Bosch 800 Series SGX78B55UC/13 Dishwasher Review

The exterior of the Bosch 800 Series SGX78B55UC/13 dishwasher is a flat stainless steel wall, with a large handle as its only feature. Opening the door reveals three interior racks. The middle rack can be repositioned to one of nine different heights, and the lower rack features foldable tines.

About the Bosch 800 Series SGX78B55UC/13

• Dimensions: 32.06" x 23.56" x 22.56" (H x W x D)
• Capacity: 15 place settings
• Finishes: Stainless steel
• Cycles: Heavy, Normal, Auto, Delicate, Express
• Cycle options: Delay, Remote Start, Half Load, Sanitize, Crystal Dry, Machine Care
• User manual: Bosch 800 Series SGX78B55UC/13 dishwasher manual

What we like about the Bosch 800 Series SGX78B55UC/13

It cleans like a champ

The SGX78B55UC/13 puts up some good numbers on our cleaning tests. Not only does it scrape away stains better than the average dishwasher, cycles also finish relatively quickly.

The Normal cycle was able to clear away 98.48% of our test stains. There were some dishes that still had some amount of our most difficult stain on them, but there were half as many partially soiled dishes after a cycle than the average dishwasher.

Keep in mind we typically talk about fractions of a percent when discussing how much stain is remaining, because we’re a lot more strict about when we consider a dish to be clean or dirty. Nobody is going to see a plate with, say, 10% of its surface area covered in food and think, “Well, 90% of the stain is gone; it’s clean enough.” They’re just going to rewash the dirty plate.

The Normal cycle also finished in a dead average 130 minutes, so you won’t need to wait longer for its more thorough cleaning.

If you don’t have two hours, though, the Express cycle finishes in 30 minutes with an impressive 98.29% of stains removed. This is 2% more stain removal than average, which is a seriously impressive leap over the competition, especially for such a short cycle time.

The Heavy cycle also impressed, with 99.57% of our test stains completely washed away after a fairly fast 135 minutes. Most heavy cycles take about 160 minutes to finish and only clear away 97% of our test stains. Again, the Bosch 800 Series SGX78B55UC/13 proves itself solidly ahead of the pack when it comes to cleaning power.

It gets dishes dry, every time

Do you know what is one of the most common complaints we see from dishwasher owners? That it doesn’t fully dry dishes after a cycle. Bosch has been working on this problem for a while now, and has come up with some truly innovative solutions that leverage zeolite, a mineral that takes in water and releases heat.

We’ve previously reviewed a Bosch dishwasher with this technology, dubbed CrystalDry, and found it worked pretty well. This time around, however, Bosch has nailed the implementation. After each cycle we tested, the SGX78B55UC/13 was able to get every dish 100% dry. Everything, plastics included.

It doesn’t use too much energy or water

The reason dishwashers have had difficulty drying dishes recently is because the traditional method, including a heating element that basically cooks the water off of them, doesn’t meet modern energy-use standards. You’re not going to get an Energy Star stamp of approval with that method.

Because Bosch is now leveraging zeolite’s interesting properties to help dry dishes naturally via clever leveraging of a chemical reaction, their machines use significantly less energy to do a better job.

It boasts all the extra features you can fit in a dishwasher

In addition to its improved CrystalDry system, the SGX78B55UC/13 has almost every extra you might expect to see in a high-end dishwasher. It has a traditional third rack for storing oversized utensils, its middle rack can be adjusted to nine different positions to fit taller objects above or below, and it has adjustable tines to better accommodate bulkier cookware. Plus, it features Bosch’s smart platform, which has some robust automation capabilities and will inform you when your dishes have finished a cycle.

This model intentionally considers accessibility

The SGX78B55UC/13 is Bosch’s ADA-compliant version of the popular 800 Series line of dishwashers, and it is a brand new release of 2021. This essentially means that Bosch has made a few adjustments that aim to increase its ease of use for people who have accessibility challenges.

For starters, the height of this dishwasher is slightly reduced compared to the standard model, measuring 32.06 inches compared to the standard model’s 33.88 inches.

ADA compliance also requires accessibility from the front of the device, controls that can be operated with one hand (and minimal force—hence the push buttons), and that the push buttons are differentiated for the visually impaired.

What we don’t like about the Bosch 800 Series SGX78B55UC/13

There are minor issues with redeposit

Redeposit refers to any food soil that gets washed off one plate and winds up on a different one. This happens when the machine’s filter isn’t able to remove all of the solid material before reusing the water.

The hardest test stain we use is pureed spinach. It’s fibrous and made of fine particles, so it can easily slip past filters. While the SGX78B55UC/13 didn’t have issues with other kinds of food redeposit, we did see some flecks of green here and there.

The overwhelming majority of dishwashers have trouble with this stain—it’s why we use it. In this case, however, the Bosch had a bit more difficulty than average. Typically we see about 10% of the dishes have some spinach redeposit on them. In the case of the SGX78B55UC/13, about 25% of the dishes had at least one speck on them. Again, this redeposit is only seen with our most difficult stain, and the filter worked just fine elsewhere.

Will redeposit be an issue for you? Likely not. If you tend to make smoothies or use plant-based powders as a nutritional supplement, you may find some specs here and there if you don’t thoroughly wash out the containers before running a cycle.

What owners are saying

The SGX78B55UC/13 is a new product, which means there aren’t many user reviews currently available—at least not enough to form any meaningful conclusions. Those that praise the machine seem to love its quiet operation, how well it cleans, and that dishes are consistently dry.

Warranty

Bosch offers the following warranty for built-in dishwashers:

• Limited warranty, entire appliance, parts and labor (First year)
• Limited warranty for microprocessor or printed circuit board; parts only (Second to fifth year)
• Limited warranty for racks (does not include rack components); parts only (Second to fifth year)
• Limited warranty for rust-through on inner tub liner; parts only (Lifetime)

The standard appliance warranty is only a single year for parts and labor, so we’re happy to see Bosch cover certain components for longer. This is some substantial insurance against getting a lemon.

Should you buy the Bosch 800 Series SGX78B55UC/13 dishwasher?

Yes, especially if you need an ADA-compliant dishwasher

The Bosch 800 Series SGX78B55UC/13 is an outstanding dishwasher—one of the best we’ve tested to date. It’s packed to the gills with extra features, has excellent cleaning power, consistently delivers dry dishes, has efficient cycles, and meets ADA requirements. Even the one problem we ran into during testing—that it can sometimes redeposit very fine particles onto otherwise clean plates—is relatively minor and should only crop up with specific types of food soil.

Overall, if you’re looking for a top-of-the-line dishwasher (and its reduced size works with your existing cabinetry), the SGX78B55UC/13 is one of the best picks currently available.

If its size is a dealbreaker, the standard issue 800 Series dishwasher features most of the same technology and performance.

If you’re still interested in shopping around, check out some of the best dishwashers we've tested.