Bosch - 300 Series 24" Recessed Handle Dishwasher with Stainless Steel Tub - Black

Old DW was a noisy old thing so decided to look for those with good quiet noise ratings and read Bosch were very quiet in general. We had a KA in a previous house and found it did a great job of cleaning and drying but was not quiet enough for the new house due to proximity of kitchen to the family room and bedrooms. Our son has a Kenmore Elite at the house they recently bought and it is very quiet - so we looked at Kenmores, KAs and the Bosch. After a good deal of research, we decided on this model for several reasons - the sloped silverware tray aids in washing and drying, the height adjustable middle tray is helpful for different height items, the adjustable supports in the trays help to add flexibility in supporting different types of dishes, bowls, etc, stainless liner for long life and durability, no exposed handle to stick out from face of cabinet, front facing control panel allows for seeing progress at a glance, large removable utensil bin and it was within our price limit and best buy offered free delivery within 3 days. Honestly, Kenmore and KA both have very comparable machines. Lowes has the same basic model at same price but theirs is a specially modified version that takes swaps out the 60 min cycle with a 30 min cycle. Frankly, we did not feel a 30 min cycle would be useful where this one with 60 min cycle seems much more realistically useful for small loads. Only thing I needed for installation was the water inlet fitting and a section of flexible supply line. The old drain and power cord were re-usable. The height and level adjustments were easy, all done from the front. It fit perfectly into the old space and the under counter tabs fit pretty close to the previous. So far it has performed well. I agree with others who complained of the odor - definitely a musty odor from water used for testing before shipping and/or certain plastic parts. After several uses now, the odor seems to have dissipated. I'd say the extra dry cycle is pretty regularly used - it seems energy conservation may limt the heating power of newer machines - our old KA seemed to heat up much more. But then its not a big deal and probably safer in the long run for plastic utensils. Our old machine did ruin a plastic burger press that said it was dishwasher safe but apparently not safe from those that put out more heat. We have not tried all cycles - the 60 min and auto seem to be working fine for our needs. In general with only the two of us, we run it once a week. Since dishes tend to sit for a while, I tend to rinse them well in the sink first to avoid having stuff dry on and be difficult to wash off. Of course there are times we crank out more dishes and are less fussy about rinsing when we know we will be running it that night. In all occasions so far, it has performed well.

This review is both premature (this dishwasher was installed four days ago) and reactive (we had a super-crap Maytag dishwasher for four years). But with those caveats: I'm in love! When we were shopping for a replacement d/w, because of the amount of plastic we wash I was so firm on on the d/w being able to dry, but our other "must-haves" were third-rack, stainless interior, exposed controls, which kinda limited the pool. Because we'd had a Kitchen-Aid which was ridiculously expensive and which then died four years later, we have a strong bias against them, so that was also off the list. Because of our recent unacceptable experience with Maytag (which we'd chosen based on the rec from the popular consumer magazine as well as online reviews), that was also off the list. So here we are with the Bosch. It is so quiet -- it is running right now and I had to keep checking "is it on?" Yes, it is. Every time we've run it since installation everything has come out bone dry, including all our plastics. I'd forgotten what that was like .... CONS: I will say that I definitely see some of the nits others have mentioned: -the tines are spaced rather closely, forcing creative (aka awkward) placement of some items, especially in the bottom rack. (For example, I cannot get our pan / pot lids to fit because the tines are too narrow, so they have been perched at a rakish angle.) -the three trays, especially the top two, are not smooth operators. Especially the third rack -- that you really have to jimmy to get it back in, which feels stupid and makes me feel a bit resentful, like "really? Brand new not inexpensive d/w, and the racks are giving me grief?" -the utensil tray's openings are not big enough for some of our cutlery. I am a HUGE proponent of the business-end of cutlery being up (so as to be thoroughly cleaned), but our silver has decorative bottoms, and the knives and dinner forks have LARGE decorative bottoms: they do not fit in even the largest of the openings. I really like using the cutlery dividers because nothing can then nest together (and not get cleaned), but that's not an option, unless I lay them on the upper (third) rack. Which I don't and probably won't, because that I am using for sippy-cup innards and spatulas / tongs. I know, very first world-champagne issues, but it's also true. So, would I buy this again, based on my extensive use these past four days? YES. This is about the most money I am now willing to spend on a dishwasher given their short lives, and, given our must-haves, it fills the bill. Plus it cleans beautifully, dries thoroughly, and is super quiet.

