The KitchenAid KDTM604KPS is the dishwasher to buy when third-rack capacity matters most. KitchenAid's FreeFlex Third Rack is the deepest in the market, with its own wash jets and a stemware drying bar that genuinely help, and the rest of the machine is a competent 44 dBA performer with the brand's usual better-than-average reliability.
Full review
Why the FreeFlex Third Rack Matters
KitchenAid's FreeFlex Third Rack is genuinely the most useful third rack on any built-in dishwasher in 2026. The deep, angled design accommodates 6-inch glasses, mugs, and bowls — not just the flat-tray utensil-only third rack you get from most competitors. A removable cutlery tray slides off if you need to wash longer items, and a row of stemware tabs holds wineglasses upright through the cycle.
Just as important: the rack has its own rotating wash jets that spray downward through the dishes from above. Most third racks rely on the spray reaching upward from the middle arm, which leaves a dead zone for taller items. KitchenAid's third-rack-specific jets close that gap, and several reviewers (including Bob Vila's editorial team) call it out as the genuinely differentiating feature in the 700-series price band.
Cleaning Performance
Consumer Reports rates the KDTM604KPS 'very good' on washing heavily soiled dishes and 'excellent' on energy use, which combines water and electricity for a fully soiled load. The Advanced Clean Water Wash System uses microfiltration to keep food particles from re-depositing onto dishes during the cycle — the same mechanism that lets Bosch and Miele skip filter cleaning so often.
The ProWash cycle uses soil sensors to scale wash time and water temperature, which makes it a competent default for mixed loads. It does not match the Bosch 800 Series' best-in-class numbers (Reviewed measured Bosch at 99.97% on Heavy versus the KitchenAid's roughly 95-97% range), but it is well above the industry average and comfortably handles dried-on food when the Heavy cycle is selected.
Noise Level in a Real Kitchen
At 44 dBA the KDTM604KPS is quiet enough that Consumer Reports rates it 'very good' on noise tests. You can hold a normal-volume conversation in the kitchen while it runs, and TV audio in an adjacent room doesn't need to be turned up. It is not, however, as quiet as the 42 dBA Bosch 800 Series — and the 2 dBA gap is actually audible because it sits at the threshold where the dishwasher stops disappearing into ambient room noise.
For most kitchens this is the right trade. Drop below 42 dBA and you're paying Bosch Benchmark or Miele Knock Knock prices for a difference most people can't hear without standing next to the cabinet.
Drying with Fan-Enabled ProDry
KitchenAid uses a fan to circulate heated air during the dry phase. This is genuinely more effective than passive condensation drying — dishes come out dry instead of merely warm — but it doesn't match the zeolite-based CrystalDry system on the Bosch 800 for getting plastics dry. Plastic lids, water bottles, and reusable food containers come out of the KitchenAid with some residual moisture that needs to be wiped or air-dried.
For everything else — ceramic plates, glass, stainless utensils, even cast iron in the bottom rack — the Fan-Enabled ProDry delivers dry, cupboard-ready dishes consistently.
Reliability and Build Quality
Yale Appliance's 33,000+ service-call dataset puts KitchenAid at a 7.4% twelve-month service rate, which is actually slightly better than Bosch's 7.8% in their numbers. That makes KitchenAid one of the most reliable mainstream brands in the US, and Best Buy customer reviews (4.5/5 over 820 owners) corroborate the long-term picture.
The PrintShield stainless finish is the unsung hero of the build: where most stainless appliances pick up smudges within a day of installation, PrintShield genuinely resists fingerprints and wipes clean with just a soft cloth. The interior is full stainless steel, the racks are nylon-coated with adjustable upper and lower tine positions, and the door is well-damped on close.
Where It Falls Short
The KDTM604KPS does not include Wi-Fi or app-based control. If you want to start, monitor, or troubleshoot the dishwasher from your phone, this is not the machine. KitchenAid's newer 800-series models add SmartHQ integration but at a higher price.
Only 5 wash cycles is on the lean side — the Bosch 800 ships 8 and the LG LDTH7972S ships 10. The ones KitchenAid includes are the ones most people use, but power users will miss specific options like a dedicated bottle-wash cycle or a glassware-safe low-spray cycle.
Who It's Best For
Buy the KitchenAid KDTM604KPS if you regularly wash a lot of glassware, mugs, or utensils that need a real third rack with its own wash jets — and if you'd take slightly better reliability over the absolute quietest cabinet. It is also the obvious pick if you already own KitchenAid stand mixers or major appliances and want to stay in the same finish family (PrintShield matches their ranges and refrigerators).
Skip it if you want app-based smart controls, the very best plastic drying performance, or a sub-42 dBA cabinet. For any of those, look at the Bosch 800 Series SHX78CM5N instead.
