
Trying to cook or clean up in a small, cramped kitchen can be really frustrating. And there’s certainly no extra room for an unnecessary appliance, no matter how helpful it might be—until now.
The new Heatworks Tetra Countertop Dishwasher allows even those who live in the smallest studio apartments to have a dishwasher. Unlike other countertop models, though, the Tetra is completely self-contained.
Available for preorder now on the Heatworks website, the Tetra retails for $399 with preordered models shipping on May 18, 2022, which is No Dirty Dishes Day. For those looking to save space and cut down on handwashing, it certainly seems worth the investment.
Instead of connecting to your plumbing, Tetra has a water tank in its base you just empty after each use. To use the machine, you add three liters of water, load the unit, and then run one of the cleaning cycles.
Then, just remove the tank, empty the contents, and you’re done.

As the machine is small, though, it does have a few limitations when it comes to what it can wash. However, plastics and fragile items, including baby bottles and wine glasses, as well as standard tableware, can all be cleaned in the countertop washer.
This is, in part, thanks to the Detergent Cartridge System, which works similarly to a printer cartridge. It customizes the detergent formula for each wash. The cartridges last 20 washes, and the accompanying app will remind you to replace them when there are only five left.
The Tetra is also sustainable. The machine cleans 50% more dishes with 40% less water than your average dishwasher, and it does so in 55% less time. It also improves sustainability when compared with handwashing. Using the Tetra once a day instead of handwashing saves 15,000 liters of water per year.
For those who live in small spaces, tiny homes, or just love camping, this unique gadget might be perfect.