Dishwashers are an increasingly essential household item that help you cut down on most of the scrubbing and rinsing that – in our busy lives – we’d really rather live without. Choosing between one washer and another is not the most joyful task: they all just clean dishes, right? Well, as our list will show, there are a whole lot of options to choose from. It may not put a shine on having to decide which one to buy, but it’ll certainly give you peace of mind that you made the right choice. Here’s our top ten.
Great value for money and extremely reliable, Bosch sells dishwashers on the back of a solid reputation for durability and customer service. With good looks, the 300 series is large, quiet and economical, with an additional third rack providing 30% more capacity than most other washers.
The pricier 800 Series is a marvellous machine. Many dishwasher users will be familiar with the annoying problem of damp plates and cups once a cycle is complete. The 800 Series utilizes zeolite –a mineral that absorbs excess water via a cavity in the back. A sanitize cycle will prove invaluable at cleaning and sterilizing baby bottles, while a half-load setting saves you time (and money) when you don’t have as much to clean. There is an even larger variant of the 800 with a bigger third rack that runs a little quieter too.
KitchenAid KDTM354ESS Dishwasher
Easy to load, practical and great at removing leftovers and irritating stains from dishes and cups. With room for 15 place settings, a stainless steel tub, knife holder and removable rack. This KitchenAid model doesn’t depend on rinse aid – its ProDry feature uses a heating element to draw out excess moisture, so that plates won’t be soaking wet when removed. Also effectively removes food particles from the wash cycle.
What this model lacks in advanced features and noise reduction, it makes up for in terms of price. With a stainless steel interior, hard food disposal, quick heated drying and a pretty solid capacity, its spec is pretty solid too. You also get a soil sensor that adjusts the wash time depending on how much muck is floating around in the cycle, and a lock (so you or interested third parties can’t open the machine mid-wash). With adjustable nylon coated racks and an attractive face, you can’t go too far wrong with this machine if you’re not looking for all the bells and whistles of more expensive models.
Miele dishwashers are long-lasting, estimating their products' duration can be measured in decades rather than years. This is some claim, but is backed up by positive online reviews and tests. Miele keeps things simple (no visible logos or buttons) and effective – a light that shines inside and an adjustable third rack. This model also features three tiered wash arms so that everything on each rack gets equally clean. Once washing is complete, the machine will open slightly to aid drying. Not the cheapest model but then what do you expect from a machine that doesn’t make a fuss about being there, but that would stand out for the right reasons if it did.
BLACK+DECKER BCD6W Compact Dishwasher
So you might live alone, or just not own that many plates and utensils. Alternatively, space might be a serious concern if you’re trying to fit a dishwasher into a small kitchen. Look no further - this small countertop dishwasher can accommodate six standard place settings in a single rack (plus room for its cutlery basket), so don’t let your lack of a large dishwasher be an excuse for not entertaining at home! This model also has some nifty features – speed and heavy duty cycles, a delay-start feature, and child lock. Simply connect to your faucet and you’re off.
GE GPT145SSLSS Portable Dishwasher
Like smaller dishwashers, portables are really sound investments for those who are renting properties where white goods are not included. This means that should you move, you don’t have to worry if your destination has a washer or how your current one is likely to fit into a space it wasn’t made for. Not the quietest model, the GE nevertheless features a stainless steel interior, cleans well and has handy wheels.
LG leads the way in terms of smart goods. In your kitchen this translates to a complementary app that checks the status of your clean. Of course, this model does a lot more than that – it’s a mighty cleaner too, with four (rather than the standard two) spray arms, and a soil sensor to adjust cleaning time when water is dirty. With eight different wash options and three racks, this is a very impressive and quiet piece of kit.
KitchenAid KDTE334GPS Dishwasher
According to research, KitchenAid is the quietest brand you can buy. According to many consumers this is a vital factor when purchasing electronic kitchen equipment, and this model is also pretty and a great drying. On the downside, it uses filtration rather than a hard food dispenser to get rid of small food particles (and this is why it’s so quiet). How quiet exactly? Expect only to be able to hear a murmur if you’re standing next to it – great if you have an open plan home or kitchen-diner setup.
Thermador Star-Sapphire Series Dishwasher
Thermador is the Rolls Royce of dishwashers and the price rightly reflects this fact. All of the spec you’d expect from a top-of-the range machine (Wi-Fi, touch screen control, three racks), with the added bonus of a Star Speed cycle that completes a wash in 20 minutes. Quiet with good looks, it also has a feature called AquaStop plus to detect and deal with floor leaks before they become an issue.
