Why are dishwashers and ovens rarely seen in kitchens in Taiwan? 為何台灣的廚房很少見洗碗機和烤箱？

In most medium- and small-sized homes in Taipei, built-in dishwashers and ovens are uncommon. The reasons are as follows:

Dishwashers

Most Taiwanese people are used to washing dishes by hand. Although dishwashers are available for sale in appliance stores and online shopping sites throughout Taiwan, their adoption rate remains low.
According to the website of BSH Bosch Group, a well-known international dishwasher brand, fewer than 5% of Taiwanese households use a dishwasher — far below the 68% or higher adoption rate in the United States.

Most Taiwanese people think that dishwashers:

• “Waste water and electricity”
• “Don’t clean thoroughly”
• “Are troublesome because dishes must be rinsed beforehand”
• “Are expensive”
• “Take up too much kitchen space”
• “Require special detergent different from dishwashing liquid”
• “Unlike laundry, washing dishes by hand isn’t that troublesome or time-consuming, so a dishwasher isn’t really necessary”

Ovens

1. Space limitations:
   Most apartments in Taiwan have limited kitchen space—often just enough for a double-burner stove and a refrigerator. Large ovens take up too much room and are difficult to install.
2. Culinary culture differences:
   Traditional Chinese cooking focuses on stir-frying, boiling, steaming, and stewing, so ovens are not essential. Baked foods such as roasted chicken, cakes, cookies, baked pasta, and gratins are not common dishes on everyday family dining tables
3. Climate factors:
   Taiwan’s humid and hot climate makes kitchens uncomfortably warm when using an oven, which reduces people’s willingness to use one.
4. Electrical limitations and installation requirements:
   Installing a built-in oven often requires modifying existing cabinets and upgrading to a 220V electrical outlet.
5. Use of substitutes:
   For occasional baking needs, people usually choose smaller appliances such as toaster ovens, air fryers, or microwave ovens with baking functions instead of a large built-in oven.

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台北市的中及小型住家廚房，固定式的洗碗機及烤箱都不多，因為：

洗碗機

大部份台灣人習慣自己動手洗碗盤，雖然全台灣家電賣場及購物網站上都有銷售洗碗機，但普及率並不高。根據知名外國洗碗機品牌BSH Bosch Group網站，只有百分之五不到的台灣家庭有使用洗碗機。遠底於美國的洗碗機普及率68%或更高（諸家統計數字皆不同）

大多數台灣人覺得洗碗機：

「浪費水也浪費電」

「洗不乾淨」

「事先還要先沖洗很麻煩」

「洗碗機很貴」

「廚房空間太小」

「洗潔劑要另外買，和洗碗清潔劑不同」

「洗衣服很麻煩又很花時間，所以要買洗衣機，洗碗並不麻煩又不大花時間」。

烤箱

1. 空間限制
   台灣多數公寓或大樓，廚房空間有限，許多只夠放基本的雙口爐具、冰箱。大烤箱體積較大，難以安裝。
2. 飲食文化差異
   傳統台灣料理以炒、煮、蒸、燉為主，對烤箱的依賴不高。烘焙類食物（如烤雞、蛋糕、餅乾、焗麵、焗飯）並不是日常家庭餐桌的主要角色。
3. 氣候因素
   台灣屬於潮濕炎熱氣候，在悶熱的廚房使用會容易使室溫升高，使用意願降低。
4. 電力限制與用電習慣
   如需新購買大型固定烤箱，需改裝現有廚櫃及220V電路配置。
5. 使用替代品
   若偶爾需要烘烤功能，會選擇小烤箱、氣炸鍋、微波爐帶烘烤功能等多功能家電來取代大型烤箱。

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