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We have created this guide to compare Miele dishwashers with GE Profile and Cafe dishwashers so you can understand which brand is going to work out for your household needs. You will find this review useful if you are wondering why Miele dishwashers are generally more expensive; or if you are confused about the difference between GE Profile and GE Cafe dishwashers.

When searching for a new dishwasher for your home, you are presented with many options from different brands at various price points, which leaves you with a multitude of questions. How many cycles do I really need? Why are some models more expensive than others? After all, a dishwasher is just meant to clean dishes...right?

Watch our exclusive Miele dishwasher video review

Quick Overview of Miele and GE

The German appliance brand Miele appliances has been around for well over 100 years and is still a family owned business. Miele makes appliances for the home as well as for commercial use and is a leader when it came to inventions and innovations.

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Miele first came to the US in 1983 and grew ever since. It operates in more than 50 countries around the world. Miele focuses on high-quality products that are designed to last 20 years. While they may be more expensive than other brands, you are guaranteed to have an appliance that will last you years and years.

GE Appliances is one of the largest home appliance brands in the United States with headquarters in Kentucky. Across a handful of brands under the GE umbrella, you can find all kinds of appliances, products, parts, and accessories for the home.

While GE has many lower-end products under the GE name, GE Profile and Cafe brands are focused on high-end features. In this review, we deliberately omitted the low-end GE dishwashers as they are not in the same league as Miele in terms of quietness or cleaning excellence.

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Expectations from a dishwasher: Miele vs GE Comparison

There are many standard features and functions that we expect from a modern-day dishwasher, and it can indeed be a deal-breaker if you find a new model doesn't have what you are looking for. Luckily, Miele dishwashers are part of our coveted best dishwashers rankings and we value GE dishwashers for their reliability. So, how do Miele and GE stack up against each other?

Watch our exclusive video review of Cafe appliances.

1) Quiet Operation

Having a noisy dishwasher on for over an hour while you are trying to enjoy a meal, watch TV isn't an option anymore. While dishwashers were once responsible for disturbing our peace and making us think about our schedule before putting a load on, we should not need to worry anymore with many options that are on the market.

But what kind of noise level is acceptable in a modern dishwasher?

Noise Level Comparison Chart

If you do want to have a quiet dishwasher, then we recommend that you stay under 47 decibels (dB). This is because anything more than that is going to be noticeable and disrupting in your kitchen. As an example, the noise level in a library is considered to be around 40 dB, but a regular conversation is approximately 55 dB. Somewhere in the middle is going to be a level that is comfortable, but of course, if you can get a quieter dishwasher around 40-45 dB, this would be ideal.

Miele, GE Profile, and Cafe do quite well when it comes to their quiet operation level. Miele dishwashers are at 39-46 dB. Likewise, GE Profile and GE Cafe feature many quiet models between 40-45 dB.


2) Design

Finding a modern and sleekly designed dishwasher is going to be high on your list of must-haves, especially if you've just installed a brand new kitchen or have renovated your existing one. So you'll be pleased to know that both Miele and GE Profile & Café have the kinds of machines that you'll want to have among your other appliances and cabinetry. Styles will range from stainless steel front with towel bar handles to panel ready products that you can blend with cabinet doors.

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One thing that Miele is very successful at is making beautifully designed appliances on top of their already fantastic features. You'll find stunning black, white, or clean touch steel front panel options, with the latter being completely fingerprint resistant - a godsend to those with small children running around. Those who are able to stretch their pockets for one of the high-end models will absolutely love the 'knock to open' feature. This means that you can simply knock on the cleanly designed, handle-less door just like you would knock on someone's front door, and it will open. This feature is a gamechanger when it comes to clena design and incredibly ideal for those that want that minimalistic look in their kitchen.

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Overall, Miele dishwashers are designed to be flush with your cabinets, and they will not stick out of your cabinets. Panel ready Miele dishwashers are especially sought after by the design community since they blend very well with surrounding cabinets.

