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The G 5266 blows most other dishwashers out of the water. If your budget can accommodate its premium price, it's one of the best models you can buy. Read More
This Bosch is one of the best dishwashers we've ever tested. It gets dishes clean and dry, quickly, and is ADA-compliant. Read More
This high-end Bosch dishwasher can remove tough stains and get all of your dishes (including plasticware) completely dry. Read More
This feature-filled, high-performing dishwasher comes in a Tuscan stainless steel finish that is sure to elicit jealously from your neighbors. Read More
This feature-filled Bosch dishwasher offers a quiet cleaning experience with a lot of adjustabilities to ensure dishes of all sizes can get clean. Read More
The best third-rack dishwashers vastly improve the cleaning experience by better using the limited real estate inside dishwashers.
These sliding trays are mainly for silverware and larger utensils, such as ladles and spatulas, but some third racks can also fit smaller bowls and ramekins. Using a third rack also frees up space on the bottom rack by reducing or eliminating the need for a bulky cutlery basket.
In the nearly 15 years we’ve been testing dishwashers here at Reviewed, we’ve found that one of the most important factors in the best dishwashers is usability, something that a third rack adds.
After testing the best third-rack dishwashers on the market, the Miele G 5266 SCVi SFP (available at Abt for $1,749.00) was our favorite because it can fit both utensils and larger items on its top rack, which also can be minimized so you can wash taller items on the second rack.
While the G 5266 is expensive, our list also has third-rack dishwashers that will fit most other budgets. Here are our the best third-rack dishwashers we tested.
The Miele G 5266 SCVi SF dishwasher’s third rack can accommodate both utensils and larger items, such as ladles. Additionally, it can slide its left half under itself, making more room for taller dishes on the upper rack, which is also adjustable. The upper rack can be tilted at an angle to help with loading and unloading, as well.
As far as cleaning, this dishwasher delivered nearly spotless dishes during testing, with no redeposit. Its Normal cycle also is nearly 30 minutes faster than average.
Except for its premium price, there’s a lot to love about the G 5266, a great high-end dishwasher that does an excellent job cleaning, has a sleek design, and great functionality.
Read our full review of the Miele G 5266 SCVi SF dishwasher
Third rack and adjustable upper rack
Nothing significant that we could find
The Bosch 800 Series SGX78B55UC/13 has the extras you expect in a high-end dishwasher, including a traditional third rack that fits oversized utensils.
The SGX78B55UC/13, which has strong cleaning abilities, is ADA-compliant, meaning that it has enhanced accessibility features. It is a bit smaller, which is something to be aware of if your kitchen cabinetry is designed for a standard-sized dishwasher.
Overall, this is an excellent dishwasher that adds ADA accessibility features without sacrificing performance found in other Bosch 800 series models, including the CrystalDry technology, which left dishes perfectly dry during testing.
Read our full review of the Bosch 800 Series SGX78B55UC/13 dishwasher
The Bosch 800 Series SHPM88Z75N features a MyWay third rack, which fits utensils, ladles, and small bowls. This dishwasher’s upper rack also adds versatility—it can be adjusted to three heights and even can accommodate vases without issue.
This dishwasher excels at washing dishes. Also, like other models in the 800 series, the SHPM88Z75N features Bosch’s CrystalDry technology, which uses zeolite to dry your dishes.
With a sound rating of 40 dBA, the SHPM88Z75N is what we expect from a Bosch dishwasher: quiet, efficient, and stylish.
Read our full review of the Bosch 800 Series SHPM88Z75N dishwasher
Nothing significant that we could find
The Samsung DW80R9950UT has it all, including a customizable third rack and adjustable tines on the upper and lower racks so you can fit oddly-shaped dishes in the dishwasher.
In addition to adjustable height, this dishwasher’s third rack has a column at its center that can be lowered for oversized utensils. While we like the third rack’s overall build quality, we didn’t like that it could wobble while sliding on its rails.
This dishwasher has top-notch cleaning abilities, with Normal, Quick, and Heavy cycle options all able to remove more than 97% of food stains during our testing. The DW80R9950UT also has minimal redeposit and near-perfect drying.
If you’re looking for a user-friendly dishwasher loaded with features, it’s worth considering the DW80R9950UT.
Read our full review of the Samsung DW80R9950UT dishwasher
None that we could find
The Bosch 500 series SHPM65Z55N dishwasher’s third rack is designed so that the bottom edges of its sides can be lowered to make space for deeper bowls.
