Best Dishwashers for $1,000 or More

Kimberly Janeway
Updated

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You don’t have to spend $1,000 to get a good dishwasher. But if you want one that’s whisper-quiet and blends seamlessly into your customized kitchen, the models you’re looking at go for $1,000 and up.

Dishwashers that cost $500 or less will get your dishes sparkling clean, but they may be noisy. Spend a bit more—$600 to $900—and you’ll typically get a quieter dishwasher with feature upgrades that make the appliance more efficient, and easier to load.

It’s at the $1,000 level that you get into the real high-end models.

“At $1,000 and up, the styling changes and the dishwashers are fully loaded,” says Mark Allwood, a senior market analyst at Consumer Reports. “You no longer have to choose between useful features, and innovative features are a given.” 

Major manufacturers in this price range include Asko, Bosch, Kenmore Elite, KitchenAid, Miele, and Thermador. You’ll see these brands in our dishwasher ratings, along with other high-end models from Bertazzoni, Dacor, Electrolux, GE Profile, and Smeg.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

With high-end dishwashers in this upper price range, you’ll have your choice of finishes and handle style. Some have no handle at all. Stainless-steel tubs, soil sensors, adjustable racks, and ample silverware baskets come standard.

Expect to see most of the following feature upgrades on any model, excluding WiFi connectivity, which we expect more high-end dishwashers will have in the next two years. 

Hidden controls. Instead of a dial or digital controls on the front of the dishwasher, the controls are located across the top of the door and can’t be seen when the door’s closed.

Additional cycles. An express cycle that quickly cleans lightly soiled loads, and one meant for fine china, are two we’ve seen. 

LED lights. They shine light on the dishes when you open the door. 

Special wash zones. Part of the dishwasher is designated for heavily soiled items that need a special cycle. The zones don’t necessarily run the whole cleaning cycle, and with some models it lasts only a few minutes. In our labs, these wash zones worked as promised. 

WiFi connectivity. This allows you to receive updates regarding the status of the wash cycle or to control your machine remotely from your smartphone.

Bosch recently announced that its Bosch 800 Series SHEM78WH5N dishwasher, $1,165, works with an app that enables remote control and issues warnings if your dishwasher is leaking. And if you want, it will automatically reorder your favorite dishwasher detergent tabs on Amazon when the dishwasher’s tab-counter function says it’s time.

Lab-Tested: 8 Great High-End Dishwashers

There are at least 50 dishwashers in our ratings that sell for $1,000 or more. Of course, not every high-end dishwasher gets high marks in our tests.

“Spending more for a dishwasher doesn’t guarantee top performance, and you’ll see $650 models that perform better than some of the high-end dishwashers,” says Larry Ciufo, the engineer who oversees Consumer Reports’ dishwasher testing.

The dishwashers below cost $1,000 and up, do an excellent job cleaning, and run quietly. One way manufacturers make them quieter is by replacing self-cleaning filters with manual filters. You have to clean a manual filter regularly. 

They appear in alphabetical order—not in order of CR ranking. These models, all the standard 24 inches wide, are from reliable brands, according to our survey of more than 42,000 readers.

To learn more about these and other dishwashers in our tests, see our full dishwasher ratings and recommendations and dishwasher Buying Guide.



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