10 Of The Best Dishwashers, And 5 Of The Worst (According To Consumer Reports)

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Shopping for a dishwasher can be a challenge. Given the appliance's universality, the variety available is pretty staggering, and most have absurd alpha numeric names like the LG ADFD5448AT, which doesn't tell a person anything about the dishwasher itself. The good news is, much like the best refrigerators on the market, the dishwasher segment has its major brands, so at least you know who the big players are. 

In any case, a dishwasher is a big purchase. They tend to last around 10 years, so many people want to make sure they get it right on the first try. There are tons of resources for this, including the tried-and-true methods like Consumer Reports and Yale Appliances, that can help people choose what's right for them. If you're curious, below are the best dishwashers according to Consumer Reports. These dishwashers are in the same order as they appear on the list, so here are the ones Consumer Reports says are the best (and worst). 

Sitting lonely at the bottom of the list are a couple of dishwashers from Hotpoint. Hotpoint is a budget brand owned by Haier, and some of its appliances are still made in the U.S., though we're not sure if that includes the dishwashers, as some appliances are still made elsewhere by Whirlpool. In any case, these two dishwashers are virtually the same with only a couple of differentiating features. For instance, the HDF310PGRWW has an extra cycle if you want one. 

These are budget-oriented machines, and their customer reviews reflect this. They're okay for what they are, but lack a lot of modern features, such as no Energy Star certification and a no delay-start. In short, these are both very basic dishwashers with middling top and bottom rack performance, average drying, and unremarkable customer satisfaction scores, according to Consumer Reports. The biggest negative that customer reviews bemoan is the machine's reliability, saying that it breaks down anywhere from one to three years after purchase. You can do better, even at this price point. 

The Viking VDWU524SS may be somewhat surprising to find near the bottom of the Consumer Reports rankings, as it is generally considered a high-end prosumer level brand for kitchen appliances like stoves and ranges. Apparently, that does not carry over to dishwashers. Viking doesn't make its own dishwashers, instead farming out the work to Beko, a company out of Turkey that also makes smart refrigerators. These dishawashers are typically available from big box retailers for around $1,449. 

Consumer Reports says that the dishwasher has average to above average performance for cleaning and reliability, but has a reduced score due to reliability concerns from the brand itself and the dishwasher's apparently abysmal drying capabilities. It's probably better than ancient dishwashers but pales in comparison to today's segment leaders. Online customer reviews echo this sentiment, saying that the dishwasher works pretty well but expressed disappointment that there's no heat dry cycle on a $1,400 dishwasher. Customers and Consumer Reports agree, it's not the best value for the money, so this is a dishwasher you should probably skip. 

Smeg is not the most well-known brand, but it has some of the most entertaining products. The Italian appliance maker tends to deal in retro-style designs, which gives its appliances an entirely different look than most other brands. It is just the design, though, as the interior of the dishwasher looks modern and it has a modern control panel. While the designs are certainly neat, it doesn't do the brand any favors on Consumer Reports, which ranks this dishwasher among the worst in the category. 

Partially to blame is the fact that Consumer Reports doesn't have a reliability metric for the brand as a whole, which drags down the score. Otherwise, the performance is fairly average all around by Consumer Reports. It does have some neat tricks, like an adjustable upper rack and a removable basket for silverware. Customer reviews tend to be lukewarm at best, which isn't surprising considering that this dishwasher goes for around $2,000. If it were a budget dishwasher, we think it would've fared better, but the value for the money just isn't there. 

Frigidaire isn't a brand we commonly see on the negative side of things, and in terms of general specs, the Frigidaire FDHP4336AS isn't bad. It features an adjustable upper rack, hidden controls for a flusher look, and several other adjustments to maximize space. It also comes with an Energy Star certification. It's also one of the most popular models on the list, with thousands of customer reviews across the big box stores. So, why does Consumer Reports rank it so low? 

The two big things appear to negatively impact Frigidaire here are predicted reliability and customer satisfaction. The dishwasher is below average in terms of expected reliability and customer satisfaction is among the lowest scores on the list. In addition, performance isn't terribly inspiring, with the upper rack performing below average compared to other dishwashers. Customer reviews seem to back this up, stating that the dishwasher doesn't tend to last very long and that cleaning is mediocre at best. 

Café is typically known as one of GE's premium offshoots, and its appliances tend to be quite pricy. The Café CDD420P2TS1 is a decent example of this. The dishwasher sells for $1,400 at the big box stores that sell it. Despite its higher price tag, its features are more in line with budget models with one notable difference. This particular model has separate lower and upper drawers instead of one big space with two racks. This unique design is almost certainly what you're paying the extra money to get. 

