Important Issue of the Day: Forks in the Dishwasher, Handles Up or Handles Down?
So.. We’re loading up the dishwasher the other day, and I put the silverware into the dishwasher.. I noticed that there were some pieces of silverware in the little basket that were upside-down… or so I thought. They were handles up, so I turned them around, so that the fork tines were sticking up out of the basket.
And immediately a debate flared up in the kitchen.
There were two camps..
The handles down camp (my camp) claims that by having the business end of the silverware sticking out of the basket, they get cleaner. I mean, seriously, if you cram all of them in the basket like that, there’s no way that any self respecting water stream is gonna weasel his way in there and clean everything.
The handles up people claim something about the danger during unloading caused by the business ends bristling everywhere.. Yah, ok. I’ll probably get gored the next time I unload the dishwasher, but at least I’m being gored with a clean fork.
So yah.. anyone? Opinions? Can we all just get along?
ps. Yes, I know the image on this post has nothing really to do with the post, but I thought it was funny.
July 11th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Alex and I used to fight about this all the time. I’m firmly in the tines down camp. But in the interest of domestic tranquility, I relented.
July 11th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Tines down, handles up. I think this is how the British royal family does it.
July 11th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
down please. tines down.
July 11th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Silverware doesn’t belong in the dishwasher.
July 11th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
No
July 11th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Home Comforts © 1999
The Art and Science of Keeping House
by Cheryl Mendelson
(It’s an 845 page reference to all things domestic.)
Chapter 9, Kitchen Culture, p112
“Silver should not go in the dishwasher, but if you do put it in, place it so that it does not touch other metals, particularly stainless steel, as this may result in permanent marking or pitting of the silver. Load sharp things with their points down for safety. Don’t crowd the silver; water flow to each piece will be impeded, and it won’t come clean.”
July 11th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Martha Stewart says…
“Most dishwashers have an upper and lower rack, as well as a basket for utensils. Some models have a shallow third rack on top for utensils instead. These are nice, as they keep the utensils from touching each other and allow for even cleaning. If using a model with a basket, you should alternate your silverware pieces, one piece pointing up, the next down, etc., to get them as clean as possible.”
July 11th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Some more primary research:
eHow. Set silverware handles down, except for knives, which should be handles up in the silverware basket.
Wikihow. Place utensils with handles down in the utensil baskets in the bottom section of the dishwasher. Larger serving utensils can be laid horizontally across the top section of the dishwasher. Sharp knives are often dulled by the washing cycle by rubbing against other items.
StartCooking blog. Naturally, silverware and utensils go in the special holder. Some people clump spoons together, forks together, and knives together. Others say, no, “nesting” the utensils means they don’t get cleaned properly — mix them up. Be warned: how one does or does not put silverware in the dishwasher can break up a beautiful friendship! It’s important, in my view, to put sharp, pointed things (like knives and forks) pointing downward. (There is nothing worse than being impaled by utensils while loading – or unloading – the dishwasher!)
Cookthink blog. I’ve always been inclined to put all the used ends of utensils face down in the silverware basket. However, the used ends of forks and spoons should face up and benefit from the full force of the spray, while the knives — for safety reasons during the unload — should face down.
See the About.com video here. Skip ahead to 1:50 in the video. “Place all silverware with their handles down, except for the knives, which should be placed with handles up for safety. ”
Another about.com guide. The little tines of forks are notorious for holding onto residue in the dishwasher. Spoons that nest together during a cycle can remain encrusted with food. Alternate utensils pointing up and down to prevent this nesting effect. Always point knives downward for safety reasons.
July 11th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
spines up, its the only way to be sure. except for knives… steak & cutting knives that is.
quality knives should never go into the dishwasher, and if they do you need better knives… because you’re more likely to gouge yourself using janky knives than gouging yourself reaching for them in the dishwasher.
other things that do/don’t belong in the dishwasher:
do put in-
wine glasses, including badass Riedels. it’s okay, no really.
