Your dishwasher, when it's working well, is a workhorse in the kitchen you hardly think about. You load it with dirty dishes and it quickly turns them sparkling clean. When your dishwasher doesn't work well, though, it's a daily annoyance of pre-washing (and re-washing!) and drying dishes, glassware, cookware and more. If you're doing the work for your dishwasher, that's when you know it's time for a new one.
At the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we continually test new dishwashers as they come to market to find which ones perform best. Every machine is tested exactly the same way and our tests are adapted from industry-standard methods for more reliable results. In our most recent test, it took us four months (and over 374 hours) to test 17 dishwashers.
How we test dishwashers
In our tests, we measure the capacity of all the racks and trays, and evaluate how easy each dishwasher is to use, load, and program. Prior to testing the cleaning performance of various cycles, we soil cookware and dishes, glassware, and flatware uniformly to check how well each machine removes baked-on, dried-on, burned-on mac and cheese, hamburger, oatmeal, egg yolk, milk and more.
We follow the manufacturer’s loading guidelines and use the same detergent in each machine to wash our dirty cookware, dishes, cups, glasses and flatware on multiple cycles. Post-cleaning, we examine and score every item for any specks of soil that remain and check the glasses for spots and leftover film in a special light box. We also assess and rate each appliance for energy efficiency and sound. Below are the dishwashers that tested best in our Lab, or updated versions of the same models we've previously tested.
Here are the most reliable dishwashers we recommend in 2020:
Best Overall Dishwasher: Miele AutoDos G7566 Smart Dishwasher
Best Value Dishwasher: Frigidaire Gallery 24” Built-in Dishwasher with EvenDry
Best Innovative Dishwasher: Miele AutoDos G7316 Dishwasher
Best Smart Dishwasher: LG Smart Dishwasher with QuadWash and TrueSteam
Best Dishwasher for Avid Home Cooks: KitchenAid Top Control Built-In Dishwasher
Best Dishwasher for Big Messes: Kenmore Elite Built-in Dishwasher
Best Dishwasher for Small Kitchens: Miele Fully-integrated 18-inch Dishwasher
Best Dishwasher for Bulky Dishes: GE Profile Smart Dishwasher with Hidden Controls
Best Countertop Dishwasher: Farberware Professional Compact Portable Countertop Dishwasher
Best Dishwasher for Plastics: Bosch 800 Series Dishwasher with CrystalDry
BEST OVERALL DISHWASHER
AutoDos G7566 Smart Dishwasher
MIELE
MIELE
ajmadison.com
$2,299.00
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This Miele Dishwasher with its top hidden controls is not only stylish and beautiful to look at, but more importantly, a real workhorse when it comes to cleaning, and its innovative features make it easy to use. The AutoDos system works with Miele’s PowerDisk, which dispenses the correct amount of cleaning powder for the cycle, and lasts for up to 20 washes – no need to remember to add cleaner each time.
The dishwasher is very easy to load with its adjustable racks and shelves, fold-down tines, and padded stemware grips. The top 3D cutlery tray not only keeps flatware from nesting for better cleaning, but is deep enough to even hold small bowls and ramekins, and slides from side to side to provide more headroom for tall stemware in the rack below it. Its QuickIntenseWash cycle can clean a very heavily-soiled load in under one hour. The control panel is clear and easy to navigate.
All these performance features translate to energy savings, too: This Miele is equipped with an EcoStart feature that allows you to program the dishwasher to run when utility rates are lowest and an EcoTech Heat Exchanger that captures heat already in the dishwasher and transfers it to the incoming water, so it isn't wasted. The dishwasher is smart, too. It works remotely with the Miele app. Any wonder it’s earned our Good Housekeeping Seal?
Model # G 7566 SCVi SF
Excellent cleaning performance
Interior LED lights
Energy Star certified
Pricey
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BEST VALUE DISHWASHER
Gallery Dishwasher
FRIGIDAIRE
FRIGIDAIRE
bestbuy.com
$584.99
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Frigidaire appliances are always very good performers and considered easy to use in GH Cleaning Lab tests, and like others we've featured, this Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher is a steal. At a super low price, you get a machine that not only cleans and dries well, but comes with lots of high-end extras, too. The control panel is hidden for a sleek look, is very clear and easy to use, and includes a "favorite cycle" that, once programmed, selects your preferred cycle and options with just one touch. Only have few items? This dishwasher offers the option to wash half loads in either the top or bottom racks for greater energy savings.
