Miele prints a noise figure for every dishwasher it sells in the US, and it is unusually specific about what kind of figure it is. Each US data sheet has a row reading "Operating noise dB(A) re 1 pW", and the "re 1 pW" marks it as sound power. Miele's 2026 US price list prints the same numbers as a "Decibel rating" in dBA. Across 22 household models in that list, the ratings are 39, 42 or 44.
This page lists all 22, quietest first, in three groups to compare only within themselves: full size 24 inch models, shorter ADA 24 inch models, and 18 inch models. Miele's professional ProfiLine models follow separately. Because Miele's figures are sound power and most other brands print a plain dBA, we do not rank Miele against other brands here. For the wider field, see our quietest dishwashers guide, which explains how each brand states its figure.
Our picks are listed above, with full specifications for each.
How Miele rates noise
Every Miele data sheet we opened has two matching rows: "Operating noise dB(A) re 1 pW" and "Noise emissions in dB(A)", with the same number in each. The headline strip at the top of the sheet repeats it, for example "39 dB I Cutlery tray I MaxiComfort baskets". Sound power is the total sound energy the machine radiates, stated against a reference of one picowatt. It does not depend on where you stand, which is why it suits a spec sheet.
Miele's operating instructions add the test load. The G 7766 and G 5266 manuals both have a "Sound emission testing" section that says: "Load the dishwasher with 16 standard place settings and use the Normal program." The setup steps follow: install the machine "into an analyzing unit", push fleece strips under the base and stick an insulating strip on the toe-kick. Neither manual, nor any US data sheet we read, names the test standard. So the program and load are stated, but the standard is not.
The other thing to know is that the 2026 US price list drops the "re 1 pW" label and calls the same numbers "Decibel rating 44 dBA" or "39 dBA (37 Extra Quiet Program)". It is the same figure, so read it as sound power wherever you meet it.
Why you cannot line Miele up against other brands
Sound pressure is what a microphone, or an ear, picks up at one spot. It falls as you move away and changes with the room. Sound power is the source's total output, and for the same machine it is a larger number than the sound pressure a few feet away. Most US dishwasher makers print an unlabeled dBA that reads like sound pressure, without saying at what distance. A Miele 39 and another brand's 39 dBA are therefore different claims, and neither tells you which machine is quieter. Our sound power vs sound pressure explainer walks through the difference.
Miele's own ProfiLine data sheets show how big the gap can be. The PFD 104 SCVi XXL lists "Emission sound pressure level in workplace (LpA) 33 dB(A) re 20 µPa" and "Sound power (LwA) in dB(A) re 1 pW 45.0" for the same machine. Do not use that 12 dB gap to convert other figures: it depends on the measuring position and the room, and Miele does not publish sound pressure for its household models.
Every full size 24 inch Miele, quietest first
These are standard height models for a niche of 33 3/4 to 36 1/4 inches. Prices are the UMRP column of Miele's 2026 US price list. "SF" and "SFP" versions come with a Clean Touch Steel front and handle instead of taking your own cabinet panel.
- 39 dB(A) re 1 pW, Extra Quiet 37: G 7766 SCVi AutoDos, custom panel, $2,999. G 7766 SCVi SF AutoDos, ContourLine handle, $3,199. G 7936 SCi AutoDos, semi-integrated with M Touch controls on the front, $3,999. G 7986 SCVi AutoDos K2O, custom panel with Knock2open and hidden M Touch controls, $4,099.
- 42 dB(A) re 1 pW, Extra Quiet 39: G 7266 SCVi, custom panel, $1,999. G 7266 SCVi SF, ContourLine handle, $2,199. G 7216 SCU, built-under with a CleanSteel front, $1,999. G 7186 SCVi AutoDos, custom panel, $2,199. G 7186 SCVi SFP AutoDos, pocket handle, $2,399. G 7196 SCVi SF AutoDos, PureLine handle, $2,399.
- 42 dB(A) re 1 pW, no quiet program: G 5266 SCVi, custom panel, $1,899. G 5266 SCVi SF, PureLine handle, and G 5266 SCVi SFP, pocket handle, $2,099 each.
- 44 dB(A) re 1 pW, no quiet program: G 5056 SCVi, custom panel, $1,599. G 5056 SCVi SF, PureLine handle, and G 5058 SCVi SFP, pocket handle, $1,749 each. G 5008 SCU, built-under with a Clean Touch Steel front, $1,599.
Shorter ADA 24 inch models
These fit a niche from 32 1/8 inches, for lower counters. Compare them with each other.
- 39 dB(A) re 1 pW, Extra Quiet 37: G 7791 SCVi AutoDos K2O, $3,499.
- 42 dB(A) re 1 pW, Extra Quiet 39: G 7193 SCVi AutoDos, $2,199.
