Verdict
A decent entry-level, full-sized dishwasher, the Indesit DFO 3T133 F UK combines good running costs with decent cleaning. The top two tiers aren't as flexible as with some models, but there's still a good amount of room. With a useful range of cleaning cycles, this is a good choice for those on a tighter budget.
Pros
- Cleans well
- Flexible internal space
- Good range of programmes
Cons
- Easy to get items caught on shelf edges
Key Features
-
Place settings This dishwasher has 14 place settings, which is enough to cater for a regular family and all of the cooking kit for a meal.
Introduction
The Indesit DFO 3T133 F UK proves you don’t have to spend a fortune on a dishwasher to get good cleaning results.
There are a few rough edges, including a fiddly-to-use Push & Go mode, and not quite enough room to fit large plates and tall wine glasses.
However, for the price, you can’t fault this dishwasher’s quality or performance.
Design and Features
- Adjustable shelves
- Good range of washing programmes
- Needs a bit of thought to get everything loaded neatly
With space for 14 place settings inside, the Indesit DFO 3T133 F UK is a standard-sized freestanding dishwasher. Indesit has arranged the space inside over three individual racks.
The bottom one is for larger items, such as plates and pans; the middle shelf is for glasses and other smaller items, and the top drawer is for cutlery. Each drawer moves well on its sliders, easily pulling in and out.
Flexibility is key for a dishwasher, so the middle shelf can be raised or lowered. A simple set of clips on either side allow you do this without having to remove the shelf, although it makes sense to only adjust while it’s empty.
On the side of the middle shelf are fold-down cutlery holders, that have cut-outs for wine glass stems. These holders can be put into multiple positions, adjusting to suit the type of wine glasses you have. I have very tall ones, yet I managed to get them stored neatly, with one caveat.
As with all standard-sized dishwashers, taller items will only fit if the shelf is in its lower position; however, at this height, the spray arm hit my dinner plates below. I put the rack on its higher position, and angled the wine glasses to fit in. If you want more space, then a dishwasher with a larger tub is useful, such as with the Hotpoint HF7HP33UK which has a Maxi Space Tub.
This middle rack has tines for smaller plates and bowls, but they don’t fold down, which can make it a little fiddly to get some items in place.
The top rack is full width and is designed for cutlery. There’s loads of room here, and the middle section is slightly lower than the side ones, which gives space for spatulas and the like. Unlike with some rivals, the cutlery rack is fixed, and the sides can’t open.
With the bottom shelf, you get a set of different sized plate holders, so it’s easy to load plates and bowls of different sizes. It’s nice to see that the tines at the back fold down flat, so you can place larger items, such as pots and pans, with ease.
Overall, there’s as much space here as you can expect from a dishwasher, and I found it easy to load up plates and pans for a full meal.
There’s a standard salt container at the bottom of the Indesit DFO 3T133 F UK, which should be filled with salt and water the first time you use the dishwasher. Using the control panel, you have to set the water hardness in your area, so that the right amount of salt is used.
You also need to set the right amount of rinse aid to use. The rinse aid goes in the compartment on the door, next to the washing tab holder.
On the top of the door, Indesit has put a guide to the wash programmes available. The Eco wash is likely to be your main programme for regularly soiled items, but there’s a more intensive 65°C automatic wash for deep cleaning, a 55°C mode for more heavily soiled plates, a 45°C mode for glasses, and a rapid 28-minute wash for lightly soiled items.
Plus, there’s an extra hygiene mode and a more intense wash. There’s also a 65° mode, which is useful for cleaning the machine with a cleaner, and a rinse mode if you plan to leave dirty dishes for a while.
As with its washing machines and tumble dryers, the Indesit DFO 3T133 F UK has a Push & Go mode, which is a wash designed for everyday dishes.
To use this mode, I had to turn the dishwasher on, wait for a second and then press and hold the Push & Go button; a process that I constantly forgot how to do. I found it easier to just use the controls to select the mode that I wanted.
