Need help replacing a Zanussi DS 21 TCR

I’ve just started to research a replacement for our aging, and now dead, DS 21 TCR.

This is a slimline, free standing dishwasher approx 12 or 13 years old, and has been providing good service, subject to unclogging the siphons every now and again.

My problems stem from not being able to get at all dimensions for any given dishwasher. Sure you get the width, height, depth, and even these aren’t that accurate, often forgetting that switch gear or bulging mouldings for the front door add another couple of centimetres to those quoted. The real problem is the height between the underside of the top spray arm and the bottom plate rack when the upper basket is in it’s lowest position. Then finally what height can be accommodated in the upper basket.

I’m not about to go and replace all our crockery, because the gap isn’t big enough.

I’ve measured a few free standing units in the various high street shops, and this varies between 23 and 31 centimetres. We need a minimum of 25 cm gap between the underside of the spray arm and the bottom basket, plus a 25 cm gap between the upper basket and the roof of the dishwasher. How do we go about getting this information?

Lastly, in the years we’ve used our dishwasher it appears that the design gurus have been and mucked about with what now gets placed inside the washing cabinet. Namely the plumbing for the upper basket.

Our DS 21 TCR has a smooth back panel which means we can place baking sheets, or large glass chopping boards in the bottom basket and have them sandwiched against the back when you close the top basket. Having the plumbing inside prevents you from doing that which seems crazy to me.

Does anyone know a brand of dishwasher that still has a flat back wall to the cabinet with the water jet coming down through the roof of the cabinet?

Or, I’ve seen some dishwashers that have what I assume is a flat cutlery tray right up against the roof of the dishwasher. Could I also place baking sheets/chopping boards on that?

Oh, I should say that the space available to us for the replacement looks as though it’s only suitable for a semi/fully integrated machine. We could have gone for a free stander but whoever built the kitchen placed the hot & cold pipes half way up the wall just under the plug socket for the dishwasher 🙄 So that means we’ve lost 4 cm of the depth.

So external dimensions we can accommodate are:

w60 d57 h87 (including switch gear and door mouldings 😉 )

Any help greatly appreciated. We must have wasted about 5 hours dishwashing already this week 😯 and about the same walking round the shops.

Budget is £300 or less, and we want to use dishwasher tablets.

Thanks
Hyde.