This dishwasher’s other racks also add functionality—both have tines that can flip down, and the middle rack has wine glass holders that can be reoriented—so you’ll be able to wash many different sizes and types of dishes. And you’ll be able to hold on a conversation while this dishwasher is running, because the SHPM65Z55N is whisper-quiet.
While this Bosch’s cycles are on the longer side, the cleaning results are worth the wait. It blasted through our test food stains during the Normal cycle and removed nearly all of them on Heavy. The Auto Air function, which opens the dishwasher door after a cycle has ended, also is effective at drying dishes.
If you want a Bosch dishwasher but don’t have the budget for a dishwasher in the 800 series, the Bosch 500 series SHPM65Z55N is a great option.
Read our full review of the Bosch 500 series SHPM65Z55N dishwasher
None that we could find
The Bosch 300 Series SHSM63W55N dishwasher has a third rack, adjustable upper rack, and foldable tines, and it delivers the cleaning prowess, design, and quiet operation the brand is known for.
During testing, the SHSM63W55N removed nearly all of our food stains during testing of its Heavy cycle, and while this 300 Series dishwasher isn’t as quiet as some other models, it’s worth every cent.
Drying option extends cycle times
The KitchenAid KDTM404KPS dishwasher’s third rack is one of the deepest we’ve ever tested. In addition to a divot that can hold small bowls, cups, and mugs, it also has rotating spray jets to make sure everything gets clean.
In part because of the third rack, this dishwasher can fit more up to 16 place settings, making it a great option for big families. The KDTM404KPS does an excellent job cleaning dishes on its Normal and Tough cycles, and it’s quiet too, with a sound rating of 44 dBA.
Read our full review of the KitchenAid KDTM404KPS dishwasher
The GE Café CDT875M5NS5, a beautiful high-end dishwasher, has a third rack that will fit oversized utensils and silverware.
There’s a lot to love about this dishwasher, including overall cleaning ability, but the CDT875M5NS5 did struggle with the most stubborn stains during testing. Given its price, the inconsistency is a concern.
The CDT875M5NS5 is beautifully designed, does a good job drying dishes, and has the features you’d expect in a high-end dishwasher.
Read our full review of the GE Café CDT875M5NS5 dishwasher
Third rack, bottle jets, and smart features
Not the best value at its current price
We test a dishwasher's Quick, Heavy, and Normal cycles by challenging them to clean dishes with baked-on food stains—milk, spinach, egg, oatmeal, meat, and more.
There are three major parts of the dishwasher experience—performance, features, and usability. During our testing, we focus on those factors to find which dishwashers offer good value and which should be avoided.
Performance factors include stain removal, redeposit, cycle length, and drying. To assess stain removal powers, we test each dishwasher on three cycles—Normal, Quick, and Heavy—to see how they clean dishes with food baked on. When testing, we don’t pre-rinse dishes, either.
Dishwashers need to be able to wash and dry dishes, which is why penalize models when any dish comes out wet. We also take note of redeposit, when food debris from one dish gets stuck on another, and how long wash cycles take.
Features and usability go hand-in-hand. A third rack offers you the advantage of having somewhere to stow serving spoons, long knives, skewers, and other kitchen utensils that don’t fit in a dishwasher’s cutlery basket or can potentially fall out of the upper rack—no one wants a chef’s knife impaling their foot. It should slide smoothly and allow for an optimum wash.
Third racks allow people to more efficiently use the vertical space in their dishwashers by fitting items above the upper rack, including silverware and oversized utensils.
Most third racks also can accommodate smaller bowls and ramekins. By washing utensils in the third rack, you can create more usable space on the bottom rack for dishwasher-safe pots and pans, as the third rack often reduces the need for a cutlery basket.
In general, third racks are not best for heavily soiled dishes, as they typically don't have spray jets and rely on water from the washing arms at the bottom of the appliance.
Most of the dishwashers with third racks that we reviewed have dedicated spots for silverware that prevent “nesting.”
When loading your dishwasher, oversized utensils, such as mixing spoons, spatulas, and ladles, can be placed in a single layer on flat portions of a third rack.
If your third rack has tines for cups and small bowls, be sure to not overload the tray.
Until recently, a third rack was a premium feature only available on high-end dishwashers. Now, they’re more frequently seen in less expensive models. Third racks make good use of a dishwasher’s space.
Although third racks are more common, you may have to pay more money for a dishwasher that has one.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time. The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.
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Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.
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