Whilst most people tend not to have a strong preference over what brand their kitchen cabinets are, the same often isn't true for integrated appliances. Whether it's a Miele oven or a Smeg fridge freezer using non IKEA appliances in an IKEA kitchen is fairly common practice.
Most built in appliances are made to standard sizes so will generally fit into the IKEA base cabinets without any problems but it's always worth double checking that the dimensions of your preferred appliance match those of the standard IKEA appliances.
Dishwashers, however, pose a unique challenge which needs to be considered. The Metod cabinets have a smaller plinth height than standard UK kitchens and in turn a taller standard door. This increased door height results in the bottom of the door often catching on the base of the appliances when the door is opened as shown below
There are two ways this issue can be resolved. The simplest is to lower the appliance to sit on the floor rather than being raised flush with the bottom of the worktop. This leaves a gap between the top of the dishwasher and the bottom of the worktop which can be filled with a matching plinth as shown below
The second approach is a sliding door mechanism which IKEA brand dishwashers come pre-fitted with. IKEA sell the BEHJÄLPLIG hinge and there is an alternative produced by a company called adapt-r which looks considerable more durable than IKEA's offering, however, it does come with a higher price tag - as of writing we are yet to physically test the adapt-r bracket so cannot verify it's suitability. This device slides the door away from the appliance as it's opened ensuring it doesn't catch on the base of the dishwasher.
The lowering solution is tried and tested with many Plykea kitchens featuring non-IKEA integrated dishwashers. If you have any further questions feel free to send us a message 👍
Please check the door weight limit for your chosen dishwasher. A Plykea door is approximately 6.8kg and Ikea doors are approximately 7kg. A weight limit of 3 - 10kg is standard but there are some non-IKEA models with a much lower limit.
If you are adding a sliding hinge, this weighs approximately 2.8kg and will add to the overall weight of the door.
If you're planning to use a non-IKEA dishwasher and you're fitting your carcasses prior to receiving our fronts we strongly recommend fitting a dummy door 597x797mm to the appliance to check that the bottom will not hit the plinth. It is possible that this particular door may dictate the height of the base units overall, so don't leave it until last!
As a side note... IKEA dishwashers are actually made by Whirlpool who produce many different white goods brands. They also have the added bonus of a whopping 5 year warranty which is considerably more than the standard 12 months that most retailers must offer under the consumer rights act, however, we are in no way trying promote or sway opinion as we have no user experience of the IKEA brand dishwashers, just keeping you informed.