Features:

  • 44 dBA: Quietest Dishwasher Brand in the U.S
  • New 3rd rack adds versatility and offers 30% more loading capacity
  • RackMatic offers 3 height levels, for 9 possible rack positions
  • Water softener ensures optimally spot-free and shiny dishes
  • AquaStop Plus 4-Part leak protection prevents water damage 24/7
Love it! The only improvement would be to adjust ...

Love it! The only improvement would be to adjust the height of the upper rack so you can fit taller glassware. The level can adjust but not enough.

Very good dishwasher.

Very good dishwasher... I was sceptical initially regarding the absence of a heating element however all of our dishes have come dry with the usual exception of Tupperware occasionally having some water on it. All dishes are crystal clean! I just realized that most dishwashers require a hot water line which our previous houses did not have to the dishwasher. This changed combined with the BOSH has been amazing. Great product as observed for the last month.

So much better than KitchenAid! After 4 years, I still love it.

I'M UPDATING THIS REVIEW TO SIMPLY SAY THAT EVERYTHING IN THIS REVIEW STILL HOLDS TRUE AFTER 4 YEARS. There. I said it. I actually love my dishwasher. A year ago, we "upgraded"; from a top-of-the-line KitchenAid to the equally top-of-the-line 800 series from Bosch. I have a few frustrations with Bosch usability -- small, simple, things that give the Bosch more of a "learning curve"; than should be necessary -- but after living with it for a while, I honestly marvel at how we put up with the KitchenAid for so long. WHY WE CHOSE BOSCH OVER KITCHENAID Bosch middle and third racks are functionally much deeper than KitchenAid's. With the Bosch, I can lower the middle rack to its lowest position and still fit dinner plates below with plenty of room for the water to circulate. This is because of Bosch's slanted racks, and the lack of an exposed heating element. So the Bosch middle rack can handle all types of taller items, and the third rack is outstanding -- it can fit spatulas, tongs, ramekins, wisks, even 10" chefs knives on their sides... all with plenty of room left for silverware. With all that room up top, you don't even need silverware baskets most of the time, but the Bosch Duo-Flex silverware baskets are another reason we chose Bosch, because they are built like a tank. By contrast, our KitchenAid baskets had to be replaced every 3 years or so, as the plastic broke and developed holes that silverware would fall through. The Bosch is much less likely to melt your plastic items, even on the lower rack (because there's no exposed heating element). All the objections we heard about the Bosch -- even from appliance salesmen -- proved to be misinformed. If you understand how to use it, then dishes DON'T come out wet, and the dishwasher DOESN'T smell, and rinsing the filter is not an every day -- or even every month -- necessity. And finally, several friends with Bosch dishwashers report years of quiet performance, while my $1,100 KitchenAid dishwasher turned out to be a piece of junk. It stopped cleaning effectively after only 7 years, and the racks lasted even fewer years, because the plastic parts holding them together couldn't stand the heat. WHY WE CHOSE THE 800 SERIES OVER THE 500 OR THE BENCHMARK SERIES The 500 series is probably the best buy. It is highly rated, and is functionally the same dishwasher as the 800 series. I was just personally nervous about the raised buttons on the 500 series, which didn't seem as likely to handle years of moisture as the flat touch buttons on the 800 series. Also, most of 500 series models do not have those built-like-a-tank Duo-Flex silverware baskets. The Benchmark series has all this and more, such as a flexible top tray and a TimeLight that projects the remaining cycle time on the floor, but the price difference just didn't seem worth it. WHY WE CHOSE THE HIDDEN CONTROLS (Bar or Pocket Handle) OVER THE RECESSED HANDLE VERSION The visible controls on the recessed handle model are unobtrusive enough to blend into any kitchen, and you might like having a display showing how much time is left in the cycle (by all accounts, it's also more accurate than the KitchenAid version). However, some reviewers here on Amazon said that the label markings on the exterior of those models start to wear off with repeated use, making your perfectly well-functioning new dishwasher look like something old and beat up in your kitchen. People experiencing this are not happy. So we went with the bar handle with the hidden controls, which looks great. If I want to know how much time is left in the cycle, I just have to open the door and interrupt it. