Description
The Bosch SHPM78Z55N is the quietest and most technically interesting dishwasher in this catalog. Bosch records built in installation, a stainless steel and smooth finish, a pocket handle, a listed weight of 95 pounds, 120 volts, cycle options covering Crystal Dry, Delicate, half load and Sanitize, an LED display, 4 settings, 6 cycle options, a stainless steel interior, dimensions of 23.75 by 23.56 by 33.88 inches, and first availability in August 2019. The listing description adds CrystalDry, a flexible third rack, an InfoLight and a 42 decibel rating.
What it is and where it fits in a home
This is a standard 24 inch built in machine, and the 42 decibel figure is the headline. Against the Bosch SHEM63W55N at 44 decibels, the Bosch SHE53B75UC at 46 and the Frigidaire FFBD1831US at 52, this is the quietest in the group by a clear margin. In an open plan kitchen or a small apartment where the dishwasher runs in the same room people are sitting in, that is the specification that matters most and the one worth paying for.
The InfoLight is a direct consequence of being that quiet. Because the machine is inaudible with the door closed, a beam of light projected onto the floor tells you the cycle is running. It sounds like a gimmick and it is not: quiet dishwashers genuinely get opened mid cycle by people who assume they have finished.
Living with it day to day
CrystalDry is the feature that separates this from the rest of the Bosch range and it is worth understanding properly. Standard Bosch machines use condensation drying, which relies on the stainless tub cooling faster than the dishes. It works well on ceramics and glass and leaves plastics damp. CrystalDry adds a chamber of zeolite mineral, which releases heat when it absorbs moisture and reabsorbs it when the machine is next run. The result is genuine drying, including plastics, with no heating element and no extra energy for a heater.
The practical daily difference is that the standing Bosch complaint about damp plastic containers largely goes away. It is the reason to choose this model over the cheaper machines in the same family, more so than the third rack or the decibel figure.
The flexible third rack is the other loading feature. Where a standard third rack is a fixed shallow tray, a flexible one has sections that fold or adjust to take taller items alongside flatware. On a full family load that is the difference between a second cycle and one.
The named cycles are worth reading: Delicate for glassware, half load for a partial load without wasting a full cycle of water, and Sanitize for a high temperature run. As with the other Bosch listings here, the settings count of 4 and the cycle count of 6 do not agree, and the listing does not explain what each is counting.
Controls and what works without an app
Bosch publishes no Wi-Fi, no Home Connect and no app for the SHPM78Z55N on this listing, unlike the HAVA TDQR07 in the same family which does. Everything runs from the panel with power and water and nothing else.
The pocket handle and a top edge control layout give the flush, seamless front that this tier of machine is bought for, and the tradeoff is that cycle status is not visible with the door closed, which is precisely the problem the InfoLight exists to solve. That is a coherent piece of design rather than a workaround: the controls hide for looks, and a light on the floor puts the one piece of information you actually need back where you can see it.
Running cost and upkeep
Detergent and rinse aid are the routine consumables. Rinse aid still helps on a CrystalDry machine, though it is less critical than on a pure condensation drying model, because the zeolite chamber is doing real drying work rather than relying on water sheeting off.
The zeolite itself is not a consumable. It regenerates each cycle by driving off the moisture it absorbed, so there is nothing to refill or replace, which is the elegant part of the system. The tub filter, spray arms, door seal and rack rollers are the parts that need periodic attention, and Bosch’s manual filter is the reason the machine is quiet and the reason cleaning it is not optional.
Bosch publishes no annual energy consumption figure, no water consumption per cycle and no Energy Star statement on this listing, which is a real gap on a premium machine and means it cannot be compared on running cost against the Sharp SDW6757ES at 249 kilowatt hours per year. Electrically, 120 volts is published. The amperage and any dedicated circuit requirement are not, and a built in dishwasher needs both specified before installation, so the installation manual is the source rather than assumption.
Highlights
- 42 decibels, the quietest machine in this catalog and audibly so in an open plan room.
- CrystalDry genuinely dries plastics without a heating element and without a consumable.
- A flexible third rack, which adapts to taller items rather than only holding flatware.
- InfoLight projects cycle status onto the floor, solving the problem quietness creates.
- Stainless tub and voltage published, with named Delicate, half load and Sanitize cycles.
Things To Consider
- No annual energy figure, water consumption figure or Energy Star statement is published.
- The settings count of 4 and the cycle count of 6 do not agree.
- Top edge controls mean cycle status is invisible with the door closed.
- No amperage or circuit requirement is published, only the voltage.
- No connected features, unlike other machines in the same Bosch family.
Who it is not for
Renters and homes without plumbing provision cannot use this, and the countertop dishwasher category is the alternative. Anyone who does not need the zeolite drying system will get most of the same washing from the simpler machines in the built in category. Households that want app notifications need a connected model. And anyone who needs published running cost figures to justify a purchase will not find them here, which on a machine at this level is a fair criticism.
