Very very quiet is the most pleasing feature anoit this unit. And it does a nice job of cleaning the dishes, too. We do not use the 2hr and 35min full cycle, so coffee cups and other vessels with concave tops don't dry all the way, but that isn't too much of a bother. However the lower basket does not accomodate extra large dishes well (and we have many). Overall, we are very pleased with the purchase.