Nice perks at this price include a fingerprint-resistant stainless steel front, cushioned stemware holders, adjustable water pressure for the type and soil of the load, an NSF-certified sanitize option, and because it's so quiet a light beam that projects on the floor to let you know when the cycle's complete. What keeps this model so reasonably priced is its plastic (vs. stainless steel) inner tub and the lack of a top-tier flatware and cutlery tray.
Model # FGID2476SF
Well-priced
Fingerprint-resistant stainless steel front
Hidden controls
Energy Star certified
Plastic tub
No third rack for flatware
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BEST INNOVATIVE DISHWASHER
Smart Dishwasher with AutoDos
MIELE
MIELE
ajmadison.com
$1,899.00
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Unlike any dishwasher we have ever seen, this Miele model automatically dispenses the correct amount of detergent into the dishwasher based on the cycle you've selected and the amount of soil it senses in the load with a "PowerDisk" of powdered detergent and rinse aid that you place into a special dispenser. Each PowerDisk comes pre-loaded with 20 washes worth of detergent, so there's no need to measure or add detergent each time you run a cycle. And Miele's detergent is a top performer in Good Housekeeping Cleaning Lab tests, too.
But, that's not all. This dishwasher is also smart in other ways. You can start, stop, and monitor it wirelessly from your smart phone and get an alert when the Power Disk is running low or even order more disks right from the app. Don't want to go automatic? No worries. This dishwasher takes regular gel, powder or tablet detergent, too.
This dishwasher has all the loading and cycle bells and whistles we love on all the Miele dishwashers that carry our Good Housekeeping Seal, like energy efficiency, fingerprint-resistant stainless steel and a QuickIntense cycle that cleans a load in under one hour. Plus, the top tier rack is now extra deep to hold a wider variety of small items and the fold-down cup shelves in the top rack have flip-up dividers to better keep small items in place. Genius!
Model # G 7316 SCU
Energy Star certified
Automatically dispenses detergent
Pricey
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BEST SMART DISHWASHER
Smart Dishwasher with QuadWash and TrueSteam
LG
LG
homedepot.com
$1,199.00
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This innovative model has four lower spray arms (compared to most models, which have two, hence the name QuadWash) that spin and pivot with the pressure of the water, so they direct water toward the corners to reach every inch of every dish. LG’s TrueSteam technology fills the tub with steam in the pre-wash and main wash portions of the cycle for better cleaning of crusty, baked-on soils and to help eliminate water spotting. Or, use it to more gently clean on load of delicate crystal that needs freshening. Easy to load, this model includes both a top tier tray and a separate flatware basket in the bottom rack and we like that it has a heating element for better drying.
The LG's Smart Diagnosis app allows you to download extra cycles onto the machine (!) and is made to problem-solve in the event of any issues, like if your dishwasher won't start. It will also alert you via smartphone, Alexa, or Google Assistant when the cycle is complete. LG dishwashers do so well in our tests that our Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen uses this same model and gives it a real workout.
Model # LDT7808BD
Uses steam to improve cleaning performance
Comes in black stainless and regular stainless
Energy Star certified
May not hold as much as others
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BEST DISHWASHER FOR AVID HOME COOKS
Built-In Dishwasher with Stainless Steel Tub
KITCHENAID
KITCHENAID
bestbuy.com
$1,199.99
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This KitchenAid has a large third rack that is adjustable to fit glasses and bowls and a removable utensil tray for cooking tools which, together with the adjustable middle rack to accommodate tall items like platters or a stand mixer bowl, make it a great pick for frequent home cooks. Its Clean Water Wash System circulates clean water to all three racks, and its quiet operation lets you use it at any time – or program it to start later to fit your schedule or take advantage of lower utility rates.
