Miele Futura Diamond G6985SCVi Dishwasher Review

That's why we were so excited to spend a week with it, testing out the Knock2Open feature, running it through our battery of tests, and seeing just what it could do. The results are clear: This dishwasher defines the "luxury" home appliance.

Crown Jewel of the Kitchen

As we noted when we first saw this Miele, this dishwasher is meant to be installed flush with cabinetry—a European-style aesthetic that many homeowners and designers prize. Knock2Open serves this need by making the handlebar obsolete.

If you don't need Knock2Open but still want all the features of the Diamond series, the panel-ready G6915SCi CLST has visible controls and a more traditional method of opening.

{{ photo_gallery name="Design Gallery" }} No matter which Diamond you choose, it should prove versatile. There are more than 10 different wash programs to handle any sort of load, including options for quickly rinsing off dusty plates or cleaning the machine. The racks themselves also allow for efficient use of space within, as many parts can be adjusted to fit dishes of all shapes and sizes. Multiple fold-down shelves also provide extra loading space.

According to Miele’s specifications, the Futura Diamond runs at a quiet 42 dBa on most cycles, while its specialized ExtraQuiet cycle is rated at just 38 dBa. If that’s not quiet enough for you, you can set the exact time of day that you want a cycle to start or end, timing it so that you’re out of the house or too asleep to notice.

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The touch-sensitive buttons are mounted on the control panel hidden on top of the door. Unlike the glossy plastic of most other touch-sensitive control panels, the surface of this one is metal, making it less prone to smudges and much easier to clean. One final convenient touch: The door pops open slightly on its own when a cycle finishes, speeding up drying and giving you a clear visual indication that your dishes are done.

Through all of our testing, we found that this Miele cleans very well, too. On the Normal and Pots & Pans cycles, a vast majority of the dishes emerged completely spotless, despite the tough stains we used. Redeposit was barely visible on the Normal cycle, and virtually non-existent with Pots & Pans.

For more information, please visit the Test Results Page.

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Not Everyone's Best Friend

{{amazon name="Weiman Stainless Steel Wipes, 30 count", asin="B008RG4JTC", align="right"}} Despite all that it offers, the Futura Diamond isn't perfect for every buyer. Simplicity is vital to a hassle-free dishwashing experience, and those 14 cycle choices run counter to that.

We’re especially concerned about the simple, two-line interface for toggling through those cycles, along with all the extra wash options attached to them. With buttons for up, down, back, and OK, navigating the menus and submenus feels like using an old flip phone.

We’re also concerned about that door. When it opens on its own or through the Knock2Open feature, the door latch extends outward to push the door open. The problem is that while the latch is extended, you can’t close the door, and it only retracts when you pull the door open further. Not a problem if you intended to open the door, but what if you change your mind? We think most users will try to push the door closed immediately instead of remembering to open the door far enough for the latch to retract, which could damage the mechanism.

Warranty and Manual

Unlike most appliances, which only get a yearlong warranty, Miele has given a five-year warranty to its Diamond-series dishwashers. To learn more, this particular model’s manual is readily available from Miele’s website.

Other Gems

We think the Miele Futura Diamond’s pros far outweigh its cons. If you want a top-of-the-line dishwasher with good design, useful features, and powerful cleaning, this is the Miele for you.

That said, we know the Diamond is not for everyone—and that's not only because of its price. If you don’t need custom panel-readiness or Knock2Open, but love the Diamond’s interior flexibility, you’ll want to consider the Miele Futura Lumen G6565SCVi.

If you want to strip away all the extras and just buy a solid, powerful cleaning machine, your best bet is the Miele Futura Classic Plus G4925SCU.

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By the Numbers

When it comes to cleaning, the Miele Futura Diamond G6985SCVi does an exceptional job. We put heavily soiled dishes into the machine and cleaned them using the Normal, Pots & Pans, and Express cycles, then evaluated each cycle based on how clean the dishes were and the time it took to wash them.

Both Normal and Pots & Pans removed a majority of the stains we loaded. Most of the dishes came out completely spotless, and only trace amounts of redeposit were detected. The cycles do run a bit long, though, with Normal taking 2 hours 20 minutes on average and Pots & Pans needing 3 hours 8 minutes on average.

Express took only 47 minutes to run on average, making it ideal if you need clean dishes in a pinch. Although it didn't clean as well as the other two cycles, Express did remove a majority of the food particles. We can confidently say that this cycle will serve its purpose against light stains that haven't been baked or burnt on.

Efficiency

The Diamond's overall efficiency is very good. From the data gathered in our lab, we calculated a yearly cost that's slightly lower than EnergyGuide's estimate, and lower than the average of every dishwasher we tested in 2015.