The unique design is hit-and-miss with customers and also with Consumer Reports. On the plus side, the CDD420P2TS1 has one of the best upper rack cleaning performances of anything that Customer Reports tested, which makes sense because the upper rack is its own drawer. However, the lower rack performance is on the lower end of the spectrum, and predicted reliability is rather low. Customer ratings praise the dual drawer design but note that the dishwasher is otherwise unremarkable. 

Okay, let's get into the positive part of Consumer Reports' list. The KitchenAid KDTF924PPS sits on the upper half of that list, and it's one of the more expensive models for what you get. KitchenAid leans a lot on its aesthetics for appliances, and this one is no different. It offers a flush design to stay even with countertops and cabinets. In terms of features, it comes with three racks, three filters, and it automatically opens after finishing to help dry out dishes. It also projects its expected completion time onto the floor like the heads up display you commonly find in luxury cars. 

Consumer Reports places KitchenAid high on the list, citing excellent overall performance, ease of use, and drying, likely thanks to its automatic open functionality. There aren't a ton of customer reviews out there as this is a more expensive model. However, what user reviews do exist seem to be fairly enthusiastic with only minor complaints. This dishwasher's score is dragged down a bit by KitchenAid's overall average reliability score, but it seems to be a winner otherwise. 

LG is a pretty big player in the appliance space and beyond, and it's known to make some of the best clothes washers on the market. The brand doesn't have the same pull in the dishwasher segment, but there are some highlights such as the ADFD5448AT. As is the norm for LG, tech is at the forefront here. This dishwasher can connect to your Wi-Fi and inform you when it's done, even if you're not at home. LG packs some other features, like four spray arms instead of the traditional two, adjustable racks, and a belt-less motor that uses fewer moving parts. 

These enhancements seem to work pretty well. Consumer Reports gives the ADFD5448AT perfect cleaning scores on both racks and above average scores on drying and ease of use. As is the case with many brands, the only thing keeping LG's dishwasher from being closer to the top of the list is LG's lower placement as a whole on Consumer Reports' reliability list. There aren't a lot of customer reviews to go on, but most of the negative reviews are related to reliability. 

The KitchenAid KDFE204KPS and KDTE204KPS are two very similar dishwashers. Consumer Reports notes that the models are virtually identical, with a couple of small exceptions. One of them doesn't have fold down tines in the dish racks, one of them doesn't have a child safety lock, and one is about two inches deeper than the other. Otherwise, they are identical, and so we'll talk about them both on this list together. For scoring, Consumer Reports rates them the same, so there is no difference in overall performance either. 

Both dishwashers come with a lot of nice features, including a fingerprint-resistant finish, several wash cycle options, and an extended heat dry option, which is rated as being below average for its drying power according to Consumer Reports. Otherwise, these two dishwashers are quite competent overall, and customer reviews reflect this. Across hundreds of reviews, customers praise the performance and looks of the device. The overwhelming majority also praise how quiet it is, as it tends to be quieter than other dishwashers in its price category. 

The Thermador Star Sapphire is an upscale dishwasher model and one of the most expensive on the list at $2,499 without any discounts. There are several versions of this available, although it appears as though the only defining difference is what they look like. You can get a standard-looking dishwasher with a stainless-steel front panel or one with paneling that matches your kitchen. It comes with a bunch of features, like LED lighting inside to see things better, a third rack, Wi-Fi smart home connectivity, and a projection showing time remaining on a wash projected onto your floor. 

For Consumer Reports scoring, this is the highest one so far with good marks in reliability, washing, drying, and ease of use, and it's the first such model to score well on all five Consumer Reports categories. Customers agree that this dishwasher seems to do it all without much of a hassle, and even people who purchased the prior generation models really liked them. It ticks all of the boxes and other than price, there isn't much wrong with it at all. 

Consumer Reports has a soft spot for Bosch dishwashers, and the brand dominates the upper portion of its rankings. Two of those are the Bosch 500 Series SHX65CM5N and SHP65CM5N. Per Consumer Reports, these two models are virtually identical in every way, except that one has a bar-style handle and the other has a pocket-style handle. Features include Wi-Fi compatibility, a third rack, an Energy Star certification, hidden controls, plenty of wash cycle options, and adjustable rack heights. 

In terms of overall performance, these do well across the board, scoring well in every Consumer Reports metric, including reliability and customer satisfaction. It's easy to see why. They're expensive, but not overly so at around $1,200 to $1,300 while offering tons of extra features. One of the most notable is a sensor system that detects leaks, stops the dishwasher, and drains the water, even if you're not at home. Customer reviews reflect all of this, stating that the 500 Series is quiet, capable, and drama-free with the only complaints being minor, like the size of the silverware holder. 

