But most people want a dishwasher that’s also quick, and durable, and good-looking, and affordable, and that gets the dishes dry. It will have to work well in hard water and soft water alike, as well as meet—and ideally surpass—the federal efficiency requirements.
For my money, Bosch dishwashers do the best job of threading that needle. They consistently beat or match other brands by almost every meaningful, measurable metric: cleaning, quietness, rack versatility, speed, reputation for reliability, style options, and others. The newest models even (finally) got good at drying plastic.
Our pick
Bosch 300 Series SHEM63W55N
With a third rack and quiet performance, the reliable, efficient, and effective Bosch 300 Series is a fantastic dishwasher that will make most people happy. Dozens of variants are available across a wide range of prices.
Beyond the raw stats and specs, Bosch dishwashers are packed with unexpected optimizations and elegant engineering that you won’t find with other brands. Instead of heating the wash water with a ceramic rod, like most dishwashers, Bosch models use an in-line heat pump that works faster and uses less energy. The unique sealed base both muffles the sound of the pumps and provides an extra line of leak defense.
There’s even a little detergent-dissolving nook on the upper rack, where a tablet or pod can get broken down, steadily and completely, by a targeted jet from the warm arm—rather than falling to the bottom of the tub, where dissolution isn’t as predictable.
