Miele Futura Lumen G6565SCVi Dishwasher Review

It wasn’t just the test results that impressed us. This Miele looks and feels like a premium appliance, thanks to its sturdy door, smooth-gliding racks, and responsive controls.

With a monolithic, logo-free, stainless steel front, and a hidden, top-mounted control panel, this dishwasher looks very unassuming from the outside. But the inside of the Lumen is what truly shines—literally, since interior lights illuminate as soon as you open the door.

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This video was shot inside the Miele Futura Classic, which has a similar wash system to the Futura Lumen.

It’s What’s Inside That Counts

We think the Futura Lumen has one of the best interiors of any dishwasher that’s come through our labs. Nearly everything can be adjusted, which means you can fit just about any dish. Giant pots, tall pitchers, delicate stemware, and tiny ramekins all have homes inside this dishwasher.

One of the most brilliant design choices is how every adjustable part is colored an eye-catching yellow. You’ll be able to tell at a glance if something can be slid, flipped, or folded.

A cutlery basket does not come standard. Instead, there’s a highly flexible third rack, which can be adjusted to fit serving and cooking utensils in addition to silverware. You can even slide sections of the third rack out of the way if you need to load taller items underneath.

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...But the Outside Also Matters

The Lumen’s hidden control panel features an LCD screen and responsive mechanical buttons that click audibly. Our only gripe is the presence of 11 wash programs and just one button to toggle through them all. There's also no physical Back button: If you want to change a selection, you have to select the Back option from the display. Needless to say, navigating the menus and submenus can be a hassle.

When a cycle finishes, the door partially opens for you automatically. A luxurious feature, for sure, but it’s also practical. Opening the door lets all the moisture escape, which quickens drying. It’s also an obvious way to tell that your dishes are done.

One last detail: The door’s latch extends outward when the door opens automatically, but once you open the door the rest of the way, the motorized latch retracts back in. Were it from any other brand, we might be worried about the extra parts breaking—but Miele dishwashers have a good reputation for reliability among customers and retailers alike.

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How Does It Run?

{{amazon name="Miele Dishwasher Tabs - 60 per box", asin="B00LAK1MGU", align="right"}} The Miele Futura Lumen is a high-end dishwasher, and it was no surprise that it cleaned especially well on our tests. It also uses very little water and has a whisper-quiet decibel rating of 40 dBa when running its Extra Quiet cycle (which takes longer, but runs more quietly).

The Lumen gives you precise control over when you run your cycles. Within its menus, there are options for setting the exact time of day you wish to start a cycle and for when you want a cycle to finish.

For more information, please visit the Test Results Page.

Warranty and Manual

This Miele has an industry-standard one-year warranty that covers defective parts. To learn more, this particular model’s manual is readily available from Miele’s website.

Most Miele dishwashers are available for sale from a variety of retailers, but higher-end models like the Futura Lumen are easiest to find at authorized Miele dealers. If you want to get some hands-on time with this product, stop by a Miele Experience Center, where all Miele appliances are on display.

Get Illuminated

If you want a Miele dishwasher with top-mounted controls and an unobtrusive face, this Lumen is the one to get. It ticks off all the necessary checkboxes you expect from a premium dishwasher, and adds in some fancy yet functional extras.

In case this Lumen isn't the perfect fit for you, there are other, similar dishwashers: The Lumen series also comes in several panel-ready options, including one with Knock2Open.

The less expensive Miele Futura Dimension series loses some cycles and wash options but retains the auto-open door, third rack, and Extra Quiet cycle. And if you’re looking to save money for a solid Miele dishwasher and don’t mind forward-facing controls, consider the Miele Futura Classic Plus G4925SCU.

By the Numbers

The Miele Futura Lumen G6565SCVi uses very little water and has one of the lowest annual utility costs we've seen in a dishwasher. Nevertheless, it does a superb job cleaning dishes. If you're interested in a greener machine for your kitchen, the Lumen is a great choice.

Even the powerful Pots & Pans cycle uses only slightly more water than the Energy Star Standard.

Unsurprisingly, the lower water usage leads to lower running costs.

How Well Does It Clean?

The Lumen's cleaning ability is on par with other high-end, premium dishwashers. The Normal and Pots & Pans cycles removed a vast majority of the food stains we tested with, which are far messier than what the average user would leave behind in real life. We noticed minuscule levels of redeposit, and don't anticipate this becoming a problem for most owners.