Need to know
- Bosch and Miele brand dishwashers scored highly for both reliability and satisfaction
- Those with Asko dishwashers also reported high levels of satisfaction
- Smeg and Haier received the lowest reliability and satisfaction scores
A dishwasher you can rely on is one of the best things about modern life. Having an appliance that does away with some of life's daily drudgery is a regular reminder of how lucky we are to live in an age of such modern conveniences. Choose your dishwasher well and you'll have a kitchen workhouse for many years to come, but get it wrong and you'll experience frustration that mounts almost as fast as the piles of dishes.
With so many different products on offer from dozens of brands, all spruiking different features, all promising to deliver a great performance, choosing the right one isn't easy. How do you know which will give you the best value for money?
We surveyed more than 1000 Australians about their dishwasher
Our dishwasher reviews are the result of extensive product testing using specialised equipment and methodologies to assess how well each model measures up against different aspects of performance. The results help us score those products and can be invaluable in helping you choose a dishwasher that suits your household.
To help dishwasher buyers even more, we recently surveyed more than 1000 Australians about their dishwasher. This allowed us to gather real-world results to assist consumers who want to know which brands delivered the most satisfaction and reliability as the years passed.
On this page:
- Measuring reliability and satisfaction
- The most reliable dishwasher brands
- Which dishwasher brands have the most satisfied customers?
- Common dishwasher problems
Measuring reliability and satisfaction
We wanted to understand not only how satisfied the consumers we spoke to were with their purchase but also how reliable the product was.
We looked at a variety of well known dishwasher brands, including Bosch, Miele, Westinghouse, Beko, Asko, and more, and gave each brand a score for both reliability and satisfaction.
The reliability score indicates how likely the dishwashers are to develop faults over time. Simply speaking, the higher the score, the fewer people reported having had problems in the previous 12 months.
The satisfaction score is more subjective and is based on responses to a question that asked respondents how they would rate their dishwasher overall. This can include the perceived reliability of the product but also encompasses the experience of using the product, interaction with the sales and support and anything else that affects how the customer feels about their dishwasher.
The most reliable dishwasher brands
Our survey found that the most reliable dishwashers came from Bosch, Miele and Westinghouse. Semi-integrated, built-in and drawer dishwashers were typically more reliable than freestanding or fully integrated models.
Bosch also had high satisfaction scores and several survey respondents mentioned that they were onto their second Bosch dishwasher as the first had been so good.
"This is the third dishwasher in 30 years. Bosch, Smeg, now Bosch again. Smeg did not last long. First Bosch worked for over 15 years. So far second Bosch works well, easy to use, great adaptability with shelf positioning for different loads, dish sizes! Great cutlery shelf!" one respondent told us.
Bosch also had high satisfaction scores and several survey respondents mentioned that they were onto their second Bosch dishwasher as the first had been so good
Dishwasher brands found to be less reliable in our survey were from the brands Haier and Smeg.
"It's cheaply made, the racks inside just feel so plastic. It doesn't have a drying setting so if I were to choose again, I would get this feature. Also have to hand-wash dishes before I pop in, otherwise food residue will still be there," said one Haier owner.
"It is just useless unless the long wash cycles are used," said another.
Smeg owners were also unhappy, and shared complaints about dishwashers with poor cleaning performance, issues with broken doors, dials and controls, and problems with filling and draining or leaking and flooding.
"The control panel stopped working, but wasn't covered by warranty. It costs too much to replace and so it was better to buy a new one. However, other parts are working fine and I could not justify spending money or sending it to landfill," one disillusioned Smeg owner told us.
Don't buy based on brand or type alone
CHOICE testing often finds that different products from the same brands can vary in performance and we also find variation between similar types of dishwashers, such as built-in or drawer dishwashers. For these reasons, rather than buying based on brand alone, it's wise to look at specific expert product reviews before you shop.
Which dishwasher brands have the most satisfied customers?
The most satisfied dishwasher customers in our survey were those who'd purchased a Miele, Bosch or Asko product while the least satisfied were those with a dishwasher from Smeg and Haier.
"I love my Miele. It's the only dishwasher I've ever had that cleans everything perfectly – first time, every time. And it dries perfectly too. I've had many brands over the years – Bosch, Asko, Simpson, Gaggenau, Fisher and Paykel and now Miele. Miele is hands-down the best!" said one respondent.
Overall, we found that those with built-in and semi-integrated dishwashers were more satisfied than those with drawer, freestanding and full-integrated models. For an explanation of the different types of dishwashers, see our dishwasher buying guide.
Our comprehensive dishwasher testing helps reveal some commonly reported problems.
Common dishwasher problems
More than four in ten (42%) dishwasher owners we surveyed told us they'd had problems with their dishwasher at some point. If they had needed to contact the manufacturer for service and support, most (56%) didn't incur any cost. Where there was a charge, the average paid was $423 and most had their problem resolved within a month.
The most common dishwasher problems respondents reported related to filling and draining water (9%), poor/uneven cleaning (9%), not drying items well (8%) and stopping mid cycle/not completing cycles (6%).
Just 14% of respondents told us they'd experienced a major problem or recall with their dishwasher. Of these, 53% occurred during the first three years of purchase, and 73% during the first five years.
14% experienced a major problem or recall with their dishwasher
Our comprehensive dishwasher testing helps reveal some of the commonly reported problems, like food remaining on dishes after the cycle has completed. In our lab tests we assess how well each model can remove foods such as cooked oats, spinach, egg yolk, baby cereal, margarine, tomato juice and tea stains that have been dried overnight, and without being rinsed first.
We also assess drying performance, energy efficiency and noise level. Our final CHOICE Expert Rating, which determines which models we recommend, is a combination of washing, drying and energy efficiency scores for the normal or auto/sensor wash program.
* Some quotes have been edited for length or clarity.
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