How the numbers work
Dishwasher, money only. An ENERGY STAR standard dishwasher uses at most 240 kWh a year over 215 cycles — about 1.12 kWh a load — and at most 3.0 gallons. At the US residential average of 18.31¢ per kWh (EIA, July 2026), plus ≈ $0.008 a gallon for water and sewer (estimate) and ≈ 27¢ for a detergent pod, a load costs about $0.50. Across ≈ 12 place settings (estimate) that is about 4¢ a setting.
By hand, money only. ENERGY STAR puts a certified dishwasher's running cost at about $50 a year and says it saves $220 a year versus washing by hand. Spread over 215 loads, hand-washing costs about $1.26 a load — about 10.5¢ a setting.
Counting your time. Loading and unloading a dishwasher takes ≈ 15 minutes (estimate). ENERGY STAR says hand-washing takes over 230 extra hours a year — about 64 minutes per load. Valued at the US median wage of $24.51 an hour (BLS, May 2025), a dishwasher load costs about $6.63 and a hand-washed load about $27.40: 55¢ and $2.28 a place setting.
Time. A 2021 Kelton survey for Birds Eye found Americans spend about 25 minutes a day at the sink — about 152 hours a year. The BLS American Time Use Survey records 0.71 hours a day on food preparation and cleanup combined.
In a restaurant
A dish machine operator earns a median $16.73 an hour (BLS). At ≈ 40 racks an hour plus ≈ $0.10 of utilities and chemicals per rack, a rack costs about $0.52 — about 3¢ a piece or 13¢ a diner at five pieces each (estimates). That excludes payroll burden, machine leases and breakage, so the real cost is higher. Put in your own numbers on the ASH for Business calculator.
Where ASH fits
In money alone, washing is cheaper than any disposable plate, and we won't pretend otherwise. ASH is for the meals where your time is worth more than the washing-up. An ASH dinner plate costs from $0.73, and a full place setting (dinner plate, side plate, bowl and cutlery) from $2.51. You have better things to do.