The Best Dishwashers for 2026: Miele, Bosch, Café and Whirlpool Compared
By Claire Whitmore. Last updated October 2026.
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A great dishwasher does more than clean. It runs so quietly you forget it’s on, its racks fit your awkward serving pieces, it dries without leaving puddles in every cup, and it keeps working for well over a decade. Prices now run from about $650 to more than $4,000. The extra money buys some of those things, but not all of them.
Our picks draw on Wirecutter’s September 2026 update, which stress-tested more than 40 dishwashers since 2022 and 11 in 2026; Consumer Reports’ lab ratings and reliability surveys; and Yale Appliance’s 2025 service data, drawn from 33,190 service calls. We haven’t tested these machines ourselves. Prices are from retailer listings at the time of writing and change often, so check before you buy.
Quick answer: the Miele G5008 is the dishwasher to buy for most kitchens that can stretch to about $1,600. The Miele G7216 is the upgrade if you want the fastest, cleanest results. Get the Bosch 800 Series if dry plastics matter most to you, the Café CDT888 if you want a dishwasher that matches a designer kitchen, and the Whirlpool WDTA50 if you’d rather keep it under $700.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick | Best for | Noise | Approx. price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miele G5008 | Best overall | 44 dB | About $1,599 |
| Miele G7216 | Best cleaning, upgrade pick | 42 to 43 dB | About $1,999 |
| Bosch 800 Series (SHX78CM5N) | Drying plastics | About 42 dB | About $1,259 to $1,399 |
| Café CDT888 | Designer looks, customizable finishes | 39 dB | About $1,755 |
| Whirlpool WDTA50 | Best under $700 | 47 dB | About $649 |
*Prices from Wirecutter’s and Yale Appliance’s buying links at the time of writing. Appliance prices move often.
The best dishwashers
1. Miele G5008: best overall
Best for: most households that want quiet, reliable, consistently clean dishes.
Wirecutter’s top pick is Miele’s entry-level model, and it is an excellent cleaner whatever detergent you use. Its sensor-driven Quick cycle, about an hour long, was one of the best hour-long cycles Wirecutter tested. It cleared baked egg, grease splatter and tomato juice, and only the pricier G7216 did better in that time. Even the messiest loads rarely took more than two and a half hours.
It holds 16 place settings, with a height-adjustable middle rack, a third rack for utensils and ramekins, and a fold-down stemware shelf. The front panel uses raised physical buttons, which Wirecutter found easier to use than touch controls. At 44 decibels it’s library-quiet, and it carries a two-year parts-and-labor warranty when most rivals offer one. Miele also had the highest owner satisfaction in Wirecutter’s reader survey, and Yale’s 2025 service data puts the brand’s service rate at 5.6%, the lowest it tracks.
Pros
- Excellent, fast cleaning
- Two-year warranty
- Very quiet
- Simple physical buttons
Cons
- Doesn’t dry plastic well (condensation drying)
- Plates load facing forward, which some people dislike
- One finish only
- Mostly sold through appliance dealers
2. Miele G7216: best cleaning performance
Best for: people who run the dishwasher often and want spotless results in under 90 minutes.
The G7000 series was “hands-down the most effective cleaner” Wirecutter tested. Its 58-minute QuickIntenseWash was the only hour-long cycle that consistently produced a pristine load, and with Express Mode and a good detergent it cleared baked-on egg in less than 90 minutes, which no other machine managed.
The door pops open automatically at the end of the cycle to speed drying, plastics included. The third rack is deep enough for ladles, and the bottom rack’s forward-facing plate slots make it obvious when dishes are crowded. At about 42 decibels Wirecutter could barely tell it was running. Expect to pay about $400 more than the G5008. If you want Wi-Fi, the G 7266 SCVi is the connected version, and the panel-ready G 7986 SCVi (about $3,700) adds interior lighting, knock-to-open and AutoDos detergent dosing.
Pros
- Best cleaning in testing
- Auto-open door helps drying
- Among the quietest
- Strong reliability record
Cons
- Expensive
- No Wi-Fi on this model
- Miele service can be thin in some areas
3. Bosch 800 Series (SHX78CM5N): best for drying plastics
Best for: households that hand-wash food-storage containers because nothing else dries them.
Bosch’s CrystalDry system uses the mineral zeolite, which absorbs moisture and releases heat, to dry dishes. Yale Appliance calls Bosch the only brand whose system reliably dries plastic, and names the 800 Series its pick for most kitchens. It’s also very quiet, around 40 to 42 decibels depending on the model.
Wirecutter is more reserved. It found the 800 Series an above-average choice with excellent cycles and good drying, but its new PowerControl feature, which lets you aim the spray arm at a dirty corner, didn’t noticeably improve cleaning. It also found the touch controls on newer Bosch models finicky. If drying plastics is your main complaint, though, this is the one to get.
Pros
- Best plastic drying
- Very quiet
- Widely available and serviced
- Good value for the performance
Cons
- PowerControl targeting didn’t help in Wirecutter’s tests
- Touch-sensitive controls
- Didn’t outclean the Mieles
4. Café CDT888: best for a designer kitchen
Best for: kitchens where the dishwasher is on show and needs to match the range and fridge.
Café, GE’s design-led brand, lets you choose from three exterior finishes, six hardware finishes and two handle styles, the most customization of any dishwasher Wirecutter recommends. A fourth platinum-glass version uses a pocket handle. It’s not just a pretty face either: it cleared oatmeal, avocado, burnt casserole and scorched milk in testing.
