Thank you for subscribing!
Should I Buy A Bosch Ascenta Dishwasher?
A summary of reviews for the Bosch Ascenta Dishwasher based on reviews from professional websites and consumers. Is it as good as other Bosch dishwashers?
The Bosch Ascenta dishwasher is by far, the most reviewed dishwasher by the professional sites (although not by consumers). It is primarily due to its price point as well as due to Bosch reputation as a standout dishwasher manufacturer. Bosch is known to make reliable products, so naturally, consumers will gravitate to them. In this case, however, the Ascenta may be a disappointment for those expecting top of the line Bosch quality. (For more on why appliances are living shorter lives, see this article.)
I looked at reviews from Consumer Reports, Yale Appliance and Lighting and Reviewed.com to see what their take is on dishwashers. Resoundingly, Bosch was the favoured brand by all review sites, although reviewers differed on which Bosch series was preferred. This is a summary of what the professional testers and reviewers thought of the Bosch Ascenta - which is Bosch's "entry level" dishwasher.
In terms of what consumer reviewers had to say about the Bosch products, we looked at reviews on Amazon, Consumer Reports and Home Depot (excluding those added from the manufacturer's website).
The Gleen take: The Ascenta series is the least expensive of the Bosch of dishwashers and you get what you pay for. As such there are a few drawbacks:
- it isn’t as quiet as other Bosch series,
- it contains more plastic,
- it offers fewer features and no flexibility with its rack system
- it doesn't dry plastic dishes well
Should You Buy A Bosch Ascenta Dishwasher?
If you’re expecting the same quality as the higher-end Bosch lines, you will likely be disappointed. We’re also not convinced that with all the plastic used in construction, it will last as long as its predicted lifespan of 13 years – however, this is also related to usage per year and water hardness. [Please note, this is our editorial opinion, feel free to disagree or voice your opinion in the comments section below.]
Finally, all Bosch dishwashers use inherent heat to dry the dishes (as do all European-based dishwasher manufacturers), therefore, they will not be as dry as dishwashers that use a built-in heating element such as most of those designed in North America. It means your plastic won’t dry as well, but the energy efficiency is significantly better than most North American brands.
Food for thought: Buy the Bosch 500 series or 800 series if you can swing it. The extra investment will give you more flexibility in storing your dishes, more settings and a quieter dishwasher. Since the bodies of these models are made of stainless steel, they will likely last longer as well. If you're on a tight budget, consider buying a high-quality refurbished dishwasher.
For tips on how to research buying a new dishwasher, see this article.
Want to know more about dishwashers? Visit our Dishwashers Page.