11 Surprisingly-Dishwasher Safe Items of 2025 | Reviews by Wirecutter

Feb 20, 2025

By Elissa Sanci

Elissa Sanci is a senior staff writer. She has found that clear ice makes carbonated drinks taste better, and citronella candles don’t work.

In a perfect world, all the dirty dishes and utensils piled up in your sink would be safe to toss in the dishwasher.

But in reality, some items require a more delicate approach.

To help you maintain your favorite kitchen tools for years to come, we’ve pulled together a list of Wirecutter-recommended gear that can and cannot go into the dishwasher—along with items that fall into the gray area in between.

Keep in mind that our roundup applies only to our picks—so when in doubt, always check the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning instructions.

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Wine glasses: Though it seems wrong, wine glasses are much safer in the dishwasher. They’re actually more likely to break when you hand-wash them in the sink, where a glass can easily slip. We recommend placing wine glasses upside down on the top rack of the dishwasher so they don’t scrape against each other or other dishes or cups.

Plastic cutting boards: Running plastic cutting boards through the dishwasher is the best way to sanitize them, especially after prepping raw meat. To avoid potential warping, our kitchen experts recommend using your dishwasher’s delicate/eco setting or pulling out the board before the drying cycle. (We also recommend replacing plastic cutting boards every two years or so, because lingering bacteria can hide out in deep cuts or scratches.)

Stainless steel mixing bowls: One of the reasons we love the Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls is because they’re so easy to clean. During testing, our experts subjected them to multiple cycles in the dishwasher on the heavy-duty pots and pans setting, but the bowls didn’t develop rust spots or a single dent.

Stainless steel barware: Home mixologists will be happy to hear that most barware can be tossed in the dishwasher as long as it’s made of stainless steel, such as the Wirecutter-approved ​​OXO Steel Cocktail Strainer and the Cocktail Kingdom Usagi Cobbler Shaker.

Potato mashers and ricers: Most dishwashers are powerful enough to de-gunk perforated potato mashers and ricers, leaving them sparkling clean. Our picks are especially easy to clean in the dishwasher: The compact OXO Good Grips Smooth Potato Masher doesn’t take up too much room on the top rack, and the Chef’n FreshForce Potato Ricer basket pops out for a deeper clean.

Plastic spatulas: The GIR Ultimate Spatula has been a pick since 2016 for many reasons, including the fact that the high-heat silicone-coated utensil (which has a plastic handle) is dishwasher-safe. Its seamless design makes it especially easy to clean, since it doesn’t have any nooks and crannies for food to hide.

Wirecutter’s favorite pizza peel: If you make a lot of pizza at home, you know that a peel is essential to baking the perfect pie. The problem with wooden peels, though, is that they tend to split when exposed to water, even if you’re only wiping them down. Instead, we like the Epicurean pizza peel, which is made from a wood-fiber composite that can withstand going through the dishwasher without warping or splintering.

Some sex toys: Yep, that’s right. Depending on the material your adult toy is made of, it may be safe to wash in the dishwasher. You can deep-clean non-mechanized 100% silicone, stainless steel, and borosilicate glass toys by placing them on the top rack of the dishwasher after surface-cleaning them. Run the dishwasher on the sanitize cycle without soap, which is too harsh to be used with sex toys. And keep in mind that our experts don’t recommend this method if you share the dishwasher with people other than your sexual partner(s).

Water flosser reservoirs: Water flossers are a great alternative to traditional string floss, but keeping them clean requires some diligence. Thankfully, all three of our picks have a removable, plastic water reservoir that can be safely cleaned on the top rack of the dishwasher—just be sure to remove it before the dishwasher’s heated dry cycle begins, and leave it to air-dry instead.

Some kids bath toys: Parents familiar with bath toys know they tend to get grody fast—which is exactly why we made sure most of our picks come apart for deep cleaning and can be tossed in the dishwasher to be fully sanitized.

The stainless steel parts of pet water fountains: Continuously flowing water can entice cats and dogs to drink more regularly, though these fountains need to be cleaned periodically to ensure your pets’ safety. Some of the plastic water fountains we recommend must be cleaned by hand, but the majority of our picks have removable, stainless steel parts that are dishwasher-safe—and Wirecutter’s pet experts found that running those parts through the dishwasher can help kill more bacteria than hand-washing. It’s also safe to run these parts in the same wash cycle with everyday items like plates and cups, but if you’re worried about potential contamination, Wirecutter’s dishwasher expert recommends running a sanitizing cycle, which washes items at a higher temperature.

