If you don’t have the time or energy to spend hours at the sink, a dishwasher can help you breeze through kitchen clean-ups. But what you use to clean your dishes is just as important as the appliance. Dishwashers need good dishwasher tablets for gleaming glasses and pristine pots and pans.
Whether you're tackling baked-on pasta dishes or cloudy wine glasses, the best dishwasher tablets can make all the difference between a disappointing rinse and a showroom finish. But with so many options on the market, from all-in-one pods to plastic-free tablets, finding one that delivers can be tricky.
Good dishwasher tablets combine powerful cleaning agents with rinse aid and salt, removing the need for extra products. They should also work well on short or eco cycles, and shouldn’t leave behind a soapy film or chemical smell.
To help separate the sparkling from the sub-par, I tested a wide range of dishwasher tablets to find options that performed well across different loads, from greasy baking trays to delicate glassware.
How I tested
Over the course of two weeks, I tested dishwasher tablets on a variety of loads in my kitchen. During testing, the tablets tackled everything from greasy roasting trays and plates covered in pasta sauce to wine glasses and cutlery. To keep things consistent, I stacked the dishwasher the same way each time and ran standard and eco cycles to see how each tablet handled different settings.
I assessed these tablets on several criteria:
- Cleaning: the most basic metric, I ensured all of these tablets worked on tough, baked-on food like lasagna and tea stains.
- Dissolution: I needed all of these tabs to dissolve in every cycle; there are few things as annoying as leftover dishwasher tablet powder coating your dishes.
- Watermarks: I wanted glasses to come out sparkling, with no watermarks or residue.
- Eco credentials: Many dishwasher tablets contain phosphates that can pollute waterways. I looked for tablets free from phosphates and chlorine.
- Price per wash: Crucially, I wanted these tablets to be affordable, so I worked out the price per wash to see which tablets offer the best value.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Zoe Griffin has been evaluating and reviewing products for IndyBest since 2021, testing a wide range of cleaning products, such as the best laundry detergents, stain removers, and fabric conditioners. Taking into account choices for all budgets, from supermarket own-brands to premium options, Zoe's reviews are always based on her genuine experiences through real-world testing.
The best dishwasher tablets for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Neat eco dishwasher tablets: £20, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Tesco all-in-one dishwasher tablets: £3.56, Tesco.com
- Best eco-friendly option – Ecover all-in-one power dishwasher tablets: £8.50, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for short cycles – Fairy platinum plus: £18.25, Amazon.co.uk
- Best subscription service – Smol dishwasher tablets: £6.50, Smol.com
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Neat eco dishwasher tablets
Best: Dishwasher tablets overall
Dishwasher loads: 60
Price per wash: 22p
Scent: Subtle lemon
Packaging: 100% recycled cardboard
Why we love it
- Cardboard packaging
- Nice lemon scent
Take note
- No salt included
- On the pricey side
Neat’s dishwasher tablets come in water-soluble PVA wrappers and arrive in a compact, fully recyclable cardboard box. The brand is a certified B-Corp, and claims these tablets offer a powerful clean with minimal waste. I found they performed well on everyday grime: plates with dried-on sauces, mugs with tea stains, and slightly greasy pans all came out clean.
The tablets were consistently reliable during both standard cycles and lower-temperature eco washes. The only thing to note is that these are not all-in-one tablets (they don’t include dishwasher salt). This means you might need to use a separate dishwasher cleaner every few months to prevent product buildup, especially if you live in a hard-water area. The £15 price point at Amazon looks high, but that price is for a 60-pack; a 30-pack is £7, which is expensive, but not unusual. The 22p per wash price is a lot higher than the cheapest options, but far from the most expensive I’ve tested. These tablets may be pricier than many supermarket brands, but I think they’re worth the extra spend.
Buy now £15.00, Amazon.co.uk
Tesco all-in-one dishwasher tablets
Best: Budget dishwasher tablets
Dishwasher loads: 40
Cost per wash: 9p
Scent: Unscented
Packaging: Plastic pouch
Why we love it
- Great price
- Did a great job of tackling grease
Take note
- Need to pre-soak stains
- Plastic packaging
Tesco's budget-friendly dishwasher tablets are great for anyone looking for reliable cleaning without breaking the bank. For a supermarket brand, the tablets have a surprisingly premium feel. I tested the tablets on everything from greasy pans and plates covered in pasta sauce to tea-stained mugs and glassware with wine residue.
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The tablets did a solid job on everyday loads, cleaning off grease and tea stains without leaving any residue behind, but performed less impressively on tougher, dried-on stains from the likes of spaghetti bolognese. There’s no discernible scent, and they don’t claim to be the best for the environment, but for about 9p per wash, they're a solid choice for everyday use.
