I recently received money off coupon through the post for a new type of dishwasher detergent made by Finish. As the coupon was for £3 I thought I would check the product out, so the next time I was shopping in my local Tesco I made the effort to browse the dishwasher detergent section in search of this new kid on the block. The product I was being enticed to buy was the Quantumatic starter kit. The product was on an introductory offer and with my coupon I only had to pay £1 to be the new proud owner of a kit- I needed no further persuasion!

What you get for your money.
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I usually buy whatever dishwasher detergent is on offer, stocking up when the offer is especially good. Quantumatic is a totally different idea to the usual detergent that you add to your dispenser. Quantumatic is basically an automatic dispenser system that works using hot water.

The system comes in a plastic bubble pack and contains an empty plastic container that is about the size of a large mug. Also in the starter pack is a refill pack containing enough detergent for 12 washes. When I initially bought the starter pack I thought that the canister also contained detergent. I was a bit disappointed to find you only get 12 washes worth of detergent with the pack.

There are full instructions for use printed on the pack; these are really easy to follow. Before fitting the dispenser you will need to twist off the blue plastic lid and insert the refill pack. This then clicks into place securely. The dispensing container then clips onto the top basket of your dishwasher using the metal clip at the side of the canister. It is important that the container is in an upright position otherwise the detergent will not be activated correctly. I found it really easy to fit the refill tube and clip the dispenser onto the basket.

Around the top of the dispenser are 12 numbers. As the dispenser is used it counts down backwards until it gets to 0, then it is time to replace the refill with a new one.

Finish Quantumatic is available in either original or lemon fragrence.

How does it work?
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The dispenser has a wax, heat activated motor. As hot water enters your dishwasher the motor is activated. The dispenser has detergent contained in 12 separate pockets and is designed to dispense the correct amount with each wash. It is important that the dispenser is positioned correctly in an upright position and that water can flow freely into the device. It can be used on a bottom basket but works best at the top of the dishwasher.

The dispenser is not designed to work on a rinse only or short cycle as this doesn't give enough time for it to work properly.

My experience.
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I have now used the system for 12 washes and have been impressed with the results. I have used it for both really greasy pans as well as everyday dishes and it copes equally well, leaving dishes and pans clean and shinny.

The canister is easy to fit and has dispensed the detergent without any problems. Finish say the canister is designed to last 4 years although it is too soon for me to verify this statement, however the canister seems robust and is made of heavy duty plastic.

The pros.
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Once the canister is in place you don't have to add detergent each time you load the dishwasher. The canister is designed to dispense the correct amount of detergent and leaves dishes and pans really clean with no residue. I also like the fact that my hands never have to come into contact with the detergent, although this is also the case for many dishwasher detergents on the market.

The cons.
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This is an expensive system. Although I was enticed to buy the starter pack at a very low price this has now risen to £9.99 in most supermarkets! The refill packs are expensive at around £7.99 for two refill packs, giving you 24 washes. At the moment you can buy a 60 pack of Finish all in 1 dishwasher tablets for £7! Once you have bought the starter pack you are limited to buying the Finish refill packs. I prefer to be able to buy whatever brand is on offer.

Although the canister is not huge, it does take up space in the dishwasher, leaving less room for dishes. However this is only a minor gripe!

The verdict.
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Overall I like my Quantumatic. It certainly cleans my dishes and pans well and gets rid of grease. I would have preferred it if it contained 24 washed so I didn't have to refill so often! However it is handy not having to add detergent with each wash.

It is a very expensive system when bought at full price and I'm not sure it is worth the extra cost. However if the refill packs were on special offer then I would definitely buy some and continue using my canister. Until then its back to whatever is on offer for me!