The Best Dishwashers Under $500: A blog around the wirecutter top picks for the best dishwashers under $500.
Dishwashers are made to be loud, and even a quiet model can still be surprisingly loud when it’s running. A dishwasher’s noise level is measured in decibels (dB), with lower numbers being better. The average noise levels of all dishwashers we’ve tested range from 45 dBA to 60 dBA, with most falling at around 50 dB. That’s roughly as loud as a washing machine or kitchen garbage disposal. Though not exactly quiet, most dishwashers are designed to run while you’re sleeping, so they shouldn’t disturb you too much if your kitchen is on a different floor than your bedroom.
When looking for a quiet dishwasher, look for one with sound-reduction features such as a third rack (which absorbs noise), insulation in the door and tub (to keep noise from escaping), or a sound package that adds materials to the sides of the machine and sometimes includes an isolated base to prevent vibration. Some manufacturers have their own terms for these features; Bosch calls its sound protection standard NoiseProtect, KitchenAid calls its QuietLevel noise reduction system Quiet Pak, Whirlpool
The Best Dishwashers Under $500
Updated August 21, 2018
We’ve added new picks for the best dishwasher under $500. They’re all reliable, quiet machines that should have no problem washing your dishes. The Kenmore 13473 is our top pick, with the Frigidaire FFBD2412SS as a close runner-up. We also have a budget pick, the GE GSD2100VWW.
We’ve also added a new section on how to choose the right dishwasher for you.
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Dishwashers are fantastic appliances. They take over one of the most hated chores in your home: washing dishes by hand. If you don’t have a dishwasher yet, or if yours has bitten the dust, it’s time to replace it with one of these great models. For this guide, we’ve focused on finding the best built-in 24-inch dishwashers under $500 (and one very similar model that’s $550). These are typically the most popular size and budget for a standard home kitchen. We’ve also included some tips on what to look for when buying a dishwasher and how much it will cost you to run
The Best Dishwashers Under $500
Is it time to replace your dishwasher?
Maybe it’s so old that the company that made it doesn’t even sell parts for it anymore. Or maybe you bought a house with a dishwasher you don’t trust, and you’re ready to upgrade. Whatever your reason, you need a good dishwasher, but you also have a limited budget.
Our research indicates that there are actually some surprisingly decent dishwashers available for under $500 at this time. If this is how much you can afford to spend, any of the machines listed below will help get your dishes clean more consistently and reliably than any hand-washing could ever do. They’ll also leave them drier than most hand-washing jobs could manage — a particular advantage if you’re trying to conserve energy by air-drying your dishes.
The GE GDF510PMJSA has five wash cycles and no frills — but more importantly, it cleans well and is quiet for its price range. The Frigidaire FFBD2406NB is a great deal if you want an even quieter dishwasher that’s Energy Star–certified (though its cleaning prowess isn’t quite as good).
The Bosch 300 Series SHEM63W55N ($600) was our previous budget pick, and while we still like it a lot, its performance didn’t quite stand up to that of our current pick. In one test run the Bosch’s drying performance was only average, and a few dishwashing experts we spoke with said that if you don’t rinse your dishes well before loading them into the dishwasher, the Bosch is likely to leave spots and film on glasses. However, we found in further testing that most of the plastic items we washed came out slightly discolored—which may be an indication of hard water interacting with plastic, but could also mean that something about these particular models doesn’t work well for those types of materials.
Some people might like the Bosch’s streamlined look better than our new pick’s sleek front panel, and it has a stainless steel tub (which allows for more heat retention during a wash cycle). Like most all European-style dishwashers we looked at, it also has solid construction overall. But while it’s quiet at 46 dB(A), it’s not as quiet as our new pick. And in terms of versatility, the LG LDF5545ST isn’t missing anything—even though its third
We’ve spent over 100 hours researching and testing dishwashers, and we think the Maytag MDB4949SHZ is the best for most people. If you want a quiet, stainless steel dishwasher with plenty of cycles and options, it’s hard to beat.
If our top pick is unavailable, or if you want a stainless steel tub, consider the Bosch 300 Series SHEM63W55N. It has one less wash cycle than the Maytag and doesn’t dry quite as well, but it does a good job cleaning dishes, it’s quieter than most models we tested, and it has a third rack for silverware.
If you prefer a built-in model that can be hidden behind a cabinet door during use, the Bosch 800 Series SHX68T55UC is our top pick in our guide to the best dishwasher.
I’ve tested dozens of dishwashers, and the Bosch 800 Series SHXM98W75N (2019) is the best dishwasher for most people. It’s energy-efficient, it has a durable stainless steel tub that resists stains, and it cleans better than almost every other dishwasher we’ve tested. Its third rack provides space for flatware and small utensils, and its racks are easy to adjust to fit larger pots or wineglasses. You can buy the Bosch with or without a water softener, but the version without one is much less expensive and has all of the same features.
The Bosch 300 Series SHEM63W55N (2019) is also a great dishwasher. It’s just as quiet as the 800 Series model and performs just as well, but it doesn’t have a third rack or a stainless steel tub. If you can’t afford the Bosch 800 Series model—or if you don’t need its extra features—the 300 Series is an excellent value at around $600.
The Electrolux EI24CD35RS (2019) is another good option—it has great cleaning performance, but it costs more than our top
The best dishwasher for most people is the Maytag MDB4949SDH. The MDB4949SDH is a stainless steel tub dishwasher that’s quiet, efficient, and a great value. It holds more than any other model in its class, it has the longest cycle times, and it cleans so well that you’ll rarely have to prewash your dishes. Also, we can’t think of another dishwasher that offers more for less.