Household chores are inevitable, and washing dishes ranks high on most people's least-favorite list. That's where a good dishwasher comes in. It can become your kitchen’s MVP, saving you hours of scrubbing while keeping dishes spotless -- freeing up time for chores a machine can’t do.
With countless options flooding the market, choosing the perfect dishwasher can be overwhelming. The decision involves weighing multiple factors like size, features, noise levels and price. That's why we've researched the top models, considering everything from cleaning performance, value, quietness and style to smart features. We've evaluated dishwashers from top manufacturers including Bosch, KitchenAid, Samsung and Whirlpool to help you make an informed choice for your kitchen and budget.
- Best Dishwashers of 2025
- What is the best overall dishwasher?
- Best dishwashers of 2025
- Best overall dishwasher
- Best quiet dishwasher
- Best compact dishwasher
- Best budget dishwasher
- Best smart dishwasher
- Compare dishwashers
- Best Dishwasher brand
- How we created our list
- Factors to consider when buying a dishwasher
- Dishwasher FAQs
What is the best overall dishwasher?
After hours of testing, we found Bosch's 300 Series dishwasher to be the best overall. We loved the amenities, features and style along with the below-average price tag. It’s also highly rated by consumers.
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Best dishwashers of 2025
Best overall dishwasher
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Pros
- Holds 16 place settings
- Quieter than average
- 3 racks for customizing loads
Cons
- Only one finish option
- Expensive
Bosch's 300 Series dishwasher is among the most highly rated dishwasher across several major retailer sites, coming in just below average in price for the number of amenities it offers. Its large capacity holds up to 16 place settings, it includes a desirable third rack, and it offers an adjustable middle rack to accommodate larger items, as well as adjustable tines in the lower rack for even more versatile loading. You have five wash cycle options available: Heavy, auto, normal, rinse and hold, plus a speedy one-hour cycle. The highly sought dishwasher also features four additional modes, such as delay start, half load, sanitize and extra dry. With a quieter-than-average decibel level of 44, this is the best overall dishwasher to buy for what it offers. Bosch also offers 100, 500 and 800 series dishwashers at different price points that also maintain consumer popularity and high ratings.
In person, this was one of the slickest-looking dishwashers of the bunch. But beware, that sleek modern stainless steel is known for getting covered in fingerprints, especially if you have little ones who tend to touch and grab everything in sight. I loved the adjustable top silverware rack, in addition to a removable lower silverware rack, which feels sturdy and frees up space in the lower racks for plates, pans and other larger items.
Home Depot rating: 4.3 out of 5 based on 2,449 reviews
Lowe's rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 5,677 reviews
Best quiet dishwasher
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Pros
- Affordable and efficient
- Auto-adjust for soil level
Cons
- Slimmer top silverware rack
- Some report issues with drying
This KitchenAid model is a good dishwasher for those who prioritize the noise level of the machine. With cycles that can run several hours, perhaps noise -- or lack thereof -- is the most important consideration for you, especially if you have an open-plan kitchen that is close to your bedroom, home office or nursery. Most standard dishwashers run in the 50- to 60-decibel range, which is just below the noise level of normal, indoor conversation. Many models now include additional technology that helps bring the noise level down to a very quiet 40 to 50 decibels, but this KitchenAid model achieves an almost whisper-quiet level at only 39 decibels. In addition to being able to take a nap while the dishwasher is running, this high-end model also includes a third rack, ProWash soil sensors that automatically adjust the cycle for the soil level of the dishes and an extended heat dry option that can even evaporate the most determined drops on your plasticware.
This model reminded me of the Bosch SHEM63W55N inside and out with its slick, modern design. The top silverware rack is slim but sturdy. The adjustable middle rack was simple to operate and intuitive to move into position to accommodate items of varying sizes.
Home Depot rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 3,956 reviews
Lowe's rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 4,421 reviews
Best compact dishwasher
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Pros
- Compact design
- Quiet
- Auto-release door allows dishes to cool after each cycle
Cons
- Less capacity than other models
- Only one finish option
In the 18-inch-wide department, Samsung offers a consistently highly rated dishwasher that is also budget-friendly for the number of amenities it offers. Tines in the bottom rack fold down to allow room for larger items, and it can hold up to eight place settings in its normal configuration. It runs at a very quiet rate of 46 decibels and in addition to its five available cycles with four modes, it includes an auto-release door that opens the dishwasher and allows air to circulate quickly, cooling your clean dishes and improving drying performance.
Despite its downsized dimensions, this model still had seemingly plenty of space inside for even a family-size load of dishes. Like the LG, this Samsung has top controls so there's only a clean stainless steel panel to look at when the door is shut. The top rack is also adjustable and easy to maneuver.
