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The Bosch 800 Series SHP78CM5N is a near-perfect dishwasher. It scrubbed out every stain we threw at it, in record time, and has great smart features.
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The G 5266 blows most other dishwashers out of the water. If your budget can accommodate its premium price, it's one of the best models you can buy.
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Written by Mark Brezinski, senior writer who's been testing and reviewing products for over a decade. Leigh Harrington, executive editor, home and garden expert, enthusiastic smart home skeptic.
Updated March 20, 2024
In a world of ringing cell phones and loud TV commercials, silence is golden. When you finally put your feet up at the end of the day, the last thing you want is a noisy dishwasher disrupting your evening.
Luckily, there are plenty of modern dishwashers that don't sound like a herd of elephants stampeding through a lake, and we’ve rounded up a bunch of them.
If you’re looking for the best quiet dishwasher that can scrub pots and pans in relative silence, look to the Samsung DW80R9950UT
(available at Best Buy for $1,299.99)
, which comes in at 39 decibels and offers a fantastic cleaning performance.
Dimensions: 23 9/16” x 23 3/4" x 33 7/8" (W x D x H)
Finishes: Stainless steel
Special features: PrecisionWash with PowerControl, stainless-steel wash tub, EasyGlide racks, CrystalDry with zeolite
In addition to all the other amazing things The Bosch 800 Series SHP78CM5N is capable of, its operation levels are a very quiet 42 dBA.
But this dishwasher is about so much more than the volume at which it cleans. The Bosch 800 Series has some serious cleaning power, thanks to its PrecisionWash system that places a second spray arm at the end of one of its regular spray arms. The result is significantly better coverage than you'll typically get from a dishwasher.
This Bosch also makes sure to get every dish dry—even plastics!—thanks to CrystalDry with zeolite.
Special features: Wi-Fi, third rack, Ultra Wash & Dry Plus, stainless steel tub
The GE Café CDT875M5NS5 is another whisper-quiet 39 decibel dishwasher.
It features a gorgeous, upmarket look that dazzles with Café’s Platinum Glass finish. But looks aren’t its only attribute. This Café dishwasher’s cleaning quality was excellent overall when we tested it in our lab, but we did see some inconsistencies where certain stains just weren’t getting cleaned well.
The rest of this dishwasher’s performance and its expansive feature set make the CDT875M5NS5 a good pick for anyone whose budget isn’t broken by its price tag.
Special features: AutoDos automatic detergent dispenser
The Miele G 7566 SF is capable of some impressive cleaning power and it does it all at an incredibly quiet 40 dBA.
In our lab testing, we found it's able to clear away nearly 100% of food stains from dishes—it was shy of a perfect score by a fraction of a percent. The G 7566 also features an automatic detergent dispenser that works with a proprietary PowerDisk detergent pod, and after a wash cycle, the dishwasher automatically pops open to help air dry your dishes.
Special features: Third rack, adjustable upper rack
Ranking at 42 decibels, the Miele G 5266 SCVi SF is a great high-end option if you want to keep things quiet.
It has a sleek design, featuring a pocket handle, adjustable upper and third racks, and will get dishes clean. On top of that, its Normal cycle is a full 30 minutes faster than average, creating a much quicker turnaround without losing any cleaning power.
If you like its look and have the money to spend, it won’t let you down.
Dimensions: 23 9/16” x 23 3/4" x 33 7/8" (W x D x H)
Finishes: Stainless steel
Special features: PrecisionWash with PowerControl, stainless-steel wash tub, EasyGlide racks, CrystalDry with zeolite
The Bosch 800 Series SHP78CM5N is currently our top-rated dishwasher overall and it completes its top-notch stain-scrubbing at a whisper-quiet 42 dBA. Even higher-end dishwashers sometimes have difficulty with our tougher test stains, but the SHP78CM5N managed to deliver clean and dry dishes in incredibly short order.
This dishwasher is the complete package, from its helpful extra features to best-in-class performance to an amazing aesthetic.
The Bosch SGX78B55UC/13 keeps operation to a quiet 42 decibels, which is slightly noisier than a quiet library, but less loud than moderate rainfall. It still falls well below the sound intensity of the average dishwasher.
This Bosch 800 Series dishwasher boasts the expected strong cleaning power and the ability to dry dishes every time, in addition to Bosch's suite of smart features.
What's more is this model is ADA-compliant, which means it has enhanced accessibility features—it's also a bit smaller physically, so keep that in mind if your cabinetry is designed for a standard-sized dishwasher.
Finishes: PrintProof stainless steel, black PrintProof stainless steel ($50 extra)
Special features: QuadWash Pro, TrueSteam, Dynamic Heat Dry
The LG LDTH7972S is another dishwasher that manages to excel in just about every category. And at just 42 dBA, this dishwasher certainly won't disrupt your dinner.
