Best Dishwasher 2021 – Buyer’s Guide

The Bosch SMS40T32GB is one of the best freestanding dishwashers available. This highly rated appliance has stood the test of time as shown by its large popularity.

It is energy efficient with a rating of A+, so in addition to its quality, it is also friendly to the water bill. It has 12 place settings and a low 50db noise level thanks to ecoSilence. A practical add-on is the self cleaning feature which will allow your dishwasher to stay clean and looking new.

Bosch’s ActiveWater allows for efficient recycling of water and its Dosage Assist helps to properly dissolve your detergent to get the most out of each cycle. 

Some users have reported that the racks might be a bit flimsy, but Bosch provides a 2 year warranty which should give you peace of mind.

The Bosch SMS24AW01G is one of the top freestanding dishwashers available. It fits into even the busiest of lifestyles seamlessly with its sleek design and snazzy features.

Energy efficient with a rating of A+, it won’t drain your energy bill dry. With the capacity to hold 12 place settings and four wash programs, the Bosch keeps your crockery clean and safe. A quick wash 45c cycle washes lightly soiled dishes in just 29 minutes. Its ecoSilence drive makes for an extremely quiet wash as well. 

With multiple technologies and a cutlery basket, the Bosch freestanding dishwasher is great for any home. Though it offers undeniable power and cleaning ability, it lacks some of the more luxury features like delay start, digital display and child lock.

With this in mind, it is one of our top freestanding machines. 

Despite being full-sized, this Kenwood model only consumes 11 litres of water per cycle while leaving your dishes sparkling clean. Great if you’re conscious about water usage but still want results.

There are eight distinctive programs to take all of the hard work out of washing, and allow you to cater towards what is in there. From glass to china and cutlery, it will work to get them clean in the best way. You don’t even have to worry about burnt-on grime thanks to the soak and intensive programmes. We all have that dish with marks on, so they are now a thing of the past. 12 place settings gives plenty of room to get it all in in one cycle, too.

The Kenwood also offers a few handy features to make cleaning even easier. There’s an LED display so you know when the cycle is done. It also comes with a delay timer, allowing you to start a load at a specific time. An A++ energy rating will keep bills low, and a quick wash can be over in 30 minutes.

Its sleek design will suit any kitchen and it is the perfect addition to your family home.

In order to get the best out of your dishwasher, you are going to need a host of programme options to suit your lifestyle and cooking habits. This Beko model offers five, so whether you have lightly soiled dishes or full on grease and grime to tackle, you’ll never use more water or time than is necessary.

The Mini 30′ programme is great for plates and cutlery which have just been used to eat or prepare food. A Quick and Shine function will deal with tougher issues in just under an hour. If you’ve only got half a load, simply select the appropriate setting, or if there is burnt on sauces in lasagne or casserole dishes select the Clean and Shine programme for a sparkling set of bakeware in 90 minutes.

There is a 13 place setting capacity so all of the dishes from the day can be cleaned in one go while you’re sitting down watching the soaps. The cup rack and cutlery basket keep precious items safe but also are removable if you need to cater for bigger items.

Thanks to the high energy rating, it doesn’t cost the earth to run. You’ll save money on your bills versus washing by hand, and you’ll also help the planet by using less water. Giving yourself an easier life has never been so appealing.

Giving you the chance to keep on top of the dishes and help keep your bills down at the same time, this Beko model is a great built-in option.

There is a 30-minute fast programme if you suddenly realise that you don’t have enough plates for dinner. A more thorough setting takes only 58 minutes, so can be done by the time you’ve caught up on the latest episode of that new TV drama everyone is talking about.

Gone are the days you’d have to wait for the dishwasher to be crammed full to start a wash, too. A half load function will immediately deal with the Saturday morning breakfast dishes so they’re ready for dinner, or if you’re just cooking for yourself you don’t have to keep them in there for hours. It uses less water and energy in accordance to the lower load, so still is cost-effective.

As the energy rating is A+, even a full load on the most demanding setting won’t cost a lot to run. Not only are you being kind to your purse, but also the environment. It is quiet on all settings, and an indicator lets you know how much time is left in the cycle.

We will say the instructions for fitting look a little too simple to get to grips with so we would recommend getting someone to fit it if you don’t know where to begin, but aside from this, it is simple to use and compared to hand washing, will save you money in the long run.

Thirteen place settings, four programmes and a pre-wash feature make this dishwasher a standout buy.

We expected no less from Indesit, one of the leading kitchen appliance brands. The four programme modes are Eco, Intensive, Normal and Pre-wash. So, no matter the state of your dishes or the amount of water and energy you use, there is a solid option.

The top and bottom racks are adjustable if you need to accommodate larger pots and pans. Cutlery is kept safe and contained in the dedicated basket so nothing will get damaged or scratched. A natural drying system dries the contents effectively which is great, as some can leave them a bit dry and add far too much time on to the end of the cycle.

Anti-flood precautions will cut the water supply off if there is an issue. You won’t pop the dishwasher on when you’re out and come back to a kitchen which resembles a huge puddle. An A+ rating keeps costs low on every setting, and you won’t use any more water or power than necessary.

Overall, everything came out clean and sparkling if appropriate. It is nice and quiet, and there’s plenty of room for the plates of even the more hectic families. There are no little extras like a time left indicator, delay timer or rinse aid/salt indicators, but the actual aim is completed effectively.

A dishwasher which will seamlessly fit into your lifestyle, this Essentials appliance is easy to use and does the job.

