Bosch SHP65DM5N 44 dBA Stainless Top Control Smart Dishwasher

Why it's worth it

The Bosch 500 Series SHP65DM5N runs at 44 dBA, sorts small utensils onto a flexible third rack, and pops its door open at the end of the cycle to vent steam. For most kitchens it's the right balance of quiet, capacity and cleaning without paying for the top-tier drying system.

At 44 dBA, you'll forget it's running. That's Bosch's calling card, and it's the reason this machine works in open-plan homes where the kitchen and the couch share a room. You can start a load during dinner and keep talking at a normal volume. Older machines announce every drain cycle; this one mostly doesn't. If your current dishwasher is the reason you wait until bedtime to run it, that habit goes away.

The third rack is the feature you'll notice on day two. It's a shallow tray above the upper basket, and it swallows spatulas, ladles, measuring spoons and small prep bowls that otherwise clutter the silverware basket or lie flat and collect water. That frees real space below. If you cook a lot and generate a pile of odd-shaped tools every night, this is the difference between one load and two.

From our review of 9 dishwashers, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +At 44 dBA, you'll forget it's running
• +The third rack is the feature you'll notice on day two
• +PrecisionWash reads how dirty the load is and adjusts as it goes, which matters because most of us don't sort dishes by soil level
• +The AutoAir door is the quiet upgrade here

What to know

• –You don't get CrystalDry at this trim — that's reserved for the 800 Series and Benchmark
• –Stock is inconsistent