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Anything made of wood: Wood has a tendency to crack or warp in water, so the dishwasher is strictly off-limits. This applies to wooden cutting boards, wooden utensils like spoons or spatulas, tools with wooden handles, and wooden rolling pins. Hand-wash these kitchen tools with warm, soapy water, then wipe them down with a microfiber cloth and allow them to air-dry.

Meat thermometers: Though all of the picks in our guide to the best meat thermometers are water-resistant, you should never run them through the dishwasher. Instead, wipe clean with warm, soapy water after using.

Blenders: Even though it’s tempting, don’t put your blender pitcher in the dishwasher. Exposing it to the heat and detergents can shorten the lifespan of your tool. Washing it by hand (or using this hack) keeps your blender in tip-top shape.

Sharp knives: Between the high temperatures, chemicals, and banging around, dishwashers can be particularly hard on knives. Hand-washing steak knives and chef’s knives keeps the blades from dulling and prevents their handles from warping.

Our go-to aluminum ice cream scoop: Because of its interior design, the Zeroll 1020 Original Ice Cream Scoop isn’t dishwasher-safe, and the manufacturer warns against exposing the scoop to temperatures over 140 °F.

Running the scoop through the dishwasher can also cause the surface material to oxidize and corrode, so always hand-wash it with warm, soapy water to keep it shiny and clean.

Cast-iron pans: Despite what you may have heard, using a bit of dish soap to clean your cast-iron skillets is perfectly fine—but never stick them in the dishwasher or leave them soaking in water, which can cause the pan to rust.

Can openers: Running most manual can openers through the dishwasher can cause them to rust, so always wash yours by hand with a sponge and dish soap, then dry it immediately with a dish towel.

Baking sheets: A trip through the dishwasher will tarnish the bare aluminum of our baking sheet picks, but it won’t ruin your bakeware. Although Nordic Ware, the maker of our favorite baking sheet, advises against using the dishwasher, its website says the tarnish “is merely cosmetic and will not affect baking properties or safety of the pan.”

Enameled cast-iron Dutch ovens: Most enameled cast-iron Dutch ovens are dishwasher-safe, but manufacturers warn that the dishwasher can wear down the enamel finish. Our kitchen experts prefer hand-washing Dutch ovens, anyway—not only to prolong their lifespan but to better clean out the nooks and crannies, too.

Pots and pans: Though many manufacturers say their stainless steel cookware is dishwasher-safe, our kitchen writers recommend you wash them by hand. The harsh chemicals in some detergents can cause damage to the pans (particularly the aluminum in tri-ply cookware). The same goes for nonstick cookware: Heat and harsh detergents could potentially break down the nonstick coating.

Some immersion blender attachments: Whether you’re using your immersion blender to make your morning smoothie or to whip together a creamy soup, chances are you’ll be able to toss the detachable blending wands in the dishwasher. Most of their additional (non-electronic) attachments are dishwasher-friendly, too, just make sure to check your item’s user guide. All parts on the Braun MultiQuick 5 and 7 hand blenders, except for the chopper lid, are dishwasher-safe, too.

Graters: Both graters we recommend are top-rack dishwasher-safe, but the experts we spoke to told us that hand-washing these tools helps keep the edges sharper for longer.

Air fryer baskets: Although some air fryers have baskets that are marketed as dishwasher-safe, you’re better off hand-washing the basket after every use. It helps prolong the lifespan of your machine and prevent damage to the nonstick coating.

Food processor bowls: Though the bowls of all our food processor picks are technically dishwasher-safe, we recommend hand-washing to avoid warping the plastic.

Breast pumps: Each of our recommended breast pumps comes apart for deep cleaning, and many of those parts are dishwasher-safe on the top rack. But a lactation expert we consulted for our guide warned that using a dishwasher shortens the life of the parts, so we’ve found hand-washing breast pump parts with warm soapy water works best.

Some baby bottles: All the picks in our guide to the best baby bottles are dishwasher-safe. If you do need to wash your bottles by hand, we recommend using the OXO Tot Bottle Brush with Stand.

This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Megan Beauchamp.

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Elissa Sanci

Senior Staff Writer

I cover a little of everything, from travel gadgets and car-organizing tools to label makers and reusable tumblers. I have an affinity for testing the buzzy products you’ve probably seen clogging your social media feeds—my goal is to figure out which trending items are actually worth your time, and which are a waste of money.

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