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The Best American and European Dishwashers

Originally, American dishwashers were noisy and had plastic tubs but had plenty of features. Then, in the 90s, European dishwashers like Asko, Bosch and Miele imported into the United States virtually noise free dishwashers with stainless steel tubs, but were expensive and with few features.

Now, some American dishwashers are quiet and can have stainless steel tubs. The Europeans can have features and are more aggressively priced. The main differences are:  American dishwashers have a heated dry cycle and a grinder at the bottom for leftover food while European dishwashers have a filter but tend to be quieter, more efficient and heat the water hotter.

Let's look at the best of both:

Frigidaire	Jenn-Air	Bosch	Asko	Miele

American Dishwashers:

• Frigidaire DGBD2432KF $349 in B&W $399 in stainless: This Frigidaire dishwasher is a good, solid piece with tons of features. It does actually wash the dishes but is not particularly quiet and has a plastic, not stainless, tub.
   
• Jenn-Air JDB8000AWS $699 after rebates: Jenn-Air is actually the same as KitchenAid (read this post, KitchenAid vs Jenn-Air Dishwashers). This unit has the same cycles as the KitchenAid and the same decibel rating or quietness at 49 DBs (which is good). KitchenAid has the grinder at the bottom and Jenn-Air does not. That is the real difference plus a less expensive price tag. 

European Dishwashers:

• Bosch SHE43RL5UC $699 after rebates: Bosch does sell a cheaper line of dishwashers called Ascenta, but they have plastic bottoms and lighter doors. This model, however, is a real Bosch with the main cycles, all stainless steel tub and noiseless operation.
   
• Asko D5223XXLCS $799 after $400 in rebates: Asko was actually imported into the United States before Bosch. Somehow, the company believed it was worth $1200 for a dishwasher with basic cycles. At $799, the dishwasher is competitive, with all graphite racks and all stainless steel wash arms. Asko is also extremely quiet.
   
• Miele G4205SS $1199: Miele is a company worth considering spending $1200 for a basic dishwasher (read this post, Are Miele dishwashers Really Worth It). Miele still manufactures all the components for their dishwashers except for the rollers underneath the racks, rather than outsourcing like every other manufacturer. Thus Miele dishwashers typically last far longer than any other brand. For February 11 through the 20th, we will either install a Miele free or provide a five-year warranty for no extra charge. 

If you need further information about American versus European or dishwashers in general, download our Yale Dishwasher Buying Guide.