Most dishwashers heat their water, so customers will not need to tinker with specialized plumbing to install a new dishwasher. Dishwashers fill their basins with water and then heat that water with a heating element at the bottom of the machine, enabling them to clean dishes thoroughly.
Some people prefer to connect their dishwashers to the hot water tap to ensure that hot water cleans their dishes. However, unless they purchase a dishwasher for specialized plumbing, they do not need to worry. 
Most modern dishwashers can heat their own water
Most standard dishwashers include a heating mechanism that heats the water without drawing from their hot water line. Your hot water heater no longer has to do get the water temperature up to the high temps required for dishwashing.
If you have a more modern dishwasher, you can usually hook it up to the cold water supply instead of the hot water supply. Most modern dishwashers are generally able to warm water from the cold water line to a temperature suitable for washing dishes.
Dishwashers distribute hot water into even the most hard-to-reach places with a built-in mechanism that heats the water before a rinse cycle. Some dishwashers can heat the water up to as high as 150 degrees Farenheit!
Many people have experienced that feeling of reaching deep into a dishwasher to grab a fallen fork and accidentally touching a lava-hot metal coil at the bottom of their dishwasher. That coil is a heating element that heats the water so that dishes get clean (though it’s unpleasant to touch when a rinse cycle has just finished!).
Many dishwashers also have sensors that shut off the heating mechanism before the water gets too hot, protecting dishes from damage. Most manufacturers recommend that users double-check to ensure their dishes are dishwasher-safe before loading them despite these mechanisms. 
Dishwashers require hot water to effectively clean dishes
The dishwasher doesn’t just heat its water once - the process occurs several times throughout; cleaning, sanitizing, and finally rinsing the detergent off the dishes. Some dishwashers also come with a drying function, though not all.
Below are several high-quality dishwashers that heat their water and come with many other features!
GE is a recognizable name in appliance development in the United States. The company has been operating for 130 years and makes most of its products in the U.S.
Many GE dishwashers sanitize both what’s on the inside and what’s on the outside. Inside, GE dishwashers heat their water to thoroughly clean dishes - and on the outside, GE uses Microban Antimicrobial technology on the surfaces of its dishwashers to repel foul-smelling or dangerous bacteria.
GE UltraFresh System Microban Technology Dishwasher
GE dishwashers also feature food disposal systems that work on leftover food, including a steam feature that breaks up hard food particles before the full rinse cycle begins. This saves precious time, so users don’t have to pre-rinse their dishes before loading them in the dishwasher.
Miele is a high-quality appliance-maker that produces dishwashers, vacuums, and other cleaning products.
Many Miele brand dishwashers are also compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and have a wide variety of versatile, adjustable features to customize for any user’s preferences. One such feature is the accessible dishwasher door handle, making it easy to open and close the dishwasher for all users.
A Miele also sports a Saniwash setting that distributes high heat water for deep cleaning and sanitizing. Their products also won a “Most Efficient” rating from Energy Star and a Level Three Virus Hygiene from the Institute for Integrative Hygiene and Virology.
A Miele dishwasher may also come with auto-open features so dishes can dry quicker and don’t sit in their own steam and moisture. This is especially helpful if you aren’t able to unload your dishwasher after the cycle is complete, as it keeps odors away.
Bosch is a dependable appliance manufacturing company from Germany that has been in engineering and manufacturing since 1886. Bosch has an entire wing of production dedicated to heat water products, so it’s unsurprising to learn that their dishwashers heat water without plumbing help!
Bosch dishwashers are known for being quiet, utilizing insulation and two small motors (rather than one large one) to dampen sound. A Bosch dishwasher also comes backed with Energy Star ratings, so customers know their choice is energy efficient and sustainable.
Bosch kitchen products won an award from the Lifestory Research firm, which crowned the company as “America’s Most Trusted Kitchen Brand” from 2019 to 2022.
Whirlpool appliances come with several offers that make their products accessible. Customers who purchase Whirlpool dishwashers can take advantage of free returns, free delivery (on orders above $400), and financing for higher-cost products.
What’s more, Whirlpool’s dishwashers are equipped with a few temperature options so users can customize them to their preferred water heat level; for example, most high-temperature settings are perfect for baby bottles that need frequent sterilization.
The Heavy-Duty Whirlpool dishwasher comes with a 1-hour wash cycle setting for speedy dishwashing, and almost all of their dishwashers have soil sensors to target particularly dirty dishes.
Maytag is an established company producing kitchen appliances for over 100 years. Their products are widely available at most appliance distributors, and they feature powerful jet water streams that allow users to skip pre-washing or rinsing dishes.
Maytag heats its water with the PowerBlast system, which combines high-heat water with steam to clean and scrub dishes with even tough and gritty food particles. This works even for hefty loads, which increases efficiency and keeps users from running multiple cycles.
When dishes are cleaned, Maytag also uses high-heat to dry them, raising the temperature within the drained dishwasher to heat-dry the wet dishes.
Samsung does not just make phones; the South Korea-based company also makes appliances for every room in the house. J.D. Power ranked Samsung dishwashers as number 1 in customer satisfaction, and they come in many colors to match every kitchen.
Samsung dishwashers utilized StormWash branded technology to clean dishes. After the water is heated with the mechanism at the bottom of the machine, the water is pumped through rotating nozzles that blast dishes with hot water.
Samsung dishwashers also have a variety of advanced features, like WiFi connectivity. Owners can control their dishwasher settings from their phones. Even better, Samsung dishwashers are quiet, and most clock in below 50 decibels.
Customers shouldn’t fear complicated hook-ups with new dishwashers. If they take advantage of any in-store or company installation offers, they will complete their new kitchen with skilled hands. Even more comforting, because almost all dishwashers are built to heat water on their own, there’s no particular need to hook them to a hot water line.
If you’re looking to buy a dishwasher and don’t have a hot water line, look for a dishwasher that heats its own water
With that in mind, identifying the right dishwasher is a matter of preference, need, and function. Customers who use dishwashers frequently will want to opt for machines like Bosch or Maytag. Their parent companies have many decades of experience creating appliances that effectively clean and sanitize their dishes.
Meanwhile, if customers need dishwashers with many settings for many different uses, buying a dishwasher from Samsung or GE will serve their needs.
For most products, heating the water is never in question. Dishwashers are built to heat their water with a coil or mechanism at the bottom of the machine. When water fills the basin at the bottom, the mechanism heats it. Once hot, it's sprayed and distributed throughout the dishwasher.
