I'm really enjoying our new dishwasher. (And lest you snicker, know that I do more than my fair share of dishes around here.) The coolest feature is the delay button, which automatically starts the dishwasher in two, four, or six hours. Maybe this feature has been standard on dishwashers for years, but I've never had it.

Why is this feature cool? Well, the salesman said that the primary benefit is for areas where electricity is cheaper in the middle of the night, so people could delay the dishwashing until then. Our electricity costs the same all day, but it's still a cool feature. For one thing, even though it is a much quieter dishwasher than our old one, it's still nice to delay the noise until after we've gone to bed. My favorite part, however, is the fact that I can set the dishwasher when I'm done with the dishes, and if I inadvertently missed any dishes – a pot on the stove, perhaps, or a glass in the family room – I can add it without stopping the process.

(Hey, this is my blog, so I can talk about whatever I want!)