While pricier than some options, for all its features, this Bosch 300 series dishwasher is fantastic. Using a rinse-aid as instructed, we haven't had any issues with anything (plastics included) coming out less than dry unless the object has a lip or cup that can catch water to begin with. There's no heating element, but this thing gets things hot and water evaporates well by the end of the cycle. It is amazingly quiet, especially compared with the 12 year-old Kenmore "grinder" model it replaced. No, there's no grinder, but the food catcher is unobtrusive and easy to clean. I've had it running for over a month and have only cleaned it once (and that was to determine how easy it was)...could probably have gone a few more weeks. There are no strange odors before/during/after the wash cycle in any case. Loading is easy with lots of flip-down tines for organizing the space as needed, and the top "third tray" works very nicely for utensils and shallower items. We found we don't need the larger utensil baskets on the lower rack which leaves more space for pots, larger bowls, etc. The automatic cycle takes approx. 2-1/2 hours to complete, but run it while you're away or asleep...you won't really care. (It's very quiet, remember.) Installation was straight-forward with no surprises. Exterior insulation is compact and neatly pre-installed. Yes, you'll need to get a separate installation kit...you wouldn't want to re-use your old supply line with compression fittings anyway. The kit I bought at Best Buy included the correct right-angle adapter that fits Bosch dishwashers and a new water supply line. Electrical connections are done through a secondary gang box (included w/dishwasher) that requires some additional clearance for wall/under-cabinet mounting. I didn't have space behind the dishwasher, so I mounted it on the back wall of the sink cabinet. Even though my old DW was hotwired with the routing of power line a bit more streamlined directly under the dishwasher, this set up makes sense as it allows for easier access to the power connections (for repair or removal) and makes it easier to utilize a 120V power cord with plug if you already have an under-sink outlet for your garbage disposal. (The Best Buy installation kit provides that plugged power cord if you need it...I didn't.) Oh, and it cleans everything really well! I've only had one serving spoon with caked on guacamole not get completely clean; everything else -- including some really nasty burnt-in casserole dishes -- come out beautifully clean. No pre-rinsing required, just scrape off any bulky bits. I would definitely recommend this dishwasher to others.

I bought this Bosch after my 7 year old Whirlpool started falling apart & leaking with the hope that it will last long enough to be worth the expense -- so many brands (Whirlpool, Kitchen Aid, Kenmore, etc.) are made by the same manufacturer, the problems carry over between machines. Extensive research led me to switching to Bosch as the best in dishwashers; I've had it for a month and so far have been completely pleased with it's performance. Some reviewers had complained about a hot plastic smell when the machine is first used; that is true, but I didn't find it overwhelming, it doesn't come off on the dishes, and it fades over time. Others have complained about dishes (especially plastic) not drying; plastic won't retain the heat from the hot water, so plastic items may stay wet, but the ceramic & glass will dry just fine as long as you leave the door shut for a bit when a wash is completed. (Plastic items often stayed wet with my Whirlpool too, even with a heated dry cycle.) The Pros: it cleans well, it's very quiet, and the 3rd rack is very useful for my large knives/utensils as well as very small items. The adjustable 2nd rack height allows for flexibility in my washing needs. The "energy saver" wash setting takes an hour less than it did on my old Whirlpool. The pocket handle version of this model that I originally wanted would have taken an extra month to deliver, so I had to settle for this version of the 300 series; I don't love the front location of the controls or the brightness of the digital display on this model, but I do like seeing how much time remains on the cycle. All in all it does what I need it to do. The Cons: my biggest concern is that the plastic parts (particularly the top rack and the height adjustment levers on the 2nd rack) are very flimsy. The installer actually warned me to be gentle, and never to adjust the height of the 2nd rack if the dishes & glasses were already loaded, saying "they're only plastic." Too much strength sliding the 3rd rack out will pull it right off the tracks. For me it's not a deal-breaker as I'm not rough on my appliances, but I won't be having my teenage son load & unload for me. Other than that the only "con" is that it doesn't seem to hold quite as much as my old Whirlpool did (the silverware basket can be taken out completely, but can't be mounted on the door to make more rack space). Time will tell how the parts hold up over time and regular use. With my Whirlpool, the rubber and plastic began to break down within 5 years and by 7 it was falling apart. My hope is that I can get at least a decade out of the Bosch.

