Bosch Dishwasher Review and Buying guide

This blog is just my review about product usage. I am not getting paid for writing this review. These are my own observations.

In developing country like India, where labour availability is not an issue like developed countries, service industry is at blossom. Every household has minimum of one house maid (Kamwali bai) to take care of Sweeping, mopping floor (Zadu Pocha) and cleaning utensils (Bartan Manjana). Olden days there used to be one more work i.e. washing clothes (Kapada). Thanks to the Industrial revolution and development, manual work has been reduced to a big extends and now Washing Machines may be fully automatic or semi automatic has reduced the load of household labour. But automating the utensils cleaning work was somehow a neglected area and less focused one till last few years. But thanks to the conversion from Developing to Developed country and Make In India vision 2020, development in automation of Utensils washing area to suit Indian cooking is taking place at an exponential rate with competition building up in the big brands like, Bosch, IFB, LG, Samsung. It has now become a basic commodity in most of the urban class houses.

Why I shifted to Dishwasher?

I had a maid to take care of Sweeping and mopping floor as well as for cleaning utensils. Initially she was regular and used to come on time. Cleaning quality was also ok kind with little bit of soap on the utensils sometimes. Then came May 2017 and she started becoming irregular. Cleaning utensils is one work I just hate it the most. So we started storing thermacol plates and bowls at home. So that whenever my maid is absent, we used to use it and throw. And wash other utensils like kadai, and other cooking vessels. Once in a while it was ok considering the damage thermacol makes to eco system. But then irregularity increased to the limits from August 2017. Tired of all wait for her, one of my friends got IFB dishwasher and stopped her services. Then came a thought in my mind why not us? And this thought got a trigger in the festive season of Maharashtra, the Ganeshostav, where maid disappeared again for 8 days. And we decided enough is enough lets eliminate dependency on manual labour.

Literature survey on internet helped me a lot to understand various types of Dishwashers, factors we need to consider while purchasing it and using it.

Freestanding or integrated dishwasher?

One of the first decisions you'll need to make is whether you'd prefer a freestanding dishwasher or an integrated (built-in) model.

Freestanding- Freestanding dishwashers are the most common, and fit into any kitchen that will accommodate them – their front door is designed to remain fully visible. They're available in a range of colours. White is the most common, but black, grey, gold and silver are also popular, other colours are occasionally available, too.

The most common type of dishwasher, so it's easier to find one that matches your budget. They're also more portable than integrated models, so you could feasibly take your dishwasher with you if you move home.

Integrated- Integrated dishwashers are designed to be incorporated into built-in kitchens and fall into two categories: fully integrated, where the entire front panel of the dishwasher is hidden behind a kitchen cabinet door; or semi-integrated – where most of the front is covered, but the control panel is left visible at the top. They make built-in kitchens look more streamlined. But they're less portable than freestanding models.

In India, most of the available models are Free standing type. As I had to retrofit dishwasher in my existing furniture and with available space, Free standing type was the option.

So the search started based on following requirements.

Features That Need to Be Considered

1.Size– Before purchasing, figure out where you are going to place the dishwasher. For me as there is no dry block attached to my kitchen, it was obvious to keep it in kitchen. It consumes the same floor space as a washing machine (approximately 2 ft X 2 ft floor space), and requires an electric power point and Water inlet and outlet. Measure the allotted space and look for a machine that fits within the allotted space.

2.Machine Sound – Old models create noise while the machine is being used. Make sure to check the noise in decibels; if it is below 45dB, it will be virtually silent. If the decimal level is around 60dB or more, it means the machine will make quite a loud a noise.

3.Dishwasher Capacity – It refers to how many place settings can fit in a single load. Here are the basic capacity ranges:

Compact
Capacity: Up to 8 plate-piece settings

Standard
Capacity: Up to 12 plate-piece settings
Tall tub

          Capacity: Up to 14 plate -piece settings

In India, standard capacity dishwashers with 12 plate setting are available with various brand like, IFB, Siemens, Bosch (Siemens and Bosch have same manufacturing facility and they sell using these two brand names.), LG and Samsung. We did not look for LG and Samsung, as they are not very popular and moreover costly. So we shortlisted IFB, Siemens and Bosch.

4.Energy Efficiency - Any of the newer models are likely going to beat your old machine for efficiency, but make sure your new dishwasher is Energy Star qualified. Check the manufacturer’s information for the estimated annual operating cost.

5.Water Usage and its Temperature – There are dishwashers that clean the dishes with variable water temperature. Some dishwashers pre-heat the water before using it to clean the dishes, this helps to remove oil and grease stains from the dishes easily. Generally with pressurized nozzles it takes 15-20 liters of water for 1 cycle.

6.Tub Material – The tub inside the machine is either stainless steel or plastic.  Many still have plastic tubs but now manufacturers have brought in stainless steel tubs. Stainless tubs are quieter. Furthermore, stainless steel is more resistant to high heat, which is excellent if you’re looking to sanitize your dishes. They are more expensive, but stainless tubs are more energy efficient as they can hold heat more effectively than their plastic counterparts, hence they save you money in the long run.

7.Sensors – Many dishwashers come with sensors, that detect how dirty the dishes are and how much power will it require to clean them (Auto Mode). It will then adjust the water level and pressure accordingly. There are different types of sensors such as soil level sensor, temperature sensor, water sensor, detergent sensor. Soil level sensors automatically adjust the cleaning cycle. Temperature sensor ensures proper water temperature, water sensor helps in maintaining the amount of water in required while cleaning and detergent sensor releases proper amount of dishwashing liquid in the washing

8.Cycles – Dishwasher cycle allows customized wash for all types of dishes, from fine china to pots and pans.

