Cochrane's dishwasher was designed with racks specifically fitted to hold plates, cups, and saucers. These racks were placed inside a wheel that laid flat inside a copper boiler.

The core innovation was the use of water pressure. Water was sprayed onto the dishes from the boiler, cleaning them efficiently. This method was less prone to breakage than hand-washing.

The early models of Cochrane's dishwasher were hand-powered. This meant they required manual operation to spray the water, requiring more physical labor than later automated designs.

Although limited information exists on specific incremental improvements made by Cochrane, the evolution from hand-powered to potentially incorporating early electric motors set the stage for future designs.