The Frigidaire dishwashers get your glasses, plates, pots, and pan consistently clean and look good while they're at it. The legacy American company's dishwashers come equipped with the features you need for washing power and without frills. Frigidaire focuses on keeping the costs under control for its customers. Therefore, you won't find-for instance, bells and whistles such as wifi or interior lights in the lineup. However, you can count on a Frigidaire dishwasher to do the job well and add a valuable new finish to your kitchen.
The only tricky thing about Frigidaire dishwashers is that it is easy to get lost when choosing one since the company offers many models and a broad range of prices. Its top-of-the-line products do not compete with a high-end Bosch or Miele dishwasher, particularly on quietness and lifespan. Still, you don't need to choose the most expensive machine to get good results automatically. To make the right choice, you just need to zero in on the features that matter most to you and will help your dishwasher run smoothly for the long haul.
Follow our guidance, and you can get a solid performance and the aesthetic of some of the best dishwashers out there for a wallet-friendly price. We’ll take a look at the distinct features of Frigidaire dishwashers and examine our three top picks among those currently on the market.
Is Frigidaire a Good Dishwasher?
A good dishwasher is, first and foremost, a quiet dishwasher. It should also offer a variety of useful wash cycles, including everybody's favorite, the all-important quick cycle; have features that fight water spots and etching (and a water softener, if hard water is an issue for you); and come equipped with a modern-looking, durable door, handle, tub, racks.
The Frigidaire refrigerator was a pioneering product, and the company is still well known for its refrigerators. It also makes high-quality ranges, including some with sought-after air-fryer technology. However, Frigidaire isn't a dishwasher-focused company. We find that its most affordable models, available for $400 and under, look outdated in a modern kitchen and are too loud. We won’t review them here because the target customer for these machines is a builder or contractor focused on economy of scale, not a typical suburban family. It is worth it to invest more in a dishwasher for your home if you can.
The best Frigidaire dishwashers cost between $599 and $849 . They won’t last as long as a Miele or Bosch dishwasher, but they’re sufficiently quiet, have the features you expect and need, and will be an attractive addition to your kitchen.
What Types of Frigidaire Dishwashers Are There?
Frigidaire makes three categories of dishwashers: Frigidaire, Frigidaire Gallery, and Frigidaire Professional, with the latter being the most high end. You’ll notice the differences in the interior and exterior features and the handle design. For example, Frigidaire Gallery dishwashers come in smudge-proof silver or black stainless steel, but only some have a stainless steel tub, a third rack, a removable filter, the most advanced drying technology, and a sleek, pocket-style handle. The one Professional series is quieter than those in the Gallery series, and has an elegant hardware-like handle and Frigidaire’s best drying system.
Is a Frigidaire Dishwasher Right for You?
If you’re buying a full suite of Frigidaire appliances, it makes sense to include a matching Frigidaire dishwasher to give your kitchen a cohesive look.
A Frigidaire dishwasher also is a good choice for people who are selling their home and want to put in an eye-catching, brand-new silver or black stainless steel machine that doesn’t cost a fortune, since the finishes and sleek handles look as nice as those of more expensive brands.
You may also want to consider a Frigidaire dishwasher if you’re on a tight budget, don’t plan to stay in your current home forever, or don’t do a ton of cooking or dishes. Based on our experience with customers, you can expect a good Frigidaire dishwasher to last six or seven years with typical use.
If you're looking for a winner among the 18-inch small dishwashers out there, Frigidaire makes one that is nice-looking, if slightly loud. It is a contender if you’re looking for an appliance for small space or a secondary entertaining area.
What are the Cons of a Frigidaire Dishwasher?
Frigidaire doesn’t make a dishwasher that can compete with the quietest ones on the market. Its quietest model is still 47 dB, while the market leaders come in at 44 dB and under.
The company also doesn’t make a panel-ready dishwasher, so you can’t cover it to blend in with the rest of your kitchen cabinets. You need to like the look of silver or black stainless steel.
And if you really want a wifi-enabled machine, you must look at other brands. None of Frigidaire’s dishwashers have wifi connectivity or any of the features that come with it, like an app to alert you when the cycle is finished.
Features to Look for in a Frigidaire Dishwasher
There are six different things you want to watch out for while you’re shopping.
1. The Noise Level
When we ask our customers what is most important to them, they always say noise. You may want to run a load of dishes while ’re prepping dinner or eating, and you don’t want to have to shout over the dishwasher to be heard. About 10 years ago, dishwasher makers took the hint and started making their machines quieter. Some are so quiet now that it can be hard to tell they’re running.
