How many decibels is a Café dishwasher?
A full size Café dishwasher lists 39, 42 or 44 dBA on its Quiet Package row, depending on the series.
Each is a 24 inch built-in model with top controls, a 33 1/2 inch cutout height, 16 place settings and a stainless tub. Every figure appears on the product page and the quick specs, and all but the panel ready model repeat it in the product name.
- 39 dBA: CDT888P2VS1, stainless, $1,664 ($1,849 list). CDT888P3VD1, matte black, and CDT888P4VW2, matte white, $1,754 each ($1,949 list). CDP888M5VS5, platinum glass, $1,754 ($1,949 list).
- 42 dBA: CDT828P2VS1, stainless, $899 ($1,249 list).
- 44 dBA: CDT858P2VS1, stainless, $1,049 ($1,449 list). CDT858P3VD1, matte black, and CDT858P4VW2, matte white, $1,149 each ($1,549 list). CDT858I6ZII, panel ready, $1,304 ($1,449 list).
Café's own FAQ puts it more loosely, saying "select built-in dishwashers operating as quietly as 39 dBA and other models around 44 dBA". That line describes a range, so the table above relies on each model's spec row instead.
Which Café dishwasher is 39 dBA?
The 39 dBA Café dishwashers are the CDT888, sold in stainless, matte black and matte white, and the CDP888M5VS5 in platinum glass. Both carry "39 dBA" in the product name and list it again as the Quiet Package.
The two share one owner's manual, a 4-level wash, four Bottle Jets, a washing sliding third rack, LED interior lights and 16 place settings. The CDP888 has a glass door and five cycles; the CDT888 has six and takes Café's CXADTH1PV handle kits in six finishes.
Stainless is the cheapest way into this figure. At $1,664 on sale, the CDT888P2VS1 cost $90 less than either matte version or the glass model on October 25.
What changes between a 39 and a 44 dBA Café?
Drying and lighting change between Café's 39 and 44 dBA models, while the wash system and racks stay the same.
The CDT888 lists "Dual Convection Ultra Dry" and four interior lights; the CDT858 lists a "Multi-Wattage Wash & Dry Element; Dual Fan Assist" and has no interior lighting row.
Both have a 4-level wash, a washing third rack, built-in WiFi, six cycles and 240 kWh a year. On the matte finishes, the 44 dBA CDT858 was $605 less than the 39 dBA CDT888 at Café's October 25 sale prices.
Oddly, the CDT858's product name still reads "Dual Convection Ultra Dry". We went by the spec table, which is more specific, and the quick specs agree with it.
Why is one Café quieter than another?
Café does not say why one of its dishwashers is quieter than another, and its spec tables give no clue.
All four door series list identical sound deadening: door insulation plus mastic, a full-wrap blanket wrapped again in bitumen, a variable speed motor, and "Quiet Water Valve; Sealed Toe Kick; Tub Collar Trim".
So the parts Café names cannot account for a 39 on one model and a 44 on another. The drawers list a different set, a "Variable Speed, BLDC" motor and a "Full Steel Enclosure", spelled "Inclosure" on the double drawer sheet.
Whatever moves the figure, Café keeps it off the page. Read the dBA row, not the feature list, when choosing on noise.
Does Café make a panel ready dishwasher?
Yes, one: the CDT858I6ZII, which lists "Quiet Package 44 dBA", the same figure as the stainless CDT858. Café sells no 39 or 42 dBA model in a panel ready version.
The panel and handle are not included; Café's spec table lists the color as "Custom Panel and Handle Required". Inside, it matches the CDT858, down to the drying element and washing third rack. It was $1,304 on sale on October 25, $255 more than the stainless CDT858 before you buy the panel.
None of Café's drawers is panel ready. Both drawer models come in stainless, matte black or matte white only. Other makers' integrated models are compared in our panel ready dishwasher guide.
How loud are Café drawer dishwashers?
Café's drawer dishwashers list 45 to 49 dBA. The CDD220 single drawer lists "45 dBA Single", and the CDD420 double drawer lists "46 dBA Single/ 49 dBA Double", meaning one drawer running against both.
The CDD220 is 17 13/16 inches tall, holds 7 place settings and is ADA compliant, so it suits an island or bar. The CDD420 needs a 34 inch high opening and offers two drawers, up to 14 place settings and two independent wash systems.
Both use gray plastic tubs and Fan Assist Dry. Compare the two drawers with one another; the 16 place setting door models above wash in a single large stainless tub and belong to a different group.
Is Café made by GE?
Yes. Café is a GE Appliances brand, and its quick specs end with "© 2025 GE Appliances".
Café spec tables use the same "Quiet Package" row found on GE and GE Profile models. Each door model's page also lists "Produced In Our American Manufacturing Plants" among its claims.
That shared label makes a Café figure and a GE Profile figure easier to compare than most cross-brand pairs, though neither names a cycle. Café's lineup is separate: different model numbers, finishes, handle kits and prices, sold on cafeappliances.com.
Why is my Café dishwasher making noise?
Café's owner's manual for the CDT828, CDT858, CDT888 and CDP888 lists several sounds as normal: water entering, the detergent cup opening, the motor and spray arms stopping and starting, and the drain pump cycling "several times during each drain".
Rattling usually comes from loading. The manual blames "Rattling dishes when the spray arm rotates" and silverware hitting the door, and warns that items poking through the middle rack can block the middle spray arm, which "could result in noise during operation and/or poor wash performance."
A grinding or new noise beyond that list is a service question for Café, and no published dBA figure covers it.
How do I mute the beeping on a Café dishwasher?
Pressing the Dry pad five times quickly mutes a Café dishwasher's control sounds.
The manual gives two windows for those presses: "within 5 seconds" in its controls section and "within 3 seconds" in troubleshooting, where a triple beep confirms the change.
The same steps turn the sounds back on. A beep every minute is different: it means the door was opened mid cycle, and the manual says the beeping continues until you press Start and close the door.