A rapid wash setting will have the contents clean in 30 minutes, which is ideal if you need some extra plates and cutlery for last-minute guests at short notice. There are four other washing programmes too, including an intensive setting for those trickier washes and an Eco setting. The latter takes 190 mins to complete, which is faster than a lot of others on the market if this will be the setting you stick with.

Because it is rated A++ for efficiency, all programmes will be economical to run and keep both bills and usage in check. A delay start timer gives you even more control, so you can leave it to run when you’re out or overnight and ready for the morning.

Rinse aid and salt indicators will let you know when either needs topping up, and a digital LED indicator will also give you essential information such as timings and the settings chosen.

The dishes at the end aren’t the driest, and the racks are slightly flimsy feeling and a bit hard to load because of the layout and style. Plates and cutlery are fine, but anything more complicated than this can start to become cumbersome. The door also won’t stay open unless you pull out the lower shelf so beware when stacking, and also be aware that this means you can’t really let air in to dry the dishes.

Having said this, the price makes it one of the more budget-friendly on the market, especially for the 12 place setting capacity.

With six programmes, you can get the dishes ready for a family dinner in 30 minutes while you’re busy chopping veg or remove caked-on stains without lifting a finger.

This Essentials model is fast at the job too. Quick washes take half an hour, but the Super setting takes only 50 minutes to remove tough stains. A delicate setting will keep fine china and glassware sparkling without risking breakages, and there is a delayed start timer so you can work your washes around your lifestyle.

We liked the adjustable hard water ability too. You’ve all seen those adverts about the build-up in dishwashers, but the automatic water softener will remove salt and minerals to keep your dishes looking clean without residue and your dishwasher working at its best for longer. The settings can be tweaked to suit your level of hard water as well.

One of the downsides of dishwashers can be waiting until there is a full load. You realise you need a plate for breakfast, but they’re all in the dishwasher from last night as it is only half-full, so you need to wash by hand anyway. But with this mode, there is a half-load function. You can keep on top of the wash after every meal without wasting water or detergent.

There is a salt and rinse aid top-up indicator, so you always get the top performance, and the slimline shape will fit into the most compact of free spaces. For the price, you get a highly rated dishwasher which gives you more time to do the more enjoyable things in life.

Nothing says space saving quite like an integrated slimline dishwasher. This Kenwood still has a ten setting capacity, eight wash cycles and height adjustable baskets despite being compact, too.

Auto Wash will deal with those everyday cleaning tasks, and there’s a Rapid Wash or Intensive option for the opposite ends of the scale. Half Load lets you deal with the dishes after every meal, so you don’t have to make do with what’s clean for dinner because they were all used at breakfast.

There are a few handy loading options, too. The height adjustable top shelf and extra cutlery basket give you freedom over the way you load it up, and delay timer will allow you to clean everything when it best suits you. No more fighting for hot water when you’re in the shower.

Overflow protection gives you peace of mind with the prevention of flooding, so you can leave it to get to work knowing you won’t come back to a ruined kitchen floor. An LED display keeps you in the loop with time left and settings chosen, and the rinse aid, salt and water tap not open indicators let you know when your attention is needed.

There are plenty of options to suit all homes, and the fact it is slimline without restricting your washing space too much tops it all off. It doesn’t leave dishes the driest, and even though there’s plenty of space it could be better laid out, but still a great option.

Dishwashers are a must for some homes, but for others they’d be a luxury. There is simply no space to accommodate one. However, this Zanussi is compact enough to make you rethink.

It holds around 6 place settings with a water consumption of 6.5 litres per cycle, which should be plenty to get the after-dinner dishes cleaned. With an A+ energy rating, it isn’t going to cost the earth to keep going.

It has short but effective cycles making it a great way to keep up with dirty dishes. It offers a 20-minute party program, as well as eco 55 minute, glass 40 minute and intensive 70 minute washes for versatility and powerful cleaning. The LED time indicator will let you know how long you have left on a wash, in case you need to reload.

It also comes with adjustable prongs and cutlery basket to load bigger items and make the most of the space. Beware of the limitations as it is so compact – it can’t take many pots and pans for instance – but it is still a great price.

Six place settings, just 8L of water used per cycle and an A+ energy rating make this both a handy yet efficient dishwasher for both smaller kitchens and smaller households.

It has a fair few features, too. A VarioSpeed function gives you perfect cleaning, but in half the time of a standard cycle. There are six programmes in all, so no matter what you’re washing, there will be a setting designed to take the best care of it all. It also makes use of SilentPlus technology, so if you’re trying to cook at the same time or live in an open plan space, it isn’t going to disturb you too much.

AquaStop technology helps to prevent leaks and water damage, too. So if you live in fear that your washing machine will leak one day or your tap will burst, at least your dishwasher won’t cause any harm.

Ideal for smaller homes, with six place settings, this is a basic yet effective tabletop dishwasher which will save plenty of time and effort without taking up too much space.

It is A+ rated, so despite the fact you may have to put it to good use more often than a larger machine, it isn’t going to dent your bills. A quick wash programme can have the dishes clean and dry in just 30 minutes too, which is ideal for that post-dinner pre-bedtime timeslot.

A cutlery basket will keep all of these items away from the main dishes, but you may still have to wash any taller items such as long bread knives as it isn’t quite deep enough. Likewise if you have larger dinner plates – they may have to sit at a tilt, reducing the space available for anything else.