Home Depot rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 94 reviews
Best budget dishwasher
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Pros
- Affordable
- Two finish options available
- Space-saving silverware rack
Cons
- The front feels flimsier than other models
- Loudest machine on our list
If you're on a tighter budget, don't worry. Numerous high-quality dishwasher options are available in the $500-to-$600 range. For less than $500 for a full-size appliance, Whirlpool offers a reliable, no-frills model with more than five figures of positive ratings, which still includes many of the amenities of the popular Bosch model above. An in-door silverware rack creates additional space in the basin, which can store up to 14 place settings. For your savings, you still get a stainless steel finish, as well as heavy, normal, high-temperature and one-hour wash cycle options with sanitized and heated dry options. More expensive models tend to have soundproofing features that reduce the dishwasher noise while it's running. At 55 decibels, this Whirlpool model is well within the range of the average noise level for dishwashers.
This model wasn't as aesthetically pleasing in person but it offered well-organized racks and was roomy inside. The dishwasher door has a stainless steel panel but feels a hair flimsier than some of the others, so beware of dents.
Walmart rating: 4.4 out of 5 based on 9,350 reviews
Best smart dishwasher
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Pros
- Wi-Fi-enabled for mobile control
- LED lights allow you to see inside
- Sleek, minimalist design
This smart LG dishwasher includes Wi-Fi capability that allows it to communicate with other devices, meaning you can start or child lock the machine remotely from a mobile phone app or even by voice activation within the house. Additionally, LED lights allow you to see inside the dishwasher during the cycle, giving it almost babysitter-like power if your kids or pets are also fascinated by the washing machine. You pay a little extra for the smart capabilities but, otherwise, the LG offers the same variety of wash cycle options as the Bosch model above, as well as a third rack and an adjustable upper rack, accommodating up to 15 place settings. At 42 decibels this is also one of the more quiet options on the market.
If a minimalist design appeals to you, this dishwasher has hidden controls with the panel and buttons inside the dishwasher on the top of the door, giving the front panel a nice, clean look. The LED lights that activated when I opened the door were bright to help spot fallen forks or dirty dishes. This model felt as sturdily built as any that I had the pleasure of vigorously opening, closing and jostling about.
LG rating: 3.8 out of 5 based on 970 reviews
Compare dishwashers
| 33.86 x 23.54 x 23.7 inches | 3 | 46 | Black, white, stainless steel | $900 |
| 33.5 x 24 x 24.5 inches | 2 | 47 | Stainless steel, black, white | $703 |
| 32 x 18 x 22.5 inches | 2 | 46 | Stainless steel | $810 |
| 34.5 x 24 x 24.5 inches | 2 | 55 | Stainless steel, black | $460 |
| 33.58 x 23.23 x 24.58 inches | 3 | 42 | Stainless steel, black stainless steel | $1,200 |
After analyzing features and online reviews for numerous dishwashers, we landed on one clear winner for the best dishwasher brand: Bosch. Bosch's dishwashers frequently top best lists -- including ours -- and for good reason. The brand is known for being reliable, durable and effective. Bosch also offers a two-year warranty on all of their dishwashers, which includes free repairs and new parts to customers if and when they are needed.
On Reddit, users often agree that Bosch and KitchenAid are in a category of their own with users comparing the two brands frequently. Customers especially like the "flow-through" heater feature on Bosch's appliance. In addition to frequently being ranked as the most reliable dishwasher brand on the market, Bosch was also ranked third in customer satisfaction by J.D. Power in its 2024 US Appliance Satisfaction Study.
I researched the dishwashers in this list by analyzing specs and user reviews from major retailer sites such as Home Depot, Lowe's and Best Buy. I also considered their bestselling and top-rated models and their available features compared with price. I focused on those models that had a rating of at least 4.5 stars with at least 500 ratings or at least the highest rating among the highest number of ratings for the feature or size I was evaluating.
Only those dishwashers that were Energy Star Certified by the Environmental Protection Agency were considered, for peace of mind concerning energy efficiency. I dove deep into user comments and ratings to ensure there were no persisting problems, issues or complaints among a particular brand or model. We didn't do extensive hands-on testing for this list of best dishwashers, but I was able to get my hands on several models in various appliance showrooms to evaluate the build of the unit and the intuitiveness of the buttons and control panels.
Dishwasher size
The size of your dishwasher is the first decision you'll make since not all kitchens have the space to accommodate a full-size model. Most standard models are 24 inches wide and about 35 inches high, and kitchens are generally designed to house a model of those dimensions, but there are slimmer dishwashers to accommodate smaller spaces, like the Samsung DW50T6060US that we mentioned earlier, which is only 18 inches wide.