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALL THESE MODEL NUMBERS? I know, right? First 3 letters: SHX=bar handle, SHP=Pocket handle, SHE=Recessed handle, SHS=Scoop handle Next 3 letters: 63T=300 series, 65T=500 series, 68T=800 series, 7PT/8PT/9PT=Benchmark series, N8U=Exclusive model sold through distributors The next 3 letters are a lot more confusing, but the biggest differences are around which cycles are offered. Bosch has a confusing array of cycles and options, ranging from 4 cycles/4 options on the 300 series, up to 6 cycles/6 options on the some 800 series models, but more remarkably the names and types of cycles vary, representing a variety of different combinations from 10 different possible cycles and 8 different possible options! In other words, my six cycles aren't the same as your six cycles. Focusing on the 800 series, the differences are mostly whether the model has a built in water softener, or whether it has the Eco Cycle, or the Extra Shine or SpeedPerfect options. I chose the SHX68TL5UC because it does NOT have a water softener (which I don't need), and because it had both the Extra Shine and SpeedPerfect options. Explanations: ECO CYCLE saves energy by running at a lower temperature. Works fine for lightly soiled loads. Doesn't dry as well. EXTRA SHINE OPTION makes the final rinse hotter and extends the drying cycle. This helps make up for the lack of an American-style exposed heating element, but it extends load time and uses more energy. SPEEDPERFECT speeds things up by heating the water more and using more water. It also uses more energy. Keeping the SpeedPerfect, ExtraShine, and Sanitize options on basically turbocharges your Bosch, but kills the energy efficiency. If all this seems confusing, one thing I like about the Bosch is that it remembers your recent settings and makes that the default for your next load. So you just hit START and it'll do the same options as last time. NOTE: If you like your dishes to come out piping hot and bone dry, like American models, you can get this easily with the Bosch. Just get this model or any of the others that have the Extra Shine and Sanitize options. When you set up your dishwasher, follow the user manual to turn on "Intensive Drying" (see #6 below) then to give it an extra boost you can run the dishwasher with the Extra Shine and Sanitize options. Your dishes will be bone dry and piping hot, and if you add the SpeedPerfect option as well, your normal cycle will still be well under 2 hours. I used the Extra Shine option a lot initially, but have realized that my dishes get perfectly dry without using it. WHAT DON'T WE LIKE ABOUT THE BOSCH? 1) It's not intuitive at first. You shouldn't have to read a manual to use a dishwasher, but you definitely need a tutorial if you want your Bosch to do a good job. It's certainly required to understand what all the cycle options are; but it's also things like the middle rack -- when loading, if you don't push it all the way in until it clicks, then the hose won't attach and the middle spray arm won't effectively distribute the water during the cycle. So you definitely can't use the door to push the racks in, and you have to explain that to anybody who's going to use your dishwasher. 2) No CANCEL button. If you start a cycle and want to cancel it, my old KitchenAid had a CANCEL button. On the Bosch, there is none. Lacking such a button, the intuitive thing to do is to hit the ON/OFF button to turn the whole dishwasher off, then start over; but doing that DOESN'T cancel the cycle. You have to hold the START button down for 3 seconds, then close the door, then wait about a minute. NOT intuitive. 3) Rinse Aid dispenser. It's small, and it's hard to see when it's full, which leads to spilling (KitchenAid has a clear fill level indicator). 4) Touch buttons. I figured it out finally, and they are slick, but you have to explain to others that you press right in the center of the button, and don't use pressure. 5) Those heavy duty Duo-Flex silverware baskets that I loved? They are narrower than the KitchenAid silverware baskets, so long items like tongs or slotted spoons or ladles stand up straight and are therefore too tall -- they HAVE TO go in the top rack. [UPDATE: As solid as those baskets are, we stopped using them because EVERYTHING fits in the top 3rd rack, and taking them out cleared even more space for pots and pans in the bottom rack.] 6) Cryptic configuration menus. You can customize a lot of things about your Bosch dishwasher, but don't lose that owner's manual, because it's hopeless otherwise. Here, for example, are the instructions for turning on "Intensive Drying"; (boosts the heat for better drying results): 1) Press the [On/Off] button. 2) Hold down the “A” button (which is the “Normal” button on this model). Press [Start] until the display indicates “d:00”. 3) Release both buttons. 4) Press the “A” button until the display shows “d:00”. 5) Press the “C” button (which is the RINSE button on this model) to turn intensive drying on or off: “d:01” = ON and “d:00” = OFF. 6) Press [Start] to save setting. To be fair, you should only have to customize these things once. With any dishwasher, one of the wild cards is whether your dishes fit. If you have thick American stoneware, or really wide glasses and mugs, then they might fit better in an American dishwasher. If you're concerned, grab a few placesettings and head to the local appliance store to make sure they fit.

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