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The Dapple Baby Fragrance Free Dishwasher Pacs is a specialty pod specifically designed to clean baby products. The formula claims not to contain any parabens, phthalates, synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrances, or chlorine. The low-odor tabs are also nice if you are sensitive to fragrances. Even for food debris for our adult dishes, it offered above-average cleaning power, and the dissolvable pod wrapper is a plus as well, so there are no small pieces of plastic to contend with. 
One drawback is the moderate amount of film left behind on glassware, which of course, is not what we would have expected or hoped for. However, for those who need cleaning power but are concerned with the ingredients found in other top-tier pods, this product is worth the investment.  

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Best Dishwasher Pods of 2022

Consumer Reports

CR’s take: In addition to Cascade, Finish is the other major dishwasher detergent brand in the U.S., and Powerball Quantum is its top-performing formula, according to our tests. It’s also the only Finish formulation that earns our recommended status. Like many single-dose packs, it earns an Excellent overall rating, mainly on the strength of its cleaning performance.

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CR’s take: Costco members could consider the Kirkland Signature Platinum Performance UltraShine pacs. The formula earns Excellent ratings on our food-removal and film-resistance tests, and costs just 9 cents per dose—earning our CR Best Buy status for high performance at a low price. It also clearly outperformed the other Costco store-brand packs, Kirkland Signature Premium.

CR’s take: Our top-rated gel detergent is also the lowest-priced dishwasher detergent we’ve tested overall. Great Value Dishwasher Gel (from Walmart’s store brand) earns a Very Good rating overall and costs just 5 cents per dose. It didn’t remove food quite as well as the Cascade with Dawn gel we highlight above, but it’s an all-around solid performer. Again, gels generally don’t clean as well as packs, but this Great Value formula actually outscores some of the single-dose pacs we’ve tested.

The Cascade Platinum Plus Actionpacs excels at removing grease from dirty dishes. In our testing, it not only whisked away food particles effectively but left the dishes spot-free with almost no detergent residue. The three liquids included in the pod complement each other, contributing a degreaser, water softener, and rinse aid, all in addition to the powder detergent. The phosphate-free formula claims to work with both hard and soft water. These pods come in a dissolvable pack, so there is no unwrapping involved.
The primary drawback is that these brand-name pods tend to be significantly more expensive than generic products. They leave dishes cleaner than average, but whether the premium is worth the performance is debatable. We also took note of the strength of the fragrance of this pod. For us, it only lingered as long as it took to open the container, remove a pod and insert it into the dishwasher, but if you are sensitive to strong smells, you may want to consider a fragrance-free option. However, if your goal is clean, spot-free, and residue-free dishes, this is the pod for you. 

CR’s take: If you prefer your detergents without heavy perfumes or dyes, consider the Cascade Free & Clear ActionPacs, which is the top-performing formula of that ilk, according to our tests. On all counts, it scores nearly as well as the regular ActionPacs with Dawn that we highlighted above and also earns our recommended status. However, it does cost much more per dose and is one of the pricier dishwasher detergents we tested.

CR’s take:  Cascade is one of the two best-selling brands of dishwasher detergent in the U.S., which is why you’ll see 10 of its formulas in our ratings. The brand’s top-performing recipe is ActionPacs with Dawn, a bleach-free detergent that earns our recommended status, thanks to Excellent ratings on our cleaning test as well as our test to measure residue and discoloration. (These packs aren’t to be confused with the Cascade Complete ActionPacs with Dawn, or the Cascade Platinum ActionPacs with Dawn, which also perform well but cost a few cents more per dose.)

CR’s take: Cascade is one of the two best-selling brands of dishwasher detergent in the U.S., which is why you’ll see 10 of its formulas in our ratings. The brand’s top-performing recipe is ActionPacs with Dawn, a bleach-free detergent that earns our recommended status, thanks to Excellent ratings on our cleaning test as well as our test to measure residue and discoloration. (These packs aren’t to be confused with the Cascade Complete ActionPacs with Dawn, or the Cascade Platinum ActionPacs with Dawn, which also perform well but cost a few cents more per dose.)

CR’s take:  Member’s Mark Ultimate Clean Dishwasher Pacs is a CR Best Buy, earning the highest score of any dishwasher detergent we’ve tested. And it costs just 10 cents per dose, less than half of most major-brand pacs—though it’s a Sam’s Club store brand, so you’ll get that low price only if you’re a warehouse member. But the results were fantastic, and this formula even resists water spots better than many other high-end packs do.
Correction: This article has been updated to clarify the source of hard water and the equipment CR uses in our dishwasher detergent testing.

CR’s take: Member’s Mark Ultimate Clean Dishwasher Pacs is a CR Best Buy, earning the highest score of any dishwasher detergent we’ve tested. And it costs just 10 cents per dose, less than half of most major-brand pacs—though it’s a Sam’s Club store brand, so you’ll get that low price only if you’re a warehouse member. But the results were fantastic, and this formula even resists water spots better than many other high-end packs do.Correction: This article has been updated to clarify the source of hard water and the equipment CR uses in our dishwasher detergent testing.

Dishwasher Detergent Comparison