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.

Just installed this unit myself a few days ago. I can’t speak to longevity obviously but will give my first impressions after installing and running the washer a couple times. Will update if I run into any issues down the line! The install went mostly smooth, with a few hiccups: - You will need to purchase a few additional parts required to install the dishwasher. These seem like they could easily be included so I’m a little confused why they aren’t, especially the electric strain relief clamp. The other pieces you will need are a water hookup adapter and a hot water line if you don’t already have one or you want to replace it. - All of the hose connections and electric cord hookup are in the same viscinity in the back of the unit. This made somewhat of a mess of everything being stuffed in the back, and the hoses and cords got pretty squished when putting it in place. Hopefully nothing is too strained or kinked, I can’t really tell whats happening back there now that the washer is in place. - The Bosch line has a few different versions of kick plates for the front of the unit. Pretty sure they included the wrong one for my model. The screw holes didn’t line up and my install kit included brackets that this version of kick plate doesn’t use. Not a huge deal, but mildly annoying and the plate is just being held on with one screw now. - The brackets to attach the dishwasher the the countertop seem a bit cheap and were kind of difficult to figure out. Seems like they hold ok for now though. Performance: - Love the sleek style of this washer and as others have said, it is freakishly quiet. The outside is covered in soundproof insulation which is a nice touch. Can barely tell its on when running. - Dishes came out sparkling clean and dry as a whistle. On the second and third rack there were a few dishes where water pooled on top or in crevices, but not a huge deal to me and most dishwashers these days are going to leave a tiny bit of water behind. - I love having a countdown timer on the front panel and the child lock is also a nice feature when you have a 1-year-old who loves to push the buttons :) - I was able to fit a lot of dishes in here and my large dinner plates fit perfectly. Haven’t tried washing any large pots or pans yet but seems to be plenty of space. - Stemware doesn’t fit on the 2nd rack, had to place it on the bottom. Not ideal, but small inconvenience. Would maybe fit if I adjust the rack height, haven’t tried that yet. - Having the 3rd rack is awesome. It is one of the reasons we picked this unit and it is even more useful than I had imagined. Perfect for large knives, spatulas and other large cooking utensils that would normally take up space on the lower racks. - Silverware basket is very large. I consider this a good thing but I could see it being a problem for some people. I like that it helps spread out the silverware more to prevent nesting from overfilling. - The detergent receptacle is needlessly complicated. Seems prone to eventual failure in the future. Instead of a simple lid/latch, it slides back and forth and the latch seems a bit weak. - Door latch is also a bit strange. There is no handle to unlatch it, you just pull it out. This also seems prone to eventual failure and seems to be made with plastic parts. Overall this is a huge improvement over our previous dishwasher and so far we are very happy with our purchase! 5 stars for performance 4 stars for design 3 stars for install

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.

I got my first Bosch 300 series dishwasher a day before Thanksgiving 2018. It was installed by Best Buy’s Geek Squad. Previously I had a Kenmore dishwasher which lasted without any problems for 18 years. With Sears in bankruptcy I decided to try Bosch, because of its record of reliability and reputation. Since day one however I had a problem with this top rated dishwasher, - a bad chemical odor emitted during the wash cycle. I assumed that after few uses the headache causing odor will disappear, but it did not. It’s a shame that Bosch refuses to admit to this problem. There is no instruction how to get rid of this smell. I had to Google it and follow instructions from other Bosch owners, by placing a cup of white vinegar on upper rack and run on heavy with sanitize cycle every day. It did help as the vinegar neutralized the smell. Then I ran out of the vinegar and the smell was back. I promptly returned the smelly product to the store and bought a good rated Maytag MDB4949SHZ. The delivery guy told me that almost all dishwashers use the same sound insulating material, which is Bitumen (asphalt). Yes, my new Maytag smells too, supposedly it is not toxic. I am very upset that there was no warning label about this headache causing product. How is it possible that Consumer Reports gave those products top ratings ? How could there be so many positive reviews and only a small percentage of owners report this smell?

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.