Review of the 45 cm Midea MFD45S100W dishwasher: rich functionality of the Chinese dishwasher

Owners of small-sized kitchens are constantly dreaming of buying a dishwasher.However, branded compact dishwashers are expensive, so buyers’ eyes are increasingly turning to units from the Middle Kingdom, which are suspiciously low in cost with wide declared capabilities. One such offer is the narrow 45 cm dishwasher Midea MFD45S100W.

But is this model worthy of attention, or will those who risk buying it still face inevitable disappointment? We invite you to familiarize yourself with an overview of the equipment, find out its operating parameters and declared functionality.

Identified pros and cons, as well as comparison with closest competitors will help determine the feasibility of purchasing a budget dishwasher.

Analysis of the capabilities of a budget dishwasher

To determine whether the buyer will lose, let’s consider the most significant technical characteristics of the model: the size of the dishwasher, its capacity and type of installation, the presence of the necessary programs and additional pleasant “buns,” as well as the safety and economical use of resources.

Dimensions and capacity of the unit

Since most kitchens do not offer plenty of space, they are especially popular compact kitchen appliances. The MFD45S100W dishwasher is clearly one of them, as it has “model” parameters for large-sized appliances: 450×610×850 mm.

Thanks to its miniature size and the possibility of installation provided by the manufacturer, this machine can be installed anywhere in a small kitchen

Despite its modest size, the machine, when fully loaded, can wash 9 sets of dishes, which is comparable to the capabilities of some full-size dishwashers.

For a family of 4-5 people, this is quite enough, but for lovers of home baking and frequent receptions of guests, the dimensions will seem too small - the machine is not designed for large pans and baking sheets from the oven.

The unit belongs to the free-standing type of floor-standing dishwashers, however, the developers have provided for the possibility of integrating it under the countertop. To do this, you need to remove the top panel (this will not affect warranty service) and fix the device under the table cover using height-adjustable legs.

The upper basket is intended for more fragile and thin items, and the lower one is for dishes that are usually difficult to wash

To understand whether the capacity of the MFD45S100W meets the needs of a particular family, we recommend searching for its instructions through a search engine. In it, the manufacturer clearly indicated how many and which kitchen utensils can be washed in the machine in one cycle, so it’s quite easy to draw conclusions.

Functions and programming options

The MFD45S100W dishwasher belongs to the budget 1st series, which is characterized by a low price (about 17 thousand).at the beginning of 2018), minimal configuration and a small number of programs.

Among the additional accessories, only a holder for glasses is provided, and the device is not equipped with such useful functions and accessories as a water hardness tester, a small item holder or a cassette for washing silverware. However, the factory equipment cannot be called poor.

In a very affordable unit, the Chinese installed:

• electronic control system with digital display;
• 3 sprinklers - some products from more popular brands have only 2 impellers;
• 2 removable baskets with the ability to adjust the lower height at 6 levels;
• compartment for All-in-one multifunctional tablets;
• slider dispenser - has a sliding lid, like on the back of a mobile phone.

At first glance, the manufacturer deprived its “firstborn” of the number of basic and auxiliary functions. Compared to the 10-, 15- and even 20-level programmers that more distinguished competitors have equipped their units with, the presence of only 6 cycles seems too unassuming. However, they are often quite sufficient.

Before starting any of the programs, it is recommended to clean the dishes from large food waste and soak dried and burnt residues on pans and pots

To wash dishes efficiently, just run one of the available programs:

• "Intense" – designed for heavily and moderately soiled dishes, intensively consumes water (16.5 l), electricity (1.4 kWh) and lasts 165 minutes;
• "Economical ECO" – the most rational program in terms of water consumption (9 l) and energy consumption (0.69 kWh) with a duration of 205 minutes. for complete cleaning of moderately soiled dishes;
• "90 minutes" – for an appropriate period of time, a quick wash of moderately soiled dishes is carried out at a temperature of 65°C; water consumption - 11.5 l, electricity consumption 1.15 kWh;
• "Fast" – after startup, accelerated (30 minutes) washing of lightly soiled dishes occurs at low (up to 55°) temperatures without drying; the process uses 10 liters of water and 0.7 kWh;
• "Standard" – intended for cleaning not particularly dirty dishes, including pots and pans, at temperatures up to 60°C for 180 minutes. (water consumption and energy consumption are 15 liters and 1.3 kWh, respectively);
• "Glass" – used for lightly soiled glassware and glassware, washing duration 130 minutes, water consumption 14.5 l, electricity consumption 0.9 kWh.

