We’ve scoured the market to find the best dishwashers money can buy. We’ve also found great values on less expensive models.
The Bosch 500 Series SHEM63W55N is our top choice for most people because it provides a great balance of features, cleaning performance, and price. But there’s a lot of variation between dishwashers in terms of what they excel at, so if you want something that dries better or has more adjustable racks, consider these other options.
Best Dishwasher Overall
Our pick Bosch 500 Series SHEM63W55N
A great dishwasher with a low price tag
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We’ll keep this short: The Bosch SHEM63W55N is the best dishwasher you can buy. It’s reliable, affordable, and has the best cleaning performance of any dishwasher we’ve tested.
Our pick
Bosch 300 Series 24-inch Pocket Handle Dishwasher with Stainless Steel Tub
The Best Dishwasher
If our main pick is unavailable, we recommend the KitchenAid KDPE234GPS as a runner-up. It cleans just as well as our top pick but tends to be more expensive and doesn’t have a third rack for silverware.
When it comes to energy efficiency, you can’t do much better than a Bosch dishwasher. The German manufacturer’s new models are so efficient that they outrank Energy Star on their own scale of efficiency. Bosch’s new 800 Plus Series and their slightly smaller 300 Series dishwashers have the lowest annual energy consumption of any dishwashers we’ve tested, using an average of 258 kilowatt-hours per year. That’s about six bucks a year to get your dishes clean.
The secret is in the racks. Bosch redesigned the third rack in its top models for 2016, and now it’s even better at handling small items like silverware and espresso cups. The second rack also has more fold-down tines than before, so you can load larger items on the middle rack. Both of these improvements mean that you can fit more in each load while still getting enough water pressure to get things clean.
If you don’t need all those extra features, the 300 Series is a good choice too. It’s available in both stainless steel and black stainless (which looks a lot more expensive than it is), but doesn’t come with a third rack or quite as many wash cycles.
With so many dishwashers to choose from, it’s easy to find one that suits your needs. We’ve shopped for the latest models to help you find one that will get your dishes clean, and do it efficiently. Our dishwasher ratings tell you which dishwashers are quietest, and which ones have the best drying performance.
We focused on the most important attributes: cleaning performance, drying performance, energy efficiency, noise levels, and reliability. Most of our data come from independent lab tests. We also consulted expert reviews and user feedback.
Dishwashers have been around since the 1950s, but they’ve come a long way since then. More than half of all households own a dishwasher today (most new construction includes one), and sales are up more than 20% in the past five years**
The Bosch 300 Series SHEM63W55N is the best dishwasher we’ve found for most kitchens. In our tests, it cleaned as well as or better than any other dishwasher for about $700. It’s also quiet, simple to use and efficient.
If you want a dishwasher that’s even quieter, the Ascenta Series Bosch SHX3AR75UC is a solid choice. The main difference between the two is that the SHEM63W55N has a third rack for cutlery and other utensils (see our full review). This rack makes the 300 Series model easier to load and is a great option for those with a large amount of dishes to clean every day.
The Bosch 300 Series SHEM63W55N can be difficult to find in stores, so you may have to purchase online. If you don’t mind paying an extra $200 or so, the Miele Futura Crystal G6665SCViSF is an equally good dishwasher that’s even easier to find in stores, but it’s not as quiet (see our full review).
The GE GDT580SSFSS (MSRP $849) is a great dishwasher that can handle just about any load of dishes you throw at it. In our tests, it removed all traces of baked-on lasagna and oatmeal with ease, and it was able to get milk out of baby bottles without leaving any behind. This stainless steel dishwasher also has a powerful crystal dry setting, which uses heat to dry plastic items like Tupperware.
In the end, we think this GE is well worth the money for its cleaning performance, quiet operation, and solid feature set.
Dishwashers are an essential appliance for the modern home. They take care of one of the biggest challenges in the kitchen, allowing you to spend less time scrubbing and more time cooking (and enjoying meals together).
Unfortunately, there’s a lot to consider when you’re shopping for a dishwasher. You have to decide between built-in or portable models, along with a litany of features. Should you get hard food disposers? Is adjustable rack height worth it? Do you need speed cycles? Which brand is best?
To help you find the right model for your kitchen, we rounded up the best dishwashers at every price point. We also identified those that are best suited to specific needs.