All-Clad stainless steel and copper-core
synthetic cutting boards
splatter screens
wooden spoons
keyboards http://plasticbugs.com/index.php?p=263
mouthy children. no, really. shuts them up.
don’t put in -
proper, quality knives (Heinkels, Shun, Wustoffs, etc)
All-Clad LTD, MC2 and Cop-R-Chef
wood cutting boards
orangutans. they no likey.
July 11th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Fascinating debate Dennis!
I grew up with handles up, but in the last few years I have switched to handles down, except knives, with your same thought process in mind.
Although sometimes I regress. Sometimes I do a little of both if there is a lot of utensils to get them to fit better and not be so crammed or nested. Avoiding nested utensils is really the main goal, right?
July 11th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
You must live a charmed life to think this is important Dennis. However, if I must, I will say that the handles go up! If it doesn’t get your forks clean, then you have a different problem. You need a better dishwasher. Or maybe give them a good lick before you put them in there. I once heard that you can put a keyboard in the dishwasher and it would work fine once it dried out. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to heat dry it. Has anyone tested that?
July 13th, 2007 at 9:23 am
not that i use the dishwasher *that* much, being taiwanese and all. but when i *do* use it, i DEF put the handle side down. i always thought it would get cleaner that way!!
i with you sinney….
July 13th, 2007 at 11:35 am
Once you’ve had fork prongs slide underneath a fingernail and slice the skin you’ll decide to put the handle up.
OOooooowwwwwchy @#&!
July 13th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
our tents are pitched next to each other. i’m in your camp.
July 16th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
I personally don’t care about the handles issues, but my roommate really does. It’s hard to remember to face the handles all one way when I can’t even remember which is the preferred direction! I get in trouble a lot, but at least I’m loading the dishwasher!
July 20th, 2007 at 12:05 am
Damn. Missed a good debate. My take: handles down… with the exception of sharp knives (and I’m not sold on the sharp knives bit either…). I used to do everything up until a former roommate yelled at me for having the sharp knives up. But, honestly, I’ve never been hurt with them up, and so I’m sticking with up.
March 17th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
When in doubt, read the Dishwasher’s Owner’s Manual:
In their Safety Section, they will ALL tell you to put the pointy (sharp) end of a knife DOWN!
As the manufacturers and the one’s always getting sued by users, they must already know something about this subject that the “handles down” folks don’t!
September 19th, 2008 at 9:38 am
i like em with the handles sticking up because they’re easier to grab and i won’t hafta touch where people’s mouths are gunna be. i mean isn’t that gross? i wouldn’t want to use a fork or spoon where someone’s fingers were all over it no matter how clean they say they washed their hands!
December 30th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
lol! WAIT……..BANANAS!!!!!!!! MUST EAT BANANAS NOM NOM NOM NOM!!!!!
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:04 am
Always late to the party, I am.
If you own one of those spiffy stainless steel commercial dishwashers (the kind you see in restaurant kitchens), load your flatware handles up. These dishwashers are designed to do it that way, with VERY high pressure water sprays, heavy de-soiling chemicals, etc. If, however, you own a more mundane residential dishwasher, the handles go down for all but the knives.
March 26th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
just read the instructions of your dishwasher. they had studied these things. The instructions of my dishwasher mention that spoons should be separated otherwise they will stick together and the water would not flow correctly. The most space among all the better flow of the water.
August 16th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Any person who would reach – without looking carefully at what they are grabbing – into a basket full of knives deserves every laceration they get. The argument that handles up is safer is an interesting one because it requires us to share the mindset that idiots should be protected from fork tines. Instead, I would argue that the occasional cutlery jab is the ideal remedy to a specific kind of stupidity. Seeing as every possible threat cannot be prevented in advance, day-to-day living requires a modicum of attention and thought. In preventing those who reach blindly into baskets of knives from being harmed, we do them a disservice, for this sadly lulls them into the view that every basket of knives – literal and metaphorical – has been adjusted into a tidy fan of handles by some unseen, over-protective aunt.