect the inlet to your faucet, that larger rack can reduce how often you run a cycle.

Watch for: faucet compatibility is part of product compatibility. Check your faucet, adapter clearance, and whether the hose can stay connected without making the sink frustrating to use.

Choose based on your apartment setup

No faucet connection allowed or convenient: choose HAVA R01 first, with Farberware as the alternative.

You cook often and can connect to the faucet: BLACK+DECKER BCD6W gives you substantially more rack capacity.

Very shallow or crowded counter: measure all three dimensions and the open-door envelope before choosing; a smaller place-setting count may be the better appliance if it actually fits.

Small kitchen counter and sink area illustrating clearance and drainage considerations for compact appliances
Counter clearance, door swing, faucet access, and drain-hose routing can decide the fit before wash features do. Photo: Pandu Genius / Unsplash.

If counter space is the larger constraint, our small-household rice cooker guide covers another compact kitchen appliance where usable footprint matters.

Buyer questions

Do countertop dishwashers need plumbing?

No. HAVA R01 and Farberware FDW05ASBWHA can be filled through their built-in tanks. BLACK+DECKER BCD6W is designed around a faucet connection, so your faucet and adapter compatibility matter.

Can I put one under a cabinet?

Only if you have enough height plus room to fill, ventilate, open the door, and route hoses. Measure the actual installation envelope rather than just the closed appliance dimensions.

Will full-size dinner plates fit?

Not always. HAVA lists roughly 10.2-inch plates vertically, while BLACK+DECKER lists up to 10 inches. Measure your own most-used plates before buying.

Where does the wastewater go?

These machines use a drain hose. The usual setup routes it into a sink or another manufacturer-approved drain location. Keep the hose secure so movement cannot spill water onto the counter or floor.

Hamejur conclusion

HAVA R01 is the best default countertop dishwasher for apartments when permanent plumbing is the limiting factor. Choose BLACK+DECKER BCD6W when you have a compatible faucet and want larger loads. Farberware remains a useful tank-style alternative, but its older model identity deserves a fresh listing check immediately before purchase.

Ready to compare the exact listings? Confirm the exact model before ordering.

Sources and Method

Checked September 13, 2026. We compared official HAVA and BLACK+DECKER product specifications plus the Farberware use-and-care manual, then translated water-supply, dimensions, rack capacity, and installation differences into buyer consequences. Hamejur did not perform hands-on testing. Prices, ratings, review counts, and marketplace availability are not hard-coded because they can change.

Hamejur Editorial Team

Evidence before recommendation.

Hamejur researches exact product identity, official documentation, setup constraints, and ownership trade-offs before publishing a recommendation.

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