A reliable, high-quality dishwasher is one of the most important investments you can make for your kitchen. An effective dishwasher saves you the time and burden (not to mention the pruny fingers) of hand-washing dishes, but it also helps to conserve water and reduce your energy bill.
There are so many dishwasher brands on the market today that sorting through the various inventory of products and features can leave you feeling a little muddy. However, finding a new dishwasher doesn't have to be as frustrating as tending to a stack of dirty dishes. To save you the effort, the experts at Albert Lee came up with a list of the best built in dishwashers available in-store and online.
At A Glance:
Built In Dishwasher Buying Considerations
Best Overall Built In Dishwasher: Miele 24 Inch Built In Dishwasher (G4228SCSS)
Best Luxury Built In Dishwasher: Thermador Professional Built In Dishwasher (DWHD770WFP)
The Best Built In Dishwasher Features
This helpful guide includes features, product reviews, and more. Read on to learn more about our selection of dishwashers.
What is a Built In Dishwasher?
When you picture a dishwasher, you’re probably envisioning a built in model. This dishwasher variety is placed underneath your kitchen countertop for a stylish and convenient operation. Portable dishwashers are more common in smaller living spaces and dishwasher drawers are seen more in custom kitchen designs.
In terms of built in dishwashers, stainless steel interiors are the best-selling products. For the exterior finish, stainless steel is also the most popular option, but you can shop for white, black, slate, platinum, or even black stainless steel if you want to shake things up. It's also becoming more common to see fully seamless panel-ready dishwashers in many modern kitchens.
Most standard dishwasher options include 24 inch built in dishwashers and the slimmer 18-inch models are also seen often in smaller kitchens or bar areas. It depends entirely on how often you cook and what will fit proportionately in your culinary space. If you’re feeding a family of five, then you probably want to opt for the larger appliance so you can stay on top of the dirty dishes.
Built In Dishwasher Buying Considerations
Since dishwashers vary greatly in price, finish options, sizes, energy efficiency, and wash options, there isn’t one perfect built in dishwasher that will benefit every home. However, we’re confident that when you shop with Albert Lee, you’ll find a product that will suit you and your entire family.
Related Topic: Shopping for Home Dishwashers
When narrowing down your list of potential dishwashers, price, reliability, and cleaning effectiveness are usually at the top of your mind, but we wanted to include a few additional factors you should consider:
- Dish Capacity: How many place settings will the dishwasher fit? (12,14,16, etc.)
- Adjustable Racks: Fold-down tines, upper third rack, loading flexibility, etc.
- Drying Performance: Will your dishes come out dry after every cycle? Will delicate glassware be affected?
- Run Time: How will the various cycles affect the run time? I.E., pre-rinse cycles, extended rinse, quick wash, sanitize wash.
- WiFi Connectivity: Do you want to utilize smart appliances in your kitchen?
- Warranty Length: One year, three years, five years, etc.
The Best Built In Dishwashers
Now that you have a better idea of the features to look for, let’s take a further look at a few of our favorite dishwasher models.
Best Overall Built In Dishwasher: Miele 24 Inch Built In Dishwasher (G4228SCSS)
For a dishwasher that exudes elegance and efficiency, invest in a German-engineered Miele built in dishwasher. Miele products are stylish yet practical enough to handles your dishes with care. Ergonomic basket handles make loading and unloading easier, the lower rack provides a spacious area for pots, pans, and other bulky items, and the stainless-steel Clean Touch Front is easy to clean without any cleaning agents.
Related Topic: How Do Bosch & Miele Dishwashers Compare?
Child Lock indicators prevent your little ones from disrupting the wash cycle, and for added protection, the Double Waterproof System automatically shuts off the water supply in the event a leak is detected. Delay Start can be programmed up to 24 hours in advance, and the countdown indicator lets you know how long the program has left to run.
Why we like it:
- ComfortClose door
- Cutlery holder
- Express 30-minute wash
- Five wash cycles including Sensor Wash
Click here for pricing: Miele 24 Inch Built In Dishwasher (G4228SCSS)
Best Budget-Friendly Built In Dishwasher: Frigidaire Stainless Steel Built In Dishwasher (FDPC4221AS)
For a reliable and cost-effect appliance, Frigidaire built in dishwashers have you covered. Experience a diverse cleaning experience with a 5-level wash system featuring an upper spray nozzle, middle spray arm, and lower spray arm. If you’re feeding a large family or entertaining often, you can fit up to 12 place settings in one cycle, and the Energy Saver Dry Option ensures your dishes come out spotless while reducing energy use with a no heat dry feature.
