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Credit:
Reviewed.com / Jackson Ruckar
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
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The Bosch 800 Series SHP78CM5N is a near-perfect dishwasher. It scrubbed out every stain we threw at it, in record time, and has great smart features. Read More
The G 5266 blows most other dishwashers out of the water. If your budget can accommodate its premium price, it's one of the best models you can buy. Read More
This Bosch is one of the best dishwashers we've ever tested. It gets dishes clean and dry, quickly, and is ADA-compliant. Read More
The Miele G 7566 SCVi SF is a marvel of German engineering. It combines robust power with a subtle touch of convenience. Read More
This high-end Bosch dishwasher can remove tough stains and get all of your dishes (including plasticware) completely dry. Read More
Stainless steel has increasingly become a mainstay of modern appliance design, adding a touch of class to even the most humble kitchen. But, there’s more to stainless steel than mere aesthetics.
When used inside a dishwasher instead of plastic, it’s been proven to muffle operating sound, offer a better cleaning experience, and dry dishes more efficiently. It’s true that stainless steel dishwashers are a bit more expensive, but you’ll reap the benefits of that extra hundred dollars or so.
At Reviewed, we’ve tested hundreds of dishwashers, including many with stainless steel tubs.
Our favorite so far is the Bosch 800 Series SHP78CM5N (available at Best Buy for $1,299.99) , because of its awesome cleaning power, sleek looks, and quiet operation.
Powerful cleaning
Automatic detergent dispenser
Efficient
Expensive
Niche interior
Dries plastics
Stellar stain removal
Quiet operation
Nothing significant that we could find
Short cycles
Third rack
Fingerprint-resistant stainless steel finish
None that we could find
Effective Heavy Duty cycle
Dries dishes completely
Foldable tines and repositionable racks
Dishes got less clean towards the center of the bottom rack
Excellent performance
One of the highest-value dishwashers for its price
Hard-to-push control panel
Quiet
Great cleaning ability
Gets dishes dry
None that we could find
Third rack
Adjustable tines
Lots of features
Cleaning power was low for its price
Great cleaning performance
Drying feature that works
Third rack
Drying option extends cycle times
Attractive exterior
Powerful Normal cycle
Well-designed top rack
Slow cycles
Reviewed’s past and present lab staff has many collective years testing all sorts of large appliances, including dishwashers, both in the lab and at home in day-to-day life. (While maybe taking a few more notes than the average user).
We test a dishwasher's Quick, Heavy, and Normal cycles by challenging them to clean dishes with baked-on food stains—milk, spinach, egg, oatmeal, meat, and more.
When it comes to testing dishwashers in general, we assess three major areas—performance, features, and usability.
For this guide in particular, a dishwasher also needs to be made of stainless steel, both on its front and inside its cleaning compartment. An interior stainless steel dishwasher tub allows for sound dampening and odor control, and just offers a higher quality overall.
When it comes to stain removal, we test the three most common cycles on a dishwasher: Quick, Heavy, and Normal, measuring how baked-on food stains are actually removed by the cleaning cycle. We also record how long it takes these cycles to run.
Then, we look at redeposit, those gross leftover bits you find on your dishes sometimes. It happens when a dishwasher’s water jets blast food from one dish, just for it to get stuck on a second dish. The less redeposit, the better.
Rest assured: We’ll never recommend a dishwasher with bad performance just because it boasts fancy features that sound good. But when a feature actually adds something to a dishwasher, we want to call it out.
It would be a questionable design choice to make the interior of a dishwasher out of a material that isn't dishwasher safe.
This is the #1 most-asked question we get about dishwashers. Interpreting its meaning can go one of two ways, but luckily, the answer to each is “yes.”
First, If you’re asking if objects made out of stainless steel are dishwasher-safe, then yes: Experts agree that it’s OK to wash stainless steel items in your dishwasher. This includes all your stainless steel cookware straws, flatware, and skillets.
Most manufacturers do recommend hand washing skillets and cookware, since harsh ingredients in dishwasher detergent can leave stainless steel pots with white spots, discoloration, and/or a duller finish. However, we have run loads of stainless steel skillets and pots through dishwasher cycles in our lab and they have come out gleaming, although not all burnt-on stains were removed.
Secondly, if you’re asking if a stainless steel dishwasher is safe, the answer is also, yes.
