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Tuesday, March 19th
Bosch has thought of it all. First, they realize you want a dishwasher that does its job. It cleans without you having to pre-rinse or scrub, and it dries completely so you don't have to. When you don't have to do all the work the appliance is supposed to, you have more time to relax reading a book or watching TV. And if your dishwasher is running at the same time, with a Bosch, you won't have to hear the sloshing of the water in the background - you can relax in peace, especially if you have an open-concept floor plan.
Bosch's beginnings
Bosch was founded in 1886 in Stuttgart, Germany. Their first dishwasher was produced in 1964, and it's believed that in 1991, the US received their first Bosch dishwasher. Once the first US Bosch dishwasher factory was opened in North Carolina in 1997, the popularity grew immensely. Soon, environmental considerations, soil sensors and non-heating drying cycles became popular features with other brands and Bosch didn't seem so unusual for having done that. Still, Bosch has remained one of the top, innovative dishwasher brands for over the past two decades.
Good quality
You don't get less quality for paying less money. Whether you purchase your 100 Series or 800 Series Bosch dishwasher, you'll get excellent quality washing and drying and it will even clean the tough stains. They're fast, quiet, and have a spacious interior. These dishwashers are known to last a long time, so replacing one earlier than expected shouldn't be an issue like it might with other brands.
Included features
All of the Bosch series include the PrecisionWash System, which uses sensors to scan the progress of the dishes throughout the cycle. Powerful spray arms target each item so you can be assured they'll be clean. The PureDry System is an energy-efficient drying mechanism that doesn't use an exposed heating element (so any falling plastics won't fall and melt like with other dishwashers) or pull in outside air, with the goal of completely drying your dishes.
Ascenta Series
With the more basic Ascenta series, you still get very good features included at a reasonable price. Ascenta's noise level is at 50 decibels (dBA), and the average of standard dishwashers is 52 dBA, so it's slightly quieter than most. It comes with the standard two racks, where the upper rack is manually adjustable. The inside is stainless steel, the controls are push-button, and there's a 24/7 overflow protection.
The 100 Series
The quietness of the 100 Series is similar to that of the Ascenta Series, at 48-50 decibels, which again is pretty normal for standard dishwashers. They add a top third rack to line up your silverware, place plastic lids or include oddly-shaped utensils. Another added feature is the InfoLight. And similar to the Ascenta line, the middle rack is adjustable, there's 24/7 overflow protection, stainless steel interior, and push-button control.
The 300 Series
Added to the features of the previous series, the 300 Series boasts 44 decibels of noise, which is significantly quieter than the national average of standard dishwashers' 52 decibels. The base and interior are of stainless steel, there's a third rack, adjustable middle rack, push-button controls, InfoLight, and added FlexSpace Tines on the lower rack. The movable tines will help you personalize spacing for placing your larger items on that bottom rack. The 24/7 water stop is upgraded to their 24/7 AquaStop.
The 500 Series
Their quietness remains at 44 decibels, has the third rack, adjustable middle rack, 24/7 AquaStop, push-button controls, InfoLight, FlexSpace lower rack, and adds the EasyGlide upper rack system so your delicate glassware rack will slide in and out smoothly, without jostling them. This series also adds AutoAir drying, sensing the dryness of your dinnerware to make sure it's quite dry without overdrying.
The 800 Series
This series has the most upgraded drying system called CrystalDry, is the quietest at 42 decibels, has all the features above, and adds touch control (vs push-button).
Bosch is quiet
It's wonderful to finally relax after a long day and not hear the slosh, slosh, sloshing of the dishwasher to distract you. Just peace and quiet is what you'll hear from Bosch. Even with the entry-level models, they are quieter than the national average, and it just gets better from there.
Cost
Nothing burning here
Have you ever smelled burnt plastic for days because a flimsy piece of plastic fell and got stuck onto the heating element? Not with Bosch. The heating element is hidden, so even if something were to fall, it wouldn't melt.
