Consumer Critique: Cascade Complete and Electrasol

As a blogger, I occasionally get requests to try a variety of products, and then write a review about them. I recently received a pair of dishwasher detergents to try: Cascade Complete and Electrasol

I always preferred Cascade to other detergents growing up, and this time was no exception. Both detergents claim to require no pre-rinsing, and both claim to be recommended by various sources and manufacturers. I prefer the scent of Cascade, as well as the thicker consistency.

However, both products do the job well. We have hard water, but even with the normal amount recommended dishes come clean. I hate the idea of pre-rinsing - I always was annoyed when my dad would rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher - and both work well. For stuck-on food that was left out overnight, Cascade performs slightly better, although neither one was perfect for dishes that had been sitting out for a while with crusted food (I had to be lazy to perform an accurate test).

For my money, I still think generics do fine for the average dishwashing, particularly if you are taking care of dishes regularly and have enough to make it worth washing each day. But if you don't run the dishwasher every day and tend to have harder-to-clean dishes, then Cascade will be the better choice.

Now it's your turn - what products would you like to see evaluated? What would you like me to try, so that you don't have to?