A dishwasher is one of the best investments you can make for your home. It not only saves you
the time and stress of washing dishes by hand — not to mention keeping your fingers from pruning up — but it also helps conserve energy and water, and it lowers your utility bill in the process. There are hundreds of options available, and sifting through them is about as difficult as tackling a pile of dirty dishes. Shop our picks for the best dishwashers, and discover exactly which model is best for you and your home.
1. BOSCH 300 SERIES SHEM63W55N DISHWASHER
Best Overall Dishwasher
Bosch-300-Series-SHEM63W55N
Pro: Has a unique "RackMatic System" for adjusting the racks and making room for a ton of dirty dishes
Con: We wish it dried plastic just a little faster
In short: The Bosch 300 Series is one of the most reliable dishwashers you can buy. It features an attractive stainless steel design, is extremely quiet, and is incredibly spacious thanks to its third rack.
If you're looking for the most bang for your buck, the Bosch 300 Series won't disappoint. Based on our extensive evaluation, Bosch is one of the most reliable brands of dishwashers. Yale Appliance found that only 9.6% of Bosch dishwashers sold throughout 2016 and 2017 needed service in the first year of ownership.
Not to mention that the 300 Series is one of the highest-rated dishwashers by users across Best Buy, Google Shopping, Home Depot, Lowes, and other major retailers. If something does go wrong, Bosch is known for its impressive customer service and great warranty — both labor and parts have a one-year warranty, the racks and electrical systems have a five-year warranty, and the tub and door liner are covered for life. Should you need support, you won't be left hanging.
The Bosch SHEM63W55N is well-designed, spacious, quiet, and energy-efficient, and it has plenty of cycles. If you have a big family or entertain often, you'll appreciate its convenient V-shaped third rack, which offers up to 30% more capacity than other dishwashers. Its middle rack also features a handy height-adjusting "RackMatic System," which quickly adjusts to three different sizes all in one easy step (you can even adjust it while everything is loaded!). It offers you up to nine rack positions, meaning you can make room for almost any and all dirty dishes, pots, pans, and more.
Because the dishwasher is so quiet (just 44 decibels), Bosch designed and added a nifty red light that beams onto the floor to let you know a cycle is in progress. The only critique we'd give Bosch is that it isn't the best at drying plastic; this is mainly because it uses condensation-drying instead of heat-drying. On the plus side, it's incredibly energy-efficient and uses just 2.9 gallons of water per load during its normal cycle (Energy Star recommends a 3.5-gallons-per-load usage).
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More: Top-Rated Bosch Dishwasher Reviews This Way!
2. KITCHENAID KDTE254ESS DISHWASHER
Best Dishwasher for Quiet Operation
KitchenAid-KDTE254ESS
Pro: Extremely quiet
Con: Has a manual filter, but this actually contributes to its quiet noise-level
In Short: The KitchenAid KDTE254ESS is a powerful, whisper-quiet dishwasher with a large interior that has room for 14 place settings. It features an attractive stainless steel design, three racks, and hidden controls.
There are several factors to consider when shopping for a new dishwasher: how many racks it has, its number of wash cycles, how many place settings it'll hold, and how quickly it runs, among others. However, some people consider the most important quality of a dishwasher to be its overall loudness. We've researched hundreds of dishwashers and determined that the KitchenAid KDTE254ESS is the best quiet dishwasher money can buy.
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This KitchenAid uses a filter rather than a food disposer to eliminate small particles, achieving a 39 decibel rating, making it much quieter than other models. For context, a whisper measures in at 15 decibels, an air conditioner is 60 decibels, and a lawn mower is about 90 decibels. It's also important to note that a dishwasher that's 4 decibels louder than another is twice as loud in comparison. So, the KitchenAid's 39-decibel rating is significantly quieter in comparison to the average 45 decibel reading of most other dishwashers. If you want to hear two dishwashers side-by-side, Yale Appliances mic'd up two dishwashers in the kitchen so you can compare their sound levels for yourself.
Basically, you'll only be able to hear the murmur of this KitchenAid dishwasher if you're standing directly next to it, making it perfect for open concept homes. This leaves you with no worry of loud whooshing rinse cycles to disrupt your movie night or next TV binge.
While the KDTE254ESS isn't actually the quietest dishwasher (the Samsung DW80M9960US is one decibel quieter), it holds up better than other 38-decibel models, and it's a greater value.
Besides being a stand-out quiet option, this pick has a third rack for long, flat items like spatulas, and it has a "ProScrub" feature that helps eliminate the need to soak or scrub your dishes, pots, or pans, thanks to 40 targeted spray jets that are powerful enough to remove the remains of baked-on food.
KitchenAid-KDTE254ESS-proscrub
It has a stainless steel interior and hidden controls so curious kids don't accidentally start a wash cycle, and there are two finishes to pick from: traditional stainless steel or black. Unfortunately, this dishwasher lacks a self-cleaning filter and doesn't dry as effectively as other dishwashers, but it's energy-efficient, and it's quite affordable considering its wide feature set.
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3. MAYTAG MDB4949SDZ DISHWASHER
Best Dishwasher for Those on a Budget
maytag-dishwasher
Pro: Attractive price and long warranty
Con: We wish it was a little quieter, but it still gets the job done
In Short: The Maytag MDB4949SDZ may not be the most powerful or feature-filled dishwasher, but it's a reliable and affordable pick that does its job well.
This dishwasher from Maytag is going to be your best bet if you're willing to put up with a noticeably louder 50-decibel cycle, sacrifice a third rack, and forfeit some more advanced features for a much more affordable price.