A standard dishwasher is 24 x 35 inches in size but compact and custom models exist for smaller spaces.
BoschDishwasher style
Many dishwashers are available in stainless steel, which fits into most kitchen motifs. Other models are also available in white, black and additional finishes. You won't find tons of color options, but Samsung offers a bespoke line that includes unique finishes like navy steel and brownish Tuscan steel.
Samsung has a line of bespoke large kitchen appliances to add some color to your kitchen.
SamsungThe pricier models including Bosch and KitchenAid tend to have sleek, minimalist front doors and flashier internal design. More budget-friendly brands such as Whirlpool and Maytag have more traditional aesthetics, generally speaking.
Dishwasher racks and rack placement
This is an easily overlooked feature but it has a significant impact on your day-to-day washing. A new trend is the small third flat rack at the top that can accommodate extra silverware, kitchen utensils and other smaller items. They are typically in addition to an upright silverware holder housed in the bottom rack. If you find yourself filling or overfilling a standard silverware holder on a regular basis, this feature will allow you to wash everything and keep things neat and tidy.
The trendy third rack provides another place to load silverware, kitchen utensils and other small items.
WhirlpoolMany dishwashers also now have adjustable racks to offer extra space to help pans and dishes fit even if they're an odd or abnormally large size. If you've ever struggled with fitting large items into your dishwasher, you should consider a model with adjustable racks.
Various dishwasher cycles and features: Do they matter?
There are dishwasher cycles that come standard on nearly every model -- normal, quick cycle, heavy-duty, delicate -- but fancier units will have even more specific cycles such as mineral-assisted wash and presoak cycle. These extra cycles can be nice to have, but I wouldn't weigh them too heavily when making a purchase decision. Ultimately, you'll be using the standard cycles far more than the niche ones.
Here's a quick guide to dishwasher cycles and when to use them.
Don't become consumed with the various cycles. You'll likely only ever use two or three.
MaytagDrying cycles: Condensation versus electric drying
Most dishwashers have one of two ways to dry dishes after a wash. Many use a condensation process, where the dishwasher uses very hot water to heat the dishes inside toward the end of the cycle. Then as the tub cools with the hot dishware, condensation will occur and water will drip off the dishes.
Other dishwashers, including some KitchenAid models, have an electric heating element to heat the air and dry dishes. This may be a more thorough way to dry the dishes, but it's also less sanitary, less energy-efficient and will melt plastic items like plastic containers that are on the bottom rack since they are so close to the heating element.
Dishwasher noise level
Dishwashers generally have more in common than they do differences, but the noise level is one area in which they vary and may affect your overall satisfaction with a particular unit. Most modern dishwashers are pretty quiet, reaching only 40 or 50 decibels. Some of the quietest models, like the Kitchenaid KDFE204KPS, have advanced technology to keep the machine as quiet as 39 decibels when running. If you look into the specs section of each model, this information should be listed clearly.
How long should a dishwasher last?
Manufacturers will tell you a dishwasher should last about 10 years, but you should expect to get a few more years out of it than that if you don't overuse the machine and take some quick steps to keep it running smoothly.
Is it worth it to buy an expensive dishwasher?
What higher prices typically get you are more racks, hidden controls, smart features, numerous cycle options and peace and quiet, not appreciably cleaner dishes, although some may get you appreciably drier dishes. Since washing dishes is one of those evergreen chores you have to constantly tackle, it may be worth splurging on the dishwasher models that offer you all the bells and whistles you want.
Should I get a dishwasher warranty?
Your dishwasher should last you about 10 years without requiring any major repairs, but a warranty is a good thing to have in case something goes wrong soon after you take it home. Most warranties from the major brands outlined here cover replacement parts and labor for one year from the date you purchased it and are designed to protect you should there be a major manufacturer flaw in your model.
It is worth noting that Maytag appliances include a generous, limited 10-year warranty that covers certain replacement parts after the first year warranty expires. Meanwhile, you can extend the efficacy and lifespan of your dishwasher by taking care of it with the help of CNET's guide on how to clean it.
Bosch vs LG dishwasher: Which one is better?
Bosch and LG both make excellent dishwashers but with different strengths. Bosch is recognized as the more reliable and durable brand overall, with high performance in cleaning and drying. LG dishwashers stand out for their smart features, modern design and slightly quieter operation. They offer Wi-Fi connectivity, app control, voice commands and LED interior lighting. Bosch is the go-to for reliability, while LG is the right choice if you prioritize smart home integration.
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