Somat Gold Review: The Premium Dishwasher Tabs That Might Finally End Re?Washing Dishes
19.01.2026 - 08:41:10
You open the dishwasher expecting sparkling glasses and grease-free plates – and instead you get cloudy film, crusty lasagna remains, and that one fork that somehow looks dirtier than when it went in. So you do what millions of people do: you sigh, re-wash by hand, and quietly resent your dishwasher – and the detergent you trusted.
If this feels familiar, you're not alone. Modern dishwashers are better than ever, but they're also fussier: lower water temperatures, eco cycles, and hard water can turn a mediocre detergent into a daily annoyance. That's the gap a premium tab is supposed to fill – but not all of them live up to the price tag.
Enter Somat Gold, Henkel’s flagship dishwasher tab that promises powerful cleaning without pre-rinsing, even on burned-on and dried food. It’s marketed as a high-performance, all-in-one solution for people who want to load, start, and forget – no soaking, no scraping theatrics over the sink.
Meet Somat Gold: The "Load It and Forget It" Dishwasher Tab
Somat Gold is a premium multi-functional dishwasher detergent tab from Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, the German consumer goods giant (ISIN: DE0006048432). In Somat’s own line-up, Gold sits as the solution for households that regularly deal with tough, baked-on food, casseroles, and greasy pans – but don’t want to stand at the sink pre-rinsing every plate.
According to Henkel’s official product page, Somat Gold is designed to:
- Deliver strong cleaning performance without pre-rinsing (no pre-wash needed)
- Remove stubborn, baked-on and dried food residues
- Provide glass and silver protection
- Help prevent limescale buildup in the machine (when used regularly with appropriate water settings)
In most European markets, Somat Gold is sold as tablet-format detergent (often in a water-soluble wrapper) meant to be placed directly in the machine’s detergent compartment. The brand positions it against other premium names like Finish Quantum and Fairy Platinum.
Why this specific model?
On paper, lots of dishwasher detergents claim "powerful cleaning" and "shine". What makes Somat Gold stand out is the way Henkel has clearly optimized it for real-life laziness: you want to skip pre-rinsing, run eco or lower temperature cycles, and still unload clean dishes at the end.
From our research across user reviews and forum discussions, three core benefits appear again and again:
- Very strong performance on baked-on and dried food: Users consistently mention that Somat Gold handles tough residues in casseroles, oven dishes, and pans better than many standard tabs. Think dried pasta sauce, gratin, rice, and egg – the usual nightmare combo.
- Reliable results even without pre-rinsing: On Reddit and European appliance forums, many users admit they’ve become "lazy loaders" because Somat Gold performs well even when they skip rinsing. This is especially appreciated in families who run the dishwasher once a day or less, so food has time to dry on.
- Gentler on glass than cheaper tablets: Compared to hardcore budget detergents, Somat Gold is often praised for leaving fewer streaks and helping reduce glass cloudiness over time when water hardness is properly set on the dishwasher.
In other words, this isn't just a slightly stronger tablet – it’s optimized for the way people actually use dishwashers in 2026: heavily loaded, mixed dishes, lots of starch and protein, and eco-minded cycles.
At a Glance: The Facts
| Feature | User Benefit |
|---|---|
| Premium multi-functional dishwasher tab | One product covers everyday dishes, pots, and glasses without juggling separate detergents. |
| Designed for tough, baked-on and dried food residues | Better results on casseroles, gratins, and oven trays that usually require scrubbing or soaking. |
| Effective without pre-rinsing (per manufacturer) | Save time, water, and effort by loading dishes directly into the machine. |
| Glass and silver protection | Helps maintain shine and reduce the risk of damage and dullness when used correctly. |
| Compatible with standard household dishwashers | No special machine required; works in most modern dishwashers using the standard tablet compartment. |
| Developed by Henkel (Somat brand) | Backed by a major European cleaning brand with decades of experience in automatic dishwashing detergents. |
Note: Somat and Henkel do not publicly list every ingredient detail of Somat Gold on the main product page; for specific ingredient information, Henkel directs consumers to dedicated ingredient portals or safety data sheets by region. Always refer to the official manufacturer resources for up-to-date ingredient information and safety guidance.