However, if you're willing to live with minor shortcomings, the MDB4949SDZ is an effective dishwasher that's easy to operate and costs less than $500. It features both a stainless steel interior and exterior, a hard-food disposer, and quick heated drying, and it washes up to 12 place settings. It isn't as powerful as other models, so it may leave a tiny bit of food behind. However, it's equipped with a soil sensor, which tells your dishwasher to shorten or extend the cycle based on how much gunk is floating in the water. You can expect about two hours per cycle, and there's even a light that displays the status of the cycle and a lock so children don't interrupt the washer.
Its nylon-coated racks should last for the life of your machine, and they're adjustable for cleaning tall items like pots, trays, and tall glasses. Some people may dislike the front-facing controls that are backed by a small sheet of plastic, which cheapens the dishwasher's overall aesthetic.
maytag-dishwasher
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Regardless, this Maytag is reliable and backed by a one-year warranty for parts and labor. Even better? There's an additional nine years of coverage for the grinder, tub, liner, and racks. It comes in three finishes — black, white, and stainless steel.
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4. LG LDT9965BD DISHWASHER
Best Dishwasher for a Black Finish
LG-LDT9965BD
Pro: Sleek design
Con: We wish the quick wash was faster, but it's worth waiting for
In Short: The LG LDT9965BD is an attractive and modern dishwasher that'll look great in any kitchen. Plus, it's quiet, powerful, and large enough to wash 15 place settings.
Black stainless steel makes this dishwasher almost completely fingerprint-proof, which keeps it looking sleek and smudge-free at all times. Thanks to the TrueStream Generator, you can minimize the need to pre-wash dishes, especially when there's baked-on gunk. We love the height-adjustable third rack that makes it a perfect fit for items like small espresso cups, long flatware, and oversized silverware. In total, it stores 15 place settings.
LG-LDT9965BD
Plus, at 42 decibels, LG's LoDecibel technology makes this dishwasher one of the quietest in its price range. It has four status indicators at its front with six cycle options, and all the buttons are hidden on the upper lip of the door, giving it an ultra modern look. Oddly enough, there isn't a start button, so cycles begin a couple of seconds after its door closes. Our biggest complaints are that the dishwasher doesn't dry dishes as well as others in the same price range, and its "quick and dry" setting isn't that quick – it takes an hour and 20 minutes compared to others' 30-minute quick wash modes. Overall, this LG provides outstanding cleaning performance and a sleek modern design, but it's not so great at drying.
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5. MIELE FUTURE LUMEN DISHWASHER G6875SCVISF
Best Dishwasher If Money Is No Object
miele-future-lumen
Pro: Reliable and will last for decades
Con: Expensive and sanitizing cycle not NSF-certified
In Short: If you want one of the nicest and most feature-filled dishwashers money can buy, you won't be disappointed with this one from Miele. It features an illuminated interior with room for 16 place settings, 12 wash cycles, and a downloadable app that lets you know the duration time and estimated finish time of your dishwasher.
Miele dishwashers are the longest-lasting dishwashers you can buy. The company claims its products will last for 20 years of average use. Yale Appliance data strengthens this claim, in finding that only 8.9% of Miele dishwashers sold throughout 2016 and 2017 needed service in the first year of ownership, making it the most reliable brand in their analysis.
Our colleagues over at Good Housekeeping performed an extensive review of Miele's Future Lumen dishwasher, calling it "stylish and beautiful," but more importantly, it's "a real workhorse when it comes to cleaning." They found during their Home Appliances and Cleaning Lab tests that it cut through baked-on grime like macaroni and cheese and burned-on hamburger with ease, leaving nothing behind.
You won't only be impressed by the dishwasher's performance, but its look and features as well. It has a logo-free stainless steel front, a hidden top-mounted control panel, and interior lights that shine right when you open the door. All racks are adjustable, so you can fit practically anything inside. For even more room, the dishwasher is equipped with a third rack that's ideal for stowing utensils and silverware. When the cycles are finished, the dishwasher door automatically opens partially to let moisture escape, which helps with drying and lets you know your dishes are clean. There's even a downloadable app for your smartphone, too. It's a pricey but reliable, quick, efficient, and stylish offering.
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6. DANBY DDW1801MWP DISHWASHER
Best Dishwasher for Convenient Portability
Danby-DDW1801MWP
Pro: Built-in soft-water system
Con: We wish it was a bit quieter, but it makes up for that in quality
In Short: The Danby DDW1801MWP offers plenty of room for all of your dirty dishes without taking up too much space, making it the ideal portable dishwasher for couples, apartment dwellers, or those who don't have the plumbing for a standard dishwasher.
If you're renting your place and your landlord won't pay to have a dishwasher installed or you don't have enough room for a full-sized dishwasher (or any way to pipe water to one), you should get a portable dishwasher. We recommend this 18-inch one from Danby. It may not be the best-looking or quietest — it reaches levels up to 55 decibels — but it's energy-efficient, has a stainless steel interior, and cleans thoroughly.
Danby-DDW1801MWP
However, make sure that your faucet has a threaded faucet spout. Faucets that have built-in sprayers aren't compatible with portable dishwashers. You should also measure to make sure you'll be able to plug it in to an outlet and to the spigot — its power cord is 5 feet long, and the hose is just 3 feet. There are a handful of 24-inch portable dishwashers available, but they typically feature plastic tubs, are loud, and don't clean as well as this one. Not to mention that they're just as expensive as standard dishwashers. If you're looking for a portable dishwasher, you can't go wrong with this one from Danby.
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7. SUNPENTOWN SD-2201W DISHWASHER
Best Dishwasher for Countertops
The 10 Best Dishwashers to Buy When It's Time for an Upgrade
