In my own experience with two Boschs (one at home and yes one here in the office of all things) more than dependability there are quirks of how it operates that are different if you're used to only the one kind of dishwasher. Many people are more familiar with the dishwasher that has a) exposed heating element in bottom and b) grinder to grind up food particles. No Bosch has these as far as I know.
The two I use have the exact same inside. The one at home is front panel controls. The one at work is hidden controls. The racks, tub, etc are the same. I prefer the exposed controls because I like the countdown timer. The model we have here with hidden controls does not have a timer but simply beeps when done. There's also no indication it's running so sometimes prone to accidental opening while cycle is going (not a big deal, but weird, also a function of just how quiet it is). The one here is a higher end model that's even quieter than my base model unit at home (which is still pretty quiet).
Personally, I don't have an issue with the drying element thing. I would prefer to turn those off anyway, and I like that there's not an exposed heating element there because I never have to worry where I put plastic items in the machine or worry if they fall down or whatever. Just fill it with abandon wherever it fits. (Tip: the best way to have dishes dry in my experience is to open the door immediately after the cycle is over. If you leave the door shut the water recondenses on the dishes.) The filter the Bosch has vs food grinder is a different issue. Sometimes that gets scuzzy with sort of paste-like food particles and you have to wash it out. Might benefit from having a second one and washing the other in the dishwasher from time to time.
You'll know the filter is dirty from the smell if you let it get that far. Both units have made the same distinct odor a couple of times.
My home unit had a main electronic board failure once (I believe it is a known somewhat common issue with that model), within the warranty period. We run that about 2-3x a week. The unit at the office which is run about once a week, maybe twice a week sometimes, has not had any repair issues. Office unit is about 7-8 years old. Home unit, I can't remember, I think about one year newer so about 6-7 years now.
I have witnessed a more recent Bosch visiting a relative's house, and they have changed the configuration of the lower rack in such a way that makes it perhaps more flexible for some things but less for others. In general I did not prefer it, so that could be another downside. It's not always easy to know just how well the rack configurations will work until you use them.
Overall I'd get a Bosch DW again without hesitation, but I would look at all current options in my price range and so forth before determining it was automatically the right choice. It is possible that even in the few intervening years that the dependability has gone down. Both of these units were assembled in the US factory. (If that kind of detail interests you, just know that brand alone can no longer be a determining factor of where the appliance is made. You must dig into each line and type of appliance to know.)
In terms of appliances in general, I would mix and match brands rather than sticking with one. But I also don't care for stainless finish so that might be easier for me. If you want stainless it gets perhaps a little harder to match the "colors" so to speak. Although the ones in the office kitchen are stainless (stupidly, don't like how they show water spots and such unless you get very exacting with cleaning) and seem to match up okay, Kenmore range and fridge, Bosch DW. But no reason to stick to one brand IMO. Pick out which one works best in each type.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
