Best dishwashers: Integrated and freestanding dishwashers from Bosch, Beko and more

The average Brit spends about 98 minutes per week washing up. That equates to about 85 hours per year, and 170 days in a lifetime.

In other words, buying a dishwasher could rescue around half a year of your life from monotonous toil over the kitchen sink. The appeal is clear, but the decisions involved in buying a dishwasher can be a little murkier.

The difference between freestanding, built-in models, and fully-integrated dishwashers:

A built-in dishwasher has a recessed plinth at the bottom in order for the line of the kitchen plinth to remain unbroken. It is built into the kitchen unit but without a cupboard door that matches your kitchen cabinetry.

A fully-integrated dishwasher is the same thing as a built-in but is also defined as being behind a cupboard door that is attached to the machine and opens as one. You can't see them whatsoever — a fully-integrated dishwasher requires a furniture door in order to fully integrate it with your kitchen units.

Freestanding dishwashers tend to be easier to instal and the bottom does not have a recess. If you just want a dishwasher to put under your existing counter top this is the one or you.

What about capacity?

Manufacturers measure this in place settings, which means all the kitchenware needed to serve a single meal to a person. To be precise, the industry definition of one place setting is enough space for a dinner plate, desert plate, single glass, soup bowl, tea cup with saucer, and an assortment of cutlery. In theory, a 12-place-setting dishwasher should be able to wash whatever you need to serve four meals to three people in a day.

Plenty of other considerations could play into your choice of dishwasher, from aesthetics to operating volume.

Energy efficiency:

In our opinion, the most important point beyond dishwasher type and place settings is energy efficiency. This will define your running costs for the entire lifetime of the appliance, which will likely be around a decade.

Handily, European Union rules dictate that dishwashers must have an EU Energy Label, showing their appliance energy rating from A+++ (super-efficient) to G (spectacularly wasteful). Checking a dishwasher’s energy rating will give you a good indication of the appliance’s energy costs and eco credentials.

Bosch Dishwasher

Serie 6 Perfect Dry SMS67MW00G

Type: freestanding
Place settings: 14
Appliance energy rating: A+++

Bosch’s Serie 6 Perfect Dry SMS67MW00G is the height of dishwashing efficiency.

Key to its performance is a chamber containing granules of zeolite – a mineral which adsorbs water particles during the drying process, converting them into heat energy to encourage further drying. Bosch is one of the first brands to use this technology in a consumer product.

The clever use of zeolite is just one of this dishwasher’s many winning attributes. Another is its operating volume of 44dB – a level low enough to merit a Quiet Mark Award. It can also delay the start of a cycle by up to 24 hours, providing opportunity to keep the house even quieter while people are at home.

£609 | Appliances Direct | Buy it now

*Price compare this dishwasher at John Lewis and Currys.

Sharp Dishwasher

QW-GD54R443X Fully Integrated Dishwasher

Type: fully integrated
Place settings: 15
Appliance energy rating: A+++

Highly efficient and lightning-fast, the QW-GD54R443X is the perfect dishwasher for households looking to clean their dishes economically and in record time. Its family-sized cycles can get the job done in as little as 14 minutes – a fraction of the time it takes for some competitors to do the same.

Other highlights of the QW-GD54R443X include its adjustable water jets, which can be focused in the direction of the dirtiest dishes, and its A+++ energy rating is the highest attainable.

As a fully-integrated dishwasher, this appliance is requires a furniture door to fully integrate it with your kitchen units.

£399 | AO | Buy it now

Beko AutoDose Smart Dishwasher

DEN59420DX Full-size

Type: freestanding
Place settings: 15
Appliance energy rating: A++

From its minimal LCD display to its brushed metal finish, the Beko DEN59420DX is one of the sleekest dishwashers we’ve encountered.

It’s also one of the smartest, with support for operation via a smartphone running the HomeWhiz app, or via Amazon Alexa voice assistant. It can also automatically order a new supply of detergent from Amazon when your stock is running low.

One area where this trailblazing washer does lag some of its competitors is cycle speed, with a “quick” wash taking 53 minutes for a full load.

£349 | Currys | Buy it now

See all dishwashers on sale right now from Currys here.

