What is The Difference Between 300 and 500 Series Bosch Dishwashers?

If youâ€™re looking for a dishwasher thatâ€™s quiet and cleans your dishes at a reasonable price, Bosch is a great option. Bosch dishwashers come in a variety of styles, colors, and prices. Whether you want to match your cabinets with a custom wood front panel or want to buy a small space 18â€™â€™ dishwasher, Bosch makes an option for everyone.

Bosch categorizes their dishwashers by series:

Acenta, 300, 500, 800, and Benchmark series dishwashers vary in features, flexibility, and price.

The Bosch 300 and 500 series dishwashers are very popular for their quiet performance at a competitive price. I purchased a 300 series dishwasher a few years ago for my home, because at the time, it was the least expensive dishwasher I was willing to afford. Overall, I was very impressed by the great cleaning performance for the great price.

You might be asking, what is the difference between the 300 and 500 series Bosch dishwashers? Is it worth it to spend a little more to get the Bosch 500 series? Letâ€™s take a look at the two series in a side-by-side comparison.

Both the 300 and 500 series Bosch dishwashers are top sellers. However, itâ€™s worth spending extra for a 500 series dishwasher for 3 reasons:

Better drying
Better racks
Better storage for cooking tools

Looking at this comparison you can see that both the 300 and 500 series dishwashers share many features. At first glance, both dishwashers have 3 racks, a 44 dB sound rating, energy star rating, and the same number of place settings.

Going with the 500 Series Bosch dishwasher you gain a few extra options and features. Letâ€™s examine them closely.

Recently, Bosch put a lot of focus on drying technology. Bosch dishwashers use condensation to dry the dishes. Condensation drying is when the hot water on the dishes is drawn to the relatively cooler stainless sides of the dishwasher. Itâ€™s a similar process to water condensing on a mirror after a hot shower.

What is AutoAirâ„¢ drying technology?

At the end of a dishwasher cycle, the door to the 500 series dishwasher will pop open releasing hot air and moisture from the dishwasher. It was designed to be a more effective drying method than regular condensation drying.In addition, this 500 series dishwasher has an Extra Dry option, which the 300 series model does not have. This option uses a combination of high water temperature and AutoAirâ„¢ drying to get your dishes drier.

At first glance, most consumers judge a dishwasherâ€™s performance by the perceived quality of the appliance. Bosch 500 series dishwashers offer better EasyGlideâ„¢ racks. These racks glide and adjust. Bosch 500 series dishwashers have better racks. The top rack will glide making it easier to move in and out.

Bosch 500 series dishwashers offer better storage for cooking tools. The top rack is more adjustable to fit taller cooking tools like whisks and spatulas. The silverware basket is also adjustable. It can run alongside the right-hand side at the bottom or adjust in a back-to-back design for easier transport. The flexible basket is great because you can accommodate more dish, pot, and pan configurations.

Final Thoughts

Bosch makes great dishwashers and at the end of the day, either option will clean your dishes and will be very quiet. It really comes down to whether drying performance, better racks and LED time display are important to you. Personally, I love my 300 series dishwasher, but now that the new AutoAirâ„¢ technology is a 500 series feature, I might have gone with the 500 series.

Want to Learn More?

Explore our Learning Center

DISHWASHERS / TOP PICKS

Best Smart Dishwashers

DISHWASHERS / PRODUCT REVIEW