Horrible Dishwasher, 5 months in for our new SHEM63W52N and it still has a toxic melting plastic smell when it runs, and even worse when you open the door to let your soaking wet dishes dry. (You need to turn the fan on above the stove as well as open a couple windows in the kitchen help make it breathable) Have talked to Bosch countless times, they even sent a Bosch Technician to come and look at it. He was going to recommend to Bosch to replace the unit, but suggested we take the machine back to place of purchase. It took almost a month for the Tech to come and look at it, so my hope of returning was gone. That is also if I wanted to take a loss of paying a restocking fee. I am now stuck with a dishwasher that we can not use. Dishes do not fit in well, cereal bowls and plates must go in the bottom rack because bowls and saucers break in the top rack when it is up, but if top rack is lowered it bashes my Corelle plates (not over sized plates) in the bottom thus not rotating the spray arm. Drinking glasses do not fit on top rack, cookie sheets, casserole pans, pots and cutting boards do not fit in bottom. Soap just sticks to the top rack handle and does not dissolve/break down for proper washing. Even used the Finish detergent that Bosch told me to use because other ones were not working correctly. (Just as bad if not worse) Water does not heat hotter the the Hot tap water that first goes in. We have done the Vinegar and baking soda over a dozen times like Bosch recommended and still no luck. Everything needs to be dried off with towels because it is soaking wet, and then you need to dry the inside of the machine as well as the door. We will no longer be using this machine that is now taking up space in my kitchen, It has even started to make the stainless steel cutlery, utensils, and even bowls to go rusty. We will not be purchasing anything from Bosch again,, and they have been of no help, to fix this problem.

I really like this dishwasher - It's super quiet (can hardly tell it's running), holds a lot of dishes (I love the 3rd rack that neatly holds flatware), and gets everything very clean. However, I do have a few grumbles. First, the manual does a poor job of explaining all the options, and when I called customer service, and the rep was equally unhelpful. For example, there's a programmable setting for enhanced drying, and a button for extended drying. The default settings left everything pretty wet and extended dry didn't solve the problem completely. When I searched through the manual, I found the programmable setting (D1), and changed that. That added another 15 minutes or so but did make a difference. When I asked the rep what the difference was between the two, she hadn't even heard about the programmable setting. I also asked her about the different cycle times, such as, whether the Express60 uses more energy to complete the wash in less time, and she couldn't answer that. She just told me to choose the cycles based on my load (duh). She did answer my question about whether it heats the water beyond the temperature coming out of the tap - it does - and the temperature of the tapwater should be 110 - 120 degrees. The other complaint is that there is a fairly strong plastic smell after washing and it has not gone away after 6 weeks of use. I googled this and found many people had this complaint, many saying it's so bad they ended up returning the dishwasher. Apparently it's due to a bitumen sealer/gasket. People started reporting this in 2015 so I don't know why it hasn't been fixed already! In my case, the smell dissipates a few minutes after the dishwasher is opened, but others complain that it remains. Since the phone rep was useless, I've been looking for a way to contact Bosch in writing, but haven't found a way.

I ran it 3 times by now. The pros are: it is very quite, it looks very nice, and it washes better than our old 22-year old Maytag (not better though than our Maytag a year ago). And there are several things that I wish are better. I was very excited about the 3rd rack but once started to use it, I changed my mind: it takes time to place the silverware flat one by one and the same with taking it out after it’s done. I now use the traditional way, the basket. And I took out the 3rd rack to rather make more height space for the 2nd rack. Perhaps the 3rd rack can still be used for some flat pieces like pot lids. It doesn’t dry well. Most dishes still have some moisture after 2.5 hours of its cycle. I never had this problem with my old dishwasher. As a result, the wine glasses are never sparkle clean. Also, it somehow feels smaller than it is when it comes to loading dishes. It must be the design of the shelves that doesn't allow to use it fully. There is a lot of fuss about Bosch dishwashers among sales people at the appliance departments. I went to several stores and heard all the same: Bosch only! The price is inflated and the quality is just very average. I bought it at BestBuy and I am not sure it was a good decision. I want to see how long it lasts.

This Bosch 300 is my second Bosch dishwasher. My first bottom-of-the-line Bosch worked great for many years until a family member accidentally fell on the open door, damaging the hinges. I was a little nervous about all the negative reviews online about buttons that stopped working soon after purchase and bad customer service. Despite my reservations, I purchased another Bosch largely because they are so quiet (I have a very small house) and because my first Bosch performed so well. It's only been a few months, but this new Bosch is still working great. The rack configuration is totally different from older dishwashers: there is a third silverware and large utensil rack on top that took getting used to. The best thing about it is I could get rid of the bulky silverware basket to free up space in the bottom rack. I still love the adjustable cup and glassware rack in the middle since I could lower it a touch to fit my wineglasses. One has to be careful not to place items in this cup rack that substantially block the water from the arm below. Placing large flat container lids horizontally kept water from getting to that third silverware rack on top so some utensils remained soiled. Adjusting our loading habits solved this problem easily. Note that the top utensil rack can be removed if desired. Overall, I recommend Bosch dishwashers enthusiastically and without reservation.