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While you won't find the knock to open feature in a GE Profile or GE Café dishwasher, they are still no lightweights when it comes to design.

If you are after a more modern look, the GE Profile dishwashers are centered around thinner handlebars and rounder designs. You won't have any trouble finding a suitable color to match your kitchen decor as their options include slate, black slate, black stainless steel, black, white, and regular stainless steel.

As for Ge Café, you'll find bulkier designs with thicker handles. These models tend to have a more powerful look which can be associated with the professional kitchen look that you will see in restaurants, and stainless steel options are the preferred look. Recently, GE Cafe introduced Matte Black and Matte White as additional color options.

GE Cafe Dishwasher Design

Miele, GE Profile, and Cafe also offer 18" models to accommodate smaller kitchen settings.


3) Cleaning and Drying Performance & Convenience

Most households are fine with just a few cycles for essential loads. However, if you are a cooking family or entertain using fine china and wine glasses there are additional cleaning functions that could be beneficial to you.

Let's have a look at what each of the brands has to offer.

Unique Cleaning and Drying Features of Miele Dishwashers

Miele dishwashers are the gold standard of advanced appliance technologies and absolutely the best in class when it comes to cleaning dishes.

Starting with the Classic Series, you will get the industrial grade pump system which is the heart of a Miele dishwasher. This system allows Miele to operate at an optimum level of water pressure, temperature and intensity depending on the load and soil levels.

When you are at Crystal Series or above, you will get the true Miele benefits with a built-in water softener which eliminates water spots in localities with hard-water (such as New Jersey).

Auto-Open door is especially useful when it comes to drying performance. You can simply run the dishwasher when you go to bed and door will open ajar when the cycle is done so that you don't experience any musty smell in the morning.

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The 3rd Rack/Cutlery tray also gets better on Crystal Series and up. The 3D cutlery tray gives you more room for small cups, ladlws and allows for taller glasses that might be in the rack below.

All Miele's have an advanced leak detection system not only at the bottom of the dishwasher to detect moisture but at the hose level to monitor unwanted leaks.

Miele uses 3 powerful spray arms to cover the dishwasher. The top arm is especially useful to focus on silverware on the cutlery tray.

Starting at Dimension Series, you will get an impressive sound insulation at 40 dB along with more configurable and flexible tines. Additional programming becomes handy for discerning households.

Lumen and Dimension Series are for ultimate luxury. Interior lights, knock to open door, advanced programming to accommodate wine enthusiasts, etc. start at this level. On Diamond series, you will even find an Auto-Close feature where the dishwasher will close your door if the door is left ajar.

Our in-depth guide is very useful when choosing the best Miele dishwasher for your home.

Unique Cleaning and Drying Features of GE Profile and Cafe Dishwashers

GE Profile and GE Café include many of the useful functions found on the Miele's such as Pre-Soak for softening soil on your dishes, Express Wash to speed things up, and eWash which is the code word for an economic wash with longer cycles that use less water and energy.

We covered GE Dishwashers in details in our earlier blog article in case you want to learn more about the brand.

Drying Performance

To avoid these issues, European manufacturers such as Bosch and Miele use condensation drying which turns the interior walls cold before sucking the air out and washing down the inside steam.

As for GE, the common dishwasher models still include a heater for drying. However, you will find the Fan Assist Dry option in most of the GE Profile and Café models. This fan/heater combination sucks out air through a fan inside the tub and is definitely a step toward being as good as Miele when it comes to drying performance.

One advantage that Miele has is that it is heavily invested in cleaning products. Miele dishwasher detergents, rinse aid, and salt are specially formulated to provide the best clean for dirty dishes. In addition, Miele's dishwasher cleaner or as the company calls it the dishwasher conditioner gives you an amazing clean to prevent smells and debris build up. Most recently, Miele released the only dishwasher that has an autodispenser. You guessed it right, the company makes detergent cartriges, AutoDos PowerDisks, that last for around 20 cycles.

