One of the most exciting aspects of our kitchen remodel was that we were going to finally add a dishwasher. It had been three years since we had moved into the house and left our other dishwasher behind, and oh how I missed it.

I was so excited about the dishwasher, in fact, that it was one of the first appliances I bought, and it was left to sit in the garage for two months while we worked on finishing the remodel.

While searching for a dishwasher, my husband and I had definite requirements that we were aiming to meet:

1.) It must be white- All of our appliances and new cabinets were white. Our kitchen is tiny and we wanted to maximize the space as much as we could.

2.) It needed to be quiet- During our kitchen remodel, we knocked down half of a wall between the kitchen and dining room/living room to open the space up. I didn't want to hear my dishwasher grinding and sloshing away in the background while I was watching TV.

3.) Around $500: We're two twenty-somethings that frankly don't do a lot of cooking. Anything way over $500 would probably have features we would never use.

Other features that weren't quite as important were that it must look cool (my husband's requirement) and that it have a silverware holder in the door (my requirement).

I will say that dishwasher hunting, while I looked forward to it, was also one of the hardest appliances to pick out. There were so many options out there, and many dishwashers seemed packed with options we would never use like "Pot Scrubber" and "China/Crystal". Many of the dishwashers seemed plastic and flimsy when I played around with them in the stores, and some were just downright ugly looking. Almost none had silverware slots in the door.

While standing at Sears one night (for the third time in the same week), my husband wandered over to the Bosch dishwashers, which were a brand we hadn't let ourselves look at since most were over $500. He immediately attached himself to a $699 model (SHX33A02) that featured just a lone handle on the front, with all of the buttons completely hidden when closed.

"This is the one," he announced. You see, it had filled his "must look cool" requirement. He was set.

I, however, wasn't convinced. It was $199 more than what we wanted to spend. And that's not even figuring in installation or delivery.

I detached him from the dishwasher and we left Sears empty-handed once again.

The next day, while driving home from work, I noticed that a local appliance shop was advertising rebates on all Bosch appliances. On a whim, I decided to go in and I'm glad I did. You see, for some reason they were discontinuing the Bosch model we had our eye on at Sears and they had it marked down to $525, plus a $25 rebate. Within 15 minutes I was now a proud owner of a white Bosch SHX33A02 Dishwasher, and I arranged for it to be delivered to my house via free local delivery. Beat that, Sears!


Features:

*SENSOTRONIC wash- This is a feature that automatically measures the amount of soil is coming off your dishes and adjusts the water consumption and heat used accordingly. Bosch claims that it cuts energy use by up to 20%. Many dishwashers come with a feature like this. The critics are still out on whether or not this is a feature that actually works. I read in Consumer Reports that many dishwashers have a hard time "reading" the soil and tend to use the same amount of water regardless.

*3 different wash functions- You can choose from Rinse & Hold, Regular Wash, and PowerScrub Plus. Rinse & Hold is a feature that runs a light wash (usually 2 gallons or less) so your dirty dishes don't have to sit in the dishwasher until you have a full load. We usually do not use this feature. Regular Wash heats to a temperature of 140 degrees, and PowerScrub Plus heats to a temperature of 160 degrees. Regular wash is usually sufficiant enough for our needs, but PowerScrub Plus easily took care of a filthy roasting pan (with baked on chicken grease, no less), which to me is one of the hardest things to clean.

*Concealed Electronic Controls with LED Indicator Lights on Top Panel- No messy controls on the front of the dishwasher and no buttons are visible when the dishwasher is closed. There are only four buttons visible when opened- the 3 different wash functions, and an On/Off button. You press the "On/Off" button, select which wash you prefer, and close the door. The dishwasher automatically starts.

