• Conventional / standard (12–15 place settings, around 60x80x60cm)
• Slimline (8–10 place settings, around 45x80x60cm)
• Dish drawer (5-8 place settings, fitted in a 60cm 'drawer'. Can be a single drawer, or double drawer with double the capacity)
• Compact (5-8 place settings, fitted in a 60cm 'drawer')
• Benchtop (60cm wide, sits on your benchtop)

• Freestanding, with worktop can generally be built-in as well because the worktop can be removed.
• Built-in might not have top or side panels; must be enclosed and anchored to prevent it from tipping forward when fully loaded dish racks are pulled out.
• Semi-integrated is a built-in type that allows you to fit a panel to the door to match the rest of your kitchen cupboard doors.
• Fully integrated is a built-in with the whole front matching your kitchen and the controls inside the door.
• Benchtop is a compact dishwasher that sits on top of your kitchen bench, rather than being installed into cabinetry.

We recommend dishwashers which score at least an 80% CHOICE Expert Rating, at least 75% washing performance score, at least 80% drying score and no other scores below 60%.

The CHOICE Expert Rating is made up of washing performance (65%), drying performance (25%) and energy efficiency (10%).

We assess how well the dishwashers can remove food such as oats, spinach, egg yolk, baby cereal, butter, and tea stains that have been dried overnight without being rinsed first. Our test is based partly on the current Australian standard and partly on the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) draft standard.

Reflects how dry the dishes are 30 minutes after the normal cycle has finished. During this time the doors are left closed (unless the dishwasher has an automatic door opening function that is activated at the end of the program).

Based on the amount of energy used per place setting by the dishwasher on the tested program. The less energy used, the higher (better) the score.

This is the energy use of the program we selected. We use this, plus the number of items washed, to formulate our energy efficiency score. A dishwasher generally makes up around 2.9% of the annual household energy usage. Look for the smallest number in this column so you aren't paying as much in the long run.

How much water was used (in litres) by the program we selected. We show this to give you an idea of how much of a water bill you'll be in for depending on your patterns of use.

Measured from one metre away from and one metre above the dishwasher, which is placed within cabinetry. The noise level varies depending on kitchen layout, but our reading gives a comparative measure. For reference, a normal conversation is around 60dB and a whisper is between 20 and 30dB. A difference of 3dB is noticeable to the human ear.

How long the program that we selected took (in minutes). This time can vary based on whether the dishwasher has a dirt sensor (automatic), how full it is and the program you select.

Due to a slight change in our dishwasher test method, results for dishwashers tested from 2024 onwards are not directly comparable with results from tests conducted in 2023 or earlier, and should be considered separately.

Shop Ethical rates the environmental and social impact of the company (not the product) using independent sources. This rating is not included in our total score. N/A means there is no rating for that company.

Claimed by the manufacturer. The more stars, the more energy-efficient the dishwasher.

Energy use per year, claimed by the manufacturer. Look for lower numbers to decrease your energy consumption.

The wash program used to determine the energy star rating. Manufacturers tend to choose a program that uses the least energy and water to get the most stars possible.

Claimed by the manufacturer. The more stars, the more water-efficient the dishwasher.

The claimed water use per wash cycle. Look for lower numbers to decrease your water consumption.

A high score means the brand (not the model) is less likely to have faults over time, according to CHOICE members.

A high score means CHOICE members are satisfied with the brand (not the model).

Stated warranty of the dishwasher. You're still covered by the Australian Consumer Law regardless of the manufacturer warranty.

Where the dishwasher was manufactured, though parts may have been sourced from other places.

'Tested model' means you ought to be able to find this dishwasher in stores. We check availability every time we test, which is around 6 to 10 times a year. You may still find discontinued models on second-hand websites or in second-hand stores. 

With identical models, performance characteristics will be identical and the only difference will be something trivial such as colour, which won't have an impact on performance. 

Similar models are identical in most aspects except for a few, which means that a majority of their test results are identical so you can reasonably expect to get the same results from the model we tested.

The manufacturer's recommended retail price. Prices are often flexible, so shop around both online and in bricks-and-mortar shops for options.

An estimate of how much the dishwasher will cost over 10 years for water and electricity if you wash a full load every day using a normal or auto-sensing cycle, based on 40c per kWh for electricity and $2 per 1000L of water. The greatest running cost will be the cost of detergent; this can vary significantly, so it's not factored in to these calculations. A dishwasher generally makes up around 2.9% of a household's annual energy usage. Look for the smallest number in this column so you aren't paying as much in the long run.

The program we tested the dishwasher on. If a dishwasher has an auto program, we select it over the normal program. We do this because an auto or sensing program should be designed to give optimum results for every wash. You're probably also paying extra money for this feature, as the base model won't usually have it.

If there isn't an auto program we test on the normal program, as this is what our members tell us they use the most. If you see the phrase "to go", this means the dishwasher makes a guess on how long it will take. But this may change as it uses its sensors to go either shorter or longer; that's why we also record how long it actually took.

