The Best Dishwashers That Dry Your Dishes of 2026

Here at Reviewed, we've spent thousands of hours studying, testing, and writing about dishwashers. Who doesn't love an appliance that saves you from having to hand-scrub burnt-on casserole?

When the wash cycle is over, though, nobody likes to hand-dry wet dishes before putting them away. If you're looking to buy the best dishwasher that dries dishes, you've come to the right place. We've pulled together a list of dishwashers that truly dry dishes after a wash cycle. Not only do these models rank high in our list of the best dishwashers we’ve tested, they also earned top marks in our drying tests.

At no surprise to our lab staff, the best dishwasher that dries dishes is the Bosch SHP78CM5N (available at Home Depot for $1,349.00) , not only because of its efficient CrystalDry technology, but also its excellent cleaning and high-end aesthetics.

Other Picks For Best Dishwasher That Dries Dishes

What To Consider When Shopping For A Dishwasher That Dries Dishes

While you can buy a budget dishwasher for under $600, if you're looking for a dishwasher that dries your dishes, you'll likely have to spend a bit more: A common problem with cheaper dishwashers is that dishes often come out wet.

Between the price and the hassle of installing a new large appliance, picking the right dishwasher is a decision you want to get right the first time. Here are some important factors to keep in mind while shopping for a dishwasher that dries dishes.

Why Won't My Dishes Get Dry?

Old dishwashers with heated coils at the bottom are remembered for turning out each dish sparkling clean, dry, and hot to the touch. As safety and energy-efficiency became higher priorities, the oven-like coils were replaced with other drying methods—often less effective ones.

There are a few drying methods that dishwashers employ to try to get dishes dry, to varying degrees.

Evaporation, condensation, and fan-assisted methods are all safer and more energy-efficient options for removing moisture, but they also struggle to completely dry dishes, especially plastic ones.

Why Doesn't My Plasticware Dry?

Dishwashers have a harder time drying plastics (such as reusable storage containers, sports bottles, and baby bottles).

Plastics do not retain heat the same way ceramic, metal, and glass do, so while residual heat from the hot water of the dishwasher cycle can heat harder materials enough to evaporate away water droplets, plastics do not share that ability.

Additionally, most plastics are light enough to be tossed around by the water jets, so even if you place your Tupperware containers upside down on the upper rack, there's still a chance they will end up right side up and filled with water, which will splatter onto other items.

How Do I Get Drier Dishes?

Other than buying one of the dishwashers on this list, you can use rinse aid, which will make it easier for your dishwasher to dry all of your dishes.

Despite its name, rinse aid has very little to do with rinsing and everything to do with drying. Rinse aid's hydrophobic properties make it more difficult for water to adhere to your dishes; most water slides off, leaving them free of excess moisture and water spots.

FAQs: What To Know About Dishwashers

How Much Water Does A Dishwasher Use?

Fun fact: Dishwashers use less water than hand-washing.

The amount of water a dishwasher uses varies greatly depending on the type and cycle selected. Normal cycles on compact models can use as little as 2.5 gallons, but larger entry-level models can use up to 5 gallons.

Part of our lab testing involves measuring exactly how much water and electricity are used during wash cycles. Assuming 208 cycles per year (4 per week), of which 25% are fast, 50% are normal, and 25% are heavy, we can approximate a dishwasher's annual resource usage.

The Bosch 800 Series SHP78CM5N, our current pick for the best dishwasher, uses 750 gallons of water per year. The budget-friendly Beko DUT25401X uses slightly less: 731 gallons per year. Interestingly, our upgrade pick, the Miele G 5266 SCVi, uses the least amount of water: just 626 gallons per year.

What's the difference between cheap and expensive dishwashers?

There is a correlation between a dishwasher's price and its overall quality, but we've tested a ton of models that are overpriced and underperform. Paying more is no guarantee that the product will perform better.

As a general rule, though, a higher price should indicate the following:

• Better quality cleaning

• More features, such as zone washing and mineral-enhanced drying

• Better build quality

• A longer lifespan

Why You Should Trust Our Expertise

Here at Reviewed, we developed a standardized dishwasher testing and review process that ensures all our results are directly comparable, allowing us to determine which models excel and which ones lag behind their peers.

In addition to the extensive battery of cleaning tests we run, we look at a dishwasher’s ability to dry dishes after each wash cycle. Customers expect their dishes to be dry before they put them away, and nobody wants to have to manually towel them off.

Learn more about how we test dishwashers.

Read More About Dishwashers on Reviewed

For more tips, product reviews, and ideas related to dishwashers, check out these articles on Reviewed.com and beyond:

How dishwashers dry dishes, and why some work better than others: This feature explains the different methods dishwashers use to dry dishes, and what to look for in a dishwasher if drying ability is high on your list of must-haves.

How Do Dishwashers Work? Everything You Want To Know: An in-depth breakdown of dishwasher mechanics—from spray arms and filtration systems to drying technologies like CrystalDry with zeolite. This article also offers expert tips on choosing a cycle and maximizing performance.

Your dishwasher is gross—here's how to clean it: In this article, you’ll learn what components of a dishwasher need to be cleaned, why it’s important, and how to do it easily.

The Best Bosch Dishwashers: Bosch makes dishwashers that clean well, dry effectively, and do it all quietly. We curated a list of just our favorite Bosch dishwashers.

A dishwasher is the easiest appliance to buy online—here's why: Buying an appliance online isn’t always an easy thing to do, but with dishwashers, it can be. This feature explains the different types of dishwashers you may consider and why choosing one online makes sense.

The Best Third Rack Dishwashers We've Tested: The third rack has become a differentiating feature to look for when buying a dishwasher, and this list bubbles up the top dishwashers we’ve tested with excellent third rack features.

What Actually Happens Inside a Dishwasher: A foundational piece that demystifies the internal functions of a dishwasher—highlighting its tub, spray systems, heating elements, and how these parts work together to get dishes clean and dry.