AEG Integrated Dishwasher

FSB51400Z Integrated

Type: slimline fully-integrated
Place settings: 9
Appliance energy rating: A+

If you have reservations about adding a bulky new appliance to your kitchen, we’d strongly recommend checking out a slimline dishwasher, like the AEG FSB51400Z. This built-in model integrates with your kitchen units, taking up just 45cm in width – a space-saving of 25 per cent compared with the standard kitchen appliance width of 60cm.

This one’s packed with handy features, including an AutoSense programme, glass-safe spikes in the upper basket, and LEDs which project red or green onto the floor to let you know whether a cycle is finished or in-progress.

£484 | John Lewis | Buy it now

Neff Integrated Dishwasher

S513K60X0G

Type: fully-integrated
Place settings: 13
Appliance energy rating: A++

This is potentially the most aesthetically pleasing dishwasher we’ve encountered. It’s a integrated model, so the style of door used to conceal it is down to the owner’s choice. Inside, the appliance looks smart and is well-built, with controls arrayed along the top of the dishwasher door – out of sight and out of reach of children. We love the branded handles on the drawers and the matte finish around the controls.

Looks aren’t everything, and the Neff S513K60X0G has plenty else to recommend itself, including an AquaSensor function that automatically calculates out how much water to use at each stage of a cycle, and a flexible loading system involving six foldable plate racks, two foldable cup shelves, and a drawer offering an additional, third level of storage.

£399 | John Lewis | Buy it now

Siemens Dishwasher

iQ500 SN258I06TG

Type: freestanding
Place settings: 14
Appliance energy rating: A+++

The iQ500 SN258I06TG is nice to look at, and nicer still to use. Its gently bowed front stands out from the crowd, and the drawers pull out easily and quite flexibly – a mercy if you’ve overfilled the machine and need to jiggle a drawer about a bit. Large, clear touch control buttons right across the front of the machine make it particularly user-friendly.

Peace-loving households should note that this is a supremely quiet dishwasher, with an operating volume of 42dB. That’s not all it does to create a pleasant ambiance: blue LEDs inside the appliance bathe your clean dishes in a pleasant glow when you open the door.

£699 | Appliance City | But it now

Price compare this dishwasher at Appliances Direct

Miele Dishwasher

G6660 SCVi

Type: fully-integrated
Place settings: 14
Appliance energy rating: A+++

Miele released Europe’s first-ever electric dishwasher in 1929, and has remained a pre-eminent manufacturer today.

This dishwasher seems a fitting tribute to those eighty-nine years of history. Rated A+++ -10% for efficiency, it’s the most energy-efficient model in our top ten – meaning you may see some of its lofty price tag back in bill saving over the years.

It’s outstanding for your glassware, with a Perfect Glasscare mode that ensures glasses are washed particularly gently, guarding against the gradual etching and clouding caused by long-term use with certain other dishwashers.

Other standout features including a sensor drying setting, an easy “ComfortClose” door action, and loading baskets fitted with champagne flute-friendly FlexCare glass holders.

£1,099 | John Lewis | Buy it now

Price compare on Amazon

John Lewis Dishwasher

JLDWW1327

Type: freestanding
Place settings: 13
Appliance energy rating: A++

The JLDWW1327 is a good choice for those seeking a simple, effective dishwasher at a reasonable price. It’s a little unspectacular compared with some of the higher-tech dishwashers on the market, but does offer some interesting features, including an auto-sensing programme that sets a wash anywhere from 45-70°C, depending on the load. The door pops open part-way through the drying cycle to help speed up the process, too.

If you’re looking for a freestanding dishwasher under £400 with good energy- and time-efficiency, this is the one.

£379 | John Lewis | Buy it now

Verdict:

The Bosch Serie 6 Perfect Dry SMS67MW00G is a shining example of innovation acting in the best interests of the user and the environment. Its zeolite chamber brings a technology previously reserved for industrial use to the mass market, helping dishes dry quicker and at a lower cost in energy. Intelligent, attractive and user-friendly, it’s our ES Best Top Pick.

Bear in mind that Bosch’s dishwasher is a freestanding appliance, and so cannot be integrated with your kitchen units. If you’re looking for a integrated alternative, we’d recommend the super-speedy Sharp QW-GD54R443X.