Please note that according to the official website, the Midea dishwasher model MFD45S100W has only 4 programs, and two wash cycle “Standard” and “Glass” are missing. The description of most stores indicates the presence of 6 programs.

Therefore, before purchasing, you should check the number of washing modes in a particular device directly with the seller.

The control panel is simple and intuitive, and the display's external layout makes it easy to bypass costly options like Floor Beam and Projection Display.

Other characteristics and features

A pleasant addition to the “gold standard” may be the opportunity for someone start delay for 3, 6 or 9 hours, thanks to which you can significantly reduce energy costs if you have a two-phase meter.

When using the dishwasher, the built-in salt and rinse aid indicator is also very useful.

If you need to wash a very small amount of dishes (no more than 7 loads), it is advisable to use the function half load. It helps save energy consumption and can be used in conjunction with the Intensive, ECO and 90 Minutes programs.

By the way, this function is not present in all dishwashers even from the middle price segment, not to mention the economy class.

As for safety, everything here with this machine is thought out quite well. It has a complete leakage protection system AquaStop. Until recently, it was installed exclusively on top-end products, but today, as you can see, it is also equipped with models that are quite modest in price.

It is better to entrust the installation of a dishwasher to certified specialists who can make high-quality connections to the sewer, water supply and electrical systems

The Aquastop technology was developed by Bosch back in the 90s, and then it was copied by all other household appliance manufacturers. It consists of stopping the supply of electricity and cutting off water in the event of a hose leak or depressurization of the dishwasher.

So the possibility of returning home and finding yourself ankle-deep in a puddle when entering the kitchen is practically excluded.

No less important is the function child protection. The appearance of a new device in the house cannot go unnoticed by little fidgets, so they need to be protected from their own curiosity.

To prevent children from opening the door of the device while it is operating, engineers have developed several algorithms:

1. When you press a certain key combination, the control panel is locked, which can only be turned off after pressing it again.
2. By pressing a special button, the door is completely locked or, alternatively, it can be locked with a mechanical lock.
3. In the absence of such a lock, in cases of child intervention, an instant shutdown of the hot steam supply and a complete stop of the machine should be provided.

The fact that such an option is present in the youngest Midea model is reported by both retailers and the manufacturer itself on its own website.

Unfortunately, the manufacturer did not indicate how protection against child intervention is implemented - by locking the doors or by completely stopping the unit

The user manual they provide tells you how to activate it: simply press the Timer and Half Load buttons at the same time. After this, the “Child Lock” indicator should light up.

Pros and cons of the car

Well, the characteristics of the compact dishwasher Midea MFD45S100W can be considered quite positive. However, for the sake of objectivity, it is worth analyzing the actual user experience. Let's study what people who have used it for at least one week say about this dishwasher.

Practical advantages of the model

It is immediately worth noting that Midea brand dishwashers people treat with trust, which the manufacturer, judging by their own reviews, fully justified.

Based on the results of using the dishwasher, they noted the following positive aspects:

• the use of a flow-through heating element in the design, which eliminates direct contact of the dishes with the heater and the ingress of food residues onto it;
• the manufacturer is a large Chinese factory with its own production facilities and development centers for household appliances;
• the possibility of replacing the heating element separately from the heating block, which means a significant reduction in the cost of possible dishwasher repair;
• compact width and height, the ability to be built under a tabletop, spaciousness;
• the presence of an electronic programmer and display with detailed information about time, options and programs;
• availability of a short eco-program and half-load function;
• quiet operation - 49 dB - noise level, as during a normal conversation;
• a full range of functions ensuring safe operation;
• economical monthly consumption detergents: just over 1.5 kg of salt, about 250 ml of rinse aid, 30 pcs. 7-in-1 tablets - consumption indicated by the user for water of medium hardness when loading according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

A two-year warranty, detailed installation instructions, and first launch and operation in good Russian.

Someone complains about the lack of an upper basket for small items, but it is replaced by a plastic basket, which can be removed when not needed

According to the overall rating, the model “deserved” a fairly high rating – 4.9 points.

