Ina Garten sparks debate with photo of knives in her dishwasher

Celebrity chef says she puts ‘everything’ in the dishwasher

Ina Garten sparks debate with dishwasher photo (Getty/Instagram)

Ina Garten has sparked a debate on social media after sharing a photo of kitchenware and utensils in her half-empty dishwasher.

This week, the Barefoot Contessa star uploaded a photo of clean dishes in her dishwasher to Instagram, where she wrote: “If you’re not sick of unloading the dishwasher, could you please come unload mine??”

While the message resonated with some of her more than 2.8m Instagram followers, it was what Garten had loaded into her dishwasher that captured the most attention, with many comments accusing the chef of breaking dishwasher etiquette by using the appliance to wash knives and a spatula with a wooden handle among plates and other dishes.

“Oooo. Knives in the dishwasher! Doesn’t damage them?” one person commented, prompting the 72-year-old to respond: “I do it many times a day and some of them are 40 years old!”

In response to another follower’s inquiry about Garten’s stance on All Clad cookware in the dishwasher, the cookbook author said she puts “everything” in the appliance.

“EVERYTHING goes in the dishwasher!!” she said, adding: “My assistant used to put the bird cage in the dishwasher (she took the bird out first).”

However, Garten did acknowledge that there is one exception - cast iron pans, which should be washed by hand.

The Food Network star’s advice was met with shock and gratitude from many of her followers, who said they too would be putting knives in the dishwasher.

“If Ina Garten puts her knives and spatulas in the dishwasher, then I can put my knives and spatulas in the dishwasher!” one person commented.

Another said: “You’ve just saved me years of relationship counselling.”

Garten’s guidance comes after Lucinda Ottusch, dishwasher expert at Whirlpool Corporation’s Institute of Home Sciences, told Today in 2017 that there are numerous things one should not wash in the dishwasher, including sharp knives, nonstick pots and pans, antiques and other delicate items and aluminum cookware.

As for Garten’s thoughts on running a half-empty dishwasher, the chef explained to one of her followers that she’s been known to run the dishwasher, then put more dishes in with the clean ones, and just run it again.”