Depending on the cycle you’ve selected, you can select which zones you want to use, reducing water consumption if, for example, you just want to clean items on the bottom shelf. Press and hold this button to turn on the mode that is optimised for dishwasher tablets, which optimises the dishwasher for using combined tablets, rather than powder or liquid detergent.
Thanks to the LCD screen on the front, the dishwasher shows you how long remains on the cycle. Once finished, the door is slowly pushed open by a robotic arm, which helps the items inside dry.
Performance
- Powerful cleaning performance
- Good running costs on Eco setting
I test all dishwashers with the same settings, starting out by loading them with dirty plates and cups to see how well it cleans. I start with the Eco cycle, which here I estimated costs 24p per cycle, which is about average for a full-size dishwasher.
In this mode, cleaning was generally very good. I found that my plate with dried on ketchup came up nice and clean.
I found the same when using my plate covered in left-over mac and cheese.
I leave red wine to dry in a wine glass, and then see how well it cleans up. For the most part, the dishwasher did a good job, removing all traces of wine.
However, as the wine glass had to go in at an angle to fit it in under the cutlery rack, some water pooled at the edge and left a water mark that needed to be rinsed off.
Stained coffee and tea mugs came out nice and clean, too. I did find that the Indesit DFO 3T133 F UK struggled with the bowl that had leftover microwaved scrambled egg in it.
To tackle tough stains like this, I went for the Auto 65°C wash. This increased running costs to 36p per cycle, which is competitive, and produced better results, which just a few marks left on the bowl. A deeper rinse before the bowl went in would have fixed this.
I found that the Hotpoint H7FHP33UK dishwasher cost more to run in its intensive mode, and with the 3D Wash turned on, but it did fully clean this bowl, justifying the higher running cost.
For just heavily soiled plates, there’s the 55°C wash, which I worked out cost around 28p to run the cycle. I also ran the fast wash, which cost 16p to run. I found this wash good for things like coffee cups and regularly soiled plates.
The drying isn’t as good on this mode, and left my plastic tub with quite a bit of water on it. Mugs and pans had quite a bit of water on them, too, and some items needed a quick dry with a teatowel or else left for longer to dry. For times when you’re in a rush and just have standard items to clean, this fast clean mode is very useful.
I measured the dishwasher at 45.9dB, which is exceptionally quiet: you can easily have this on in the kitchen while you’re watching TV and not get distracted.
Latest deals
Final Thoughts
The Indesit DFO 3T133 F UK is a very good standard-size freestanding dishwasher, able to cope with most dirty items well. If you’re on a tighter budget and don’t want to sacrifice build quality, it’s a good buy.
If you have a little more available in your budget, the Hotpoint H7FHP33UK, with its Maxi Space Tub, fits more in and has a more powerful intensive mode. Alternatives are available in my guide to the best dishwashers.
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every dishwasher we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
- We measure water and energy usage for each dishwasher to see how efficient they are.
- We use real-world mess to test a dishwasher's ability to clean.
FAQs
It has room inside for 14 place settings, making this model suitable for large families.
Yes, it can move up or down. In its lowest position, there’s enough room for standard dinner plates below.
Test Data
| Indesit DFO 3T133 F UK | |
|---|---|
| Energy consumption standard clean | 0.977 kWh |
| Water consumption standard clean | 13.4 litres |
| Energy consumption eco clean | 0.832 kWh |
| Water consumption eco clean | 12.2 litres |
| Sound (normal) | 45.9 dB |
Full Specs
| Indesit DFO 3T133 F UK Review | |
|---|---|
| UK RRP | £358 |
| Manufacturer | Indesit |
| Size (Dimensions) | 600 x 590 x 850 MM |
| Release Date | 2021 |
| First Reviewed Date | 07/12/2021 |
| Model Number | Indesit DFO 3T133 F UK |
| Number of Place settings | 14 |
| Number of Racks | 3 |
| Height adjustable top rack? | Yes |
| Annual water consumption | 2413 litres |
| Annual electricity consumption | 251.9 kWh |