The dishwasher industry measures noise levels in decibels (dB or dBA). As an example, 40 dB is like the hush of study hall—practically silent. A normal conversation is about 50 dB. A bustling restaurant or coffee shop is around 60 dB.
The quietest dishwashers on the market today come in at between 38 dB and 48 dB. We consider anything under 49 dB acceptable, since the loudest parts of the cycle are quick. You want under 46 dB, or, even better, under 44 dB.
As we mentioned earlier, Frigidaire makes a wide variety of affordable dishwashers, many under $500. Unfortunately, these are noisier than 51 dB. We deliberately did not include the full range of models 51 dB and higher in this review, because we find that they are louder than most people would like. However many Frigidaire dishwashers come in under this target, including the Professional series and some in the Gallery series.
2. The Tub and Racks
You ideally want a stainless steel interior because plastic can become discolored over time. For European-style condensing dishwashers, which are quickly becoming the industry standard, a stainless steel interior is essential for drying; the rinse aid and hot water work together to make water bead up and evaporate. All of Frigidaire’s dishwashers use heat drying, so stainless steel is mostly an aesthetic choice, but it is more durable. The material on the interior of your Frigidaire dishwasher will vary from polymer or plastic to stainless steel, depending on the price point.
Racks and tines that are coated in a resilient material and easy to adjust are another bonus, so you have the flexibility to load different size dishes. Some models in Frigidaire’s Gallery series, as well as the Professional series have an adjustable top rack. All of its racks and tines have a nylon coating.
A third rack is also invaluable for extra cleaning room. This isn’t something you get only on Frigidaire’s most expensive models; you just have to look for it. Some base, Gallery series, and Professional series machines have a third rack.
3. Cleaning and Drying Performance
Every manufacturer has its own unique terminology for how it sprays water around the tub and dries it up afterward. The jargon can get confusing. Here’s how Frigidaire breaks down.
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DishSense
This is Frigidaire’s version of the sensor system most dishwashers have to gauges how dirty your dishes are and automatically adjust the wash cycle to get them clean. If you choose a Normal cycle and need something stronger, it will tweak the settings. Many Frigidaire dishwashers, including all three we recommend, have this. -
OrbitClean
Most dishwashers feature at least two wash arms, each with nozzles that spray the water throughout the tub. The more arms and nozzles, the better the water distribution, and the cleaner your plates. Frigidaire’s base models have what it calls a BladeSpray arm. OrbitClean adds a rotating disk with more nozzles to the end of the spray arm, to distribute more water. These discs can be configured in different ways; for example, our Best Overall pick has OrbitClean discs on the bottom and middle spray arms, while our Professional Finish pick has an OrbitClean disc on its bottom spray arm and PrecisionPro Wash Zones (more on those next) on the middle rack. -
PrecisionPro Wash Zones
These spray clips on the top rack of the Frigidaire Professional series dishwasher let you secure wine glasses, cups, mugs, and bottles to the top rack, and fire soapy water up into them to get them clean. Based on customer reviews, they take some getting used to but do work well. -
AquaSurge Technology
This feature lets you adjust the machine’s water pressure based on your needs. If you have really dirty, caked-on food (think lasagna trays, or if something has come out still dirty), you can adjust this to blast it off. -
Notable Cycles and Options
The most advanced machines can have up to 15 cycles. But we find that most people only care about one: the fast one. Can you wash a full load in an hour? As dishwashers become more energy efficient, they also have become slower. It’s common now for a normal cycle to take over an hour. Our Budget pick, below, has four cycles, and unfortunately one of them isn’t a quick cycle. Our Professional Finish pick has seven, including a 30-Minute Quick Wash. In between, our Best Overall pick has a 34-minute Quick Wash cycle. -
MaxBoost Dry
This is Frigidaire’s second-best heat-drying technology. Models with it have a heating element at the bottom of the tub and a fan at the top that blows in cool air to send the water flying toward a condensation chamber. -
EvenDry
This is Frigidaire’s latest heat drying technology, which also uses a fan to blow lingering water off dishes and into a condensation chamber at the bottom. -
Stainless Steel Filtration System
Frigidaire dishwashers have a hard food disposer at the bottom—basically, a mini garbage disposal, like the one you might have in your sink. It breaks up any large chunks of food left on your plates. It’s a convenience, but it’s also something that can easily get clogged and break down. Some Frigidaire models have self-cleaning filter above this; others have a removable filter. We find that removable filters work better.