The LG Studio SDNTHS72S is the South Korean brand's highest rated dishwasher, at least in Consumer Reports' books. It comes with all of the stuff you'd expect from the brand's upscale Studio line, which is similar to GE's Café. There are tons of features to talk about, including support for LG's ThinQ smart home technology, higher pressure jets for more cleaning, a flush design to make it fit better with your countertop, a third rack, and jets in the door that clean dishes from the side. 

It all adds up to a dishwasher that is highly capable, with Consumer reports giving it maximum scores for cleaning on both racks and near perfect scores for drying and ease of use. There aren't many customer reviews floating around to speak of, so it's tough to gauge how much owners like it, but online reviews tend to be quite positive overall. LG is one of the most reliable appliance brands out there, and this is arguably its best dishwasher. It's a little expensive, but that's expected with all of those features. 

Miele is a brand known for its high-end appliances, and it also makes some of the best vacuum cleaners money can buy. According to Consumer Reports, its dishwasher game is pretty strong as well, and the G7196SCVISF is at the top of the stack for Miele. It costs a pretty penny, going for around $1,850 at retailers or $2,100 directly from Miele, but you do get a lot of bang for your buck. For features, Miele keeps it mostly simple, focusing on cleaning tech like its QuickIntenseWash cycle that gets the job done in under an hour and an automatic open function to help dry your dishes. There are Wi-Fi connectivity features as well. 

Thanks to its simpler design, it's among the most reliable dishwashers on the list according to Consumer Reports. Its other performance metrics are excellent as well, with drying being the only outlier as it was measured as above average. What few customer reviews there are tend to agree, raving about its cleaning performance and quietness. This dishwasher does very little wrong and is Miele's top-rated dishwasher on Consumer Reports. 

The Bosch 300 Series has a few variants, and all of them rank pretty similarly to one another on Consumer Reports' list. They include the SHV53CM3N, SHS53CD5N, and the SHE53C85N. As with other brands, these models differ very little from each other — the outer design changes seem to be pretty much it. One has a stainless steel front with a handle, one has stainless steel with a recessed pocket handle, and one has front paneling to match your kitchen. As is the norm with Bosch dishwashers, it comes with Wi-Fi, a third rack, and a leak protection system similar to the Bosch 500 and Bosch 800. 

All three Bosch dishwashers perform quite well, with Consumer Reports listing reliability and customer satisfaction as the two highest scores for the Bosch 300. This is one of Bosch's most popular models, so there are thousands of customer reviews to sort through. Generally speaking, the reviews match what Consumer Reports says, with customers citing the low noise and good cleaning capabilities. 

There are four dishwashers in the Bosch 800 Series: the SHP78CM5N, the SHV78CM3N, the SHX78CM5N, and the SHX78DM5N. All of these dishwashers are in the same family and have the same features with only minor cosmetic differences between them. Those features include an adjustable upper rack, Energy Star certification, smart home compatibility over Wi-Fi, and a sanitization cycle that promises to kill 99.9% of bacteria. There are also myriad ways to adjust the racks depending on what needs to be loaded. 

All four dishwashers score identically on Consumer Reports, with reliability and customer satisfaction being high points. Performance is above average in every metric, from cleaning to drying, and ease of use is rated as high. None of them have perfect scores in every category, but they are among the few dishwashers to score high marks in every category without fail. Customers agree that the performance is excellent, although you may need to tweak the wash cycles a bit. You may have to remove the third rack for tall items, but otherwise, there's not much to complain about here. 

Sitting at the top of Consumer Reports' list as of this writing is the Bosch Benchmark 24-inch series of dishwashers. There are three in total, and as with most others, the differences are purely cosmetic. Since it is Bosch's most expensive model, it comes with all of the bells and whistles, including a removable third rack, Wi-Fi functionality, configurable wash cycles, customizable rack tines, and at 39dB, it's one of the quietest dishwashers on the market, which is more important than many homeowners realize. It also comes with fancy stuff, like a display projected onto the floor that tells you how long a wash has left. 

Consumer Reports scores are as you would expect for the top product. There isn't a bad score here, with reliability, customer satisfaction, and ease of use being the highlights. Cleaning and drying performance is also excellent, so there aren't any obvious weaknesses here. Customer reviews agree with this assessment, with an overwhelmingly positive response over nearly 1,000 customer reviews that we checked. Most customers complimented the dishwasher on its quiet performance, excellent drying, and energy efficiency.