This dishwasher is uncomplicated and easy to program with only five key cycles and six options – ideal for busy cooks in a hurry. And we like the additional dry options for better results on plastics and to achieve spot-free glassware. Top controls add to its clean look, and whether you choose the stainless steel or black finish, both resist smudges and fingerprints and need only water and a soft cloth to clean.
Model # KDTM604KPS
Stainless steel interior
Adjustable third rack
Easy to program
No interior light
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BEST DISHWASHER FOR BIG MESSES
Elite Dishwasher with Active Finish
KENMORE
KENMORE
kmart.com
$1,149.99
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The Kenmore Elite dishwasher is a great cleaning machine with top-mounted controls that are intuitive and straightforward to use. It has SmartDry Plus for better drying results, top- and bottom-only washing to save energy when cleaning smaller loads, and perhaps the most helpful of all, TurboZone, in which rear jets on the lower rack blast super-dirty dishes with a forceful spray that obliterates baked-on foods. Extra jets along the sides and back target items in the top rack.
The dishwasher is easy to load and comes with both a top-tier shelf for flatware and an optional flatware basket that splits into three sections for more flexible placement in the bottom rack. The inside tub is stainless steel and the front panel is a fingerprint-resistant stainless steel lookalike. We use two identical models of this hardworking Kenmore in our busy Cleaning Lab for our dishwasher detergent testing and they couldn't look better.
Model # 14815
Fingerprint resistant front
Targeted jets for cleaning baked-on soils
Offers top- or bottom-only wash options
May not hold as much as others
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BEST DISHWASHER FOR SMALL KITCHENS
Fully-Integrated 18-inch Dishwasher
MIELE
MIELE
ajmadison.com
$1,499.00
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Just because your space may be limited, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style or cleaning efficiency. While we haven’t tested this exact model, Miele dishwashers always top our tests for performance and ease of use and this mini has many of the same features its bigger siblings do and many extras you don't find on other narrow models.
It has a third tier flatware tray, a delay start cycle, a speedy QuickIntenseWash cycle to clean loads in under one hour, hidden controls, a door that automatically opens at the end of the cycle for better drying and even the ability to accept a custom panel, so it seamlessly blends into your kitchen.
Model # G 4780 SCVi AM
Sleek look for a mini machine
High end features, cycles, and design
Small capacity
Pricey for its size
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BEST DISHWASHER FOR BULKY ITEMS
Smart Dishwasher with Hidden Controls
GE
GE PROFILE
homedepot.com
$1,187.00
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This is an updated version of the previous GE model we tested and it boasts the same great features and then some. It still has innovative bottle jets to clean hard-to-reach interiors of water bottles, baby bottles, vases, and more. But now, special deep clean silverware jets send blasts of water up through the flatware basket for better removal of stuck-on food and with the basket’s large openings chunky flatware fits right in.
At just 39 decibels, it's among the quietest dishwashers we've tested. Stainless steel inside and out (It's fingerprint-resistant!), this model offers steam for better and more gentle cleaning, a 12-hour delay wash option, Wi-fi connectivity, and a bottom flatware basket (in addition to the third tier tray) that separates for easier loading.
This new model has an app that allows you to monitor cycle status, check rinse aid levels and automatically reorder detergent from your mobile device. One thing we love about GE is that the tines in the lower rack are spaced far enough apart to easily accommodate curved and deep plates that don’t fit in other machines in our tests.
Model # PDT785SYNFS
Wide spaces between tines for deeper plates
Energy Star certified
Has special jets for cleaning deep items
Has a hard-food disposer for grinding tough items, like pits
May not hold a much as others
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BEST COUNTERTOP DISHWASHER
Professional Compact Portable Countertop Dishwasher
FARBERWARE
amazon.com
$299.99
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If the only space you've got to dedicate to a dishwasher is a bit of counter space, this Farberware is a great choice. It sports sleek LED digital touch controls and offers a wide assortment of features and options that rival some full-size models we've tested. It's got seven wash cycles — including a 45-minute speed wash and a baby care cycle for bottles and other baby items — and there's even a self clean cycle to keep the inside of the dishwasher free of deposits and hard w
reference
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/appliances/dishwasher-reviews/g1513/best-dishwasher-reviews/
https://infotainmentbeats.com/