I use the just-soiled dinner napkins to wipe the leftover food off a plate directly into the trash. No rinsing required and the dishes come out clean. I never do pots and pans in the dishwasher.
As for purchasing a dishwasher, the last one I bought was a scratch and dent from Sears. It was very attractively priced, not a lot of features, but does clean the dishes. If I were looking for one now, I'd do some research online, look at reviews and so on, and then pick the least expensive dishwasher that meets my needs and has good reviews.