I have experience with the benefits of both if that counts? One drawer is about half the internal real estate so it's best suited for singles or a couple who don't use a lot of pans making dinner or prefer to handwash cookware. Otherwise, you'll need to run it twice if you're also washing plates, flatware and cups. A single drawer may leave room for other kitchen storage which is a huge plus.

A family of 4+, heavy cooks or folks who entertain often would prefer a full machine at 18" to one drawer in terms of perceived use.

I have two drawers in my apartment and I've not wanted to change it in 7 years. At the summer house it's a full-sized machine and b/c we cook and entertain more, it's ideal -- though I'd be happy with two drawers there too.

My feeling is an 18" machine would appeal to more peeps for everyday use than a single drawer, unless you know it's for a groovy bachelor pad or non-cooks. Meh, hope that helps.

I've just seen/loaded my friend's DD at T'giving for a number of years. Our family of 3 uses an 18" Miele. In addition to dinner, two of us often eat a hot cooked meal at lunch. I have never regretted buying this size DW and love the 3 racks. I would say it holds more than a single DD, which makes sense since it is 3/4 sized.

We don't have one, but were on the verge of buying the 18" Miele a few years ago before deciding to wait and remodel. I was super impressed with how much we got into it---more than some less well-designed full-sized models, I'd say! The Miele held much more than the GE that was the other option at the time and was, I thought, well worth the extra money. The Bosch was not yet available so I don't know how it stacks up; if it has a cutlery tray it might be closer to the Miele, since I think that was what made the biggest difference.

Plus, in a small kitchen I'd much rather have an extra 6" of full height space to add to a drawer bank or cabinet than a drawer below/above a dish drawer---more accessible, in most cases.

I put in an 18" Bosch for my mother a few years ago and when we visit I'm always amazed how much it holds. It certainly has no problem with all the dinner dishes the 5 of us use when we visit. SHe has a small kitchen and had an 18" cabinet next to the sink that I removed to install the d/w and my mother s been happy with it every since

You guys are convincing me on the 18"! I would assume that they put in the same motor and pump as the 24" so the washing effectiveness should not suffer. That just might be the way to go. The prices I have found are about 25% more than the comparable 24" models (~$900-$1000), so that is the only negative I can see, although the DD is about the same.