Most makers print a dBA figure, and only those sit in this ranking:
| dBA | Model |
|---|
| 44 | Bosch 800 Series SPE68C75UC, panel-ready SPV68C73UC, bar handle SPX68C75UC |
| 46 | Bosch 300 Series SPE53C55UC |
| 47 | GE Profile PDT145SSLSS |
| 48 | Blomberg DWS51502SS (product title on Blomberg's site) |
| 49.0 | Summit DW18SS4 and DW18SS4ADA |
| 52 | Frigidaire FFBD1831US, Midea MDF18A1AST |
Two figures stay out of the table. Miele's G 5482 SCVi SL carries 44 dB(A) re 1 pW, a rating of the dishwasher's whole sound output rather than the level reaching you from a set distance, and a sound power rating and the sound pressure other 18 inch makers print are different quantities. Danby's DDW18D1ESS is "Designed to operate at 51 decibels" with no weighting named, and a bare decibel figure cannot sit beside a dBA one either.
Not one dBA maker states which cycle or standard produced its number. Read a one or two dBA gap between brands with caution. Comparisons inside one brand hold up best, and Bosch's 44 against its own 46 is the cleanest in the list. Our list of every Bosch dishwasher's Silence Level puts Bosch's 18 inch models in a group of their own, apart from its full size and ADA-compliant ones.
What 44 to 52 dBA means through a shared wall
Loudness roughly doubles with every 10 dBA. The 8 dBA between the Bosch 800 Series and the 52 dBA Frigidaire comes close to a doubling, and the 5 dBA between Bosch and Summit is a clear step. Small gaps on a logarithmic scale are bigger than they look.
Samsung shows the size penalty inside one brand: our Samsung dishwasher decibels page lists its only 18 inch model, the DW50T6060US/AA, at 46 dBA.
The rating covers airborne sound only. Vibration through a cabinet, a floor or the wall behind the sink is another matter, and Bosch's manual names one such sound the rating cannot touch: "Filling valves making knocking noises" are "Caused by the domestic installation," and "Can only be remedied in the home installation." That is a plumbing fix, and in a rental it belongs to the landlord.
Loading is different, because it is entirely yours. Bosch warns that "With a small load the water jets directly strike against the tub," and asks for dishware spread evenly. GE's manual adds rattling dishes and silverware knocking the door, and moves tall utensils to the upper rack. Neither costs anything, and both work on any machine on this page.
Can you run a dishwasher at night in an apartment?
Yes, every pick has a delay start. The harder question is where the run lands.
"You can delay the start of the wash cycle by up to 24 hours," Bosch's manual says, and Summit and Miele match that. GE's PDT145 stops at 12 hours, while Frigidaire's spec sheet lists 1 to 24. For a hidden door, GE's panel ready 18 inch UDT165SIVII lists the same 47 dBA as the PDT145, as our GE dishwasher decibels page notes.
Plan around the run times. Bosch's Normal cycle takes 2:15 to 2:20 on both the 300 and 800 Series, and Auto takes 1:50 to 2:15 on the 300 and 2:00 to 2:20 on the 800. GE gives AutoSense 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, and that is washing time alone, before drying. Start any of them at 11 pm and it is still going after 1 am. If a neighbor's bedroom shares the wall behind your sink, that puts two hours of pumping and spraying into their quietest hours.
In a studio the problem flips: your own bed is the one in earshot. Setting the delay so the cycle runs while you are out at work may do more for quiet than any figure. Bosch's app adds Smart Start, which "automatically determines the best time for the program to start" from preferences you set.
Short cycles trade the other way. The 800 Series has a 30 minute Express cycle, Summit a 35 minute wash, and Miele's QuickIntenseWash cleans and dries "in under 60 min." No 18 inch maker gives a short cycle its own noise figure. They may be louder; they are certainly over sooner.
How do you turn off the dishwasher beep?
Through a shared wall at night, a beep can wake someone the wash never did, and the manuals differ most on this point.
GE is the clearest. It lists an "Audible End-of-Cycle Signal," and the manual gives the switch: "To turn the dishwasher control sounds ON/OFF, press the Wash Temp button 5 times within 5 seconds." Open the door mid-cycle and the machine "will beep every minute to remind you to close the door," so shut it rather than leave it ajar.
Bosch's 18 inch manuals list rinse aid, intensive drying, Wi-Fi and remote start among the basic settings, with no end signal setting that we could find. InfoLight appears among the 800 Series special features and not on the 300. The machine also switches itself off 10 minutes after the cycle ends.
On Miele's data sheet, the "In-operation indicator" is "acoustic." Summit's product page does not mention an end signal either way.
The plug decides most rental installs
Hot water, a drain and power: an 18 inch built-in needs the same three as a full-size machine, and a kitchen that already had a dishwasher usually keeps them in the sink cabinet. Power is where the models part ways.
All five run on an ordinary 120 V supply. Both Bosch series come with a power cord and 3-prong plug, and can be hardwired instead through an optional junction box. Summit's DW18SS4 "Includes a pre-installed power cord with NEMA 5-15P 3-pronged plug," the standard household plug.
GE's PDT145 is hardwired unless you buy its cord kit. A cord then needs a 3-prong grounding receptacle in the sink cabinet's rear wall, "6" min. or 18" maximum from the opening," and GE is firm: "Do not use an extension cord or adapter plug with this appliance." Danby's FAQ says the same about extension cords.
The drain has rules too. Part of the hose must rise between 33 and 43 inches above the cabinet floor in Bosch's instructions, and GE says an air gap "must be used when required by local codes and ordinances."
Ask the landlord before touching plumbing or wiring. If the answer is no, a countertop or rolling portable connects to the faucet instead, and our countertop and portable guide ranks those.
How wide is an 18 inch dishwasher?
Narrower than the name. "18 inch" is nominal, and Bosch and Miele ask for a cutout or niche 17 3/4 inches wide.
| Model | Opening | Notes |
|---|
| Bosch 300 and 800 Series | 17 3/4 in wide, 32 1/8 in high, 24 in deep | Panel-ready SPV68C73UC needs only 22 7/16 in of depth |
| GE Profile PDT145 | 18 by 24 by 32.5 in | Height 32.5 to 34 5/8 in on its legs |
| Summit DW18SS4 | 17.75 in wide, cabinet height 34.25 in | Legs adjust from 33.5 to 35 in; DW18SS4ADA is 32.25 in high |
| Miele G 5482 SCVi SL | Niche 17 3/4 in wide, 32 1/8 to 34 3/4 in high, 21 3/4 in deep | |
GE describes the PDT145 as "Great for 34" counter top heights and raised subfloors."
Measure the door swing as well. Open, the door brings Summit's depth to 45.5 inches, Frigidaire's to 45 1/2 and Miele's to 45 7/8, which in a galley kitchen can block the path while you load.
Check the width field on the maker's page and not the retailer's category. GE lists a 24 inch cabinet width for its GDT226 models, which share a manual with the 18 inch PDT145.
Price, capacity and stock
The lowest dBA figure costs the most: $1,399 for the 800 Series, against $1,099 for the 300 Series and $929 on clearance for the GE Profile. Capacity is small whichever you choose, 8 to 10 place settings, and Normal cycles run past two hours.
Stock was thin. Bosch's store showed its 18 inch models out of stock or with an unclear label, GE's was out of stock online, and Blomberg's showed no price at all.
If a model is gone, fall back on the 300 Series at 46 dBA.
