Bosch SHX3AR76UC Ascenta 24" Black Fully Integrated Dishwasher - Energy Star

• 14-Place Settings
• 6 Wash Cycles
• 2 Options
• Sanitize Option
• Delay Start

My 15-year old Bosch SMU 4000 died, and the research on a popular consumer site said that the top 8 dishwashers were Bosch (including this model). I also trust the reviews on Amazon, and was surprised to see the low ratings of the Bosch dishwashers. So I looked around (in person) at the other brands available and just dreaded buying anything else but Bosch. Several of the Amazon reviews had a low rating because the capacity is lower than the piece of junk they just scrapped. It makes sense to me that to make these dishwashers quiet they probably need more insulation, and it's not possible to make the dishwasher larger on the outside, so they may sacrifice some space on the inside. I accept that trade-off gladly. I did not research to see if the smaller space claim was true, because I don't mind if I have more frequent smaller loads. I liked the layout after I used it a few times, and seems very similar to my old Bosch. And it is quiet noticeably quieter than my old one.

The Bosch reviews in Amazon are so low and the consumer reviews are so high, that it makes me wonder who is writing the Amazon reviews. In this case only, I am glad that I didn't trust them.

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We're remodeling our Kitchen, and the existing dishwasher was very old with a few cracks in the door, so we replaced it. Although this is a straightforward DIY project, we had a few complications from tile work (floor and countertop) by a previous owner. The old dishwasher was tightly wedged in, and it was very difficult to fit this new Bosch into place. This is NOT a problem with the dishwasher. It fit the space more fully than the older washer, but the older washer also had heavy layers of insulation padding the exterior. There is some padding on the Bosch on the sides and top, but not as much as the old Maytag we removed.

Once we shoehorned it in, we tried it out. It is quiet, but not as remarkably quiet as some have said about Bosch. Some reviews say they could not hear it running. We could easily hear it running, but it was significantly quieter than our old one, and I'd rate it as the most quiet dishwasher I've almost not heard. I think part of the quiet design includes a more thoughtful seal around the cabinet enclosure. It looks more finished and fills the space better due to rubber trim on the sides.

It is not faster than our previous washers. Regular washes take 90 minutes, and the Sanitize mode takes a full 120 minutes. We have not timed the half load or quick rinse yet.

The first wash was relatively clean items, but we purposely did not pre-rinse items for the second wash. I used the sanitize mode, and every items was spotless. This included a pot with baked on tomato sauce, dried egg yolks, and general food grime. There is an elaborate scheme for placing silverware in the washer, but we ignored it and just placed the items in as always no issues. Subjectively, and this could be new owner's bias, the dishes and glasses 'feel' cleaner and look cleaner. I cannot quantify why.

We purposely did not use the heating element on our old dishwasher, and this one does not have an element. Some reviews commented on wet dishes, but we found that everything was dry after leaving the door open for less than five minutes. We live in the desert, and not everyone may have the same experience. The items were far drier than in our older unit with no heating element use, but I don't know if that is a function of the dishwasher or the combination of the Sanitize mode's hotter water and Jet Dry (we didn't use Jet dry before now).

Overall we consider this the best dishwasher we've owned, so I gave it five stars. Note that in this general price range for Bosch dishwashers, the mechanical is pretty much the same between the models, with most difference in design or perhaps a few add-on features.

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I bought this Bosch because of its high rating in Consumer Reports. I was replacing a Kenmore that I had never liked and wanted something of high quality.

One of the problems I had with the Kenmore was that the dishes sometimes didn't get clean. Even worse, they sometimes smelled funny (the dishwasher also had a strange smell when it was running). I am thrilled to say that this Bosch is an excellent dish, glass, and utensil cleaner. It is by far the best dishwasher I've had in terms of cleaning.

Another problem I had with the Kenmore was that the dishes were never dry. After using the Sanitize setting and a rinse aid, most dishes are completely dry. The only exceptions, of course, are plastic items which don't normally dry anyway.

The Kenmore also had a horrible mold problem. I think you're beginning to understand why I hated this dishwasher so much. I asked the installer about this, and he told me I won't have the problem with the Bosch because the interior is steel, not plastic. So far he's right. I haven't noticed or smelled any mold.

It's a nice looking unit too. Sleek and aesthetically pleasing.

The only complaint I have is that the dishwasher is smaller than what I'm used to. Of course, the reason for this is the extra insulation. The dishwasher is unbelievably quiet. There have been times I've actually had to put my ear to it to make sure it's running. The Kenmore was so loud we often would not run it if we were watching TV. The dishwasher's small size is not a huge problem for me because we don't normally use lots of dishes on an everyday basis. However, there have been a couple instances when I cooked with a couple pans and used several bowls and found I needed to hold out some of the dishes for the next wash.

Still, I was so glad to see that Kenmore hauled out of my house, and I can honestly say that I love this Bosch--this is the first time I've ever said that about a dishwasher.