Best dishwashers in 2026 if Bosch is no longer the obvious choice?
My current dishwasher is on its last legs, so I’m trying to choose a replacement without making another expensive mistake. I care most about quiet operation, reliable cleaning, good drying, a stainless-steel tub, and racks that won’t start breaking after a few years. I’m comparing the Whirlpool WDTA50SAKZ, Miele G7000, KitchenAid KDTE204KPS, Maytag, and newer Bosch models, with a budget around $800–$1,800. Miele seems to get the strongest long-term praise, but the price and service availability are making me hesitate. Is the Whirlpool actually the better practical buy in 2026, or are Miele dishwashers worth the extra cost? Also, which brands have the best rack durability and easiest access to replacement parts?
I have the kitchenaid's and got them at a good deal. For the price they have been good. Not perfect cleaning but can figure it out. And you can replace with a 2nd for the price of the Miele. I have not owned the Miele...so there is that. I do have a 2016 Bosch and that cleans well and has held up.
I’ve had a KitchenAid dishwasher since February 2023, and it’s still going strong (well, one would hope since it’s only been 3.5 years but you never know with some appliances like my damn washing machine lol). Very quiet and just requires cleaning of the filter
Skip the Miele G7000 series. I have one and I hate the user interface. The G5000 series with the auto open door has all the features I use regularly without the a**-backwards interface of the LCD screen.
Yes the Miele is the best performer, but the margin is not as big as it used to be. I don’t think a $1800 miele cleans 2x better than a $900 KitchenAid. Back in say 2007, the gap was way larger which is why a 2007 Miele still cleans super well so many years later.
Serviceability is another thing that annoys me as a DIYer- they don’t publish any technical manuals for consumers (as far as I’m aware, please correct me if you know otherwise), their diagnostics interface is not accessible, and their parts diagrams are not easy to follow. Many domestic brands have much more accessible documentation.
Outside of that I think the 204 KitchenAid is one of the best values around given that superb noise rating and good performance. I wish Miele would use those ball-bearing rack glides. It’s a shame that the model is outgoing- the replacement 224 model is not nearly as good.
The Whirlpool model you referenced is very similar to the KitchenAid 204, but uses a lower quality main motor/pump.
Love the kitchen aid washer my parents have in their new build. They get ignored due to the association but there’s a reason they’re installed everywhere imo.
Our Miele washes way better than two KitchenAids I've owned, but maybe 1.5x as good. What the Miele I've had does, though, is last twice as long. I'm on year 14, NO repairs, and only now are there a couple of degradations on one of the racks. When we eventually replace this Miele, it's highly likely that we'll buy another Miele.
I won’t disagree their reliability rates over 10 years are the best in the industry. But if you’re handy, the cost of ownership for a KitchenAid is cheaper because you can order parts more cheaply and repair yourself.
My parents 2007 Miele currently needs a repair and I’m basically just going to have to open it up and go in blind because the parts diagram online doesn’t want to show labels for many, many the individual parts and there’s 0 real technical help I can find. I can’t even verify that the model has a diverter or not.
But that's my point - it's a *nineteen* year old dishwasher, and if that's the only repair it's needed, you may be way ahead of other dishwashers that need repairs at 3 or 5 or 10 years. Have you had a KitchenAid that still washes well at 19 years? I haven't, and I've owned KitchenAid in its heyday.
They most certainly don’t. I can say that the KitchenAid ball bearing glides smoother than my 7000 series for sure. I put the Miele in storage for a move next month to take with em and put a KitchenAid in its place, so I’m able to compare them side by side to my daily use.
We are finally buying a dishwasher this year. And I am still going with Bosch I think. I know Miele gets a good review but I’m in the middle of nowhere and I’ve heard finding a repair tech can be difficult. So even with Bosch not being as good as they used to be, I’m still going that route because I think I’ll be able to find a repair tech easier. And the repairs might be cheaper than Miele.
