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CNET
3 days ago
- Business
- CNET
Best Dishwashers for 2025
We did a deep dive into spec and user reviews and spoke with industry experts to find the best dishwashers for 2025. Tyler Lizenby/CNET Unlike most consumer tech and small appliances, which are easy to test in at home, large appliances like dishwashers have logistical hurdles that make hands-on testing much more difficult. The plumbing and electricity needs alone require special accommodations, not to mention the expense of shipping and storing bulky appliances. Because of this, I'm focusing on a research and data-heavy approach. I also surveyed four dishwasher experts to get the nitty-gritty details on what you should look for in a dishwasher. These experts include a dishwasher repair technician, an online appliance retailer, and two representatives for major dishwasher brands. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, they had no input in the evaluation process. I also examined over 8,200 customer ratings, prices and specifications to help you figure out the best dishwasher brand for your needs. While this approach is best for a detailed bird's-eye view of each brand, it's harder to recommend specific models based on performance, only customer satisfaction. Methodology Extensive pricing and customer rating data are a major component of my evaluation process. CNET Before I discuss my methodology, I want to point out that it differs heavily from those we use for hands-on testing. I normally pepper my methodologies with detailed insights and results for each product. However, the overwhelming amount of data limits me to fewer examples -- at least if I want to keep it moderately interesting. The data collection and analysis phase took over a week, which is much more than I typically dedicate to hands-on testing. However, the results provide a good foundation for my recommendations and which dishwasher model should represent each brand. Here's what I collected: 8,273 data points (prices, ratings, specifications) from 679 product pages on 34 retail and manufacturer websites (as of May 9, 2025) 483 unique dishwasher models across 42 brands 577 ratings based on 674,348 customer reviews (some product pages didn't have ratings) Energy Star data (as of May 9, 2025) Eventually, I picked 12 noteworthy brands. While I believe the brands I chose for this dishwasher review are the best options for most people, customer sentiment was also very high for dishwasher manufacturers overall—81% of brands had a median customer rating of 4 stars or higher (out of 5 possible). I wasn't able to evaluate countertop or portable dishwashers for this review. To make this comparison and my recommendations easier, I selected a "representative model" for each brand to highlight what I like most about the company. Your budget and preferences may lead you to a different model, but the representative is a solid starting point. Evaluating over 674,000 online customer ratings to find the best dishwashers Online customer reviews aren't the best replacement for hands-on testing, so it's vital to scale the sample size beyond a handful of models. John Carlsen/CNET For large-scale data journalism projects like these, this means crawling every online resource I can find to create a comprehensive spreadsheet. While these numbers can help us find broad trends, there are three limitations: Limitation 1: There's a lot of overlap Some retailers host reviews from the manufacturer's website in addition to those from their own. John Carlsen/CNET Some retailers, especially Home Depot and Lowe's, host reviews from the manufacturer's website in addition to those from their customers. To their credit, the overlapping reviews have clear labeling, but it complicates things for me. For example, the Bosch SHE53C85N has 10,907 reviews on Bosch's website, 4,924 on Lowe's and 3,140 on Home Depot. Altogether, that's 18,971 reviews. Using on-page review filters, I eliminated 3,970 overlapping reviews to reach 15,001 ratings. However, even this number isn't foolproof -- because Bosch shares reviews among similar models, making the number fuzzier with no way to focus on a single model. To Bosch's credit -- as well as other brands -- it discloses this info below shared reviews. Granted, many dishwasher models have only cosmetic differences, but I'd love to filter out as much overlap as possible. Limitation 2: Incentivized reviews Incentivized reviews tend to skew positive so we weigh them less heavily. John Carlsen/CNET Incentivized dishwasher reviews result from a manufacturer or retailer soliciting customer reviews after a purchase. These reviewers didn't get a free dishwasher to review, but they probably got a coupon or another benefit -- for example, KitchenAid had a Ratings and Reviews Sweepstakes in 2024. This type of review isn't completely useless since it can encourage customers who would never review a product otherwise. Still, most incentivized reviews have a tendency toward glowing reviews -- though plenty have a one-star rating. This practice may skew the numbers a little -- even when a company asks customers for an honest opinion, so it's best to treat online ratings as a rough guide rather than a definitive answer. Limitation 3: Brands that don't sell dishwashers online A limited online retail presence means fewer user reviews to analyze. John Carlsen/CNET I can't analyze customer reviews that don't exist. Miele is the biggest example from my research because it directs buyers to authorized dealers instead of selling dishwashers directly through online retailers like Home Depot. In these cases, I rely on word of mouth, other expert reviewers and specifications, which isn't ideal. How do customer ratings affect our rankings? Filtering out all incentivized reviews and overlap may be possible with a small dataset, but it's a far more difficult with a category as large as dishwashers. Still, I feel like the sheer volume of data somewhat offsets these limitations. After identifying broad trends in the large dataset, I chose a representative model