Reversing Quad Blade Spray Arm

GE brings a different kind of technology to the table, with the Reversing Quad Blade Lower Wash Arm that has 4 blades, 25 water jets, and turns both clockwise and counter-clockwise. With water being sprayed out at different angles throughout the machine plus a Quad Blade Middle Wash Arm, dishes are cleaned each and every wash deeply.

Reversing Quad Blade Lower Wash Arm

Bottle Jets, Side Jets, and Silverware Jets

These special jets are exclusive to GE aimed at providing a deeper clean for all of your dishes.

You no longer have to worry about water bottles or wine glasses coming out clean as bottle jets specifically target these items.

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Deep Clean Silverware Jets are placed under the silverware basket and apply intensely and focused cleaning to your silverware. Some GE models use Dedicated Silverware Jets on the middle wash arm.

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Side Jets are placed on the wall next to silverware baskets to apply focused cleaning.

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Pirana Hard Food Disposer

The Hard Food Disposer grinds food waste like a conventional garbage disposer. Comes in handy when small food particles are left behind after pre-rinse.

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Wi-Fi Connectivity

While you obviously can't use your dishwasher to check your social media accounts, the addition of wi-fi connectivity in both brands certainly comes in handy.

Miele has their own mobile app, which allows you to monitor your wash cycle from your smartphone while you are in another room, and you can even set the dishwasher to start if you forget to do it before you go to bed.

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GE also have their own app, with more capabilities than Miele. Not only can you monitor your wash cycles, but you can also be alerted if your rinse aid is low or if the machine requires maintenance - and even to connect with Amazon Alexa.

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4) Durability and Longevity

Buying a dishwasher that is only going to last you a couple of years is just not an option considering the amount of cash you want to shell out for a decent model. You also don't want to buy a machine that is going to need maintenance every 3-6 months either.

Miele manufactures almost every part of their dishwashers and has a careful testing process. Meaning, that they have greater control over the durability of their products. Miele's are designed for twenty-year lifespan which no other brand matches. While a Miele dishwasher might be more expensive upfront, you will actually save money in the long run.

GE Profile and Cafe have great initial quality and GE's service network across the nation are unmatched in the industry.


5) Pricing

Price is pretty much always going to be a factor when it comes to choosing a new dishwasher, and there can be a big difference regarding features when looking at budget models compared to high-end models. Let's check out the standard of appliance you can get in various price ranges from each brand.

GE Dishwasher Pricing

GE Appliances manufactures a broad range of dishwasher models under their Profile and Cafe series.

Both series start at right below the $999 price point and feature rather quiet 45 dB dishwashers such as GE Cafe CDT706P2MS1 and GE Profile PDT825SSJSS

Higher-end GE Profile or Cafe models are at 40-42 dB silence rating and come at a price point lower than $1399. GE Profile PDT846SSJSS is a popular model at this range.


Miele Dishwasher Pricing

Miele features models that can be found at $799 during seasonal promotions such as the G4228SCUSS Futura Classic Plus model.

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A giant step up to $1,799 gives you the Miele Crystal series that come with really advanced features that you'd expect from this price such as water softener and auto-open door. (These features are not matched at the GE line-up)

Luxury features and quiet operation are found in the Miele Dimension and Lumen series machines, starting from $1,999.

On top of the in-home dishwasher models, Miele also has a range of professional-grade machines that are ideal for restaurant or scientific use.


Conclusion

Miele dishwashers are the best brand in the market when it comes to high-quality. Your dishes will be clean, glasses will sparkle. You will not get etched glasses or water spots in a Miele. You can even trust your Miele dishwasher with your fine china. Miele does not have budget level products as the company believes that their dishwashers are designed to last 2x longer than that of competition.

GE Profile and Cafe are trustworthy brands. If you are designing a kitchen with other appliances from the Profile and Cafe family, it makes sense to consider their dishwashers to match the overall design.