Asko DFS344ID.S (dishwasher with 14 place settings, freestanding): our review

The stack after a family Sunday roast includes more than plates: there is the serving bowl, the gravy jug and the saucepan nobody volunteered to wash. With 14 place settings, this dishwasher has a large capacity that leaves room for dishes and saucepans. Place settings are a standardised measure covering plates, glasses and cutlery, though, rather than a promise about how many people you can feed before loading becomes awkward.

The height-adjustable upper basket gives you scope to organise that space. Moving it changes the room available above and below, useful when your usual mugs give way to taller glasses or larger cookware. Cutlery goes in a basket, so account for that when planning the lower load.

Do serving dishes usually crowd out your dinner plates? This is a sensible layout to consider. The roasting dish still gets no diplomatic immunity: its shape matters as much as the space available.

You have cleared dinner, settled on the sofa and finally found something everyone wants to watch. A dishwasher sharing that room needs to earn its place in the evening. The declared 42 decibels is among the lowest noise levels, giving this model a persuasive advantage in an open-plan kitchen.

Quietness is a clear attraction here. That declaration applies to the energy label’s eco programme; it does not describe every programme or guarantee that you will never notice the machine. We would keep that distinction in mind if the reduced programme time option is likely to become your usual choice.

For a household that switches the dishwasher on just before bedtime, the low declared level is equally relevant. We like the combination of generous loading space and a restrained noise figure. It makes a convincing case for clearing the kitchen without making the washing-up the evening’s main event.

A long eco cycle asks you to plan ahead, but it is not a fault. Taking more time is part of how this programme saves resources. At 195 min, the DFS344ID.S belongs in the familiar routine of loading after dinner and unloading later, rather than expecting the same plates back immediately.

Its eco electricity consumption is 74 kWh/100 cycles, around the average, and that middling electricity use is our main reservation. Eco water consumption of 9.2 L/cycle also sits around the average. These figures describe the labelled eco programme, so they should not be carried across to a shorter setting. The energy class is C.

There is room to adjust your routine, with 9 programs providing a wide choice for people who prefer to choose their settings. Eco is confirmed, alongside an option to reduce programme time. That option offers flexibility when dishes are needed sooner, although it brings no verified promise of matching eco consumption.

This is a freestanding model, so plan for an appliance with its own visible front. Its 60 cm width gives you the side-to-side measurement to compare with your intended position; the 59.6 cm depth helps you judge how far the body will extend into the kitchen. Neither measurement alone settles whether your chosen space will work.

Get the height confirmed by the retailer before ordering, because it is absent from the supplied dimensions. That matters particularly if an existing worktop sets a firm upper limit. Check delivery arrangements and removal of the old appliance at the same time, along with the warranty, after-sales support and returns policy.

At the end of a cycle, the door opens automatically to let steam escape. This gives drying a helping hand and needs space for the door to move. Plastic tubs may still need attention with a tea towel; automatic opening is useful assistance, not a promise that everything emerges dry.

The Miele G 7980 SCVi AutoDos K2O uses less water than the DFS344ID.S, making it the alternative to consider when eco water consumption leads your decision. The Miele G 7980 SCVi AutoDos K2O also has lower eco electricity consumption than the DFS344ID.S. Those are practical reasons to give the alternative a closer look.

The Miele G 7980 SCVi AutoDos K2O has a longer eco programme than the DFS344ID.S, so the resource saving comes with a different timetable. Think about when you normally reload: a couple who wait until the machine is full may view that differently from a household wanting dishes back for another meal.

The DFS344ID.S sits among the best overall in our assessments. Its own appeal is coherent: substantial loading space, a low declared noise level and automatic door opening. We would choose around the routine you actually have, with water use and cycle timing given their proper weight.