We are writing a few articles to help you during these tough times. The focus will be on critiquing (how to buy) less expensive replacement appliances.
Less expensive does not mean without features or buying unreliable equipment.
These are reliable products. Some we do not even actively promote because many of you are reading this live outside of Boston.
Most of these appliances are mentioned in our “Best” articles. One last thing: Stay healthy.
OK, your dishwasher has stopped mid cycle, and flashing lights indicate it may be time for a new one.
A few weeks of scrubbing dishes every day has cemented the idea of the new dishwasher.
But what if you're buying for a rental, selling your place, or don't want to spend a ton of dough on a new dishwasher?
Now for some good news: You do not have to spend a fortune on a new dishwasher. There are some pretty good inexpensive dishwashers available.
In this article, you will learn the best dishwasher brands and features of a good yet inexpensive dishwasher.
Then I will show you the reliability of every major dishwasher brand based on 35,256 service calls logged by our service team just last year.
Let’s have a look at how to buy an inexpensive dishwasher.
As it turns out, you can buy an inexpensive dishwasher without sacrificing much in features. Prices range from $379 to $769. Here's what to look for:
Quiet is important, especially if you have an open kitchen close to your family room.
44 DB is quiet. You shouldn’t spend more just for quietness, BTW. You will hear a dishwasher running above 44.
Most inexpensive dishwashers are over 44 dBAs, but some are close at 46-48 DB.
You may have to sacrifice a bit of quietness for an inexpensive dishwasher, but not much.
The following is the sound difference between a 39, 44, and 55 DB dishwasher.
Dishwasher Decibel Sound Comparison [VIDEO]
There are only a few features unavailable in a lower-priced dishwasher. You will be able to buy even premium features both in washing and drying.
For washing, new features like bottle wash are available in a few models. You can have a third rack for silverware in many models as well.
Many dishwashers dry either using condensation or steam from the hot water wash and JetDry. Others have a heating element to add heat and speed the drying process.
Some of the newer features include the door popping open at the end of the cycle to remove moisture. You also now have a fan with a heating element to remove more air faster.
Once again, we will show you a few options on this list.
Stainless tubs are non-porous and more hygienic than plastic. You should clean the plastic every once in a while to remove odors. Tang works great as a cleaner.
Bosch and Samsung have “hybrid tubs” or stainless doors with a plastic tub. Hybrids are mostly plastic. They just look better on the showroom floors.
Typically, you will have better features in stainless steel and lower prices in plastic.
You can save 10-35% if you purchase your dishwasher around promotional holidays like:
When to buy is almost as important as the brand and model. Buy your appliances during these times if you can.
There is no reason to buy an inexpensive dishwasher if it isn’t reliable. The following are the most reliable dishwashers.
Most Reliable Dishwasher Brands for 2020
| Service QTY | Shipped QTY | Service Ratio | |
| Asko | 103 | 190 | 54.21% |
| Jenn-Air | 188 | 493 | 38.13% |
| Bosch Benchmark | 25 | 70 | 35.71% |
| Fisher & Paykel | 56 | 193 | 29.02% |
| Miele | 185 | 903 | 20.49% |
| Maytag | 2 | 10 | 20.00% |
| Gaggenau | 16 | 104 | 15.38% |
| Thermador | 126 | 872 | 14.45% |
| KitchenAid | 90 | 688 | 13.08% |
| Café Appliances | 3 | 25 | 12.00% |
| Bosch | 398 | 3573 | 11.14% |
| Samsung | 134 | 1297 | 10.33% |
| LG | 5 | 81 | 6.17% |
| Cove | 2 | 44 | 4.55% |
| Ge Appliances | 1 | 37 | 2.70% |
| Whirlpool | 38 | 1471 | 2.58% |
| Grand Total | 1377 | 10166 | 13.55% |
Whirlpool is mostly sold to builders. As a segment, builders require less service because some of these condos and apartments are not occupied.
Samsung, Bosch, KitchenAid, and GE are the most reliable dishwashers you can buy. Many are on this list.
Let’s look at some models.
The average selling price of a dishwasher when I started at Yale in 1986 was $399-499. This dishwasher is $379 with better features.
It has Heavy, Auto for adjusting the wash based on soil levels, Normal, an Express wash, Sanitize, and Delay/Start.
It is louder at 55 DBs and has a hybrid or plastic tub and stainless door.
This dishwasher adds high-temperature wash, the third rack for silverware, and is measurably quieter at 51 DBs.
Bosch is a great name and our best selling dishwasher. However, the Ascenta is the loudest Bosch at 50 DB. The rack is a bit shallow as well, with just basic features.
This dishwasher may be one of the best you should consider at any price. It is all stainless steel.
It has a couple of unique features as well. The Storm Wash cycle is a concentrated wash to clean heavily baked-on dishes like lasagna and other casserole pans.
The dishwasher pops open at the end of the cycle to speed drying as well. It is almost quiet at 48 DBs as well.
GE has almost every feature as well. This is a great dishwasher for bottles with a special bottle wash spray on the top rack.
You have a fan-assist dry as well. At 46 DBs, this dishwasher is close to being considered quiet.
At $769, you may not consider this inexpensive. However, the price can be as low as $649. There are also installation deals of $100-150 off as well, so it depends on when you buy it.
That said, KitchenAid is another dishwasher to seriously consider at any price. You have every major cycle plus bottle wash on the top rack and fan assist drying.
At 39 DB, it is the quietest dishwasher on this list and one of the quietest dishwashers you can buy under $1500.
Every dishwasher on this list has the most used cycles. A few of these have more premium dishwasher options like Bottle Wash or StormWash.
But here is how you can choose the best dishwasher for your home.
First, you want to buy around promotional holidays. A few manufacturers promote heavily around major holidays like Samsung and Whirlpool brands like KitchenAid.
Noisier dishwashers are typically cheaper.
That said, you want quiet, but don’t pay a ton of money for any dishwasher quieter than 44 dBAs alone. You can settle at 46-48 dBA and still buy a relatively quiet dishwasher.
After quiet, its features and stainless versus plastic tubs.
However, cheap should not be and doesn’t have to be unreliable. With the sorry state of appliance repair, always check reliability as well as quietness and features.
Additional Resources
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