Dishwasher Meta: Rinse Aid vs. Heated Dry

I’ve always been the guy who obsesses over utility bills — and I’m embracing it. So when a friend mentioned they use the heated‑dry setting instead of rinse aid, I hooked an energy monitor to our old GE Profile dishwasher to see if the idea held water (pun intended). After a bunch of loads and Ontario‑rate math, the choice between rinse aid and heated dry is closer than you’d think.

How I Tested This (The Setup)

Our dishwasher is a basic ~2009 GE Profile, I have it on its own breaker with a energy monitor to track every kWh.

It’s Closer Than You Think

A normal cycle (no heated dry) uses about 0.5 kWh per load, swinging ±0.2 kWh depending on inlet water temperature (recently warmed pipes help). Turn on heated dry and it jumps to a steady ~1.0 kWh, adding ~38 minutes every time (a 76‑minute “normal” stretches to 114 minutes, even if soil‑sensing changes the base time).
Rinse aid: Costco bottle at $11.99 + tax → ~374 loads → about $0.035 per load.

Heated dry adds 0.5 kWh. Rinse aid costs $0.035 and adds no time. Break‑even is simple: $0.035 ÷ 0.5 kWh = $0.07/kWh. Below 7¢/kWh, heated dry edges out; above it, rinse aid wins.

• Tiered (9.3¢/kWh): heated‑dry delta $0.0465 vs rinse aid $0.035 → rinse aid wins by ~1.2¢/load. At 150 loads: ~$1.80/year.
• TOU:
  • Off‑peak 8.7¢ → heated‑dry $0.0435 → rinse aid wins by ~0.9¢/load (~$1.35/yr).
  • Mid‑peak 12.2¢ → rinse aid wins by ~2.6¢/load (~$3.90/yr).
  • On‑peak 18.2¢ → rinse aid wins by ~5.6¢/load (~$8.40/yr).
• ULO:
  • Overnight 2.8¢ → heated‑dry $0.014 → cheaper than rinse aid by ~2.1¢/load (~$3.15/yr).

Bottom line: Under tiered or typical TOU, rinse aid wins by a buck or two per year. On ULO overnight, heated dry can be slightly cheaper. But chasing pennies matters less than the real‑world trade‑offs.

How They Actually Dry

Rinse aid lowers surface tension so water rolls off instead of beading. On glass, ceramic, and stainless you’ll usually get spotless results, and it’s gentler — no thermal stress that can warp thin plastics or fade decals. The downside is concave plastics (bowls, lids, cups) can trap droplets. If your loads are plastic‑heavy, try nudging the dispenser up a notch.

Heated dry adds 38 minutes in my tests and delivers more consistent “cabinet‑dry” results — great for mixed loads or when you need dishes immediately. The trade‑offs are the 0.5 kWh bump and more wear on delicate plastics over time.

Making It Work for You

Knowledge is power, I don't hope to change your life with this article but knowing the pros and cons of these 2 options might save you some time, hassle, and maybe even a few dollars. In summary:

• If you’re awake when the cycle ends, cracking the door accelerates air‑drying for free
• On ULO, heated dry is the low‑effort, cheap, and set‑it‑forget‑it.
• On tiered or TOU during the day, rinse aid is usually cheaper and kinder to plastics.