Miele and Bosch are two of the leading dishwasher brands, they both represent excellent design, quality and high end cleaning performance.
Choosing between the two is tough so we are taking a closer look at Miele and Bosch dishwashers so you can find the best option for your kitchen.
Bosch
Bosch is a German brand that was founded in 1886. They have always been innovative and have a long, rich history creating powered equipment and machinery. They originally focussed on automobiles but have become well known for their quality home appliances.
Bosch remains an innovative company and produces high quality, durable products that you know you can depend on. The Bosch dishwashers are tried, tested and trusted.
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Miele
Miele was founded in Germany in 1899 and is one of the largest family-owned appliance manufacturers in the world. They started with manufacturing cream separators and specialise in kitchen and laundry room appliances. Miele is known for producing quality, dependable and long-lasting products.
Their appliances can be slightly more expensive as they are high-end dishwashers. The plus is that Miele tests their appliances to the equivalent use of 20 years so you know you are paying for a product that is built to last.
Recommended Bosch andMiele Dishwashers
Best For Most People: Bosch Series 6 60cm Freestanding Dishwasher (Made In Germany)
This Bosch dishwasher is our best pick for Australian homes.
With its Extra Dry cycle, it ensures that your dishes come out spotless, raising the temperature during the rinse cycle and extending the drying phase.
Its Adjustable Top Rack lets you raise or lower the top basket while it’s fully loaded, so you can fit in even more dishes.
With Rackmatic, each side of the top rack can also be raised or lowered independently, so tall plates in the bottom basket don’t interfere with the washing of tall glasses and other items in the top basket.
Get superb washing results without the need for rinsing or scrubbing with Bosch’s Extra Clean Zone. It’s in the middle of the upper wash basket and its three rotating water nozzles deliver an intensive wash for items placed within the zone.
If peace and quiet are important to you, then Bosch’s Silence Plus will deliver, with an impressive 44 dB in volume.
It has a 4 Star Energy Rating and a 5 Star WELS Water Rating.
Bosch SMS66MI02A Freestanding Dishwasher
The Bosch Stainless Steel Series 6 Freestanding Dishwasher is a great option that delivers fast cleaning results. It is packed with easy to use features and has the capacity to handle 15 place settings making it best for a medium-size family.
The range of wash cycles makes it easy to change the settings to suit how dirty the dishes are. The dishwasher has a VarioFlex Plus Basket system and a VarioDrawer that makes it easy for you to adjust the dishwasher to suit a range of dishes. This means the dishwasher can accommodate large plates, pots and pans without a problem.
The child lock safety feature and low noise level are ideal for family homes with young children. The convenient display lets you know how long is left of the wash cycle. This is a user-friendly model that is sleek and stylish and will suit any modern kitchen.
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Miele G4203 SC Active BRWS Freestanding Dishwasher
This freestanding dishwasher from Miele is one of their most affordable models. It has a capacity of 14 place settings making it best for medium – large families. This dishwasher offers a number of wash cycles to choose from and is easy to load and unload. For ease of use, it has a third rack that’s perfect for cleaning dirty knives and forks effectively without causing scratches.
The performance of the Miele G 4203 SC is great, it can handle tough food stains and washes and dries dishes well every time. This model is not as energy efficient as others, especially when used during the intensive wash cycle.
ComfortClose is a feature that makes opening and closing the dishwasher easy, you can also leave the door open and it conveniently remains in the position you choose while you load and unload. All in all this dishwasher has some great features and is a high-performance option. It gives you clean, dry dishes every single time.
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Miele Vs Bosch Dishwasher Comparison
Now we know a little about each of the dishwashers, let’s take a look at these kitchen appliances side by side. You may have noticed there are lots of similarities between them but there are also a few differences that might sway your decision when choosing the best dishwasher brand for your home.
Key Similarities
Freestanding Design
Both of these models are freestanding. These types of dishwashers are popular as they are not built in so can be moved around as needed. They also have a hard-wearing covering panel which can be used as a worktop.
Size
In terms of size, you will see very little difference between these Bosch and Miele models. The Bosch SMS66MI02A is 60cm W x84.5cm H x 60cm D while the Miele G4203 SC Active is almost identical with dimensions of 59.8cm W x 84.5 H x 60cm D.
This makes either of these dishwashers a good choice for anyone looking for a full-size freestanding dishwasher. They may not be the best options if you are limited on space so keep this in mind.
Sound Levels
Both manufacturers take noise levels seriously and ensure their machines are able to handle washing and drying as quietly as possible. You can confidently run the appliances from both brands at night or in open-plan kitchens without a problem.
