Bosch here, and use tablets plus rinse liquid (drying helper). Perfect clean all the time.

The detergent drawers 1n my F&P dishdrawers have small posts in them which prevent putting tablets in them. I haven't noticed any difference in effectiveness between powder and tablets.

Always use tablets, just buy them in bulk when on sale and you offset the higher cost per wash over powder. I always found powder didn't dissolve well, often there was a wet clump of powder remaining in the dispensing compartment.

And to the topic of rinsing. We rinse our dishes before loading the dishwasher but that's because there is only two of us in the house and it can take 2-3 days to fill the dishwasher. They can start to smell if not rinsed.

I use both tablets and powder.

Most dishwashers have a two-part compartment, with one larger and one smaller space.
The larger space is for the main-wash stage of the cycle and is big enough for a tablet (or powder, if so desired).
The smaller space is for the pre-wash stage of the cycle and is suitable only for powder.
The larger space is sealed and is automatically opened at the start of the main-wash stage of the cycle. The smaller space is open and allows powder to escape (and water to enter) at the start of the pre-wash cycle.

If you do not put any powder in for the pre-wash, you are only using water, and it will not be as effective.

This is the one and only correct way to use a dishwasher dispenser, if you have a two-part compartment and if you select a cycle that has a pre-wash stage.

Senecio:

 

I always found powder didn't dissolve well, often there was a wet clump of powder remaining in the dispensing compartment.

 

 

 

I "manage" this by closing the dispenser lid after each cycle when it is dry, which prevents it getting wet while loading dishes. Then, just before the wash it gets opened to insert detergent. Works every time, and has been the fix for anyone I encountered with Senecio's problem

dblake:

I use both tablets and powder.

Most dishwashers have a two-part compartment, with one larger and one smaller space.
The larger space is for the main-wash stage of the cycle and is big enough for a tablet (or powder, if so desired).
The smaller space is for the pre-wash stage of the cycle and is suitable only for powder.
The larger space is sealed and is automatically opened at the start of the main-wash stage of the cycle. The smaller space is open and allows powder to escape (and water to enter) at the start of the pre-wash cycle.

If you do not put any powder in for the pre-wash, you are only using water, and it will not be as effective.

This is the one and only correct way to use a dishwasher dispenser, if you have a two-part compartment and if you select a cycle that has a pre-wash stage.

Why in the world are you guys putting tablets in your cutlery drawers instead of in the dispenser?

I put powder in my Bosch most of the time, but for a large load or occasionally otherwise I use a tablet. They work about the same, the tablet might be slightly better or do better at glass.

For really heavy loads I use a tablet in the compartment and a bit of powder in the base, to help the rinse cycle be more effective. That seems even more effective.

allio:

 

Why in the world are you guys putting tablets in your cutlery drawers instead of in the dispenser?

 

Because the tablet manufacturer's instructions specifically state that the tablet should be placed in the cutlery rack in the case of an F&P dishdrawer.

alasta:

 

Because the tablet manufacturer's instructions specifically state that the tablet should be placed in the cutlery rack in the case of an F&P dishdrawer.

 

Dishdrawer, ah... that makes sense. From my memory of living in houses with dishdrawers they had tiny little pull out compartments that a tablet probably wouldn't fit in. Thanks :)

I'll have to check how our dish drawers operate but I suspect that some water is washed through the closed soap dispensor right from the get-go

Also from my observations at least the tablets frequently seem to last well past just the rinse stage.