Best dishwashers for small kitchens and rentals

A small kitchen gives you one of three things: counter by the sink, an 18-inch gap, or a 24-inch gap. Measure which one you have, then read only that part. I haven't run any of these. Test results below come from Reviewed, and every other number is a maker's rating, a store's listing or ENERGY STAR's record.

No plumbed slot: Danby DDW621WDB

This is the renter's machine. Danby says it has a quick connect that works with most kitchen faucets, so there's no cabinet to cut and it moves out with you. It takes 21.65 in of counter width and 19.69 in of depth, and stands 17.24 in tall. Measure under your upper cabinets, and check that your faucet accepts an adapter. Danby's FAQ says its adapter suits standard North American faucets.

It holds 6 settings, so one or two people at most. Abt's guide says countertop models mostly can't take larger pots and pans, and that they run louder, at 52 to 58 dB. Danby rates this one at 52 dB. Interior height is 11.61 inches, per Danby, so I'd expect tall glasses and stockpots to be a problem.

I'd skip it if you have no counter to spare within reach of the sink. Danby's list price, checked November 2, 2026, is $419.99.

An 18-inch gap: Bosch 300 Series SPE53C55UC

A built-in at 17.63 in wide, rated for 10 settings and 46 dBA. That suits one to three people, by my reading of the rules of thumb in the Bosch review. It has a third rack, and Bosch gives the cutout as 32 1/8 by 17 3/4 by 21 2/3 inches.

Skip it if 24 inches is available. Narrow doesn't mean cheap: $1,099 here, against $949 for the Whirlpool below. I found no lab test of it.

A 24-inch gap: Whirlpool WDT750SAKZ

Rated for 13 settings and 47 dBA, this suits two to five people by my reading of the same rules of thumb, and a small kitchen only if it already has the opening. Depth is the thing to check. Abt lists 26.5 inches with the handle and 50.19 with the door open, which is a lot of floor in a galley.

Reviewed's lab, in a review dated April 23, 2021, measured Normal and Heavy cycles at 99.3% clean and clocked Normal at almost three hours. Run it overnight. The list price Abt shows is the $949 above.

A 24-inch gap, and noise matters: Miele G 5008 SCU

Open-plan studios are the case for this one, because the machine runs a few feet from the sofa. Miele's sheet rates it at 44 dBA, against the Whirlpool's 47 dBA, and that isn't a measurement either. It's also shallow, at 22 1/2 inches on Miele's sheet and 47 1/2 with the door open. ENERGY STAR's record gives 16 settings, far more than most small households need.

So this is a noise purchase. At $1,599, against that Whirlpool at $949, I'd skip it unless the kitchen and the living room are the same room. I didn't find a lab test of it either.

If the settings number confuses you

Ratings use an industry load that may not match your plates. What a place setting really means has the list of pieces and a way to count your own. The home sizer turns your household into a size, and the dishwasher list has the full specs.