Verdict

Pros

• Superb performance
• Quietest dishwasher we’ve tested
• Flexible racking space
• Very frugal water use

Cons

• Uses a little more energy than claimed
• Premium price ticket

What is the Miele G6410SC?

The Miele G6410SC is the German brand’s top-of-the-range dishwasher. The freestanding versions come in white or stainless steel, though there’s also a semi-integrated version available – the Miele G410SCi – with four different colour fascia. They all share the same battleship quality build, weighing as much as some washing machines, a 5-year guarantee as standard, a 14-place capacity and some bold claims and features. We had the white freestanding model to test.

Headlines include A+++ energy efficiency, 44dB standard wash noise and a 38dB silent programme and full sensor washing for perfect results using the minimum of resources. An auto-open door aids drying, while the in-door salt compartment, logical controls and flexible loading space make for a very easy and convenient machine to use as well. It’s nearly a thousand pounds, but you get what you pay for.

The Miele G6410SC is available in stainless steel and white

Miele G6410SC: What is it like to use?

The first thing you notice about any dishwasher is the way the door opens and Miele has given the G6410SC the perfect balance. It requires a firm pull to unlatch and then glides down with almost no resistance.

The two main baskets and shallow cutlery draw glide out on large rollers, aided by handles on each. No more grabbing a handful of spilt goo when adding some extra plates to your load. The upper basket is raised and lowered easily, allowing plates up to a maximum of 27cm on the low setting and 31cm on the high. That allows for plates a good 1cm larger than most of its competitors, such as the Samsung DW60H9970HS, and it’s considerably larger than the Whirlpool 6th Sense PowerDry ADP900IX and its 28.5cm maximum.

You are properly spoilt for choice with loading options, too. Miele’s 3D cutlery tray can be lowered in the centre to offer space for larger kitchen utensils like a balloon whisk. Side trays can be moved side-to-side to give more cutlery storage or make room for larger cups and glasses beneath.

The cutlery tray at the top in this photo has an adjustable segment for larger items

The main baskets offer a bewildering array of hinged spikes, moveable cup-racks, flip-down glass rails and a cup rack that can be set for normal or jumbo cups. Given that the outside dimensions of the SC6410SC are the same as every other freestanding dishwasher we have tested, Miele has done a cracking job of maximising internal space and flexibility. No one say Tardis – that would just be cheesy.

The front controls are a combination of solid feeling buttons, bright LEDs that illuminate when programmes and options are selected and a crisp, clean and simple LCD display. Miele has kept the whole operation as straightforward as possible while offering a solid array of 9 programmes. The process, once the machine is loaded, is to turn-on, scroll through programme list, push the short wash or energy saving buttons if required, and press start. Really very simple.

Miele G6410SC: What programmes does it have?

The Miele offers nine standard programs with its Sensor wash as the obvious default. This uses an array of sensors to tailor the programme, including its temperature, energy use, water consumption and time taken, precisely to the load and even the atmospheric conditions in your kitchen.

Larger, more awkward and dirtier loads will naturally take longer and use more resources, while the drying time is based on humidity in the machine and your kitchen. When the machine senses it’s most efficient drying would be to air dry into the room, it pops the door open automatically to let the steam escape. A small plastic bar stops the door from being opened early. This retaining bar is reset by simply closing and opening the door when the display indicates the wash is finished.

We struggle to think why you would buy such a comprehensively equipped machine and then use a basic, non-sensor wash, but Miele includes a ‘Normal’ programme just in case you do. For really mucky kitchen washing, such as pots and pans, you can select a 75-degree C intensive wash. At the other end of the scale there is a Sensor wash Gentle for glasses and delicate items of crockery and a Quick Wash at 40 degrees C.

The control panel includes a decent selection of useful programmes

This Miele already claims to be one of the quietest dishwashers on the market but if you really need it to be whisper quiet you have the option of an extra quiet wash. This takes nearly five hours, so ideal to have on overnight and benefit from cheaper rate electricity.

If you are looking to use the absolute minimum of resources with normally soiled load, there is an Eco programme too. Uniquely the G6410SC also offers a SolarSave programme. Perhaps more aimed at the southern European market, this programme will take in any free hot water you may have, from a solar water collector for example, and wash in that temperature to reduce its own water heating costs to zero.

The SC6410SC claims to be largely self-cleaning, but if there is a heavy build-up of grease and grime the Maintenance programme runs a hot wash designed to buff the inside of the dishwasher itself.

Related: The Best Dishwashers You Can Buy

The semi-integrated G6410SCi version (above) features the control panel on the front with the area below free to mount your own door design

Miele G6410SC: How noisy is it?

We are yet to test a dishwasher that has lived up to its noise level billing, until now. The G6410SC comes in below even the ‘Quiet Mark’ approved Servis DN61039SS at a staggeringly quiet 43dB during the main wash. We have tested fridges that make more noise than that! Its valve opening and water inrush noises are nicely suppressed too, making sure there are no odds noises to disturb the household at night.

The Extra Quiet mode was even quieter and was getting fairly close to the limit of our measurements abilities due to the ambient noise in the test facility being around 40dB. A night time test got very close to Miele’s claimed 38dB. That makes it comfortably the quietest dishwasher we have tested to date.