What's the Best Bosch Dishwasher for Your Kitchen?
The popular brand offers multiple models grouped in five tiers that vary in price and features. Here's how to find the one for you.
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If you’re looking to buy a dishwasher, Bosch might be one of the brands you’re considering. It’s a manufacturer that consistently makes great dishwashers, earning it the best brand score among the dishwasher brands in our ratings. Bosch models typically perform well in our lab tests, and they also land the highest marks for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction in CR’s member surveys.
Even after you’ve decided on Bosch as the brand you want, you still need to consider which Bosch series and model are most suitable for your kitchen. Below, we cover the features and technology of different Bosch series and how models from each series performed in our lab tests.
- Bosch's Dishwasher Lineup
- Series Summary: 100 Series 300 Series 500 Series 800 Series Benchmark Series
Bosch's Dishwasher Lineup
Bosch’s dishwashers are organized into five tiers: the 100 Series, the 300 Series, the 500 Series, the 800 Series, and the Benchmark Series. The five tiers of dishwashers share some similarities:
- They all include WiFi connectivity, which allows you to connect to your dishwasher from a phone app to customize cycles, monitor their progress, and start or stop your dishwasher remotely.
- All Bosch dishwashers have a system of sensors that scan and check dishes throughout the cycle to make sure they’re getting clean. There are sensors to detect leaks, too, and, once detected, the machine can shut off the water and drain the tub.
- Almost all of them feature hidden controls—located on the top of the dishwasher door so that you can’t see the controls when the door is closed—and they’re digital touch controls rather than mechanical buttons.
But the tiers also differ in the features they offer and, accordingly, their prices. For example:
- Not all of the dishwashers are Energy Star certified—a designation from the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency that means they meet stricter standards for water and energy efficiency. Most of the models from the 100 Series and 300 Series aren’t Energy Star certified, so if you’re looking for an Energy Star machine, you’ll find one more easily from the 500 Series, the 800 Series, and the Benchmark Series.
- As you can see in more detail below, the main differences between the dishwasher tiers are the nice-to-have features—quieter performance, better drying technology, roomier and more flexible rack design—and aesthetics, like the dishwashers’ exterior finishes, handle styles, and displays.
- As you ascend in the tiers, the price also increases: Bosch’s least expensive dishwasher in our ratings costs less than $500, while its priciest model comes in at above $1,700.
Bosch 100 Series: Basic Features and Solid Performance
The 100 Series is what Bosch calls its “core” dishwashers. These models wash well but lack the bells and whistles of models in the higher series, so they’re priced accordingly.
The 100 Series is divided into two sub-tiers: the 100 Series and 100 Premium, which progressively offer small feature upgrades and more finish options. The dishwasher that CR’s engineers tested is a 100 Premium model.
100 Series
Tub: Hybrid—stainless steel interior walls and plastic bottom
Washing technology: PrecisionWash, in which sensors detect levels of soil throughout the cycle and wash accordingly.
Drying technology: PureDry relies on the heat of the wash cycle. When the water stops, the stainless steel walls cool down and pull heat and moisture away from the dishes.
Racks: Two non-adjustable racks
Cycle indicator light: None
Noise: 50 decibels (about the noise level of rainfall)
Energy Star certified: Model SHE3AEE5N only
Finishes: Stainless steel, white, or black
100 Premium Series
Tub: Hybrid
Washing technology: PrecisionWash
Drying technology: PureDry
Racks: Three racks, middle rack height-adjustable
Cycle indicator light: InfoLight, which shines a red light on the floor to indicate that the cycle is running.
Noise: 46 decibels
Energy Star certified: No
Finishes: Stainless steel, black stainless steel, white, or black
Bosch 300 Series: Small Upgrades
The 300 Series is the first tier of Bosch’s “deluxe” dishwashers. It introduces fully stainless steel tubs, plus some small design upgrades that allow the racks to roll out more smoothly. It also has more exterior finish and handle options. The noise level is on a par with the 100 Premium tier.
Tub: Stainless steel
Washing technology: PrecisionWash
Drying technology: PureDry
Racks: Three racks, middle rack height-adjustable, adjustable tines, and easier rack gliding on smooth-rolling ball bearings with EasyGlide
Cycle indicator light: InfoLight
Noise: 46 decibels
Energy Star certified: Model SHE53CE5N only
Finishes: Stainless steel, white, and black; three handle styles; option for front controls; custom panel option
Bosch 500 Series: Quieter Operation and a Drying Upgrade
The 500 Series is also a “deluxe” tier. In addition to operating more quietly, models in this tier offer a boost in rack flexibility, more sophisticated leak protection technology, and an extra drying feature.
Tub: Stainless steel
Washing technology: PrecisionWash
Drying technology: In addition to the natural benefits of the stainless steel walls, the 500 Series introduces AutoAir, which automatically pops the door open at the end of the cycle to allow steam to escape and fresh air to enter the dishwasher, helping dry dishes.
Racks: Three racks, middle rack height-adjustable, adjustable tines, EasyGlide, and a more adjustable and roomier third rack
Cycle indicator light: InfoLight
Noise: 44 decibels
Energy Star certified: Yes
Finishes: Stainless steel, white, and black; two handle styles
Bosch 800 Series: Advanced Wash Technology
The 800 Series is part of the “premium” category and introduces Bosch’s latest washing innovation: a motorized spray arm on the bottom of the dishwasher that can be programmed via a phone app to wash more heavily or lightly in four different quadrants of the bottom rack. Our lab testers experimented with this feature and found that when they programmed the wash arm to run a heavy wash, it got the dishes 5 percent cleaner than a standard cycle that made use of the automatic soil sensors.
Tub: Stainless steel
Washing technology: PowerControl, which uses the motorized spray arm.
Drying technology: CrystalDry, which uses a mineral called Zeolite to transform moisture into heat without a heating element.
Racks: Three racks, middle rack height-adjustable, adjustable tines, EasyGlide, flexible and roomy third rack
Cycle indicator light: InfoLight
Noise: 42 decibels—close to the noise level of a quiet library
Energy Star certified: Yes
Finishes: Stainless steel, black stainless steel, white, and black; two handle styles; custom panel option
Bosch Benchmark Series: Refined Design and Tech Perks
The Benchmark Series is Bosch’s top-of-the-line “premium” category, with all the features of the 800 series and then some. The main differences are subtle—an even roomier third rack (vertically deeper than typical third racks), smoother rack gliding with even more refined ball bearings, and a cycle indicator light that not only shows that a cycle is running but also projects the time left in the cycle. The Benchmark series is also the only one to include interior lighting in the dishwasher and built-in water softening, which can help prevent clouding and water streaks if you have hard water.
Tub: Stainless steel
Washing technology: PowerControl
Drying technology: CrystalDry
Racks: Three racks, middle rack height-adjustable, adjustable tines, EasyGlide Plus, roomiest and most flexible third rack
Cycle indicator light: TimeLight
Noise: 39 decibels
Energy Star certified: Yes
Finishes: Stainless steel; two handle styles; custom panel option
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