The reason why the dishwasher is one of those everyday conveniences most of us don’t think about is because we don’t have to; after all, today’s dishwashers pretty much all come in the same size, use roughly the same amount of water, and all take about an hour or more to run through a wash cycle.
But here’s the problem with one-sized fits all machines: not every task – or dish load – is the same size. So, when I ran across a demo of the Tetra countertop dishwasher at CES Unveiled, I was intrigued.
The Tetra is small as dishwashers go. The total counter space it takes up is roughly equivalent to that of a toaster oven. It’s also, if I might say, pretty cool looking for a dishwasher. You can see what it looks like in the video below:
Why would one want a small form factor dishwasher? For one, traditional dishwashers are pretty wasteful. With the Tetra, the user simply pours in half a gallon of water inside and that is all it needs for a full wash cycle.
It’s also quick. My old KitchenAid usually takes an hour or more to rumble through a cycle, but the Tetra finishes a cycle in 10 minutes.
And to top it all off, the device also will act as a sous vide appliance.
One reason I like the idea of the Tetra is I often find my usage of certain dishes is out of sync with how we use our dishwasher. Because it often takes my family a day and half to dirty up enough dishes run a load, I often find myself handwashing my favorite mug or Nutribullet glass when it’s time to make a smoothie. The Tetra is perfect for these type of quick wash cycles for go-to dishes. And for someone like a parent with a newborn who is constantly washing baby bottles, it would make even more sense.
The Tetra is from a company called Heatworks, which you may have heard of for their tankless electric water heaters. The company is announcing its third generation water heater at CES (available in February), and the Tetra is the company’s first home appliance.
And in case you’re wondering – you don’t need a Heatworks water heater to heat your water for the Tetra – it has a mini one built inside.
The Tetra is expected to ship by the end of this year.
I am very interested to get one.
could you advise the required operating voltage and amperage?
My wishes for a prosperous future.
What the price is like? The 299 USD is definate?
When will the Tetra be available for shipping? Will it shipped to Canada?
Any updates on availability for the Tetra? Thx.
The company had sent hints they had a new announcement that was imminent a few months ago. They’ve been quiet since. I am going to check in with them.