Dishwasher Reviews

Choosing the right dishwasher for you involves finding the right balance of features and price while reading reviews to get a high quality product and avoid the hassle of product returns. But you can't read over 4,000 reviews so you need to narrow your selection of products and then you can really dig deeper. If you're already tired of reading then jump straight to our Bottom Line and Budget Choice analysis below.

Our Reviewers' Bottom Line:
Go for the top rated dishwasher which is the KitchenAid Stainless Steel Architect Series II Undercounter Dishwasher. KitchenAid is the top rated dishwasher brand and users frequently call this dishwasher "Quiet" and "Easy to Load".

Our Reviewers' Budget Choice:
The 2009 Most for your Money Award winning dishwasher is the Frigidaire Precision Select Built-in dishwasher. The Most for your Money awards are given out by Buzzillions each Holiday Season so that users can find top rated products at low prices. Though Frigidaire is not one of the top 5 dishwasher brands rated by Buzzillions reviewers, one reviewer said "It cleans very well for me, using just store-brand dishwashing powder, and I never pre-rinse."

(Note that there is no paid placement or sponsorship in this Learn section. These opinions are those of the Buzzillions staff and not of anyone else.)

Learn even more about Dishwashers
What about Bosch?
Though Bosch dominates the top rated dishwashers list, it doesn't own the top spot. That said, Bosch is still a great choice for cleaning your dishes and has many top rated models at a variety of price points. See only Bosch dishwashers.

What about Miele?
Miele frequently tops the expert lists for being the best cleaning dishwasher. It's largely a European brand that is making inroads into the US market. Miele dishwashers are among the most expensive but they fit in tight spots and have features like a unique silverware tray at the very top of the dishwasher tub. This leaves more space for plates in the lower tray and provides more surface area to clean dirty flatware.

What to avoid?
Most dishwasher owners disliked dishwashers that had Long Cycles, "Noisy" dishwashers and dishwashers that didn't clean thoroughly. Read up on those low rated dishwashers to learn about potential dishwasher problems.

How do I find the lowest rated dishwashers?
Don't buy these but you can certianly learn a lot from the reviews people write about poor performers. If you like to read about the bottom of the barrel dishwashers, you can browse the lowest rated dishwashers.

What to look for?
Since you're on Buzzillions, check out our Best Dishwashers page. Many Dishwasher owners prefer silence and recommend these "Quiet" dishwashers. Others are interested in ease of use and liked dishwashers that were Easy to Load. Some dishwasher reviewers mentioned wanted to wash big loads so they liked Large capacity dishwashers and dishwashers that could handle Multiple settings of dishes and flatware.

I am a Gourmet Chef, what should I buy?
Good question! Our Dishwasher Brand Compare tool aggregates reviewer feedback by brand and under the User Personality section, users who call themselves Gourmet Chefs recommend Bosch dishwashers more often than other brands. So if you fancy yourself the next Michael Chiarello, get the Bosch.

Avg Star Rating for all Dishwashers
The Average Rating for all dishwashers reviewed on Buzzillions is 3.5 so you really want to buy a dishwasher above that rating. That average rating is calculated from over 4,000 dishwasher user reviews.

Should I get a food disposer inside my dishwasher?
Many reviewers claim that these food disposers can lead to more repair down the road. However, other see them as indispensible to having your dishwasher do everything but make your coffee (that's next I hear). We've got plenty of dishwashers with food disposers to browse.

What are the hot, new features everyone's talking about?
"New" features are a relative concept in the modern age of dishwashers but if you want to get ahead of the Jones' you can look for dishwashers with Self-cleaning filters and dishwashers with Food Disposers.

Is it an Energy Star dishwasher?
Dishwashers are rated by a joint program of the US EPA and US Dept of Energy called Energy Star. Energy Star dishwashers consume less electricity and use less water than non-Energy Star qualified models. According to the government, 70% of electricity is generated from burning coal and natural gas so picking an Energy Star dishwasher helps combat global warming.

Is my dishwasher "green"?
The short answer is yes. The long answer is yes. That was easy :) Just buying and using a dishwasher is SO much better than washing dishes by hand in terms of saving money and saving the environment. Check out this comparison page from the Energy Star folks to learn why.

What is an Integrated Dishwasher?
An Integrated Dishwasher has a front panel that can be swapped out to match your kitchen cabinetry. This is a desired feature when you want your dishwasher to blend into its surroundings.

What is a Double Drawer Dishwasher?
Fisher Paykel popularized Double Drawer dishwashers, a unique feature where a dishwasher gets split into 2 or 3 separate "dishdrawer" units. Each can be run separately. This can save energy and might be preferable if you don't use your dishwasher that often but like to throw parties and have the capacity of a full-size dishwasher. Some reviewers report it has maintenance issues. One reviewer gushed over it saying, "no guilty decisions about whether to run it half-empty (wasteful)or wait till it's full (yuck)".

What is a Custom Panel Dishwasher?
Like an Integrated Dishwasher, the Custom Panel Dishwasher is meant to accept an interchangeable front that makes it look like the rest of the kitchen. Sometimes people even puts knows on the dishwasher/cabinet to really hide it. tricky.

Which brand should I buy?
Looking at the top 10 dishwashers on Buzzillions, it looks like KitchenAid and Bosch are better bets. The Dishwasher brand Compare Tool lists the top 5 brands that our reviewers have checked out. All of these brands have above average aggregate ratings.

Which retailer should I buy from?
When you've made your dishwasher choice, there's a section called "Where to Buy" on every product detail page. You can choose a retailer by their reputation by looking for a BizRate merchant rating or you can choose a retailer by price or brand name recognition.

Should I buy Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is a long lasting material that deters rusting. It is also a common material in kitchen appliances so matching your other appliances might be an important factor for choosing stainless steel. There are many highly rated non-stainless steel dishwashers to choose from as well.

Tips & Tricks
Does your dishwasher stink or leak? You might be able to avoid this by cleaning the gasket around the edge of the dishwasher where the door closes and makes a seal against the body of the dishwasher. Buildup here can make the seal not work and since the buildup is probably made of stuff that didn't get washed down the drain it stinks. You can also see if food is stuck in the filter or food disposer unit.

Notes of Caution
Installing a dishwasher can be tricky if there's also a garbage disposal so make you get the hoses hooked up correctly.

Helpful links Related categories
Links from Google

-Content created by Jim M., Buzzillions staff, recent purchaser of a Bosch dishwasher. Updated November 2009.