that I believe best showcases each brand's strength. The representative models are among the highest-rated products from a brand, which aren't always those with the highest ratings or most popularity. Evaluating dishwasher specifications Once I have a lineup of representative models, I dig deeper into the specs for those products to highlight the features that helped them stand out from the competition. Maytag While customer reviews can reveal consumer sentiment, they might gloss over a dishwasher's features. So, reviewers often fill in the gaps with manufacturer specifications -- even for hands-on tests. In this case, I pulled many specs from the product names in my dataset. This is because some retailers list specs in the dishwasher's name. Check out this example from Home Depot: Bosch 500 Series 24 in. White Top Control Tall Tub Pocket Handle Dishwasher with Stainless Steel Tub, 44 dBA Let's break it down: Bosch 500 Series (SHP65CM2N) 24 inches wide (full-sized dishwasher as opposed to an 18-inch compact dishwasher) White finish with a control panel on the top of the door and a pocket handle rather than a towel bar handle Stainless steel tub Sound level of 44 dBa Most dishwasher product names I collected follow a similar pattern, so I standardized the formatting. From there, all it took was a few formulas to summarize the features of hundreds of models at once. I won't stray too deep into the weeds on this -- data analysis can be very boring -- but I think it's pretty neat. Once I have a lineup of representative models, I dig deeper into the specs for those products to highlight the features that helped them stand out from the competition. These in-depth specifications are the main component of every table in this comparison. (For extra insurance, I double-checked the info on each product page before putting it in a table.) This summary data was mostly useful in evaluating sound levels. It's how I determined that Samsung (DW90F89T0U12, DW90F89P0USRAA, DW90F89P0USR), Bosch (SHP95CM5N, SHP9PCM5N) and LG (LUDP8908SN) have the quietest dishwasher models at just 38 dBa. Evaluating Energy Star data for dishwashers Energy Star certification was a requirement for inclusion on this list. John Carlsen/CNET Every product in the top five needed to have an Energy Star certification. A direct download on took less than a minute to add to my spreadsheet, making this the easiest data to collect. Standard-size dishwashers must meet two criteria to earn an Energy Star label: use less than 240 kilowatt-hours per year (kWh/yr) of electricity and less than 3.2 gallons per cycle. (Energy Star says that 240 kWh per year equates to less than $50 in annual electricity costs -- $4.16 or less per month.) Requirements are tighter for compact dishwashers, which hold fewer than eight place settings. (Midea, my pick for the best compact dishwasher, holds exactly eight place settings, so it's technically a standard dishwasher, according to Energy Star.) As with specifications and consumer reviews, the Energy Star program isn't a catch-all method for finding a great dishwasher, but it's always helpful if you value energy-efficient appliances. Energy Star's greatest strength is its evolving criteria, with the latest update coming in July 2023. This also means older models won't keep an Energy Star label forever -- none of the dishwashers on Energy Star's current list were released before late 2017. Electricity usage Various Energy Star ratings influenced my dishwasher picks. Energy Star I gave the most credit to dishwashers that meet the Energy Star Most Efficient 2025 Criteria (PDF) because they go beyond the standard certification. Miele dominates the Most Efficient category in terms of numbers -- 20 models -- which is over three times as many as qualifiers from Bosch, Samsung and LG combined. Notably, the Miele G 5892 SCVi SL is the most efficient model at 200 kWh/yr. This is 16.67% more efficient than the base Energy Star rating of 240 kWh/yr. As for the normal Energy Star rating, GE, Miele, Bosch and Frigidaire had the most models that qualified for the Energy Star rating, with at least 39 models from each company. It drops off quickly from there, with LG, Midea and Samsung boasting between 17 and 23 Energy Star models. However, Cafe, Whirlpool, KitchenAid and Maytag had fewer than 10 Energy Star models -- Maytag sells only a single model with the certification. These brands meet the previous Energy Star standard but haven't yet caught up to the latest criteria from 2023. While Ikea sells only six Energy Star models, these comprise the entire lineup, which is a nice bonus for Ikea fans. Water usage Even the least water-efficient dishwashers use less than would be needed to hand-wash the same number of dishes. Lexy Savvides/CNET A handful of Bosch models use less than half the US Federal Standard (5 gallons) for water per cycle at just 2.3 gallons. While this is notable, even the least water-wise dishwashers on the Energy Star list use only 3.2 gallons per cycle -- a difference of just 0.9 gallons. Even dishwashers that don't meet Energy Star's electricity usage requirements can be water-wise, with the KitchenAid KDTM404KPS sipping only 2.4 gallons per cycle. However, there's a caveat with Energy Star's water usage calculations: they only examine the low end of a normal wash cycle, which sometimes uses more water on heavily soiled loads of dishes. Likewise, heavy-duty and quick wash cycles can use more water than the Energy Star specification. (You can find water usage estimates for each cycle in your dishwasher's manual or cycle guide.) Although I like knowing roughly how much water a dishwasher uses, Energy Star's water usage figures aren't useful performance indicators for other wash cycles, at least when reviewing products. For this reason, they don't influence my ranking decisions. Still, you can rest easy knowing that a full dishwasher load uses less water than hand-washing an equivalent amount of dishes in the sink. Remember to do a full load as often as you can since dishwashers' efficiency benefits diminish as load sizes go down.
