A countertop dishwasher runs an arm's length from where you stand, and a portable one parks beside the sink. So noise counts for more here than it does with a built-in machine across the room. We read the product pages, spec sheets and manuals for eighteen small dishwashers from seven brands, plus the ENERGY STAR criteria.
The figures run from 51 to 55 decibels, and most land on exactly 52. Here is what that means, which to buy, and what to check before one arrives.
Our 7 picks are listed above, with full specifications for each.
Everyone says 52, and nobody says how
Fourteen of the eighteen models we checked publish either 52 or 52 dBA. That clustering is the first clue that these numbers are not precise measurements.
- No maker states a cycle, a distance or a test standard. Not one.
- Danby words its figure as a target: "Designed to operate at 52 decibels, less noise than a normal conversation."
- GE files its number under marketing: "Quiet Package: 52 dBA".
- SPT is the only one that ties the figure to anything, listing it as the noise level in normal operation.
So the practical spread in this category is about four decibels, from Danby's 51 to SPT's 55, with everything else in between. That is a small gap to begin with, and it comes without any way to check how it was measured. We ranked on the figures, then on what else each maker was willing to publish. For more on why these numbers rarely line up, see why you cannot compare dB ratings across brands.
Several brands publish no figure at all. We found none from Farberware, COMFEE or BLACK+DECKER, so they are not in this guide.
Which type can you actually use?
This decides more than the decibels do.
Countertop. About 17 inches tall, sits on the counter, connects to the faucet with a quick connect fitting. Holds around 6 place settings. Needs no plumbing, so a renter can use one and take it along.
Rolling portable. A full-height machine on casters, 18 or 24 inches wide, also faucet-connected. Holds 8 to 10 place settings. It needs floor space near the sink, and it is heavy: SPT's 18 inch model is 114 lbs and its 24 inch model 123 lbs.
18 inch built-in. Needs a permanent hookup and a cabinet gap, so it is for owners or for a landlord's permission. This is where the lowest figure sits, the Danby at 51 decibels.
A countertop unit gives up capacity, not quiet. Danby's countertop and its 18 inch portable carry the same 52 decibel figure.
Check your faucet before you buy
A faucet-connected dishwasher is only as good as the fitting. Danby's manual says to remove the aerator from the faucet and screw the adapter on, and that it works with male or female threads. SPT publishes exact thread sizes for its 24 inch portable: male 15/16 inch, female 55/64 inch.
Two common kitchen taps will not work: a pull-down sprayer, and any faucet with no removable aerator. Check yours first.
If the connection leaks, Danby's manual gives the order to try: fit the washer, and if it still leaks, wrap the threads in teflon tape. If it leaks with the thick washer fitted, swap in the thin one from the accessory bag.
Danby also warns about disconnecting: turning the quick connect off the faucet before releasing the water pressure will spray hot water at the joint.
Setting one up so it stays quiet
Put it on a solid, flat counter. Danby's manual asks for that, near the water source. Frigidaire's troubleshooting lists an unlevel machine as a cause of noise, with levelling as the fix.
Keep the hoses clear. Danby says the drain hose connects to the longer port on the quick connect and the inlet to the shorter one, and lists a kinked drain hose as a reason water will not empty. Farberware says to make sure the drain hose sits in the sink or a bucket so it cannot leak.
Run vinegar through it if your water is hard. Danby says hard water deposits scale on the tub, the aerator and the filter, and suggests a rinse cycle with a cup of white vinegar in an empty machine.
Sounds that mean something
The manuals divide noises into two groups, and the difference is useful.
Stop the cycle and rearrange the load if you hear knocking or rattling. Farberware says knocking is a spray arm hitting an item, and rattling is badly positioned dishes. Danby adds that something may have fallen to the bottom of the tub.
Leave it alone for the drain pump. Frigidaire lists that sound among the normal ones. If the machine also fails to empty, though, Danby points to a clogged filter, a kinked hose or a pump fault, and that needs service.
What ENERGY STAR does and does not cover
ENERGY STAR sets limits for energy and water only: 240 kWh a year and 3.2 gallons a cycle for a standard dishwasher, 155 kWh and 2.0 gallons for a compact one. Noise appears nowhere in its criteria.
Worth knowing: by ENERGY STAR's own definition, a 6 place setting countertop unit is a compact dishwasher, not a standard one. Several makers advertise certification on these models, so check the specific model in the ENERGY STAR product finder if the certification matters to you.
Mistakes buyers make
Treating 52 and 55 as a real difference. Nobody publishes how they measured.
Buying a countertop unit for a family. Six place settings is one or two people's dishes.
Forgetting to check the faucet. A pull-down sprayer rules out every faucet-connected model here.
Assuming ENERGY STAR means quiet. It covers energy and water only.
Ignoring weight. The portables here weigh 114 and 123 lbs.
How we chose
We read the manufacturer's US product page, spec sheet and, where we could open it, the manual for each dishwasher. We recorded every noise figure in the maker's own words, with any condition stated. We compared type, place settings, cycles, water connection and use, ENERGY STAR status and warranty, and recorded the price and any sale price on the maker's own site.
We did not measure decibels ourselves. Because the figures in this category are so close together and so thinly documented, we weighed what else each maker publishes: water use, certification and warranty terms. Brands that publish no figure are left out. Frigidaire and Midea publish no price, so they appear only in the list of models we also considered.
New to the units? Read dBA explained. Wondering why two brands' figures do not line up? See why you cannot compare dB ratings across brands. For a full-size machine, see our guide to the quietest dishwashers under $800.
