Being a non-cook, I seldom have to wash a lot of dishes or pots and pans. According to this article, dishwashers are more environmentally-friendly as long as you only wash a full load and do not pre-rinse the dishes. Buy energy-efficient dishwashers, open the door after washing to dry the dishes and avoid heat-dry, rinse-hold and pre-rinse features. For smaller jobs, good old handwashing is sufficient.
