Bosch... amazingly clean dishes!

We recently installed granite countertops in the kitchen and decided it was time to upgrade our appliances. The dishwasher was 10 years old and we knew it wouldn't last forever so we set out to replace and upgrade it.

Two important things for me were 1) stainless steel tub and 2) a highly rated model from a manufacturer with a good reputation. I hadn't previously heard of Bosch appliances but after reading consumer reports and researching many other sites both online and in print, I decided to check out the line.

This model is sleek-looking! The controls are along the top panel and there is no "big handle" sticking out. It blends in very nicely and looks great in our kitchen. It is exceptionally quiet... 48dB... and most of the time we don't even know it's on! Along with the quiet motor, the insulation around the unit itself is very substantial and impressive (no plastic, Hefty-bag-looking wrapping like our old Frigidaire!). The interior racks can be really customized for virtually any need... the upper rack can be raised, lowered or removed entirely... the tines can be moved anywhere from 90 degrees (straight up) to 0 degrees (flat down) to provide lots of flexibility for odd shaped items... the lack of a heating rack at the bottom means you can put your plastics anywhere without fear of melting... the Half-Load Wash feature means you can wash smaller loads using a smaller amount of water (it's smart enough to know not to use the same amount of water for a small load that you'd need for a full load)... you can even delay the start time to when it's convenient (like late at night when energy costs are lower!!). Plates, pots, silverware and especially glasses come out sparkling clean!!!

A couple of things about this dishwasher might take a bit of getting used to. In order to be more energy efficient, it does not pump hot-air into the tub in order to dry the dishes. Bosch uses condensation drying which uses hot water for the final rinse and this coupled with the heated stainless steel interior dries your dishes. If you're used to dishes coming out 100% dry, this might be an adjustment for you. I'd rather whip out the towel and dry the few dishes that need a quick swipe than pay additional energy costs. Also, this dishwasher does not have a food-grinder like many others do. You'll need to probably once every 4-6wks unscrew the bottom drain (super easy to do) and empty any food particles that were trapped. Since we scrape-clean our plates/pots before loading the dishwasher, we don't have a problem with this but it's something nice to know before making your decision.

Overall we are super pleased with this dishwasher and would highly recommend!