At 39 decibels it was the quietest of Wirecutter’s picks. It holds 16 place settings and adds bottle jets for narrow glasses and baby bottles, an interior light, and SmartHQ app control. It’s Energy Star certified and made in the U.S., which helps with parts and service. The downsides are long cycles (up to four hours with extra drying) and a one-year warranty.
Pros
- Most customizable look
- Whisper-quiet
- Bottle jets and interior light
- U.S.-made, easy to service
Cons
- Long cycles with extra dry
- Standard one-year warranty
5. Whirlpool WDTA50: best under $700
Best for: budget-minded buyers who still want a stainless tub and a third rack.
The WDTA50 was the best dishwasher Wirecutter tested that regularly sells for under $700. It beat several pricier models at crusty casserole dishes, batter-coated spatulas and glasses coated in Bloody Mary mix. It has a full stainless steel tub, rare at this price, plus a third rack and collapsible tines on the middle and lower racks.
It uses a heating element, so plastics come out dry. Whirlpool also offers a 10-year warranty on the racks and tub. The trade-offs are that its best cycles often run over three hours, it’s the loudest of these picks at 47 decibels (still quieter than a refrigerator, Wirecutter notes), it holds only 13 place settings, and it isn’t Energy Star certified.
Pros
- Excellent cleaning for the money
- Stainless tub and third rack
- Heated drying for plastics
- 10-year rack and tub warranty
Cons
- Long cycles
- 13 place settings
- Not Energy Star certified
Other dishwashers worth a look
- KitchenAid KDFS324SPS: Yale Appliance’s value pick under $1,000, at 41 dB.
- JennAir JDAF5924RL: a fully integrated, 38 dB model with a floor countdown light, about $2,200. Wirecutter says it’s worth it mainly if you’re matching other JennAir appliances.
- Café double-drawer dishwasher: lets small households run half loads, though cycle times aren’t shorter.
- Miele G5482 (18-inch): Wirecutter’s pick if you need a narrow dishwasher, about $1,700.
How to choose a dishwasher
Most good dishwashers clean well with a quality detergent and rinse aid. What separates them is how they handle tough loads, how they dry, how easy they are to load, and how long they last.
- Drying method. Mieles and most Bosch models use condensation or zeolite drying rather than a heating element. That saves energy but can leave water on plastic. Miele’s auto-open door and Bosch’s CrystalDry help. Heated drying (Whirlpool, Maytag) leaves plastics driest.
- Noise. Wirecutter says about 45 decibels is practically silent and 55 starts to be bothersome. Stainless tubs are usually quieter than plastic ones. Manufacturer ratings are averages over the whole cycle, so take them as a rough guide.
- Racks. Look for a height-adjustable middle rack, a third rack and fold-down tines. Bring your largest platter and stemware measurements when you shop.
- Cycle time. Efficiency rules mean longer cycles. If you run the dishwasher more than once a day, a model that cleans well in about an hour (the Mieles) is worth paying for.
- Reliability and service. Check that an authorized technician covers your area before buying a European brand. Yale’s data also shows most leaks and drain problems come down to installation, not the brand.
- Panel-ready vs. stainless. Panel-ready models accept a cabinet front for a built-in look, but the panel is an extra cost and you’ll need a cabinetmaker.
Is a luxury dishwasher worth it?
Often, yes, because you’ll use it nearly every day for 10 to 15 years. The jump from a $650 Whirlpool to a $1,600 Miele buys faster cycles, lower noise, a longer warranty and a strong reliability record. The jump from there to a $3,700-plus flagship mostly buys features like interior lighting, automatic detergent dosing and a fully integrated look.
Wirecutter also points out that any modern dishwasher saves water compared with hand-washing, which uses between 9 and 27 gallons. The Miele G5008 uses under 4 gallons in any cycle. So skip pre-rinsing and let the machine do its job.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Pre-rinsing. Sensors use soil levels to set the cycle. Scrape plates, but don’t rinse them.
- Skipping rinse aid. It makes a big difference to drying, especially with condensation-dry models.
- Ignoring the filter. Even low-maintenance filters need a rinse about once a month.
- Assuming any installer is fine. Poor installation causes most leaks. Use an experienced installer and check the level and drain loop.
- Overcrowding. Water has to reach every surface. Leave gaps between plates and bowls.
FAQ
Which dishwasher brand is most reliable?
Miele, by most measures. Wirecutter’s reader survey found it had the highest owner satisfaction, and Yale Appliance’s 2025 service data gives it a 5.6% service rate, the lowest it tracks. Bosch and Whirlpool also have good reputations.
Why do my plastics come out wet?
Plastic doesn’t hold heat the way glass and ceramic do, so condensation drying leaves water behind. Use rinse aid, unload the bottom rack first, or choose a dishwasher with heated drying, zeolite drying (Bosch CrystalDry) or an auto-open door.
How quiet should a dishwasher be?
Around 44 dB or lower is very quiet. In an open-plan kitchen, aim for the low 40s. All of our picks except the Whirlpool are 44 dB or below.
Should I get Wi-Fi?
It’s optional. Apps let you start a cycle remotely or get alerts, but they don’t improve cleaning. Wirecutter’s top pick doesn’t have it.
The bottom line
The Miele G5008 is the dishwasher we’d buy for most kitchens: quick, quiet, very clean and built to last. Step up to the Miele G7216 for the best cleaning available. Pick the Bosch 800 Series if wet plastics drive you crazy, the Café CDT888 if looks come first, and the Whirlpool WDTA50 if you want a great machine for under $700.