The number of place settings a dishwasher claims to be able to fit. A standard place setting includes one of each of the following: a dinner plate, bread and butter plate, soup bowl, small bowl, small saucer, tea cup, drinking glass, knife, fork, teaspoon, dessert spoon and soup spoon (12 items in total). So a dishwasher that claims to have 15 place settings should be able to fit in 15 sets of standard-sized items of the above – that's 15 dinner plates, 15 drinking glasses etc (180 items in total).

This describes what system the dishwasher has to clean the cutlery. These usually take the form of a basket, tray or both.

Where possible, we've listed the white model code and price. Most models are available in other colours, finishes or types – usually at a higher price. Stainless steel indicates any metallic or metallic-look finish; not all models are actually stainless steel. Where there is a 'Not applicable', the model is fully integrated and designed to match cabinetry (you'll need to buy fronts for these).

H or C: You can connect the dishwasher to hot or cold water. Connecting to hot water is likely to shorten the cycle time, but you may lose program versatility. You may need a tempering valve to connect to solar hot water, as the inlet temperature generally should not exceed 60°.

Cold: The product only has a cold tap connection, and the dishwasher heats the water itself (all dishwashers have a heater).

Where dishwashers accept a hot water source, there can be a cap on how high the temperature can be before it affects the hose or internal mechanisms. Usually this can be regulated by your heater, or a tempering valve can be fixed to the inlet if your water temperature is higher than accepted.

The dimensions listed are the smallest figures claimed by the manufacturer (we round up to err on the side of caution). It's best to leave extra space around the dishwasher for easy installation and air circulation.

This will matter if you have weak water pressure or a gravity fed water supply (tank supply).

A useful safety feature which can help prevent curious little ones accessing the dishwasher tub.

This indicates whether the dishwasher has a child lock on the detergent dispenser. It's quite rare to have these.

Anti flood typically means a device is attached to the hose ending at the faucet which closes off the stream when a break is detected in the hose. (Asko claims its PEX hoses have the same level of protection.)

Anti-burst refers to a device located at the entry into the dishwasher which stops the flow of water into the machine if a break in the hose is detected.

We've not had a complaint about a flood from a dishwasher ​in a few years from our members, so it's likely either of these mechanisms would be satisfactory.

Delay time, delay start or time delay is a feature that lets you program the machine to start the wash at a selected time in the future. You can load it with dirty plates and detergent and program it to start in the middle of the night (e.g. if you use off-peak energy) or during the day (e.g. if you have solar panels).

This will show, usually in digital format, how long a program has to go. However, this may change during the wash, as the dishwasher uses sensors to detect just how dirty a wash is. It can be annoying to see the count get down to 5 minutes, then flip back up to 15 minutes as the dishwasher changes its mind.

The top basket can sometimes be lifted into a different position, giving more height to dinner plates or pots to fit into the lower racks, or by lowering it you can fit taller glasses into the top basket.

Look for height-adjustable baskets (usually the top basket) and removable or fold-down plate racks/tines for more versatility when loading. An "easy-to-lift" top basket means you can adjust the height without needing to completely remove the basket to change its position. Some models can be adjusted when fully loaded.

Fold-down or removable tines are useful for loading larger items like pots, pans and baking dishes.

Usually dishwashers rely on thermal heat (the heat residing in your crockery after being exposed to high temperatures in the water) to dry the crockery via evaporation, but a fan can greatly assist in this drying process in some cases – the catch is that having a fan operating will cost you more in energy.

A salt dispenser can be useful if you live in a locality with hard water (lots of minerals in the water that make detergent work less effectively). Adding salt to the dispenser means it can offset the results of the hard water. Hard water is not particularly common in Australia apart from places such as Adelaide, so not a must-have. Check with your local water utility about your water hardness condition.

An internal light flicks on when the door is opened. Could be useful from either a safety aspect (you can see any knives pointing upwards when reaching in to take them out), or from a efficiency aspect (you can see if you've forgotten anything in the dishwasher).

Door automatically opens at the end of the cycle. This will generally mean a better drying score, because the heat exchange with the colder air acts to improve drying of dishes.

To wash more economically with less water, or at a lower temperature; about 50 degrees C is good for an enzyme-based detergent

For washing lightly soiled or rinsed dishes more economically in a faster cycle.

Tends to refer to glassware or other type of crockery load that's fragile.

A commonly found feature in most dishwashers, suitable for pots and pans with dried-on dirt. Dishwashers often have "zones" suitable for these types of items, typically in the lower basket.

Allows you to rinse (not wash) your crockery. May be useful if you're waiting for a full load to run your dishwasher but it's getting whiffy in the interim.

Auto sensing or dirt sensor wash can be a useful feature as it claims to sense the dirt and adjust the wash to suit the amount of soiling on load in the dishwasher.

Half-load or load sensing half-load adjusts the water and program times for a much smaller load, while load sensing adjusts them according to the soil in the dishwasher. Both let you wash smaller loads more economically.

When the wash ends, a dishwasher will usually give an indication via an audible sound or a visual indication, or both. Some go to the point of playing a national anthem, which thankfully can be turned off.