·Rinse and hold: This cycle helps to remove all the scrapings left on the dishes or pots and also eliminates smell without using any detergent.

· Sanitize: Sanitize rinse option cleans 99.9 % of bacteria.

·Quick Wash: Quick Wash cycle is used for washing lightly soiled dishes. It finishes the cycle within minutes.

· Delayed Start:  Allows you to pre-set the timer for the machine to start it.

9.Load Flexibility with Flexible dish and utensil racks – Smart and flexible utensil racks like with individual slots are perfect for small utensils like spoons and forks. Adjustable racks can be used to accommodate pots and pans. You need to know that your dishwasher will have the capacity required for your household, so pay attention to how many place settings it can handle. Capacity is usually measured in place settings, which means one dinner plate, one dessert plate, a dessert spoon, a soup plate, a soup spoon, a glass, a tea cup, a tea cup saucer, a teaspoon, a knife and a fork.

10.Cost – IFB, Bosch and Siemens cost varies in the range of 32500- 38000 INR with basic principle same in all. LG is on a costlier side with range exceeding 40000 INR.

We did market survey of various brands by visiting Amazon, Flipkart, Vijay Sales, Mahavir Electronics and Dynamic distributor in Pune, Maharashtra. With little bit of differences in the models, we short listed on IFB and Bosch. Only problem with IFB was offset central nozzle spray. Bosch is a very reputed brand when the need arises of buying a dishwasher; they provide the best dishwasher at convenient charges.

We bought Bosch silent mode free standing 12 plate setting Dishwasher SMS60L12IN, white coloured as it was cheaper by 2000 INR. The cost when I bought was 34000 INR. It comes with 2 years manufacturer’s warranty. It has two trays one below another to place utensils glass spoon etc., User friendly mechanism. It needs water inlet and outlet same as washing machine.

We had to get some plumbing work done for inlet and outlet purpose. They delivered the product free to our Home and a technician from Bosch came to our Home on next day for demonstrating the product.

3D view

Size of dishwasher

Backside view

When you start using a new thing it takes time to get used to it and same is the case with this one but yet this dish washer is very user friendly. It takes 5 mins to arrange the plates in the dishwasher. Mostly all utensils will be cleaned perfectly but still very few utensils should be washed again. Easy to handle and silent operation. The tube is stainless steel. Service is really very good and the dishwasher is really very helpful.

Procedure to start dishwasher -

1. Arrange all the utensils in the dishwasher upside down. I generally prefer smaller ones like cups, soccer, katori, tiffins, spoons, small utensils and vessels in upper compartment. And kadhai, milk utensil, plates and pans in bottomside.
2. Make sure both the nozzle fans rotate freely without any obstructions.
3. Fill 1 kg salt in the section provided for salt storage. This will go for 1.5-2 months. You need to refill it once the indicator displays it.
4. Add 70 ml rinse aid (liquid) in the slot. This will go for 15-20 days if you wash utensils once a day.
5. Add Detergent every day. Mostly 20-25 gm is sufficient for a family of 3 with whole days utensils.
6. Set the program. I generally choose express sparkle with 59 min setting. Setting varies as per individual demand from 29 min to 2.5 hrs.
7. Utensils will be cleaned, washed and dried with sparkles. You can directly keep the utensils on the rack or in the cupboard as they are complete dry.

Programs available in Bosch dishwasher cycles -

There are full load, half load, and vario eco extra dry mode options available with eco, quick and pre rinse set instructions. We can set the cycle to Intensive Kadhai, express sparkle or Auto mode. The temperature varies from 45 degree till 65 degrees according to mode set.

All sort of steel, glass, bone china ware, Aluminum / Iron Kadhai and Tupperware and Signora Ware are Dishwasher friendly. But low grade plastics get wrapped and not recommended to be washed in dishwasher. Iron kadhai leaves stents in the dishwasher.

Following features I liked the most -

• User friendly and Handy
• Durability - The dishwasher is very durable I have been using it for more than 6 months and still no problem has aroused.
• Style and design - The style and design of the dish washer is very good and it's designed to perfection.
• Value for money- Electricity bill increased by hardly 150 INR per month
• Silent operation
• Service and support
• Usage cost for the combination of dishwasher detergent, multiple use descaler, rinse aid, and salt is approx. 450 INR and goes for almost 2 months. We used Fortune brand and Finish brand as it is recommended by Bosch. You can easily get the detergent on Amazon, Flipkart or you can buy it through Bosch customer care service guy.

We bought a front loading washing machine cover 250 INR, it fits to the dishwasher perfectly. This saves dishwasher from catching dust, oil and looks elegant.

To sum up total cost of usage is 225 + 150 = 375 INR approximately. Whereas the maid charges were 750 INR plus washing soap charges with a lot of water wastage and unhygienic utensils.

Moreover the machine remains off if we are out of station that is not the case with maid; we have to pay her during our as well as her absenteeism as well.

It is an awesome machine with so many features, and it cleanses the dishes more than Hand wash with perfect Hygiene and sparkling shine. There are many settings to wash different dishes; we are mostly using Express Sparkle mode, because it cleanses all types of dishes very quickly in this mode.
Only one disadvantage is that you can't wash non stick n copper bottom utensils as there polish and coating slowly gets faded away. BOSCH needs to do a lot more research in this area

The main advantage I noted of this product was its silent operation and self cleaning filter system with low power and Low water consumption. Until now, this machine is working perfect with no noise. I love this product and strongly recommending you all to go for this product.