How It Compares to Alternatives
Against the Bosch 800 SHX78CM5N: KitchenAid wins on third-rack capacity and matches Bosch on reliability; Bosch wins on noise (42 vs 44 dBA), plastic drying with CrystalDry, and Wi-Fi smart features. Against the LG LDTH7972S: KitchenAid is quieter on rack accessories and arguably better built; LG wins on price, on Wi-Fi connectivity via ThinQ, on its 10-year direct-drive motor warranty, and on TrueSteam.
Against the Miele G 7266 SCVi: KitchenAid is $800 cheaper and includes a more useful third rack, but Miele wins on near-everything else — quieter (42 vs 44 dBA), more cycles (9 vs 5), better drying via AutoOpen, water softener, and a 20-year tested service life.
Sani-Rinse and Cycle Options
The KDTM604KPS includes a Sani-Rinse option that adds a high-temperature final rinse at over 155°F — NSF-certified for sanitization on cutting boards, baby bottles, and other items where bacteria reduction matters. Toggle it on top of any wash cycle. The Express Wash cycle finishes in roughly 35 minutes for light loads, which is faster than the Bosch Speed60 and useful for refreshing dishes that have only sat on the counter briefly.
ProWash, the headline KitchenAid cycle, uses soil sensors to scale wash time, water temperature, and detergent dispense. For everyday mixed loads, ProWash is the right default — it adapts on the fly and produces good results without making you choose between Heavy and Normal. KitchenAid also includes an Extended ProDry option that adds 15-20 minutes of additional fan-circulated drying — useful for plastic-heavy loads where the standard dry phase leaves residual moisture.
What Reviewers Loved
Across 820 Best Buy reviewers, the KDTM604KPS averages 4.5 out of 5 stars with noise level, cleaning performance, and the third rack named most often in five-star reviews. Bob Vila's editorial review highlights the FreeFlex Third Rack as 'a genuinely differentiating feature' and notes that the rotating wash jets above the rack solve the common problem of upper-rack items coming out wet on most dishwashers. Long-term owners specifically call out how the third rack changed their loading habits — many report putting an entire normal load's worth of utensils, mugs, and small bowls on the top rack and reserving the lower racks for pots, pans, and dinner plates.
The PrintShield stainless finish gets repeated unprompted praise from long-term owners — unlike most fingerprint-resistant treatments, it actually works after years of daily handling. And Yale Appliance's reliability data puts KitchenAid at a 7.4% service rate, slightly better than Bosch and meaningfully better than every other US mainstream brand. The Advanced Clean Water Wash System with microfiltration is another quiet standout: like Bosch and Miele's filtration designs, it lets the KitchenAid go a long time between manual filter cleanings — most owners only need to clean the filter every few months rather than after every cycle.
Strengths
- +FreeFlex Third Rack is the deepest third rack on the market with its own rotating wash jets and stemware drying bar
- +44 dBA operation is quiet enough for open-plan kitchens
- +ProWash sensor cycle scales wash time and water temperature to actual soil load
- +Fan-Enabled ProDry circulates hot air for materially better drying than passive condensation
- +PrintShield stainless finish actually resists fingerprints in real-world use
Watch-outs
- −Only 5 wash cycles, fewer than the Bosch 800's 8 or the LG LDTH7972S's 10
- −44 dBA is competitive but loses to the Bosch 800's 42 dBA
- −No app-based smart features; not Wi-Fi connected
How it compares
Best third rack of anything in this comparison — bigger, deeper, and with its own wash jets that the Bosch 800 SHX78CM5N rack does not have. Slightly louder than the Bosch SHX78CM5N (44 vs 42 dBA) and noticeably louder than the Miele G 7266 SCVi. Cleans well but does not match the Bosch SHX78CM5N's 99.97% Heavy-cycle figure. Drying with the Fan-Enabled ProDry is good but loses to the Bosch's zeolite CrystalDry on plastics. Quieter and far more capable than the LG LDTH7972S on rack flexibility; the LG counters with TrueSteam and Wi-Fi.
Who this is for
At a glance: Households with a large amount of glassware, baby bottles, kitchen utensils, or cooking tools that need the deepest possible third rack, and buyers who prefer KitchenAid's slightly-better-than-Bosch reliability record over the absolute quietest cabinet.
Why you’d buy the KitchenAid KDTM604KPS
- FreeFlex Third Rack is the deepest third rack on the market with its own rotating wash jets and stemware drying bar.
- 44 dBA operation is quiet enough for open-plan kitchens.
- ProWash sensor cycle scales wash time and water temperature to actual soil load.
Why you’d skip it
- Only 5 wash cycles, fewer than the Bosch 800's 8 or the LG LDTH7972S's 10.
- 44 dBA is competitive but loses to the Bosch 800's 42 dBA.
- No app-based smart features; not Wi-Fi connected.
Rating sources
“This model performed very good in our wash test of heavily soiled dishes... performed excellent in our energy test”
“Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars; highly rated for noise level, cleaning performance, and the FreeFlex third rack with its rotating wash jets”
“KitchenAid is slightly more reliable than Bosch based on 33,000+ service calls (7.4% vs. 9.5%)”
Our 4.5 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
