Best Dishwasher: How to Choose by Size and Features

The best dishwasher for your kitchen is the one that fits the opening, loads the way you cook and dries the way you expect. This guide goes through the features that separate one model from another, in the order most people weigh them, and shows models to compare on our storefront.

How we chose what to show

We did not rank brands or test machines ourselves. Every model below is here because it shows one of the features in this guide, and every fact on a card comes from the maker's own product page. Ask for the spec sheet of the exact model before you order. For more planning help, see our appliance planning guides.

Fit first: the 24-inch opening

Most kitchens have a standard opening for a 24-inch built-in dishwasher, and the models below are all that format. Height and depth vary by a fraction of an inch from one model to the next, so measure your opening and compare it with the maker's sheet. Our dishwasher sizes guide covers the 18-inch format and how to measure.

Dishwashers for small kitchens, condos and apartments

In a small kitchen the first question is the width of the opening. Bosch presents its 18-inch dishwashers as a space-saving option for small apartments and tiny kitchens, and says they offer flexible loading capacity without giving up Bosch features or wash quality; its page lists a width of 45 cm. A narrower tub holds less per load, so compare capacity on the spec sheet for the exact model. Our dishwasher sizes guide covers the narrow format and how to measure, and our drawers compared with a standard dishwasher guide covers drawer formats.

Front controls or top controls

Front controls sit on the face of the door, so you can see the cycle and the time left at a glance. Top controls sit on the top edge of the door and disappear when it closes, for a cleaner front. Neither washes differently; it is a choice about how the kitchen looks.

• LG

  Front Control Dishwasher

  Model LDFN4542S

  • Controls on the front of the door.
  • QuadWash and a 3rd rack, per LG.
  View it on our storefront

• LG

  24 Inch Smart Top Control Dishwasher with 1-Hour Wash & Dry, QuadWash Pro, TrueSteam, and Dynamic Heat Dry

  Model LDTH7972D

  • 1-Hour Wash & Dry cycle.
  • QuadWash Pro and TrueSteam.
  View it on our storefront

Racks and wash arms

• Third rack. A shallow top rack for utensils and small items frees the lower racks for plates and pans.
• Adjustable upper rack. A rack that raises and lowers makes room for tall glasses above or tall pots below.
• Wash arms. More spray arms, or arms that reach more angles, are how makers address the corners of the tub. LG calls its system QuadWash.

Drying

Dishwashers dry in a few ways: a heating element, a fan, condensation on a cooled tub wall, or a door that opens itself at the end of the cycle to let steam out. Plastic items tend to hold water after a cycle, so if most of your load is plastic containers, look at how the maker says the model dries. Bosch describes its drying system on its model pages; ask our team for the Miele spec sheets too.

• Bosch

  800 Series Dishwasher 24''

  Model SHP78CM5N

  • 24-inch built-in dishwasher, per Bosch.
  • Anti-fingerprint stainless steel finish.
  View it on our storefront

Best dishwasher brands: what each maker builds

People who search for the best dishwasher brands usually want a ranking. We do not rank brands: the right machine depends on your opening, your load and your kitchen, and a maker's page cannot settle that. What we can do is show what two of the makers we carry say they build, from their own pages.

• LG lists 24-inch dishwashers with front controls or top controls, names QuadWash as its wash system and TrueSteam as a steam feature, and says its EasyRack Plus system and height-adjustable third rack let you load more dishes per cycle.
• Bosch lists front control, top control and panel-ready dishwashers, an ADA-compliant group in 18-inch and 24-inch widths, and models with a third rack.

Compare models of the same width and control style across makers rather than one brand name against another. The next section links our comparisons, and the Cove review covers a built-in line we also carry.

Brand comparisons, custom fronts and Cove

If you want the dishwasher to disappear behind a cabinet front, that is a panel-ready model, and our panel-ready dishwasher guide covers it. If you are weighing two brands, our comparisons of Miele and Bosch dishwashers and KitchenAid and Bosch dishwashers go model line by model line. For a Cove built-in, read our Cove dishwasher review and the Cove brand page. Maytag and KitchenAid build 24-inch dishwashers too; ask our team for the current spec sheets.

Efficiency label and connected features

LG says many of its dishwashers are ENERGY STAR certified, and that models with LG ThinQ can be started and monitored from a phone app. Certification belongs to the model, not the brand, so look for the label on the spec sheet of the exact model you are comparing, and ask what the app does on the models you shortlist.

Noise ratings

Makers rate dishwasher sound in decibels on the A scale, and a lower number is a quieter machine. If the dishwasher sits near an open living space, the rating matters; our quiet dishwasher guide explains how to read it.

Next steps in the Sacramento area

Bring the width, height and depth of your opening and a photo of the sink cabinet to the Roseville showroom, and our team will read the makers' spec sheets against your numbers. For hours and directions, see our Sacramento-area appliance store.