The Bosch dishwasher has sound emissions of 44dBA while the Miele dishwasher is only a fraction more at 46dBA. In terms of noise level, it doesn’t really matter if you choose Miele or Bosch, they will both give you the quiet machine you are looking for. If noise is a big concern the Bosch 800 series offers models with noise levels as low as 39dBA.
Safety Features
Both Bosch and Miele dishwashers feature more or less the same safety features. They both have a child safety lock to make sure settings cannot be changed and the door cannot be opened while the cycle is running. They both also feature antiflood protection to make sure the water stops flowing into the machine if there is a problem.
They also have key maintenance indicators such as when rinse aid is needed as well as an easy to read screen that displays how much time is remaining and when the program has ended.
Trays & baskets
You can expect both dishwashers to feature a third rack for cutlery. The Miele cutlery tray is arguably more user friendly and easier to load and unload but both are of high quality. The cutlery rack gives you space to lay each piece of cutlery down separately to prevent damage.
Both of the dishwashers also have height-adjustable upper baskets so you can adjust the rack to fit in larger dirty pots and pans or fragile wine glasses. The Bosch Series 6 has a foldable plate rack on the top and on the bottom basket too.
Warranty
Both of these dishwashers are built with design and performance in mind. They are made with high-quality parts and are durable. A new Bosch dishwasher is put through 10 years worth of tests while a new Miele is put through 20 years worth of tests. This means your new dishwasher will last years of regular use.
With a regular level of usage, a dishwasher from either of these brands should not break or stop working, particularly in the first few years. Dishwashers aren’t cheap so for added peace of mind, both brands come with a 2-year warranty.
Key Differences
Style
The Bosch Series 6 model looks modern and sleek. It features a stainless steel finish and the control panel lends to its stylish design. The Miele on the other hand looks a little more dated, it has a white finish and the controls are considerably more basic.
Place Settings
Although both dishwashers have almost the same dimensions, the Bosch dishwasher is advertised as having the capacity for up to 15 place settings while the Miele dishwasher claims slightly less with a capacity of 14 place settings. They both offer enough space for dishes for 5 or more people making them great for busy family homes.
Energy Efficiency
If you’re looking for an energy-efficient dishwasher, go for the Bosch. The Bosch has a 4-star energy rating and a 5-star water rating so can help you save on energy bills. The Miele model has a 3-star energy rating and a 3.5-star water rating making its wash cycles less efficient than the Bosch.
In terms of water consumption, each cycle using the Bosch uses only 12L of water compared to the Miele dishwasher which uses 13.5L of water per auto cycle or 14L per ECO cycle.
Height Adjustable
The Bosch dishwashers are height adjustable meaning you can get your dishwasher to fit in with your kitchen perfectly. You can adjust the height between 815mm – 845mm to suit your current kitchen worktop, this is a simple feature but it helps it feel like the new dishwasher was built just for your kitchen. It also comes with a kick panel that will fit under the bench so you can keep the kitchen looking smart.
Wash Programs
With both dishwashers, you can enjoy a range of cleaning cycles that will produce consistently clean dishes free from wear or damage. The Miele features 5 wash programs including Automatic, Eco, Light Soiling 50C, Light Soiling 55C, Intensive 75C and Gentle. Generally, the dishes are both clean and dry at the end of each cycle.
The Bosch features 6 wash programs including Auto Wash, Auto Intensive, Eco Wash, Super Wash, Quick Wash (29 Minutes) and Quick Wash (60 minutes). Each brand is keeping it simple with its washing features but they both give you enough choice.
Hot Water Connection
The Miele dishwashers are able to connect to the hot water while the Bosch is cold water only. Miele says connecting to hot water helps to reduce power consumption and running time.
Spray Arms
The Bosch model has 1 spray arm while the Miele has 3. 3 full-size spray arms means there is one at the bottom, one below the middle rack and one at the top for the cutlery tray. Having more can be beneficial, particularly if you are planning to fill the dishwasher all the way up with each use.
Stainless Steel
The Bosch model has a stainless steel finish as well as a stainless steel interior. The Miele model offers a white finish with a stainless steel interior. The preferred finish comes down to personal preference and the style of your kitchen.
Price
These dishwashers are both in a similar region in terms of the price and, as you can see from the review, there is not much that separates the two in terms of features either. The SMS66MI02A from Bosch is available for the price of $1248 making it slightly more affordable than the G4203 SC Active from Miele which will cost $1399.
Making Your Selection
There aren’t many differences between these two dishwasher models. For us, Bosch only just takes the lead as it is the more energy-efficient option, has plenty of user-friendly features and looks great too. For regular use, the Bosch model is a great choice.
If you aren’t concerned about spending a little more, the Miele dishwasher is an excellent option too and it offers a few extra features such as the hot water connection and additional spray arms.
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