Buy now £3.56, Tesco.com
Waitrose all-in-one dishwasher tablets
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Best: Dishwasher tablets for tough stains
Dishwasher loads: 45
Cost per wash: 10p
Scent: Unscented
Packaging: Cardboard box
Why we love it
- Impressive at tackling dried-on stains
- Great price
Take note
- Box didn’t keep the tablets fresh during testing
While these tablets are quite thin, don’t let looks deceive you. If you've got a mountain of dirty dishes with the remnants of a Sunday roast clinging on for dear life, these dishwasher tablets are a solid choice. I put them through their paces with everything from lasagne trays with baked-on cheese crust, rice hardened onto the bottom of a paella pan and greasy frying pans. During longer cycles, the tablets shifted all these dried-on stains, rivalling big-name brands such as Fairy.
The Waitrose tablets also performed well on everyday grime. Plates smeared with pasta sauce, tea-stained mugs, and wine glasses all emerged from the dishwasher looking pristine. The only downside is that the box didn’t seem to keep the tablets as fresh as I’d hoped. By the end of the pack, I noticed they weren't dissolving as easily as when they were first opened.
Buy now £4.25, Waitrose.com
Ecover all-in-one power dishwasher tablets
Best: Eco-friendly dishwasher tablets
Dishwasher loads: 24
Cost per wash: 35p
Scent: Mandarin and lemongrass
Packaging: Cardboard with plastic lining
Why we love it
- Gorgeous scent
- Space-saving packaging
Take note
- On the pricey side
Ecover has developed an invisible, plastic-free coating for its dishwasher tablets, helping to cut down on plastic waste. However, although the cardboard box the tablets come in is recyclable, it does contain a very thin plastic lining to help keep the tablets fresh. I was impressed by the fact that 24 tablets are packed tightly inside. In contrast, Bio-D’s packaging held 30 tablets but was nearly twice the size.
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My dishes and cutlery came out sparkling clean, with these tablets rivalling the performance of leading chemical-based brands. I also loved the scent – the blend of mandarin and lemongrass is a treat when you open the dishwasher. However, at 35p per load, they rank at the more expensive end of all the dishwasher tablets I tested.
Buy now £8.50, Amazon.co.uk
Fairy platinum plus
Best: Dishwasher tablets for short cycles
Dishwasher loads: 48
Cost per wash: 38p
Scent: Lemon
Packaging: Recyclable plastic pouch
Why we love it
- No need to rewash
- Glasses came out free of streaks
Take note
- Bulky bag takes up a lot of room
Available in most supermarkets, these dishwasher tablets had my dishes coming out clean and shiny, even with a quick 45-minute cycle, meeting the claim on the front of the packet. Cutlery was streak-free, crockery gleamed without residue, and glassware had a beautiful, streak-free shine.
Even dried-on stains, such as those from lasagne, were removed during a standard cycle, with no need for extra washing. However, these tablets are on the pricier side, especially compared with budget options such as Morrisons’s and Tesco’s all-in-one tablets. 38p per wash is the most expensive option I’ve tried.
Buy now £18.25, Amazon.co.uk
Ocean Saver pearl eco dishwasher tablets
Best: Ocean-friendly dishwasher tablets
Dishwasher loads: 50
Cost per wash: 26p
Scent: Unscented
Packaging: Cardboard box
Why we love it
- 30-day guarantee
Take note
- Occasional stain slipped through
- Have to buy in bulk
Although this option may seem pricey, there are 50 tablets included, working out at 26p each, which is on a par with many other brands’ offerings. These tablets did extremely well at tackling dirty dishes during shorter cycles, unlike some of their competitors. Performance-wise, they’re comparable to the Fairy platinum plus tablets, but without phosphonates, polycarboxylates, sulfonate-based surfactants, and nonylphenol ethoxylates.
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Ocean Saver donates money for each pack sold to the Blue Marine Foundation, helping restore vital marine habitats in the Solent.
However, I found the occasional stubborn bit of baked-on cheese clinging to a dish or two. For the most part, the performance was faultless, but if you cook heavy, cheesy meals, you might be better off with something else.
Buy now £13.00, Tesco.com
Morrisons all-in-one dishwasher tablets
Best: Dishwasher tablets for tea stains
Dishwasher loads: 30
Cost per wash: 10p
Scent: Lemon
Packaging: Plastic pouch
Why we love it
- Great price
- Solid performance on regular loads
- Contains salt and rinse aid
Take note
- Plastic packaging
- Synthetic scent
Working out as just 10p per load, the Morrisons all-in-one dishwasher tablets are among the most affordable I tested. They promise a thorough clean, degreasing and shine in one go, with added salt and rinse aid, and I found the tablets performed impressively for their price. Everyday mess, light grease and tea-stained mugs were all cleaned.
