Bosch Integra 500 SHX45M05UC 24 in. Built-in Dishwasher

Given that we were replacing a 25-year old Hotpoint dishwasher, probably anything would look great in comparison. Still, I really like this dishwasher (the Integra 500 series in stainless). No, it's not perfect, but overall I'm happy with this purchase.

The Good:
It cleans well. Really well. The dishes come out spotless but without that squeaky "etched glass" sensation (maybe this effect is just the rinse agent that the Bosch needs for efficient drying?). Electrasol and Trader Joe's detergents both have enzymes and work well with this machine. Even pots come out clean! And no, I refuse to pre-rinse. I just scrape off the big stuff and throw everything in. The Bosch handles it all just fine.

I really like the versatility. The flatware basket can be split into 2 units, and you can put them anywhere on the bottom rack, or even on the top rack. Certain tines on the bottom and top racks flip down or at angles as needed. The top rack can be raised or lowered easily to accommodate your load. The top rack can even be removed for very tall items.* Our salesman said he likes to put his kitchen garbage can in to sanitize it. Even with the top rack in place, I can fit more pots/pans in this unit than the old one because the whole unit is taller. No more hand washing the stock pot!

Yes, it's quiet, but it's not silent. You can hear water swishing quietly inside, and it gurgles a bit as it drains (this might be only our setup), BUT you can easily hold a telephone conversation right next to it without raising your voice. Huge improvement over the old unit, which sounded like the QE2 struggling to leave port. This Bosch model shines a red dot of light onto the floor under the door when the unit is running. This is a bit of an affectation during the wash cycles, since you CAN hear it running. The dry cycle is of course silent, and so the red dot is of some use then.

I like the fact that it's energy efficient; our electric company is giving us $50 efficiency rebate, which doesn't hurt any, either. And it's attractive. We don't have kids, so fingerprints aren't a big issue on the stainless. I only touch the handle, so it stays pretty clean. But stray fingerprints do show up clearly, so know this going in.

The Not So Good:
The main thing I would change is the upper rack configuration. Slots on the mid-left side can hold salad plates (love that!) or bowls, but don't hold them very well- the loop-style wire supports are too short, and the bowls / plates flop around if you push the upper rack into the unit too quickly. There are no tines on the far left, and I think it should have fold-down tines on this side for the most usefulness. Otherwise, you just line up items on the far left, and they must bump into each other during the cycle because there are no tines to stabilize them. Silly.

The right side has both permanent and folding tines, and holds one row of regular glassware pretty well. The tines are not tall enough to support our wine glasses, however. The fold-down shelf on the far right (for dainty coffee cups, super-short glasses, all pretty useless to me) sort of stabilizes the wine glass stems, but it doesn't seem very well thought-out.

The feeling I get is that Bosch is narrowly focused on being able to hold 14 place-settings, as though that were somehow important. Its manual shows in detail how this is possible. But how many of us serve 14 people each night and have no pots or pans to wash for such a huge meal? A dishwasher should be able to accommodate the items used in typical meals and snacks, like cereal bowls and water glasses and stemware and coffee mugs (plus pots, pans, implements, etc) without them flopping around or lined up on the rack bumping into each other because there aren't the proper supports. This is thoughtless design, in my view. Whew, end of rant.

The rumors you've heard are true – there is no traditional heating element, and it doesn't dry plastics that well. (The Bosch relies on REALLY hot water to clean, and steam from the hot dishes condensing on the stainless walls to dry.) This usually means just a few drops of water on a bowl, which is no big deal to me. Any item with a lip is going to catch and retain water (such as tupperware-type items). If you want everything bone-dry the morning after you run a load, this may not be the unit for you. Plates and pans are perfectly dry, so I'm not too bothered by the odd item that's still damp. The payoff is that I can load plastics in the bottom rack without worrying about them melting, plus the energy savings.

I usually run the "auto" cycle, which is supposed to sense how dirty the load is and adjust the time accordingly. This is typically 2 hours, which is pretty long if you're trying to run an interim load during a long day of prep and cooking. The Quick Wash option is only half an hour and seems to do an excellent job, so I will use that more often for interim washing.

With our setup, you can't see the controls when the door is shut because our countertop overhangs too much. The setup in the store was different -- you could bend over to see the display even with the door shut. I was a bit disappointed after the installation in our kitchen that I could no longer see the display, so consider your counter depth if seeing the countdown is important to you.

[On that note, I wanted the model with the controls on the front, but I thought it was flimsier. When you pull the door handle on that model (SHE45, the Evolution style), the whole door panel flexes outward a little bit because you have to pull quite firmly to open the door. I didn't want my BOSCH to feel flimsy! And I thought metal fatigue might become an issue over time. So I got the SHX45, where the door handle feels super-solid when you open the unit. Make your own call on that by going to a store to check them out.]

I looked at many reviews before buying this unit and heard talk of the filter trap and odors. I've removed this filter 3 times in as many weeks and haven't seen anything in it. There is a plastic odor in the dishwasher, but that's just the new nylon racks and I'm sure it will go away in time. If odor develops, I'll post an update.

The flatware baskets feature lids that can either be left open for full access, or closed so that flatware is loaded through slots in the lids. This feature is fine if you have a problem with "nesting" flatware that isn't getting cleaned properly, but you'll have to figure out which slots will fit which size of flatware handle (spoons vs knives, for example). Bosch has a page explaining what goes where in the manual, but it's way too tedious to memorize. I skip this whole thing and just keep the lids open. Flatware has come out clean so far.

Last thought:
I wanted a machine that would clean well and quietly, last a long time with few/no repairs, be able to deal with large and odd-size items, and look good doing it all while costing under $1000. I think I got what I wanted. I can work around the annoyances of the upper rack, and all its other qualities make up for this drawback.


** One odd thing about taking out the top rack. The manual says that you should use the supplied extra sprinkler head on the water outlet in the back wall, which normally connects to the top rack's built-in sprinkler. I called Bosch to say I didn't get this extra sprinkler head, and they told me that my model doesn't come with one (only the more expensive models do). Since my model is designed for taking out the top rack, I asked what would happen if I ran the machine without it. Would water spew out from the back wall outlet? Bosch didn't know, and worse, couldn't send me a sprinkler head since it's a "part" not an "accessory." Huh?? Luckily my local dealer said he had some in the store and would give me one. (Good reason to buy at a local appliance store, not a big-box or an internet dealer.) Not a big deal, but it shows a lack of attention to detail on Bosch's part that seems odd to me.