There are some downsides to having hidden controls, however. There is no way to tell what cycle the dishwasher is currently on. When the dishwasher is done and has finished drying, it makes a beeping noise that can be adjusted to three levels: Loud, Quiet, and Off. We currently have it set to Quiet, which is still audible from the living room, but does get annoying if I don't hop up and unload the dishwasher right away. However, if I turned it to Off, how would we be able to tell that the dishwasher is done? It would be nice if Bosch could have included maybe a little light of some sort on the front panel that only lit up when the dishwasher was completely done and safe to open. (As an aside, top-of-the-line Bosch dishwasher do come with a light that projects on the floor when the cycle is done).

*PERFECTDOOR(TM)- This allows the door to stay open if opened more than 10 degrees, so you don't have to worry about the door slamming up on you.

*Sanitized Indicator Light and Rinse Aid Indicator Light- Along with the controls on the top edge of the door are two indicators that light up. One is to let you know that the heat of the wash cycle has met the standards for sanitation (even though if you think about it, your dishes are no longer sanitized the moment you touch them). The other lights up with your rinse aid is low. My husband and I have very hard water so we always use some sort of rinse aid. The indicator light comes in handy.

*54 dB silence rating- This is one of the most important features to both my husband and I. The dishwasher is extremely quiet. All I can hear is a barely audible hum. No splashing or grinding. I also read on www.boschappliances.com that Bosch suspends their motors to help absorb and minimize and vibrations or noises.

It comes in as the lowest when compared to other brands in a similar price range. A $520 Kenmore rates at 59 decibels. A $520 Whirlpool rates at 62 decibels. I think the "quiet factor" is definitely Bosch's forte, and a big reason why anyone should consider this brand.

*Removable Upper Rack w/sprinkler: This is a feature for washing really tall items that may not fit with both racks in place. I've washed cookie sheets and roasting pans with both racks in place, so I'm not sure how much use this feature will get.

*Condensation Drying- The dishwasher has a stainless steel interior, and dries through a ventless drying system that uses residual heat from the warm water inside its tub (creating condensation). Bosch claims that this condensation is then drained, creating no steam, but there is a little bit of steam released when I open the door after a cycle.

I will say this has been one of the best dishwashers I've owned in terms of drying, but you have to keep in mind that the ones I've had before were the cheapest of the cheap. Dishes that have been placed vertically always come out perfectly dry (and spot free with rinse aid). Of course, some water will pool in things like measuring cups and bowls (if accidentally tipped while placing into the dishwasher).

*Energy Star Compliant: This dishwasher features the Energy Star label and should cost around $24 (for a gas water heater) and $29 (for an electric water heater) a year to run.


Other issues:

Since the Bosch SHX33A02 dishwasher is one of the lowest priced in their range or products, it does come with a lack of options that a similarly priced Kenmore or Whirlpool may have. There are no folding tines. The silverware basket is removable, but can only be placed in one area of the dishwasher. The filter must be removed by hand and cleaned manually (usually once every few weeks), which makes for a quieter dishwasher but might be an annoyance for some. There are no extra wash features like "half load". It does not accept custom panels (but does come in Black, White, and Stainless Steel).


Installation:

We hired a plumber to install it because we had a tricky set-up. Unfortunately, our kitchen is set up so there is no room next to the sink for a dishwasher. This meant that it had to be placed on an adjoining wall, and the waterlines had to be run through our corner cabinets (which our plumber said was not a problem). At first I was afraid that the dishwasher would not drain properly since it was not right next to the sink, but we haven't had a problem.

(As an aside, our plumber said he enjoyed working with Bosch dishwashers because they're so easy to install).


Dimensions:

10" Top Rack Clearance
12" Bottom Rack Clearance
22" Usable space with Top Rack removed



The Bottom-line:

If you're looking for a dishwasher that is stylish and extremely quiet, the Bosch line is for you. The SHX33A02 model is underwhelming in extra features (that you may not even need), but overwhelming in performance. My husband and I do not rinse our plates before putting in the dishwasher (just scrape off the food particles), and everything has come out perfectly spotless.


Other Products Purchased (and reviewed) during my kitchen remodel:

Whirlpool GR2FHMXPQ Top Freezer Refrigerator

Jenn-Air 400 Watts Attrezzi JSM900 Stand Mixer

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 525