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These tablets didn’t quite match the cleaning power of more-premium brands, such as Fairy, when it came to tackling tougher, baked-on food, though. I also found that plastic items occasionally came out with faint water marks. However, for routine loads, these tablets delivered solid, reliable results.
I was less impressed with the packaging, however. The tablets come in a soft plastic pouch that is only 30 per cent recycled – I would have loved to see these boxed in cardboard like the Ecover or Neat tablets included in this list.
Buy now £3.00, Morrisons.com
Smol dishwasher tablets
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Best: Subscription dishwasher tablets
Dishwasher loads: 30
Price per load: 22p
Scent: Indistinguishable
Packaging: Recycled cardboard
Why we love it
- Delivered to the door
- Useful storage tin for freshness
Take note
- Heavily soiled pans needed a longer wash
- Lacks scent
These tablets handled everyday loads well, leaving glasses clear and plates streak-free. Heavily soiled pans needed a longer wash to get fully clean, but results were consistently good overall. Smol tablets also contain rinse aid and salt, which means they perform well in hard-water areas. However, I’m not a fan of the smell. Instead of a fresh, zingy scent, I was hit with a whiff of damp steam when I opened the dishwasher.
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That being said, you can sign up on the Smol website for a free trial and pay £1 for postage before committing to regular deliveries. If you start a subscription, the tablets will arrive every month in neat, letterbox-friendly packaging. The brand also provides a free, reusable storage tin when you sign up for a subscription, which I thought was a thoughtful extra.
Buy now £6.50, Smol.com
Bio-D dishwasher tablets
Best: Biodegradable dishwasher tablets
Dishwasher loads: 30
Cost per wash: 26p
Scent: Unscented
Packaging: Recycled cardboard box
Why we love it
- Cardboard packaging
- Eco credentials
Take note
- No rinse aid or salt
- Lacks scent
If you're trying to clean up your dishes and your carbon footprint, Bio-D is a great place to start. I really like the fact that the brand’s dishwasher tablets come in no-nonsense, minimal packaging – a cardboard box with a water-soluble inner bag. It’s also a win that Bio-D is free from synthetic fragrances, dyes and unnecessary chemicals.
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During testing, the tablets handled day-to-day loads well. Tea-stained mugs, cereal bowls, and greasy plates all came out clean on a standard cycle. Glassware looked good, too, although not quite as sparkling as with tablets that include rinse aid. These tablets weren’t as strong when it came to tackling baked-on food, though – cheesy oven dishes and dried-on rice needed a hotter wash or pre-rinse, but that’s often the trade-off with gentler, more planet-friendly formulas.
Buy now £7.68, Biod.co.uk
Kit & Kin fragrance-free dishwasher pods
Best: Fragrance-free dishwasher tablets
Dishwasher loads: 30
Cost per wash: 25p
Scent: Unscented
Packaging: Recycled cardboard box
Why we love it
- Small box
- Plant-derived ingredients
- No synthetic smell
Take note
- Poor performance on eco-cycles
- Requires pre-soaking
For those sensitive to scents or who simply prefer a fragrance-free wash, turn to Kit & Kin’s unscented dishwasher tablets – I found the lack of fragrance didn’t result in a damp or musty smell when the dishwasher cycle was complete.
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The tablets come in fully recyclable packaging and are made from plant-derived ingredients, making them a great option for those looking to reduce their environmental footprint while still achieving a decent clean. While the tablets performed well when it came to the day-to-day cleaning of mugs, plates and crockery on a standard cycle, they weren’t as effective on heavy-duty stains and dried-in food, such as porridge. I would never use them on an eco cycle again, as my mugs still appeared tea-stained afterwards. If you don’t mind using standard cycles, though, these tablets are still worth considering.
Buy now £7.49, Kitandkin.com
Which are the best dishwasher tablets?
If you’re after reliable results and plastic-free packaging, Neat’s eco dishwasher tablets are the standout, delivering impressive cleaning across glassware, cutlery and crockery. For stubborn stains and dried-on food across all cycles, the Fairy platinum plus tablets were impressive, too. They blitzed baked-on pasta, greasy trays and sticky cutlery with minimal fuss, even on short cycles. If you’re looking for purse-friendly dishwasher tablets, there are some great supermarket options from Tesco, Morrisons and Waitrose.
Want more recommendations? We’ve rounded up the best eco-friendly cleaning products