CNET
01-06-2025
- Health
- CNET
I Found the 7 Most Effective Devices to Handle Home Fires
I think home fires are one of the most unpleasant surprises people face, but these dangerous disasters are unfortunately common, especially when making mistakes with space heaters or even concentrated sunlight during heatwaves. In my smart home and home security reviews, I've come across several devices that help guard against these fires without breaking the bank -- and they'll keep you updated on dangers even when you aren't at home. Here are the top smoke detectors, smart speakers and monitoring systems that make a real difference with minimal privacy concerns. Note: Always check your state regulations to see if you need a wired smoke detector vs. a battery model. Nest Protect (2nd gen) The Nest Protect is a popular option. Tyler Lizenby/CNET The most popular and best smart smoke detector on the market right now, the Nest Protect ($100), uses a split-spectrum sensor that supposedly helps it sense smoldering fires faster, and it combines that smoke-detecting prowess with helpful smarts. In practice, the Nest Protect responded to smoke almost as quickly as an ordinary Kidde smoke detector. Once the alarm sounds, you'll get a push notification, and you can use the app to silence the alarm in the case of burnt toast. The Nest Protect will also help you avoid those annoying low-battery chirps with notifications when it's time to replace your AAs. We found the smarts helpful when we tested the Nest Protect and recommend it readily to anyone looking to replace your dumb old smoke detectors with a smart upgrade. Note: Google is slowly discontinuing the Nest Protect. We're still recommending it for now because, well, it's a great smart smoke detector and Nest will be continuing to support it for years. But if you want to be on the cutting edge, you can look at this Nest-powered Kidde smoke detector instead for $130. Read CNET's full review of the Nest Protect (2nd gen). Ring-Supported Kidde Smoke Alarm Kidde's new detectors work with the Ring app right out of the box for alerts and battery notifications. Ring I've recently tested a very promising new smoke detector available this summer, a collaboration between home security brand Ring and one of our favorite smoke and fire brands, Kidde. This smoke detector uses a Kidde design combined with Ring technology to give it smart features and useful alerts. The Ring app will provide alerts, updates, low battery warnings and more information. This is a valuable combo, especially if you already use Ring devices or if you'd prefer not to use Google Home for a Nest system. Kidde Voice Alert Smoke Detector Kidde's voice alert detector is a great option for people who want to stay away from apps. Kidde If you don't care about Ring compatibility, our next stop is the latest photoelectric battery model from Kidde. It has excellent specs and Kidde smoke detectors reliably test well on our speed and smoke detection exams. The model has handy voice alarms that tell you what's wrong, like "Fire" vs. "Replace batteries" so you know what to expect. The design also helps reduce false alarms from things like candles or cooking. Just ensure you get a wired version if your building codes require a hardwired smoke detector in certain spots. SimpliSafe Home Security Smoke Detector If your home security system supports smoke detectors, tap into this compatibility. SimpliSafe If you already have a security system, you should start by looking for fire, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that your system already supports, so it can monitor and control them along with other sensors. Most home security systems offer devices like this, but SimpliSafe's is an ideal example of how it works. It works via the SimpliSafe app, is designed for accuracy and can tap into SimpliSafe's 24/7 home monitoring service if you choose to subscribe. Ting Electrical Fault Detectors Monitoring devices like Ting are made with electrical fires in mind. Ting/Whisker Labs A hidden cause of home fires is problems with wiring, which can be more common in older homes. If your home is high-risk, you may consider a monitoring solution like Ting, with plug-in devices that monitor your home electricity and watch for signs of faults. Ting says it can statistically stop four out of five home electrical fires with this kind of monitoring, and you may even get a credit amount to help pay for wiring repair. Alexa Emergency Assist Alexa Emergency Assist can listen for fire alarms among other services. Amazon What happens when you aren't home or can't quickly deal with a fire? A service like Alexa Emergency Assist could be the right answer if you want to go beyond detectors. It's relatively affordable compared to home monitoring plans at $6 per month, and Alexa has some valuable tricks, like the ability to listen for smoke alarms and send your phone a message about them, no matter where you are. The service can also put you in contact with an agent who can call the fire department and take other important steps. First Alert Rechargeable Fire Extinguisher First Alert There's not really any such thing as a "smart" fire extinguisher -- they are already quite efficient at what they do. And if your home doesn't have a fire extinguisher within easy reach (especially in the kitchen, where many fires can start), it's time to add one. Technically, this First Alert model is made for garages, but you can use it anywhere. It's durable, rechargeable, and ready even for grease and chemical fires. To learn more about home safety, consult our master list of home security topics, see the best DIY home security systems, and check out the worst home security myths people still believe.