Noticed shortcomings of technology

On different sites there is conflicting information about the number of programs, energy consumption class, the presence of a turbo drying function, etc. The answers to all these questions need to be specified by company representatives.

The following disadvantages probably apply to all dishwashers and consist of several points:

• the already scarce space in the kitchen needs to be allocated for the machine;
• Some types of dishes, such as porcelain, crystal, aluminum, pewter or copper, cannot be washed automatically;
• The unit requires a professional connection to an electrical network with a power of at least 2.3 kW.

And another drawback concerns the minimum number of reviews. This seems strange, since the Midea MFD45S100W model, although relatively new (released in 2015), is very attractive in terms of characteristics and should be popular.

Competing dishwashers

In order to really evaluate the technical data and practical capabilities of the machine we have considered, let’s compare it with worthy competitors with similar dimensions.

Competitor #1 - Hansa ZWM 416 WH

The model is designed to load 9 dish sets into the hopper, ideal for a family of three. You can load three sets from each owner into its height-adjustable basket, so you can turn on the unit only once a day. Equipped Hansa ZWM 416 WH glass holder.

The owners of the dishwasher will have 6 programs at their disposal; in addition to the normal mode, they will be able to use the economical, intensive, gentle option. In one standard washing session, it will use 9 liters of water. There is a function for pre-soaking and half-filling the hopper.

Electronic control. In terms of the quality of washing and drying, the model has the highest class - A. High class in energy efficiency parameters - A++. A full set of devices protects against leaks: both the housing and the system for shutting off the water supply when a leak is detected. A locking device will protect you from interference by children.

Competitor #2 - Candy CDP 2L952 W

You can also load 9 dish sets into the hopper of this machine, including a standard set of plates, cutlery, and drinking vessels.The Candy CDP 2L952 W model is chosen for apartments and houses with two or three residents.

The basket for storing dishes is adjustable in height, which means that fairly large items can be placed in the tank. A holder for fixing glasses is included.

There are fewer programs “on board” of this machine, only 5. There is express processing and the possibility of pre-soaking. To postpone the activation of work, a timer is built in, allowing you to delay the start by 3 - 9 hours.

Water for one wash will require 9 liters, it is controlled electronically, the class of drying and washing is A. According to the results of testing for energy consumption, the machine has class A.

The disadvantages include rather noisy operation, the noted level is 52 dB. The disadvantage is partial protection against possible leaks. Only the housing can prevent water from spilling onto the floor.

Competitor #3 - BEKO DFS 25W11 W

The model’s tank holds 10 sets of dishes prepared for washing, the processing of which will require 10.5 liters of water. In addition, the unit also consumes more energy; it needs 0.83 kW per hour to perform work.

The functionality of BEKO DFS 25W11W includes only 5 programs. There is a possibility of half loading, which saves both water and electricity. There is a function for express washing and delicate processing of thin glassware. To reschedule the launch of the machine, there is a timer that allows you to delay activation for a period from 1 to 24 hours.

Electronic control option. According to all tested characteristics, it has class A. Partial protection against leaks is pre-installed (only the unit body). It is possible to use 3-in-1 products. The presence of regenerating salt and rinse aid is indicated by LEDs.

This model has condensation drying and also has an extra drying mode.

The height of the basket inside the tank can be changed in order to load objects of different sizes into it. The set includes a holder for fixing glass wine glasses.

Among the disadvantages is the wasteful consumption of water and electricity, the lack of a blocking device from the intervention of curious researchers.

Conclusions and best offers on the market

Even among the three competing models we have cited, there are options that can “compete” with the device discussed in the article. Thanks to the abundance of trade offers, you can buy a machine on terms that are more favorable to your own wallet. The following selection will help you study the price range:

The list of disadvantages is much shorter than the list of advantages, so the Midea dishwasher with a width of 45 cm, model MFD45S100W, can confidently be classified as a budget, but quite functional unit. But we have yet to find out how trouble-free they are after several years of operation.

Are you looking for an inexpensive and high-quality dishwasher for your compact kitchen? Or do you have experience using a unit from Midea? Tell our readers about the specifics of operation and maintenance of such equipment. Share your personal experiences and ask questions - the comment form is located below.