I fell in love with a dishwasher called Bob. It's complicated
Bob the mini dishwasher stole my heart. He's ready to win yours too -- and clean the dishes at the same time.
- Webby Award honoree, 2x Gold Telly Award winner
Humanoid robots and color-changing cars may have stolen all the headlines at CES 2022, but for me the real star has been an unassuming appliance named Bob. This mini dishwasher can make dirty dishes clean in as little as 20 minutes. I've spent the past few days with Bob by my side and I can safely say: It's a match.
Designed by French company Daan Tech, we've seen Bob once before at CES in prototype form. Now, the dishwasher is coming to the US from June 2022 with preorders starting at $299. Countertop or portable dishwashers aren't new, but Bob has an integrated water tank so there's no hookup needed, although you can connect it to the water supply if you want. Pour water into the tank from a bottle, jug or faucet, and you're ready to go.
Bob is designed for spaces that wouldn't normally be able to accommodate a dishwasher, like rental properties, boats and RVs. You could also consider Bob if you want to avoid tearing your kitchen apart to install a full-sized dishwasher.
But I didn't fall in love with Bob because he's easy to move around, weighing just 22 pounds (10 kilograms). Or because he only uses 1 gallon (4 liters) of water, depending on the cycle. It's because he has a real personality, something that is hard to find in the world of appliances. Bob has a window so you can actually see dishes being washed, illuminated by a cool, blue glow. Bob also pops the door open as soon as a cycle is done to finish air-drying the dishes, which helps save power. And he's really cute, something I never thought I'd say about a dishwasher.
It's mesmerizing.
There's enough room inside to wash a full dinner set for two people. All of the elements are modular, so you can move the plate rack, cup holders and cutlery drawers around for the best fit. It feels a bit like playing plate Tetris sometimes, but Bob did a great job of cleaning even the most baked-on plates I threw at him.
Bob also has a premium $399 model with a built-in UV sterilizer. Open the door, put your phone, mask or other high-touch items in the cavity, then let Bob work his magic. You can watch my full experience with Bob and how he won me over in the video on this page.