CNET
20-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
Google Gemini Is Set to Replace Google Assistant for Voice Commands: Here's What I Know
Google's latest AI Gemini, a master of conversation and identification, has been around for many months now, so I've been expecting this move for a while, but now it's official: The humble Google Assistant is going away from good, replaced by Gemini's updated efforts. But what about our Nest speakers, smart displays and the Google Home app? Are you going to have to get used to a new voice assistant in your home, too?. "Over the coming months, we're upgrading more users on mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini; and later this year, the classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices or available for new downloads on mobile app stores," Google reported in its blog update. That's quite clear for phone users. What happens to our smart homes in 2025 is less certain, but Google has dropped several important clues. Here's what to expect. A smart home truce, for now Your Nest devices probably won't change much this year, but big changes are on the way. Tyler Lizenby/CNET First, if you didn't know, you can already use Gemini on Google Home for more complex searching tasks, while Google links up bits of the AI to help make Google Assistant more accurate Nest devices. So the voice assistant and the AI already live in the same space on at least one Google platform. That seems to be the direction Google is taking for all its Nest and home technology for now. While cars, tables, headphones and watches are all getting the permanent change to Gemini, Google is hedging a bit with the smart home. The company reports: "We're also bringing a new experience, powered by Gemini, to home devices like speakers, displays and TVs. We look forward to sharing more details with you in the next few months. Until then, Google Assistant will continue to operate on these devices." It sounds like Google's home plans are still in development, but the switchover is coming in time. And there are good reasons for that. Gemini on phones exists primarily within Google's own ecosystem, tapping into Google's search engine, photo app, etc. But in the smart home world, Gemini must communicate with all kinds of other platforms and devices. The Matter standard makes that a bit easier, but it's still a lot of work. Google Nest must also consider its approach to smart home brand partnerships. Many of these supported brands have used the "works with Google Assistant/Google Home" language for years. Switching over to the "Google Gemini" language means rewriting a lot of marketing and product specifications, among other details. That introduces complications and raises the risk of confusing customers, another reason this step may take plenty of extra time. A rebrand, if you can keep it Gemini's role in the smart is more complicated thanks to necessary third-party integraitons. Google Google talks about how people have "made the switch" to Gemini, but for the average person, the biggest difference will be how the response sounds: You may even keep using the same wake word, although those details aren't finalized. In the smart home, we'll likely use Gemini the same way we used Google Assistant, except it will hopefully be more precise in its answers and able to make more suggestions about home management. While many AI integrations may be behind the scenes, the average homeowner will see this more as a rebrand than anything else. The big question is if it's a rebrand worth getting excited about. We've had some troubles using Google Assistant for smart home control in the past year compared with voice assistants like Alexa or Apple's Siri. While Gemini has improved, it's still far from flawless, and if most people's encounters with Google AI are through flawed search result overviews, they may be hesitant to accept the change. Another question is about privacy. As Amazon's recent privacy removals from the upcoming Alexa Plus launch show, these new AI voice assistants can be more casual with our personal data, making people uneasy. Gemini needs to be careful about how much of our home data it hoovers up versus the utility it provides. To check out more, see our guide to how AI works in home security, how Gemini is turning your essays into AI-voiced podcasts and how Gemini is already getting a little invasive by using your search history data to personalize your Google search answers.
