Product review (5 stars): lowest decibel rating for dishwashers with a disposal currently available
2mos of use

I was looking for an energy efficient dishwasher with excellent sound deadening abilities - and that's what i got. It's not the most energy efficient - Bosch dishwashers are - but it has all the features I wanted.

This particular KitchenAid compares directly to the Bosch SHE8ER55UC with the Bosch having a dBA of 40 and the KitchenAid a dBA of 41. However, the KitchenAid has a hard food disposal (which was a must for me) that no Bosch dishwasher has. If you want to put your dishes covered in food in the dishwasher without pre-washing them, and you don't want those food particles ending up back on your clean dishes, then you need a way for the dishwasher to make sure the food is gone. The Bosch has a filter that you have to take out and clean about once a month. I knew I wasn't gonna do that.

A second thing that this dishwasher has the the Bosch doesn't is its own (optional use) internal hot water heater that you can use for a super-high hot water wash.

The final feature that the KitchenAid has that the Bosch doesn't is a heated dry. I really hate opening the dishwasher and having that moist air come out and still having a good portion of the dishes wet. You will see that people say it's not a problem if you open the door (on the Bosch) and let the dishes air dry for a bit before putting them away (or you don't mind wiping them off). Well, I want my dishes clean & dry when I go to put them away and, since I've got a galley kitchen, I just don't have the space to keep the door down for however long it takes for the dishes to finish drying.  However, for those of you who don't care or want to save a little energy, it's optional.

Other than those 3 features, the dishwashers are pretty comparable feature-wise. The KitcheAid has an annual energry usage of 279KWh/yr while the Bosch's is 180KWh/yr. Those feature I want - internal hot water heater, forced air dryer and internal disposal - all use extra energy.

After that, the differences are a more a matter of personal preference. i HATE the Bosch utensil rack (I've used it on several friends/family members' units). It is a top 3rd rack where you put each utensil in separately ... every single knife, fork & spoon, etc has it's own slot. Which means that you have to take out each knife, fork and spoon out individually when you unload. I think the reason that it has the silverware done this was is because it has no in-unit food disposal. Where is the most likely place for those pesky food particles floating around in your dishwasher to land? On all that mashed together silverware in your standard basket! Not only do I dislike inserting & removing each separate utensil, but I really disliked having to open & close a totally different rack to do so. With my 2 (regular) racks, I can pretty much pull the bottom one all the way out, the top one part of the way out and fill the dishwasher. Once you use the first couple of place settings on the Bosch, then you've got to pull that top rack out the whole way to add more pieces and close it to use the 'regular' top rack again. I like my simple basket.

Since I have a galley kitchen, I also didn't want that extended door handle - that's just 3-4" of lost space for me. I even like the exterior buttons on the appliance. No, it doesn't look the best, but they are easy to see, easy to use and no mistaking what cycles you're using after you close the door. Can't remember if you added the forced air dry (remember?  it's optional so you don't even have to use it - which will save energy/money)? Don't worry, you can tell just by looking at the dishwasher without opening the door and stopping/cancelling your cycles.

So that's why I like this dishwasher and why I got it. It's VERY expensive, but similarly priced to its closest comparable Bosch competitor. I am happy that I got this dishwasher.

CON:  Like so many newer appliances, things about this one just don't seem to be as well built and sturdy as the 13yr old KitchenAid dishwasher it replaced.  For instance, the racks feel a bit lightweight, looser and not as good a quality.  In addition, the little 'door' over the detergent dispenser also seems more flimsy.  One thing that I almost can't believe is that, even with all of the water-jets, the top half of the bowls on the top rack will not get cleaned if you put them in one after the other.  Meaning that, in order to clean them, you have to leave a space between each bowl - frustrating!