Stainless steel interior included
The insulated stainless tub looks good, makes the appliance quieter than those with a plastic tub, and is expected to last longer than a plastic interior because a stainless tub doesn't rust as easily. Stainless tubs are included in all of Bosch's models.
Adjustable rack
The traditional top rack is manually adjustable. If you have tall glassware, move the rack lower to make room. If your cookware on the bottom is bigger, raise the top rack. Got both tall glassware as well as big cookware? No problem. Just adjust one side taller and keep one side shorter.
Our favorite Bosch model
Our favorite Bosch is the SHX878ZD5N, in the 800 Series. It features a bar handle, six wash cycles, holds a whopping 16 place settings, is Energy Star Certified, has a floor light to let you know the status of the cycles since it's so quiet, an extra scrub option, sanitizing option, and is quite quiet.
Old issue
Some reviews from a few years ago complained about dirty water gathering in the basin. This may be why Bosch has added a form of 24/7 overflow protection to each dishwasher. Recent reviews have very few complaints, especially of this sort.
Warranty
The Bosch dishwasher has a limited, one-year warranty that covers the entire appliance, parts, and labor. The microprocessor's parts are warrantied from the second to the fifth year, and same with the racks and their parts. There's also a limited, lifetime warranty on rust-through on the parts of the inner tub liner. Be sure to read the fine print for the product you purchase.
Best in class
Bosch's dishwashers had been known to be luxury appliances, expensive and therefore accessible to only those who could afford them. But now that they are accessible to more people, just about anyone can someday have one. When you get a new dishwasher, your neighbor might smile and ask, "Is it a Bosch?" No other brand seems to get that conversational comparison. If you do say you got a Bosch, they're excited to know if it's as wonderful as everyone says. With very good to excellent dishwashers at all price levels, we recommend Bosch with no hesitation.
Most of us don't think too much about our dishwasher. We load the dishes, it cleans, we empty. But when the dishes aren't coming out as clean as they should, it's taking more rinsing to get all the food off, you're drying your dishes by hand because the machine doesn't, or if the coating on the tines is chipping off, you might start thinking about replacing your appliance for one that holds up and maybe has some nice features that you deserve.
Did you know there are three types of dishwashers? There's built-in, countertop, and drawer. Built-in dishwashers are the traditional dishwashers most of us have had in our homes. They are full-sized or even narrow and apartment-sized, and are slid in below the counter. Counter-top dishwashers can be found in Europe and are just that - they are small and fit on the counter. The drawer models are shallow and fit below the counter. Because they are the most common type, we will look at only the built-in models.
Think about what you want in your new appliance. You'll obviously want a dishwasher that does a good job of washing your dishes. There are a lot of fun features you can have, such as a third rack, lights, and smart capabilities, but if the machine doesn't do a good job of actually washing your dishes, what's the point of any of the bells and whistles?
So once you choose a brand that you like, you can select your wish list features such as the third, top rack; a quick-wash cycle; a delay start; self-cleaning filters - yes, you should know if you need to clean your filters for maintenance, which is typical; food pulverizers; interior components made of stainless steel to promote longevity; child locks; sanitizer settings; sustainable materials; special jets under the silverware caddy; and smart capabilities, so you can control the dishwasher from your phone or smart home system.
And that's just the beginning. Here are several other criteria to keep in mind as you shop for your new kitchen appliance:
To help you make this important purchasing decision, Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated today's most popular dishwasher brands. If you're done spending too much time pre-washing your dishes, continually re-arranging them because the rack and tine design is poor, drying them after the dishwasher supposedly dried them, or re-washing after the clumps of old food just don't come off after a full cycle, do consider a new dishwasher. You can save a lot of time by not pre-washing, post-washing, and drying. And with all that extra time, you could relax reading a book or watching your favorite show while a super quiet dishwasher does all the work while making virtually no noise.
Select any 2 Dishwashers to compare them head to head