Of course, just maintaining a low noise level isn't the entire battle. Fortunately, the LDTH7972S also excels at getting dishes clean and dry. Its Heavy cycle was able to clean over 99% of our most difficult stains, and its 1 Hour Wash & Dry cycle works exactly as advertised.
This LG also has some good value-adding extras as well, like adjustable racks, foldable tines and steam features.
Hi there! We are Reviewed's large appliance testing team. Between us, we've spent many years testing major appliances in a lab environment, but we've also used them at home, like normal people would in the course of their daily lives.
The Tests
Testing dishwashers is a dirty job, and we're happy to do it. In the Reviewed lab, we assess each product on the three major parts of the dishwasher experience—performance, features, and usability.
One of the most important standards is stain removal. We test the dishwasher’s three major cycles (Quick, Heavy, and Normal) by baking food and beverage stains—milk, spinach, egg, oatmeal, meat, and more—onto 15 to 20 dishes that are then loaded into the dishwasher per the manufacturer's loading directions.
At the end of each cycle, we determine how much stain has been removed from each dish. Ideally, each dish is 100% clean, but that level of cleaning perfection can be harder to achieve in real life.
Other factors include redeposit, cycle time, and drying performance.
One factor to regard here in this guide, specifically, is how much noise the dishwasher makes when operating. This is measured in standard units called decibels, and for context, the quietest dishwasher on the market sits at 38 decibels.
To create this list, we’ve paired each dishwasher’s decibel level (up to a limit of 45 decibels) with its overall performance score and come up with our bets for best quietest dishwashers on the market.
What You Should Know Before Buying A Quiet Dishwasher
This chart compares decibel levels with common sounds.
To put decibels in context, 0 decibels is the threshold of human hearing. A whisper is 30 decibels, a vacuum cleaner is 75 decibels, and gunshots hit 140-150 decibels—yep, it may make your ears bleed, well, at least hurt some.
From these examples, you can imagine what decibels may sound like, but the bigger question may actually be “what is a decibel”? The CDC defines the term decibel as the intensity of a sound, or the amount of sound energy in a confined space.
On its website, it states, “The decibel scale is logarithmic, which means that loudness is not directly proportional to sound intensity. Instead, the intensity of a sound grows very fast. This means that a sound at 20 dB is 10 times more intense than a sound at 10 dB. Also, the intensity of a sound at 100 dB is one billion times more powerful compared to a sound at 10 dB.”
Persistent noise over a period of time above 70 decibels can damage your hearing over time, whereas levels of noise higher than 120 decibels can cause damage immediately, according to the CDC.
What Decibel Is A Quiet Dishwasher?
The CDC also pegs a dishwasher at about 70 decibels, but these days, appliance manufacturers like Bosch and Samsung are building machines that make about 40% that amount of noise.
Currently on the market, the quietest dishwasher decibels comes in at 38 and the loudest around 62 dB. However, as dishwashers tend to have a lifespan of 10 years or so, you may currently own a dishwasher that’s louder.
For the purpose of this guide, we consider dishwashers that fall between 38 decibels and 45 decibels, which ranges from ultra quiet to soft.
What’s The Difference Between dBA and dB?
The noises made by appliances are complicated. Unlike a pure musical note they contain a mixture of high and low sound frequencies.
Decibels (dB) tell you the total noise level and include all the sound frequencies that happen to be present in the mix. This is helpful, but it doesn’t account for human ears working better at some frequencies than others. Some sounds have frequencies outside the range our ears can detect.
The dBA scale tells you how noisy things are within the sound frequency range our ears can pick up. This means that dBA is the best measure of the noise levels you’ll actually experience from a sound source.
Are Quiet Dishwashers More Expensive?
Yes, it’s likely. The trend seems to be that the higher the MSRP is for a dishwasher, the quieter it will be.
Now, does that mean you’ll pay more? Maybe. You can always shop the lower end models of higher end brands, like Bosch, for quieter operation. In fact, Bosch was the first brand to introduce a quiet dishwasher operation. You can also keep an eye on more expensive brands and shop them when there’s a price drop, like over President’s Day weekend or Black Friday.
Should You Run A Dishwasher Overnight?
Yes! And, interestingly, not because of the sound factor. Dishwashers under 50 decibels won’t disturb you or keep you awake.
Instead, running a dishwasher at night is more energy efficient, and it will save you money. There is less demand for electricity in general overnight, which means it’s off-peak hours for energy companies, and you’ll get a less expensive rate on the energy you use.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
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Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.
Leigh Harrington has more than 20 years experience as a writer and editor for myriad print and digital publications.
At USA TODAY and Reviewed, Harrington oversees large appliances, including refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, and laundry, and manages Reviewed's overall home content, including areas of focus like home improvement, cleaning, gardening, cooking, and parenting. She focuses on writing, but mostly editing, consumer ed content and product reviews.
Harrington is also an experienced travel writer, and has authored books including Fodor's Boston, 100 Things to Do in Boston Before You Die, and Colorful Boston, an adult coloring book.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.