We test how dry the dishes are 30 minutes after a normal cycle has finished. During this time the doors are left closed to simulate how you'd generally use the dishwasher (unless the dishwasher has an automatic door opening function that activates at the end of the program).

Our score is based on the amount of energy used per place setting (that's crockery and cutlery for one person) by the dishwasher on the tested program. The less energy used, the higher (better) the score.

Our priority is testing the models you'll see in stores and major online retailers. To do this, we check current market data to see what's most popular. We'll also test models that a lot of members have requested.

Our experts lab-test important criteria, including washing performance, drying performance, energy efficiency and more. Our test is based partly on the current Australian standard and partly on the IEC Draft standard.

Unlike other product review sites, we don't accept free test models from manufacturers. This allows us to be independent and review without interference. Instead, we buy products anonymously from a variety of retailers, then bring them into our labs. This means we get what you'd get, and can be sure the model hasn't been potentially 'tweaked' for better performance.

Our expert testers – Petr Velouch, Shafi Noor and Sean Lim – have many years of experience in the dishwasher lab, and some of them sit on industry standards committees, both national and international.