I’ve asked here and elsewhere for dishwasher recommendations and the overwhelming response everywhere is to go with Bosch. I understand the differences between the different grades or series in terms of features, but I was wondering if anyone who has experience with a few different models could tell me how big a deal the differences really are when it comes down to the only two things I care about: cleaning dishes well and not breaking down.

For example, it seems like the only appreciable difference between the Bosch 500 and 800 Series is the CrystalDry technology. Is the 500 series really that bad at drying? (If the dishes are very clean but there are tiny bits of water in concave surfaces, it’s not that big a deal to me. If they’re dripping wet, or if water collecting over time results in technical problems, it is.) And does the door popping open at the end in the 500 Series really make that model’s condensation drying work a lot better than the 300’s?

Also, is the 500 Series, or even the 800 series, significantly better than the comparably priced top-end Kitchenaid? They seem to be almost the same machines, except that the KA has more sprayers and conventional drying. Bosch’s choice in the 800+ Series to dry dishes by through a heat-generating chemical reaction with aluminum crystals at the back of the dishwasher tub seems like a weird and somewhat creepy overdesign to me. What’s wrong with normal dishwasher drying systems that Bosch won’t use them?

Any explanations, experiences, or opinions would be most appreciated.

Thank you!