Following.

Consumer Reports has tested many Bosch and Miele models as well as those of other brands (https://www.consumerreports.org/join - $10/month digital). There are also hundreds of reviews by owners of Bosch (and other) dishwashers on such websites as Home Depot and Best Buy. It's harder to find owners' reviews of fancy-pants brands such as Miele but there are a few on ajmadison.com.

So after a lot of research, I’m hearing more horror stories of Miele service in SoCal than I’d like ... that’s becoming a big influence.

For Bosch, the only “perfect” combo I could find had the “my way” 3rd rack which I’m not a fan of ... not enough room for silverware. I just discovered they sell an accessory that fits in that rack that will totally fit my wants.

So now I’m leaning towards Bosch. Their CrystalDry and quick wash features are leading me the most.

Any input would be welcome. We’re still a month or so away from a final decision, need to get the new hot water situated. So much fun doing this all in the middle of a pandemic!

Years ago, I bought top of the line Bosch to replace a brand that leaked on my wood floor. It was a fantastic machine and truly a work horse. Bosch is a brand I would buy again and plan to.

I bought a Bosch 800 Series with Crystal Dry about 2 months ago, on major sale at Lowes, and I love it! The Crystal Dry technology is really something else.

My cousin has had 3 new houses and always gets the Bosch. I plan to get one in our new build.

We bought a Bosch DW earlier this year and I love it. We had a Bosch before that one and it was probably 10+ years old before it started to be troublesome. I don't remember the model but it has a small third top rack.

You folks are awesome... thanks for affirming my decision to go Bosch. The only "dealer" for Miele I could find in San Diego is a flooring company that has a 2+ year old model on display, so that doesn't really help me much, that and the fact they've been super flaky about getting back to me.

I've navigated the "Bosch Matrix" to get to what model has the features I want... and it's either the Benchmark SHE88PZ65N or SHP88PZ55N.

As best I can interpret:

Wash cycles & options - both have CrystalDry, while the 55N model has "Extra Scrub" option and the 65N model has "Speed Perfect" and "Express" -- they both have "Speed60" options (what the difference is... I'm still trying to figure it out!). In either case, I will get the extra silverware insert for the MyWay rack.

The 65N has a few more bells & whistles - a display on the front that shows time to finish, as well as an interior light and ball-bearing wheels. The 55N has the cleaner front with pocket handle and "TimeLight" that projects time to finish on the floor, and no interior light.

The $300 difference doesn't seem worth it - I won't use the WiFi capability, not sure how much ball bearings really help, the kitchen is so well lit I don't think the interior light will do much, and I really do like the cleaner front.

Now to get the hot water heater and whole house filter / conditioner done so I can order the dishwasher!

Can you post your impressions of the Bosch after you've had it installed and used it for awhile?

It would help those of us on this forum who are trying to decide on a dishwasher.

Thank you.

I am also in San diego (Poway), I got my Miele from Pacific Sales. Have you checked them out? They have a big selection of Miele and Bosch on floor. And I really liked their service.

Jackie, May I ask what Miele appliance you have and how you like it? I am considering the Futura Chrystal dishwasher. Also, which Pacific Sales did you like? I was at the one off Mira Mar Road today. The Salesman wasn’t as knowledgeable as I would have liked but their pricing seemed good and they had a lot of product on the showroom floor.

Update: there's a "new" (well, new to me!) kitchen/bath/outdoor FANTASYLAND store here in San Diego called Pirch. Holy good grief had I gone there before we redid our kitchen I fear I would be in debt until retirement. They carry all of the super-premium brands, including Miele and Bosch. If you are in LA, Orange County, San DIego, or Palm Springs, this is a place to check out :)

The consultant I worked with was super informative. He let me know that the new 7000 Miele series are delayed until August and will have a hefty price bump.

We compared side-by-side and it was immediately clear that for our dishes, some larger ones especially big-rimmed soup/pasta bowls, the Miele racking wouldn't quite work for us. So Bosch it is - and he recommended the exact model I had in my head for the same reasons, so that felt good :) I'm getting the SHP88PZ55N. He even offered to help with fixing my only gripe - the MyWay rack. He's going to hopefully get it swapped with the "flex" silverware rack (a downgrade) or get me an extra silverware insert. The best surprise - his initial quote was almost $200 under what Lowes was pricing out at.

Now getting water heater installed and then dishwasher ... hopefully have it all done in a month!

Thanks everyone for your input and advice - GW/Houzz has never failed me yet :)

Good for you. We replaced a Miele with a Bosch. The Miele broke right after warantee was out and it would have cost over $1000 to replace the door (the electronics went out). The Bosch has been perfect.

Andrea, I went to the one in Escondido. I didn't like the service at the Mira Mar store. I got a Miele dishwasher (floor model, so it's very good price), and a combi Steam convection oven (love it!), and a standard convection oven.

Marc, we love Pirch too! But I go there for ideas, and just to adore everything in that store. :) I thought their price was not as competitive compared to pacific sales.

Were you able to get rid of the MyWay rack to accommodate more silverware?

Update...

I should have added that the Pirch price was a few dollars lower than Lowes (!!). Their install team was awesome, so I was very glad with that decision. The Pirch rep had his Bosch rep get me an extra silverware tray for the top rack (they advised against swapping racks). And that is my only "less than impressed" feeling about this awesome dishwasher - the silverware racks don't quite work for us. Luckily, I thought ahead and kept the ones from our old LG and ... low and behold one of them fits perfectly in the center section and now it's perfect :)

We've had the unit for about 5 full months now, and we are both thrilled with it. It's definitely Bosch-signature quiet, as in if it weren't for the display projected onto the floor, you'd never know it was running. I accidentally opened it mid-cycle because I didn't look at the floor first.

The salt dispenser is definitely a "why in the hell didn't I have this before" feature for us. We can now wash our stemware and not worry about etching. Everything comes out SPOTLESS.

All in all, 5 months in, and very happy.