Reviewed’s chief scientist Dave Ellerby notes that there is some concern that stainless steel cookware can leach heavy metal ions, like nickel and chromium, into food. To some extent, this is true, according to the National Library of Medicine. Consumers’ concerns could be tied to general food safety issues around stainless steel. But, in the case of dishwashers, the rinse cycle would remove any metal ions, and since you’re not eating off your stainless steel dishwasher tub, you should be OK.
The other issue could be concerns about electric shocks. According to Ellerby, some people have questions around this as a potential problem with stainless-clad appliances. If you had an electrical fault like particularly poor grounding, then a metal housing would be more likely to conduct electricity than an old-school plastic housing. However, all appliances are tested for electrical safety, and stainless steel surfaces are insulated from internal wires, so there’s little cause for concern.
In any case, stainless steel interiors are increasingly becoming the standard for modern, full-size dishwashers, and they are totally safe to use.
In a lot of ways, yes. For starters, it’s more durable than the most common alternative, plastic. For another, it’s less porous. That means it doesn’t collect stains from hard water or hold on to gross smells from leftover food or gunk buildup the way that plastic can.
Stainless steel does a great job of resisting rust and corrosion, but be aware that dishwashers are a particularly punishing environment for steel. Rust and calcium can build up over the years due to moisture, the chemicals in dish detergent, and calcium from hard water.
Stainless steel also withstands higher temperatures than plastic. That means you can sterilize dishes, get a better clean, and also get hotter temperatures for more complete drying. It’s also more energy-efficient. Stainless steel retains heat, conducting heat away from the dishes and condensing it into water that falls down into the drain.
As discussed above, stainless steel is great as a sound baffle, insulating the noise created by the dishwashing process so you don’t have to deal with a loud appliance. And finally, while it’s a matter of opinion, it just looks sharp, and adds a nice touch to your kitchen decor.
Stainless steel dishwashers are more expensive than those with plastic interiors, but for better durability and stronger, quiet performance, it’s generally worth it.
A hybrid dishwasher tub is one made from both stainless steel and plastic parts. Usually, the door—and possibly the tub’s back and sides—are stainless steel, while its liner, or bottom, is made of plastic.
Hybrid models include Samsung’s DW80R2031US/AC, Bosch’s 100 Series SHXM4AY55N, and GE’s GDT635HSRSS.
Despite its name, stainless steel can, in fact, rust. Stainless steel contains chromium, which, when exposed to oxygen, forms a protective layer of chromium oxide that can keep rust at bay.
This layer can be damaged in all sorts of ways, from particularly abrasive cleaners to high salinity. Once this protective layer of chromium oxide is damaged or removed, stainless steel can rust.
So, how do you get rust off a stainless steel dishwasher? There’s really no trick to it. While there are lots of specialty products out there you can use to clean your stainless steel dishwasher, we recommend sticking to warm water and baking soda.
If the rust keeps reappearing, you may want to treat that area with a silicon coating or a stainless steel sealant. That should re-establish its protective coating and stop further rusting.
Yes, but while it used to be a premium feature, it’s been almost completely phased out over the last 10 years. Almost every modern dishwasher uses nylon for their racks. That’s because nylon coating is less likely to peel or warp, and it won’t rust.
Michael Garrett Steele has been writing and editing professionally since 2013, and has been a part of Reviewed since 2020. An MFA in music composition, Garrett has lent audio expertise to everyone from Independence Community College to Bethesda Softworks, informing reviews of audio equipment and services. Garrett also covers tech, drawing on experience working everywhere from IT helpdesks to enterprise architecture sales. Steele has also become a go-to reviewer for minor plumbing fixtures since covering bidets for Reviewed in early 2020.
Leigh Harrington has more than 20 years experience as a writer and editor for myriad print and digital publications.
At USA TODAY and Reviewed, Harrington oversees large appliances, including refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, and laundry, and manages Reviewed's overall home content, including areas of focus like home improvement, cleaning, gardening, cooking, and parenting. She focuses on writing, but mostly editing, consumer ed content and product reviews.
Harrington is also an experienced travel writer, and has authored books including Fodor's Boston, 100 Things to Do in Boston Before You Die, and Colorful Boston, an adult coloring book.
Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.
Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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