A dishwasher runs for an hour or more, often in the evening, often in a kitchen that opens onto the living room. So the quietest dishwasher under $800 is worth finding, and this is one category where the makers help. Every dishwasher we checked carries a published dBA figure.
We read the product pages, spec sheets and manuals for nineteen dishwashers from seven brands, including several that cost more than $800 at list price, to show what more money buys. The figures run from 42 to 53 dBA. Here is what they mean, which to buy under $800, and what a sale changes.
Our 7 picks are listed above, with full specifications for each.
This is the good news: unlike fans, heaters or washing machines, every dishwasher maker we checked prints a noise figure, in dBA. GE calls it a "Quiet Package", Bosch a "Silence Level", LG "LoDecibel Quiet Operation", Frigidaire a "Sound Level" and Samsung a "Noise Level". Whirlpool and Maytag put the figure in the product name.
The catch is that none says which wash cycle the figure describes, and none names a test standard. So a 47 from one brand and a 48 from another may not be measured the same way. Treat a gap of a decibel or two between brands as unknown, and trust comparisons within one brand most.
The makers do agree on what the scale means. Whirlpool says every increase of 10 decibels doubles the perceived noise of a dishwasher.
What counts as quiet, according to the makers
The two biggest brands draw the line in slightly different places.
- Bosch: any model at 48 dBA or lower is deemed quiet, and a buyer should look for models under 45 dBA.
- Whirlpool: 44 dBA or lower may be considered quiet, and 50 dBA or above tends to be thought of as average.
By either definition, the quiet models under $800 sit between 44 and 48 dBA.
What more money buys
Grouped by the list price on each maker's own site, the pattern is clear:
- Under $700: 47 to 53 dBA. The Whirlpool models reach 47. The Frigidaire and Samsung models with plastic or hybrid tubs sit at 52 and 53.
- $700 to $800: 47 to 52 dBA. The Maytag reaches 47 and the Bosch entry model 48.
- $800 to $1,200: 44 to 50 dBA.
- Over $1,200: 42 to 44 dBA, from the Bosch 500 and 800 Series.
Within one brand the steps are even. Bosch runs from 48 dBA at $729 to 44 at $1,249 and 42 at $1,449. GE runs from 52 dBA at a $749 list price to 44 at $1,199.
Along the way you gain a stainless tub where the cheapest models have plastic, a third rack, and on the top Bosch a different drying system. Those are the same features the makers credit for lower noise.
Why a sale changes the answer
List prices are one thing. GE's own site had its quieter models heavily discounted when we checked: the 44 dBA GE Profile PDT715SYVFS at $749 against $1,199, and the 45 dBA GDP670SYVFS at $629 against $1,049. LG had its 48 dBA LDFN4542S at $749 against $1,049.
That is why our top two picks are GE. At list price, neither is under $800. On sale, both are quieter than anything that is.
Sale prices end without notice. If the GE sale has ended when you look, the Whirlpool WDT750SAKZ is the quietest we found at full price under $800.
The features that make a dishwasher quiet
The makers' own explanations point to the same few things.
A stainless steel tub. Whirlpool says stainless tubs help dampen noise and are generally quieter than plastic. In our data, every model at 47 dBA or below has a stainless tub.
Insulation. Whirlpool says the insulation blanket around the machine is designed to trap heat and muffle sound, and its installation instructions say not to remove it. GE's quieter models add a full-wrap blanket to the door insulation of its cheaper ones.
The motor and the base. Bosch credits its EcoSilence motor, multi-layer insulation and a sound-absorbing base. GE lists a variable speed motor, a quiet water valve and a sealed toe kick.
Filter or disposer. Whirlpool says models with food disposals are noisier than models without, and that a food trap filter makes for quieter running. The published figures complicate that: GE's disposer models post 44 and 45 dBA. Check the figure, not just the feature.
Installing and loading for a quieter wash
Keep the insulation blanket. Whirlpool's manual says the blanket reduces the sound level.
Load so nothing rattles. Bosch's manual lists the load as a cause of changing noise. Its remedies: arrange dishes so the spray arms do not strike them, rest items on the tines so they do not touch each other, secure light items, and avoid tiny loads where the water jets hit the tub directly.
Check the door and the cabinet. Bosch says the closed door should not knock against the cabinets or worktop.
Know what is normal. Whirlpool says the drain pump can sound loud on the first run because there is no water in the system yet. Bosch says a knocking fill valve is caused by the home's plumbing, not the machine.
What ENERGY STAR does not tell you
We searched the ENERGY STAR dishwasher specification for noise, sound and decibel, and found none of them. The label covers energy and water use. Several of the quietest models here are not ENERGY STAR qualified, including the Whirlpool and Maytag at 47 dBA, while the Frigidaire at 52 dBA is.
Mistakes buyers make
Paying list price for a loud machine when a quieter one is on sale. Check GE and LG's own sites before you buy.
Assuming ENERGY STAR means quiet. It does not cover noise.
Choosing a plastic tub to save money. The plastic and hybrid tubs here are the loudest models we found.
Treating a 1 dBA gap as meaningful. No maker says how its figure was measured.
Removing the insulation blanket during installation. Whirlpool says it reduces the sound level.
How we chose
We read the manufacturer's product page and spec sheet for each dishwasher, and the manual or installation instructions where we could open them. We recorded each noise figure in the maker's own words. We compared tub material, third rack, drying, filter type, ENERGY STAR status and warranty, and recorded both the list price and any sale price shown on the maker's own site. We read what Bosch and Whirlpool publish about dishwasher noise, and searched the ENERGY STAR specification for any mention of it.
We did not measure decibels ourselves. We ranked on the published dBA figure first, then on the features the makers themselves tie to noise. Where a pick is under $800 only on sale, we say so. Prices are as shown on the makers' sites on the day we checked, and sale prices change often.
New to the units? Read dBA explained. To decide what figure to aim for, see how quiet is quiet enough, room by room. If a product you already own has become noisy, see why your appliance got louder.
