Measuring the niche dimensions of a built-in dishwasher: how do you do it?

The niche of a built-in dishwasher is the space in your kitchen into which the dishwasher is slid. This is usually under the worktop. The size of this space is called the niche dimension. The niche dimensions determine which built-in dishwasher fits your kitchen and what measures you may need to take to make it fit neatly after all, such as adding feet. You measure the niche dimensions of a built-in dishwasher by determining:

1. The niche height
2. The niche depth
3. The niche width

Measure the niche depth

The niche depth of your built-in dishwasher is the distance between the front and the back of the niche. Measure it as follows:

1. Place the tape measure against the back of the niche.
2. Keep the tape tight and level and measure to the front of the niche.
3. Add the niche depth to your notes alongside the niche height.

Measure the niche width

For most built-in dishwashers the niche width is 60 centimetres, although there are also 45-centimetre variants. Check the niche width for your built-in dishwasher as follows:

1. Stretch the tape measure from the left-hand side to the right-hand side of the niche.
2. Keep it tight and level.
3. Note the niche width.

To mount your built-in dishwasher to the kitchen front panel, you use a door system. There are 2 types: the door-on-door system and the sliding-door system. The door-on-door system fixes the panel directly to the dishwasher door. This system only fits if the plinth between the floor and the bottom of your dishwasher is higher than 9 centimetres. The sliding-door system works with a kind of rail, where the dishwasher door moves along when you open the cabinet panel. This system fits in every kitchen. Do you have an older built-in dishwasher? Then we strongly recommend buying a new dishwasher with the same system.

Built-in dishwasher in an IKEA kitchen: what should you watch out for?

IKEA kitchens have units with fixed dimensions. Always check carefully whether the dishwasher you have in mind will actually fit your IKEA kitchen. Do this by looking at the product drawing of, for example, the Siemens built-in dishwasher or Miele built-in dishwasher, and by carefully measuring your IKEA kitchen. Only fully integrated dishwashers fit in an IKEA kitchen. With these dishwashers, the control panel is on the inside.