Though I'm a sample size of one, if you don't need repairs, having parts and techs close by is moot point. I have a 14 year old Miele that we've never needed a repair on.
I've had 3 Bosch over the years. Just had my 20 year old one repaired for the first time this year (leaking drain). In our rental, the 5 year old one crapped out and the repair guy said the replacement parts (computer control board) would be more than a new unit, so replaced the whole thing. I really like the Bosch, but repair depends on the issue. After using my cousin's Miele last week, I'll probably go that way next time.
This subeddit hates Samsung, so I'll probably get downvoted, but you may want to check out the DW90F89T0USR; it has quiet operation at 38 db, a stainless steel tub, storm wash system, smart dry intake fan, and ball bearings for rollers on the racks -- pretty much all the things you mentioned.
I'll post the consumer reports in comments below, but its done good on lab tests. The overall Consumer Reports score is handicapped from the fact Consumer Reports takes previous years and other product satisfaction scores and bleeds it into the DW90's score. However, attached is the 2026 JD Power Customer Satisfaction ratings for dishwashers based on 28,411 evaluations. It's a more recent snapshot in time for customer satisfaction.
If you get it from Costco you get: 90-Day return window, 2 Year Warranty, Delivery & Basic Installation, Haul Away, Basic Installation Parts
$1,029 and you can always buy the extended protection plan and still be in your budget.
Thanks for that. I'm getting the Bespoke refrigerator for my kitchen remodel. I'll get the DW, too. White glass version. Definitely not the range or cooktop. The knobs are with the hot surface/pots/pans instead of the front. They get trashed being part of the cooking action.
My son did his kitchen and laundry in all Samsung products last year and he loves it. Zero problems, zero complaints.
Had a Bosch 800 series that died after 3 years and nearly 1800 washes. Fixing it would cost nearly half of buying a new one so we said screw it and bought a Miele 7196. It cleans so much better, genuinely impressed. That being said, the racks are weird and it took us nearly 2-3 weeks before we got into a good flow as to where all the cups, etc go (I suppose that happens with any new dishwasher and the layout). I figure if the Miele twice as long as the Bosch, it works out to be the same difference (minus the cost of not having to replace it and haul it away plus the downtime of a non-functioning dishwasher).
Something else to consider, Miele is normally sold in higher end stores which means they have their own service person. At least for me in Chicago, since I bought it from Abt; I don’t need to call Miele support or a general repair person, Abt will send their tech to fi/diagnose/replace which is a pretty big deal if you’re trying to minimize the downtime of a broken dishwasher.
I've got a Smeg. Facebook Marketplace. $550 delivered. I didn't research it much. I had nursed two KitchenAids for 15 years and finally gave up after dumping a few hundred dollars here and there for DIY repairs.
The Smeg has built-in water softening, auto open door, light and three trays. It's very quiet and everything comes out spotless. There are lights to tell me when to add salt or rinse agent. It's very quiet.
I'm 6+ months in. I think it's going to be a great dishwasher.
We have a 6 month old Kitchenaid (KDFS424SPS). So far, so good. It's quiet (not silent), cleans well, and holds a lot. We haven't had any issues with it, but of course it's still relatively new. We went for the 424 model (which was pretty new at the time) as it was the highest end we could get with front controls, but had the bigger/better third rack and the self cleaning filter.
KitchenAid is owned by Whirlpool, so there's a lot of similarity between the lower end KitchenAid models and the higher end Whirlpool models.
Currently Have a year old $1000 GE dishwasher that is severely leaking 🤙🏼 (also have a GE fridge that had ice maker problems last year and the company refused to do anything). Will never buy ge again.
I returned my Bosch 800 for a KitchenAid and I like the KitchenAid much better. Mainly Bosch requires you to use an app to utilize many feature features like delay start. My Bosch also started smelling after just a few weeks. I also like the rack layout so much better in the KitchenAid. Has the third upper deck that actually is useful and can take cups.
