Dishwasher tablets are a kitchen essential, designed to tackle tough stains, grease, and stuck-on food while leaving your dishes sparkling clean. In 2025, the market offers a variety of options, from eco-friendly to budget-friendly and heavy-duty formulas. This article compiles insights from rigorous testing to highlight the top 10 dishwasher tablets, their pros and cons, real-world performance, and a buying guide to help you choose the best product for your needs.
Top 10 Dishwasher Tablets for 2025
1. Cascade Platinum Plus ActionPacs
Cascade’s new Platinum Plus ActionPacs promised you wouldn’t need to do that, because it contains twice the Dawn grease-fighting power of previous pods and enzymes that break down starches and proteins to deep clean. We were skeptical¡until it left every single dish-even a casserole pan left out for two days with baked-on cheese and marinara-sparkling. The best feature, perhaps? It contains a rinse aid that removed hard water spots, so we don’t need to buy (and load) a separate rinse aid anymore.
- Pros: Exceptional cleaning power, removes 24-hour stuck-on food, built-in rinse aid, protects glassware.
- Cons: Expensive per pod, may discolor aluminum.
Shop Cascade Platinum Plus ActionPacs on Amazon
2. Finish Quantum Infinity Shine Dishwasher Tablets
If a spot on your wine glass instantly turns you into Lady MacBeth, fear not: Finish Quantum Infinity Shine Dishwasher Tablets have got your back. Each pod features three chambers: one to break down bits of food, one to cut through grease and one to ensure your dishes clean evenly and without streaking. (And our editors can attest that they’re great at removing glommed-on sauces and peanut butter.) The end result is stemware that sparkles-with the occasional exception, but hey, no pod’s perfect.
- Pros: Streak-free finish, excellent for sauces and grease, three-chamber technology.
- Cons: Slightly pricier, occasional residue on tough stains.
Shop Finish Quantum Infinity Shine on Amazon
3. Miele UltraTabs Multi
Miele makes our top-rated dishwasher, so we weren’t surprised by the super-effective formula in Miele UltraTabs Multi, which work in Miele dishwashers (and other brands’ dishwashers too). The solid tablet of powder detergent is easy to use, tidy to store and dissolves completely – including its water-soluble wrapper – once it’s dispensed. Each tablet contains three layers of cleaning ingredients that erased stuck-on grime and left stainless steel cookware and flatware shiny and glassware squeaky clean in our tests.
- Pros: Completely dissolvable wrapper, multi-layer cleaning, safe for all dishwashers.
- Cons: High cost per load (58 cents).
Shop Miele UltraTabs Multi on Amazon
4. Amazon Basics Dishwasher Detergent Pacs
Amazon Basics may not be a brand name you’re used to seeing among detergents, but its Dishwasher Detergent Pacs do an excellent job at cleaning dishes and preventing film and discoloration, which occur when mineral deposits remain on dishes. It also resists water spots, which not all dish detergents do.
- Pros: Budget-friendly, prevents film and water spots, effective cleaning.
- Cons: Less powerful on burnt-on stains.
Shop Amazon Basics Dishwasher Detergent Pacs on Amazon
5. Ecover Automatic Dishwasher Soap Tablets
The Ecover Automatic Dishwashing Tablets are the most innocuous. These tablets come in soluble wrappers and the packaging is recyclable, making them a good pick if you’re looking for a more environmentally-friendly option. They performed well in our tests too, delivering strong results on all cycles and even removing burnt-on pasta stains with ease – one of the only tablets on test to do so.
- Pros: Eco-friendly, recyclable packaging, strong cleaning on pasta stains.
- Cons: Struggles with burnt scrambled egg, individual wrapping adds waste.
Shop Ecover Automatic Dishwasher Soap Tablets on Amazon
6. Fairy Platinum All in One Tablets
The Fairy Platinum All in One Tablets have been designed to dissolve quickly thanks to their soluble wrapping, and work hard to tackle even the toughest of food and drink stains the first time round, such as tea, coffee, burnt-on food and egg. They also promise to prevent the build-up of grease in your dishwasher and clean your filter, while leaving your machine smelling lemony fresh.
- Pros: Fast-dissolving, tackles tough stains, maintains dishwasher cleanliness.
- Cons: Less effective on short cycles, scent may linger.
Shop Fairy Platinum All in One Tablets on Amazon
7. Blueland Dishwasher Tablets
Blueland is a pricier pick, but in Cleaning Lab tests, the tablets delivered impressive results, leaving clean and shiny glasses and flatware. Plus, they were easy to use and store. Some of the tablets may arrive broken, but Blueland makes up for the loss by including extra tablets in the pouch.
- Pros: Shiny results, easy to store, extra tablets included.
- Cons: Pricey, some tablets may arrive broken.
Shop Blueland Dishwasher Tablets on Amazon
8. Seventh Generation Free & Clear Dishwasher Packs
The Seventh Generation Free & Clear packs are hypoallergenic and pretty mild-smelling. They’re designed to clean dishes, remove grease and grime and leave zero spots. The Cascade Platinum Plus, Lemi Shine, Seventh Generation Free & Clear, and Finish Powerball Deep Clean make a point of noting that they are safe for septic systems, while the Ecover and the Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Automatic Dish Pacs are also biodegradable.
- Pros: Hypoallergenic, septic-safe, biodegradable.
- Cons: Moderate performance on tough stains.
Shop Seventh Generation Free & Clear Dishwasher Packs on Amazon
9. Aldi Magnum Dishwasher Tablets
Southmouth ¡¤ Recommended I’ve tried so many different brands and am now currently using ALDI Magnum and can say they are the best ones I’ve used and will now stick with buying them. Overall, the results in our home test were close, with supermarket Aldi’s own brand coming out top on price.
