Most people dislike hand-washing dishes, grasping for the will to take on overflowing sinkfuls of plates, glassware, and utensils day after day (after day). But if installing a full-size dishwasher or a portable dishwasher isn’t an option, you might find yourself eyeing a countertop dishwasher.Countertop dishwashers are about the size of a large bread maker and typically fit one or two place settings and a few other items; they’re ideal for RVs, cabins, boats, and smaller kitchens. Some require a hookup to a sink or a water inlet, while others have an internal water tank, which you have to refill with each cycle. Their squat size prevents them from accommodating plates bigger than 10 inches in diameter (without tilting), taller dishes and glasses, and standard-size pots or pans, which we recommend washing by hand anyway.I’ve tested a few countertop dishwashers, and most of them clean just fine. Their inherent limitations, however, make them hard to recommend.But recently I met a little dishwasher named Bob. This French import from the company Daan Tech became available in the US in the fall of 2024. The Bob Dishwasher has a stylish, fun design complete with a submarine-style porthole and customizable interior lighting, as well as a hefty price tag: At $700 at this writing, it costs about $300 more than most countertop dishwashers and about as much as our budget-pick full-size dishwasher. (As a new product, the Bob Dishwasher is susceptible to some hitches in the buying process; orders have to be fulfilled by pre-order, and we’ve noticed price fluctuations, including a brief period when it was an eye-popping $1,500.)Considering its price, it ought to rank at the top of its class. And judging by our testing so far, it does. The Bob (we’re on a first-name basis now that we’re more friendly) cleans well and has a number of useful features. The big question is whether you hate hand-washing dishes enough to spend top dollar for a potentially helpful appliance that has more than a few shortcomings.