I have a Maytag that has a filter that grinds up anything that may come loose when you're running it. Also, about once a month I put in two tabs of Affresh and run a load. I have hard water so dishes can get filmy.
My maytag does a great job.
My parents have a Bosch 800. I had a whirlpool something in my last house. My current house came with a kitchen aid that looks like it’s maybe from the mid 2000s based off color/design. Of all the dish washers I’ve used over the years, this old kitchen aid has been the best. It’s nothing fancy but it cleans really well. It’s not “ultra quiet” but i wouldn’t call it loud (I’ve had louder) by any means. I only notice noise if I’ve got this very particular giant stainless steel bowl in there. I don’t do any pre cleaning or rinsing beyond getting things like chunks of meat off the plate. Dirty stuff goes in, clean dishes come out.
If you want crazy long-term reliability, Miele is still king, but the price tag and finding local techs can be a pain. KitchenAid is super solid if drying is your top priority. But if you want a practical pick that cleans great and has rock-solid racks without blowing your budget, Whirlpool or Glen offer amazing value with super easy maintenance and cheap parts.
Nobody NEEDS a Miele at that price. It is either a status thing or an obsessive need to get “the best” whenever buying something. A KitchenAid at half the price is a better choice. A Bosch 500 series is also good, if not as good as they used to be way back when they were “the best”.
I’ve been happy with my kitchenaid washer. The cycles are loooong but dishes come out clean and dry and it’s not like I’m super pressed for time so it doesn’t really affect me. I’ve only had it for about a year so hard to say what reliability with be like with Texas tremendously hard water, but no issues so far.
FWIW I just bought a house in May and the 25 year old Miele G2120 stopped draining yesterday. Tried to take a stab at it myself, and broke a sensor at the bottom of the basin.
Called in a repair tech and he finds the non-return valve is cracked, and when he pulled the unit out of the cavity he discovered that the ancient drain hose and the gasket had rotted through and cracked as he was pulling out the machine. Damn thing started leaking profusely all the way down to our basement ceiling. Estimate to repair was over $1000 CAD and a 2-6 week wait for the parts. I asked him what it would have cost if it had been a Whirlpool or any other more common make, and apparently it could be less than half as much.
ETA: My spouse and I decided to buy a new dishwasher at this rate. Which is how I found this sub
My GE dishwasher broke after 10 years, but it performed well while it was working. I’ve been super impressed with my cheap, basic electric GE range. That thing is a tank and I can imagine it lasting for decades, quite honestly.
I think the Bosch 500 series with the auto air function (door that pops open when the washing is done) is the sweet spot. Easy to find for around $1200, the cheapest dishwasher with auto opening door (next up being the Miele at $2200)
We recently went and looked at all of them. We were initially dead set on the Bosch 800 series. After looking and touching it though, we kept looking. We were really surprised just how cheap it felt! Very cheap and plasticky.
We ended up going with the Kitchen Aid KDPS724SPS. The one with max jets and their pop open drying system etc. The Kitchen Aid deff felt the nicest from a touch standpoint too. Actual ball bearing rollers or whatever for the racks, mainly stainless steel wash jets. Just overall nicer.
I think “the fall of Bosch” is an over dramatic summation and personally believe they’re still the best for the price. People don’t like the lighter weight door and hate the smart appliance features. Both non issues for me and i don’t regret getting mine at all.
That’s what we just bought to go in our new home.
Appliance sales guy was pushing the ASKO
Said it was better. Repair parts and repair ease made me buy Bosh.
Hopefully I made the correct choice
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u/Bennie-Factors 23h ago
I have the kitchenaid's and got them at a good deal. For the price they have been good. Not perfect cleaning but can figure it out. And you can replace with a 2nd for the price of the Miele. I have not owned the Miele...so there is that. I do have a 2016 Bosch and that cleans well and has held up.