I use Kirkland in my Bosch. Doesn't your owner's manual state if you can use a regular pod?

I use Cascade and Trader Joe's powder detergents in my Bosch. They both work well. With a powder you can adjust the dosage to your needs. I use about 1 1/2 to 2 TBS in my full size Bosch. The pods are too much detergent but if you can find a tablet form of detergent in lieu of powder, you could cut it in half for your mini Bosch.

The manual says “For best results, use fresh powdered dish- washing detergent or detergent tabs.”

however, it ALSO says “The dishwasher uses less water than most, therefore, less detergent is required.” that’s what’s giving me anxiety lol, I’m not about to mess this thing up on my first try!

Thanks pofin! My local grocery store has like 10 different options for those pods but only 1 or 2 for the powder/gel. I guess that’s the trade off for having a smaller appliance. Thanks everyone!

Ash Y: The manual says "For best results, use fresh powdered dish- washing detergent or detergent tabs." ... it ALSO says “The dishwasher uses less water than most, therefore, less detergent is required.”

Heed that advisory. Pods/pacs/tablets would be an overdose and possibly cause excess sudsing/foaming which will impair the pump operation and reduce spray pressure.

I've had an 18" Miele dishwasher for 15 years. Early on, I got great results with a small amount of Cascade powder. After awhile, it wasn't doing the job. I tried other powders with no good results, so I switched to Miele tablets. They are already smaller than domestic tablets, but I cut them in three and get excellent results with 1/3 of a tablet. I live in New York City, where we have soft water. If you find that 1/3 is not enough, I think 1/2 tablet should be fine.

When I've run out of Miele tabs, I've had very good results with Finish Powerball tablets. These are harder to cut, so I make one cut, into halves, trying to get part of the red "powerball" on each half of the tablet. I know your machine is a Bosch, but I think the Miele tabs should work well for you ( I order them from Amazon). Otherwise, the Finish tabs are easy to find and are a close second. To split them, it's best to place them on a flat surface and carefully cut through with a serrated knife held steadily with two hands.

There are other Finish tablets that are part gel and part solid. Same with the Cascade pods. It's best to avoid these, as they're too messy to split.

Another powder detergent to consider is Seventh Generation. I've used it before and it works well and gets good marks in Consumer Reports for powder DW detergent, with a pretty small dose. I don't think you would go wrong with that or Cascade Complete powder. CR testing numbers are very weak for gels.

I have good results in my 18" Miele with Finish Powerball tablets, cut in thirds as btnfood says above. For me, the easiest way to cut them is with my (curved blades) heavy kitchen shears used for cutting chicken bones. For convenience, I cut a bunch of tablets at once and keep them in a jar under the sink.

I’ve used whole tabs in an 18-inch Electrolux and there was residue left in the cups and glasses. I now cut the tabs (Cascade Platinum) in half, but that means I only get 2 out of the 3 colored liquids each time. I am not interested in using double the detergent I need and compensating by letting the machine run for 2 and a half hours. The whole point of using the dishwasher is to not waste water (or my time, admittedly). When I install a new dishwasher, I connect it to the hot water tube so that all the rinses and wash cycle are done with very hot water. I always use the 25-minute rapid cycle (“normal” for pots and baking pans.) This is more than enough to clean dishes and glasses perfectly. Just wish manufacturers would realise there are more and more singles using smaller models and make tabs accordingly.

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You can cut these Mieke tabs, Amazon.com: Miele All in 1 Tabs Dishwasher Tablets 60 per Box (60) : Health & Household

Margaret Samson,

Dishwashers nowadays run longer cycles for several reasons. Among which are that they may run the water spray at less force with smaller pump motors that pull less power for quieter operation and rely more on enzymes in the detergent to dissolve and shift food soils. Volume of water per-fill (each wash and rinse period) is also reduced, some take in as little as 1 gallon compared to older machines that took 2 to 2.5 gals. Some don't spray water from both arms at the same time but rather alternate between the two arms via a pump diverter mechanism due to the reduced volume of water available to pump ... which takes more time to spray everything repeatedly, so longer cycles. Rapid/Quick cycles like you use may take in MORE water so the pump CAN supply both arms together and get it done quicker. Perhaps you aren't aware of that. Longer cycles nowadays may have a reverse relation to the amount of water involved. Some older models had a full sequence of prewash, rinse, rinse, wash, rinse, rinse ... six water changes at 2+ gals each. New models may run a wash, check the soil level via optical or pressure sensors which does a partial drain and refill to flush heavy soil if there is any, then continue as the long main wash, then two rinses ... total of three-and-a-halfish fills at 1 gallon each, less than half of those old models that ran faster but with more wash and rinse sequences.

Thanks for that dadoes. You seem to know everything about dishwashers ! I never would have suspected that. My machine is a Whirlpool. I've been cutting Finish Powerball tablets in half. That seems to work. I imagine if I reserched for awhile I could find out how much water the rapid cycle uses.