Click here for pricing: Frigidaire Stainless Steel Built In Dishwasher (FDPC4221AS)
Best Luxury Built In Dishwasher: Thermador Professional Built In Dishwasher (DWHD770WFP)
The best way to elevate any kitchen space is with a luxurious Thermador dishwasher. The Sapphire Glow internal light illuminates glassware, the Adjustable Chef's Tool Drawer provides a spacious 3rd rack with increased loading capacity to accommodate larger items, wider ends, and utensil handles.
The Time Remaining PowerBeam shines the actual remaining time of the cycle on the floor, Flexible Folding Tines break down to accommodate larger pots, pans, and dishes. Dosage Assist optimizes the effectiveness of detergent tablets so there your dishes can come out clean without any remaining residue from the detergent.
Crystal Protection ensures a delicate wash for fine crystal items, PowerBoost increases the temperature and wash pressure in the lower rack for the ultimate heavy-duty cleaning, and Sens-A-Wash detects the soil level during the cycle to set the exact wash and dry time.
Why we like it:
- Extra Dry option
- 16 place setting capacity
- Powerfully Quiet operation
- Energy Star certified
- Adjustable racks
- Blue LED display
- High-grade stainless steel control panel
Click here for pricing: Thermador Professional Built In Dishwasher (DWHD770WFP)
>Bonus: Samsung 24 Inch Stainless Steel Built In Dishwasher (DW80R2031US)
Samsung is known for spectacular electronics, refrigerators, and cooking appliances, so why not invest in a new energy-efficient dishwasher? Digital touch controls allow you to easily select dishwashing functions, while an adjustable rack accommodates larger dishes. The Auto-Cycle feature ensures your dishes are cleaned effectively, detecting how dirty they are and automatically selecting the optimal cycle to use less water and energy.
Quiet Operation creates less noise than a standard wash cycle as the Hybrid Tub absorbs much of the sound and vibration. At 55 decibels, the noise it creates is less than a normal conversation, so it won’t disturb you or anyone in your house.
The Digital Water Leakage Sensor identifies leaks and automatically shuts off before water can escape, and as an Energy Star certified product, you can save money, use less energy, and save water with each cycle without sacrificing cleaning performance.
Click here for pricing: Samsung 24 Inch Stainless Steel Built-In Dishwasher (DW80R2031
The Best Built In Dishwasher Features
If you’re considering a new built in dishwasher for your kitchen, keep your eyes peeled for any of these popular features found across various dishwasher brands:
Soil Sensor: An automatic sensor that will adjust cycle times and water usage depending on the cycle’s soil level, helping to conserve water and energy.
Specialty Wash Cycles: Light, standard, and heavy-duty cycles are unanimous across the board, but newer dishwasher models may feature a crystal setting for your fine china, along with steam clean, sanitize mode, and quick wash.
Touchpad Controls: You have your choice of control options, but hidden controls certainly provide an appealing touch. Hidden controls are located on top of the appliance and hidden once the door is closed. Because of this, certain brands like Bosch will include a red indicator light letting you know your cycle is in progress, or you may find an LED time screen that tells you how far along your cycle is.
Rinse Cycle: If you can’t stand pre-rinsing dishes or starting a cycle before the dishwasher is full, a rinse cycle is a helpful cleaning function that will wash away leftover food remnants, eliminate food odors and prevent a pile of dirty dishes from forming in the sink.
Related Topic: Bosch vs KitchenAid Dishwashers | Reviews & Top Picks
Shop the Best Built In Dishwashers in the Pacific Northwest
If you want to upgrade your kitchen with a brand-new cleaning appliance, Albert Lee is your home for the best built in dishwashers. With the largest selection of dish care products in the greater Seattle region, you’re bound to find one with the features you need to conquer any post-meal cleanup.
Shop with us online, give us a call at your preferred store location, or visit one of the 6 Albert Lee locations near you to find the dishwasher you’ve been searching for.