4. Smart Technology
You won’t get texts on your cell phone from a Frigidaire dishwasher. None of its machines, not even its Professional series, incorporate wifi. Their most alert-like feature is an LED light at the bottom that shines on the floor: blue while they’re washing, and green when they’re done.
5. Style and Design
In the range of Frigidaire dishwashers that we recommend, you’ll notice only slight differences on the exterior. All of the controls are located at the top of the door, so they’re hidden when it is closed. Silver stainless steel is an option on all of them, and as you go up in price, you can choose fingerprint-resistant silver or black stainless steel. The main difference is the style of the handle. Less expensive models have chunkier, protruding handles, while pricier ones have pocket or hardware-style handles.
Frigidaire also makes a 24- and 18-inch ADA-compliant dishwasher, although they are slightly louder than we recommend at 52 dB. In addition to accommodating people who have disabilities, the latter has a height of 32 inches compared with the standard 33 to 34 inches, and may be what you need if your kitchen has raised floors.
6. Reliability
We find that Frigidaire dishwashers last five to seven years. Compare that with Miele, which costs twice as much but lasts 20 or more years. This may not be an issue for you if you plan to move within the next few years.
3 Best Frigidaire Dishwashers
1) Best Overall: Frigidaire Gallery FGIP2468UF
Listed slightly over $600, this dishwasher offers some of Frigidaire’s most advanced features, including Dual OrbitClean spray arms and MaxBoost Dry. It isn’t one of the quietest machines on the market, at 49 dB, but it won’t prevent you from hearing the television or interrupt a chat. It has a plastic tub, which is less than ideal, but won’t interfere with its drying performance. It has no third rack, but its top rack is adjustable. Its 34-minute Quick Wash cycle lets you finish a load fast when you need to. You also have your choice of silver or black smudge-resistant stainless steel.
2) Best Professional Finish: Frigidaire Professional FPID2498SF
Listed for under $899, Frigidaire’s top-of-the-line dishwasher has a sleek exterior of smudge-proof silver stainless steel with a hardware-style, tooled handle. Inside, it has a stainless steel tub, a third rack, and an adjustable middle rack with the PrecisionPro Wash Zones for glassware. It also has the fastest Quick Wash in Frigidaire’s range, at 30 minutes, and its most advanced drying system. At 47 dB, it’s also quieter than our Best Overall pick.
3) Best Budget: Frigidaire FFID2426TS
At nearly less than half the price of its Professional series, this dishwasher has all of Frigidaire’s standard features, including DishSense. At 54 dB, it is louder than ideal, but we find that it is the best value at this price point for a Frigidaire machine. It is also available in white and black as well as silver and black stainless steel, which may be useful if you are looking for a black or white replacement model. When paired with a matching Frigidaire refrigerator and range, its hidden control panel and curved door handle look quite sleek.
Conclusion
For your convenience and your home’s value, you want to buy the best dishwasher that meets your needs. If you’re not big on cooking, don’t plan to stay in your home for 30 years, or want an upgrade to mention to potential buyers, a budget-friendly Frigidaire dishwasher is a solid choice. If you’re doing a full package of Frigidaire appliances as part of a kitchen remodel, the Gallery or Professional series dishwasher is the perfect finishing touch.
FAQs
Who Makes Frigidaire Dishwashers?
Founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1918, Frigidaire (then called the Guardian Frigerator Company) invented the first self-contained refrigerators. It became so well known for this appliance that many Americans called their new and improved iceboxes Frigidaires. General Motors bought the company in 1918 and owned it until 1979. GM then sold it to the White Sewing Machine Company, which in 1986 was acquired by the Swedish company Electrolux. Frigidaire continues to operate as a subsidiary of Electrolux and makes a wide variety of household appliances in the U.S., from refrigerators to slide-in ranges, wall ovens, rangetops and cooktops, laundry sets, air-conditioners, and dishwashers. Frigidaire builds dishwashers at its parent company’s Kinston, North Carolina, plant.
What is a Frigidaire “tall tub” dishwasher?
“Tall tub” is a European term that translates into basically standard U.S. size.
Does Frigidaire make a panel-ready dishwasher?
No, Frigidaire does not make a panel-ready dishwasher.
Does Frigidaire make a portable dishwasher?
No, Whirlpool does not make a portable dishwasher. If you’re looking for one, we do have a list of the best portable dishwashers.
Does Frigidaire make an 18-inch dishwasher for small spaces?
Yes, Frigidaire makes one 18-inch model. We find it to be a bit louder than optimal at 51 dB.