- 44 dB(A) re 1 pW, no quiet program: G 5051 SCVi ADA, $1,599.
18 inch models
Both 18 inch Mieles are fully integrated, hold 10 place settings and fit a niche 17 3/4 inches wide. Our 18 inch dishwasher guide covers compact models from other brands.
- 42 dB(A) re 1 pW, ExtraQuiet 40: G 5892 SCVi SL, $2,699.
- 44 dB(A) re 1 pW, no quiet program: G 5482 SCVi SL, $1,699.
ProfiLine models
Miele's price list also carries ProfiLine machines under "Professional for the Home". Three of them have data sheets that say "for large loads of dishware in households, offices and utility areas" and list sound power to one decimal place alongside workplace sound pressure. They are a different range with a different data sheet, so we list them apart.
- PFD 104 SCVi XXL: 45.0 dB(A) re 1 pW sound power, 33 dB(A) re 20 µPa sound pressure. $6,100 MAP, $6,200 retail.
- PFD 101 U: 48.0 dB(A) re 1 pW, 33 dB(A) re 20 µPa. $4,260 MAP, $4,360 retail.
- PFD 102 i: 48.0 dB(A) re 1 pW, 35 dB(A) re 20 µPa. $5,245 MAP, $5,345 retail.
The PFD 401, 404 and 408 are built-under fresh water machines whose data sheets aim them at hotels, restaurants, catering companies, care homes and nursery schools, so we leave them out.
What changes between series
The pattern is simple. The top G 7000 models, with MaxiComfort baskets, BrilliantLight and AutoDos, list 39. The rest of the G 7000 line and the G 5266 list 42. The entry G 5000 models, with Comfort baskets, a plain cutlery tray and no AutoOpen drying, list 44. The 18 inch models follow the same steps at 42 and 44.
Miele does not say which parts make the difference, and we would not credit any single feature with it. What the data sheets do show is that the handle and front do not change the figure: within each model, the custom panel, SF and SFP versions list the same rating. The ADA height does not change it either. The figure follows the model line, not the trim.
For an open plan room, the quiet program matters as much as the rating. Miele's data sheets list "Extra Quiet 37 dB(A)" on every 39 dB(A) model, "Extra Quiet 39 dB(A)" on every 42 dB(A) G 7000, and "ExtraQuiet 40 dB(A)" on the 18 inch G 5892 SCVi SL. No G 5000 24 inch model lists one. The G 7766 manual describes it as an "Extra quiet program for mixed dishware with standard, slightly dried-on residue with a longer program cycle time."
The cost is time. In that manual's program table, Extra Quiet runs 4:16 from a cold water fill and 3:58 from hot, against 3:01 and 2:43 for Normal. Do not rank an Extra Quiet figure against a rating: one is a different program, so 37 on Extra Quiet is not a lower rating than another model's 39. Our open kitchen dishwasher guide covers quiet programs, end signals and delay starts across brands.
Signals, lights and delay start
A quiet dishwasher can be hard to hear, and the G 7766 manual covers what it does instead. The end of program signal "will sound 4 times", its volume "can be set to one of 7 different settings", and "If no volume is selected, the audible signals are turned off." The fault alarm "cannot be deactivated." The data sheets list "Delay start up to 24 hours", so you can move the run to when nobody is in the room. The fully integrated G 7000 models and the G 5892 SCVi SL list an "In-operation indicator" of "optical and acoustic", while the other fully integrated G 5000 models list "acoustic" only.
AutoOpen drying, on the G 7000 models, the G 5266 and the G 5892, opens the door slightly at the end of some programs. The manual warns: "Keep the area around the door free of obstructions." That is a drying feature, not a noise one, but it is the trade-off for skipping a louder fan or heater.
What 39 to 44 dB(A) means in a kitchen
The decibel scale is logarithmic, and roughly every 10 dB sounds twice as loud. Because all of Miele's ratings come from the same test, a 5 dB(A) gap between a 39 and a 44 model is a fair comparison within the brand: noticeable in a quiet room, but well short of twice as loud. Our decibel chart puts everyday sounds on the same scale; remember that those are mostly sound pressure levels, so use it for a sense of the scale rather than to place a Miele sound power figure on it.
Prices and where we got them
mieleusa.com refused our requests when we checked on October 4, 2026, so every price here is the UMRP or MAP from Miele's own 2026 US price list, and the noise figures come from Miele's US data sheets and operating instructions. Retailers may show different prices, so check the exact model number on the day you buy.
We did not measure any of these dishwashers. Every figure is Miele's own, quoted from its US data sheets, price list and manuals; Miele states its household ratings as sound power on the Normal program with 16 place settings, and names no test standard.
