JD Power Names The Top Kitchenware Brand For Dishwasher Reliability

A new dishwasher is a significant investment that can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars. Naturally, you'll want to make sure you're getting your money's worth, but no matter how many customer reviews you read, specs you compare, or YouTube videos you watch, it's hard to predict if a dishwasher, or any kitchen appliance, will cause problems once it's in your home. 

A 2025 study conducted by JD Power can help. The consumer data and analytics company assessed the reliability of several household appliances, including dishwashers, refrigerators, washers, dryers, and more. When it comes to dishwasher reliability, one brand narrowly ranked the highest, but there's a lot of research to unpack.

The JD Power study focused on two areas. First, participants were asked to evaluate the in-home technician services provided by an appliance manufacturer, if applicable. This question garnered 1,419 responses, but has less to do with appliance reliability and more to do with customer service. Second (and more important), participants were asked if they had experienced any issues with their dishwasher, specifically within the first three years of owning it. This question constituted the bulk of the study and amassed 12,755 responses. According to JD Power's research, KitchenAid dishwashers had the fewest issues of any major appliance brand, followed closely by Bosch and GE, both of which tied for second place.

Founded over a century ago, KitchenAid first rose to prominence because of its stand mixer, arguably one of the most iconic kitchen products of all time. JD Power found that customers reported 63 problems every 100 KitchenAid dishwashers. While that number may sound high, it was the least of every brand studied. Bosch and GE dishwashers weren't far behind, with customers reporting 64 problems for every 100 appliances. Interestingly, another JD Power study, also published in 2025, found that Bosch ranked highest in overall customer satisfaction for dishwashers, while KitchenAid ranked fifth, making Bosch vs. KitchenAid dishwashers an intriguing debate.

Both studies point out an important trend, though: customers whose appliances have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities are far more likely to experience issues. The initial JD Power study found that smart kitchen appliances averaged 87 problems per 100 devices. The increased rate of problems for smart appliances is worth considering when buying a dishwasher. Being able to control a dishwasher from your smartphone certainly adds convenience, but it will likely be more temperamental than pressing buttons manually; plus dishwashers with Wi-Fi capabilities tend to be a little more expensive. As Michael Taylor, senior managing director of retail practice at JD Power, put in the study's press release, "Modern appliances are far more sophisticated and packed with more technologies than ever before. With that increased level of complexity, however, comes a greater potential for issues."