When Wirecutter recommends a dishwasher, we consider how noisy it is, what the racks are like, and the manufacturer’s reputation for reliability.
And obviously, it needs to be an excellent cleaner. But in my experience, I’ve found that almost any brand-new dishwasher can fully clean a load of crusty, grimy dishes.
I’ve worked at three different publications that test and review dishwashers. After watching most models handle tough tests with relative ease, I’d come to believe that there were actually no bad dishwashers, only owners who needed to do a little more maintenance or spend a little more on detergent.
I’d even written in an old article that if I ever moved into a house with a cheap dishwasher, I was sure I could make it work—and so could you.
Allow me to eat my words: I did move into a new house, and I did inherit a dishwasher made by a brand with a not-so-great reputation, and it was terrible. I tried all the (legal) tricks, but I had to resort to pre-rinsing, which defeats the purpose of a dishwasher.
To anyone who took my advice and drove yourself nuts trying to coax a decent performance out of a bad dishwasher to no avail: My fault.
I still believe that any dishwasher can clean well—when it’s brand-new. But some dishwashers, such as the Bosch models I’ve owned and recommended, can sustain that great performance over many years. Others, like the terrible machine that came with my new house, wear down rapidly.
Sometimes, you just have a bad dishwasher. Here’s how you can tell if you’re stuck with something irredeemable.