What Users Are Saying
To understand how Somat Gold performs outside glossy marketing, we looked at recent user feedback from retailer sites and Reddit-style discussions in English and translated European forums. While specific experiences vary by water hardness and dishwasher model, a few themes are clear.
Common positives:
- Excellent cleaning on difficult loads: Users frequently report that dishes come out "noticeably cleaner" than with cheaper tabs, especially for heavy meals like lasagna, gratin, or baked pasta.
- Reduced need to pre-rinse: A recurring comment: "I stopped rinsing everything like crazy when I switched to Somat Gold." Many say they only scrape big chunks, then trust the tab.
- Good performance on eco programs: Some users point out that Somat Gold still provides credible results on eco or 50 °C cycles, where weaker detergents often struggle.
- Shinier glasses vs. budget detergents: Several reviewers mention fewer spots and a clearer look on glassware compared with supermarket own-brand tabs.
Common negatives:
- Higher price per wash: The most frequent complaint. Somat Gold clearly sits in the premium segment, and users notice the jump vs. private label or standard tabs.
- Results still depend on water hardness settings: In hard water regions, a few users report film or spots if their dishwasher’s salt and rinse aid levels aren’t correctly set. Somat Gold helps, but doesn’t magically override physics.
- Not equally available everywhere: In some non-European markets, Somat products are harder to find or limited to specialist or online retailers, which can mean less pricing competition.
Overall sentiment: users who were already willing to pay a little more for dishwashing tabs often feel Somat Gold justifies its price by cutting down on re-washing and saving time. For ultra price-sensitive shoppers, the value equation is more nuanced – but performance is rarely questioned.
Alternatives vs. Somat Gold
Automatic dishwasher detergents is one of the most competitive cleaning categories right now. If you’re comparing Somat Gold, you’re probably also looking at:
- Finish Quantum / Ultimate: Often the most direct competitor, especially in the US and UK. Finish is strong on marketing and widely available. In many user comparisons, Finish Quantum and Somat Gold are seen as roughly on par, with slight differences depending on water hardness and machine. Some users feel Finish has an edge on dried-on starch; others say Somat Gold wins on baked-on cheese and fat.
- Fairy Platinum (where available): Popular in parts of Europe. Fairy tabs are often praised for grease removal and fragrance, but some users mention Somat Gold doing slightly better on super heavy, oven-baked dishes.
- Supermarket private labels (tabs and powders): Private-label tabs are cheaper and can be decent for lightly soiled, daily loads. But when you move into "Sunday roast with baked-on everything" territory, many users say you feel the difference: more re-washing, weaker performance on burnt edges, and more spotting.
Where Somat Gold really carves out its niche is for people who:
- Want a "no drama" detergent that just works on almost anything they throw in
- Have a family kitchen with heavy cooking – trays, casseroles, oven dishes
- Run the dishwasher less than daily, so food has time to dry on
- Care more about performance and time saved than squeezing every cent out of the detergent budget
If you run minimal, lightly soiled loads or are extremely price-aware, a strong mid-range tab or a good private label might be enough. But if your dishwasher regularly sees baked-on cheese, crisped edges, and dried sauce, Somat Gold starts to make a lot of sense.
Final Verdict
Somat Gold doesn't reinvent dishwashing – it refines it for how you actually live. You cook, you bake, you overload the dishwasher, you sometimes forget to run it until the next morning. Instead of punishing you for that, this tab is built to handle it.
Backed by Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (ISIN: DE0006048432), Somat Gold stands out as a premium, high-reliability option in a crowded market of "good enough" detergents. It won’t be the cheapest choice on the shelf, and it still relies on basic setup – correct water hardness, salt, and rinse aid – but once those are in place, it can dramatically reduce the number of times you open the door and think, "Ugh, I’ll have to wash that again."
If you’re tired of babysitting your dishwasher, tired of pre-rinsing like it’s 1995, and tired of pulling cloudy glasses out of an expensive machine, Somat Gold is exactly the kind of "set-it-and-forget-it" upgrade that delivers real, everyday value. Not in flashy smart features or companion apps – but in the quiet satisfaction of unloading a machine full of dishes that are, finally, actually clean.