- Pros: Excellent value, strong cleaning power, widely praised.
- Cons: Limited availability, less eco-friendly packaging.
10. Finish Powerball Deep Clean
The Finish Powerball Deep Clean is a surprisingly effective low-cost pod. It removed almost all dried-on food particles. We also have two individually wrapped products in the category, including the Ecover and the Finish Powerball Deep Clean tabs. The benefit of these is that you can’t ruin the entire package by grabbing one with a wet hand, but we also don’t think the significant amount of added waste is worth it.
- Pros: Budget-friendly, effective on dried-on food, individually wrapped.
- Cons: Excess packaging waste, less effective on eco cycles.
Shop Finish Powerball Deep Clean on Amazon
Comparison Table of Top Dishwasher Tablets
| Product | Price per Load | Key Features | Eco-Friendly | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade Platinum Plus ActionPacs | $0.31 | Built-in rinse aid, grease-fighting | No | Heavy-duty cleaning |
| Finish Quantum Infinity Shine | $0.25 | Three-chamber, streak-free | No | Glassware shine |
| Miele UltraTabs Multi | $0.58 | Multi-layer, dissolvable wrapper | Partial | Premium dishwashers |
| Amazon Basics Detergent Pacs | $0.15 | Prevents film, budget-friendly | No | Everyday use |
| Ecover Soap Tablets | $0.20 | Recyclable packaging, plant-based | Yes | Eco-conscious homes |
| Fairy Platinum All in One | $0.18 | Fast-dissolving, grease prevention | Partial | Tough stains |
| Blueland Dishwasher Tablets | $0.35 | Shiny results, extra tablets | Yes | Premium eco cleaning |
| Seventh Generation Free & Clear | $0.22 | Hypoallergenic, septic-safe | Yes | Sensitive users |
| Aldi Magnum Tablets | $0.12 | Excellent value, strong cleaning | No | Budget shoppers |
| Finish Powerball Deep Clean | $0.14 | Low-cost, effective cleaning | No | Basic cleaning needs |
Testing Scenarios and Performance
Testing Methodology
For each dishwasher detergent we test in the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we apply our own recipe of a greasy spinach mix to 10-place settings of dinner plates, salad plates, bowls and 50 pieces of flatware. Ten glasses get microwaved with milk. Beaten egg yolk is brushed onto additional bowls and plates. Coffee cup rims are ¡°kissed¡± with lipstick and then filled with coffee that we allow to spill over onto the matching saucers. Serving platters get smeared with measured amounts of margarine. Each of these tests was also carried out in both a high-end and mid-range dishwasher to ensure consistency, meaning each dishwasher tablet is tested and scored over a minimum of six full cycles.
Real-World Performance
These tablets delivered an outstanding clean on test, scoring particularly well on our intensive and eco cycles – our Pyrex dish was spotless – only dropping a few marks for some wet spoons and some tiny specks of burnt-on pasta sauce. Our glasses were left slightly cloudy on the standard cycle and one or two still had a tiny amount of tomato juice residue on the inside on close examination. This was a worst case scenario, though, and it was only on a few items out of the whole load – overall, these tablets produced the cleanest results of all tested and our plates sparkled after washing.
Buying Guide for Dishwasher Tablets
Key Considerations
- Cleaning Power: The best dishwasher tablets will shift even the toughest food and drink stains from your dishes, keeping them clear, water mark-free and shiny – even after multiple washes.
- Eco-Friendliness: Boasting vegan-friendly Leaping Bunny certification and 100-percent plastic-free packaging, these dishwasher tablets are an ideal choice if you’re looking for a more environmentally friendly way to clean the dishes.
- Cost per Load: As the priciest product on test (33p per tablet), we expected a brilliant clean and shine from these – and they delivered!
- Hard Water Compatibility: If you live in an area with especially hard water, adding extra salt will help avoid limescale build-up. You may also find your glasses dry faster if you add rinse-aid.
How to Use Dishwasher Tablets Effectively
- Stick the pod in the dispenser, not your cutlery bin or the bottom of the dishwasher. Why? When it’s outside of the dispenser, it dissolves during the prewash, so you may not have enough detergent to properly clean your dishes.
- Don’t overcrowd your washer. Dishes and cutlery that’s nestled too closely = areas where the dishwasher’s spray can’t reach effectively.
- Scrape off all leftover food as you load your dishwasher and correctly place dishwasher tablets in the dispenser – not loose in the machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to pre-rinse dishes before using these tablets?
Most top-tier tablets, like Cascade Platinum Plus and Finish Quantum, are designed to handle stuck-on food without pre-rinsing. However, scraping off large food particles improves results and prevents dishwasher clogs.
Are eco-friendly tablets as effective as regular ones?
Yes, brands like Ecover and Seventh Generation offer strong cleaning power while being biodegradable and plant-based. They may struggle with burnt-on stains but excel in everyday cleaning.
Can I use these tablets in hard water areas?
Tablets like Fairy Platinum and Cascade Free & Clear are formulated for hard water, reducing spots and film. Adding dishwasher salt and rinse aid can further enhance performance.
How often should I clean my dishwasher?
Clean your dishwasher every 2-4 months using a dedicated cleaner like Cascade Platinum Dishwasher Cleaner to remove grease and limescale, ensuring optimal tablet performance.
Conclusion
Choosing the right dishwasher tablet depends on your priorities-whether it’s sparkling glassware, eco-friendliness, or budget value. Cascade Platinum Plus ActionPacs lead for heavy-duty cleaning, while Ecover and Seventh Generation cater to eco-conscious households. Use our comparison table and buying guide to find the perfect fit for your kitchen, and enjoy spotless dishes with every load. For more kitchen appliance insights, check out Good Housekeeping’s Dishwasher Reviews.