Best Value Pick
BLACK+DECKER BDW300MHS Dishwasher Review: The Best Budget Built-In We've Tested
Last tested: March 2026 · By Claire Ashworth
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Best for households that want a reliable 24-inch dishwasher without premium pricing. It handles everyday loads well and runs quieter than its price suggests. The capacity is limited at 12 place settings, so larger families will feel the constraint. But for a household of 1-3 people, or anyone upgrading from a builder-grade unit, it's a strong value proposition.
| Brand | BLACK+DECKER |
|---|---|
| Model | BDW300MHS |
| Series | Designer Series |
| Width | 24 inches |
| Place Settings | 12 |
| Noise Level | 45 dBA |
| Wash Programs | 6 (Normal, Heavy, Light, Speed, Soak & Wash, Rinse Only) |
| Tub | Stainless Steel |
| Energy | ENERGY STAR Certified |
| Finish | Stainless Steel |
On everyday loads, the BDW300MHS performs well. Glasses, plates, bowls, and standard utensils came out clean across every test cycle we ran. The Normal program handles a typical after-dinner load without any issues. Six programs cover the range of what most households actually need: you get Normal for daily use, Heavy for cookware, Light for barely-used dishes, Speed for quick turnarounds, Soak and Wash for stuck-on residue, and Rinse Only to hold loads between runs. The Speed cycle finished in around 50 minutes in our testing, which is useful when you need glasses back quickly before guests arrive.
Where the BDW300MHS needs some help is on heavily soiled cookware. A sheet pan with baked-on food or a stockpot with dried sauce benefits from a light rinse before loading. Without it, you may pull those items out still carrying some residue. This isn't a failure, it's just an honest limitation of a standard cleaning system without sensor technology. Scrape, don't rinse, is the usual advice for dishwashers, but with this unit a quick rinse on the heaviest items saves frustration.
At 45 dBA, the noise level surprised us. That's the same rating as the Kenmore 22-14605, which costs more. In practice, the BDW300MHS ran within 2 dBA of the Kenmore in our testing. Both are quiet enough for an open-plan kitchen. For a machine at this price point, 45 dBA is genuinely better than expected and it's one of the clearest reasons to choose this over cheaper portable alternatives.
The full stainless steel interior is not just cosmetic. Stainless tubs resist staining from coffee, tea, and tomato-based foods better than plastic tubs. They also retain heat during the wash cycle, which contributes to better drying via condensation. At this price, many competing units use plastic tubs. The stainless interior is a genuine quality advantage over budget alternatives and one of the reasons the BDW300MHS earns its "best value" label.
Normal, Heavy, Light, Speed, Soak and Wash, and Rinse Only. Six programs covers the range of what most households actually use on a weekly basis. The Soak and Wash program is worth highlighting because it lets heavily soiled items soak before the main wash cycle runs, which is the closest this machine gets to sensor-based automation. It won't clean as efficiently as a SmartWash sensor, but it's a useful option to have when you load a particularly rough batch.
Matching the noise level of pricier units is a real selling point here. If you've been putting off buying a built-in dishwasher because of the noise, the BDW300MHS runs quietly enough for open kitchens. You can run it during dinner, during a movie, or while working in an adjacent room without it pulling your attention. Most people won't notice it's running unless they're standing next to it.
ENERGY STAR certification means the machine meets EPA efficiency standards for water and energy use. Running costs are in line with comparable built-in units. Without a sensor cycle to shorten lighter loads automatically, the efficiency gains are more modest than on the Kenmore, but the certification confirms it's not wasteful on standard cycles.
The BDW300MHS is priced well below comparable Kenmore and Bosch models while delivering acceptable cleaning performance for lighter household loads. If you're replacing a builder-grade unit that was installed with the house, or you're a renter who wants a step up without a major investment, the value proposition is clear. The trade-offs are real but proportional to the savings.
The exterior is clean stainless steel with a straightforward look that fits most kitchen styles. Controls sit on the top edge of the door, which keeps the front face uncluttered. When the door closes, you see nothing but stainless steel. This is a design preference for some buyers and a drawback for others since you can't glance at the control panel to check cycle status. The door opens and closes with reasonable weight and the racks glide smoothly.
The interior layout is standard two-rack configuration. The lower rack accommodates most pots and pans. The upper rack adjusts to fit taller items. Without a third rack, the utensil basket sits in the lower rack, which uses up space that could otherwise hold a plate or bowl. The overall build quality feels appropriate for the price. It's not in the same tier as Kenmore or Bosch on fit and finish, but it's solid and doesn't feel flimsy.
The control panel is as simple as dishwashers get. Select a program, press Start. There are no settings to configure, no app to download, and no sensor cycle to understand. For households where multiple people load and run the dishwasher, that simplicity is genuinely useful. The downside is that you make all the decisions, the machine won't adjust for a light load or extend for a heavy one.
At 12 place settings, families of four or more will notice the capacity limitation quickly. Running it once after dinner leaves the next morning's breakfast dishes waiting, or you find yourself loading a half-full machine to keep up. For a couple or a single person who cooks regularly, one cycle per day is comfortable. Standard installation applies: dedicated 120V circuit, hot water supply, and a drain connection. Replacing an existing unit is straightforward.
At its price point, the BDW300MHS is the strongest budget built-in we've tested. The 45 dBA noise rating alone is worth paying for, since cheaper portable units and older built-ins typically run at 50-55 dBA. Add the stainless tub, ENERGY STAR certification, and six wash programs, and you have a machine that punches above its price.
The trade-offs compared to the Kenmore 22-14605 are real: fewer place settings, no third rack, no sensor wash cycle, and a standard cleaning system that needs help with baked-on food. For smaller households with lighter loads, those trade-offs are acceptable. For families who cook heavily and run the machine daily with tough loads, spending more on the Kenmore is the right call. The gap in cleaning performance and capacity justifies the price difference for high-use households.
Smaller households of one to three people who want a proper built-in dishwasher without the premium price. Renters upgrading from a basic builder-grade unit, or buyers on a strict budget who still want a stainless-tub machine that runs quietly. If your daily loads are mostly glasses, plates, and standard utensils rather than heavily soiled cookware, the BDW300MHS handles that use case well.
Families of four or more who run the dishwasher daily at full capacity. Households that cook heavily and regularly deal with baked-on pots, pans, and roasting dishes. If you want the dishwasher to handle heavy soil without pre-rinsing or re-running loads, you'll want the Kenmore's UltraWash Plus and SmartWash sensor. The BDW300MHS is efficient for lighter loads, not built for heavy daily abuse.
The BLACK+DECKER BDW300MHS does the fundamentals well at a price that's hard to argue with. If your household doesn't run maximum capacity loads and you're comfortable with a light pre-rinse on heavy items, it's a strong budget choice that'll outlast most cheap alternatives. The stainless tub and 45 dBA noise rating are genuine quality wins at this price point. The Kenmore is worth the extra cost for families who need the capacity and sensor cycle, but for everyone else, the BDW300MHS earns its spot as the best value built-in we've tested.
For smaller households and budget-conscious buyers, yes. It handles everyday loads reliably, runs at 45 dBA, and has a stainless steel tub. Heavily soiled cookware benefits from a light pre-rinse before loading. Our testing rated it 4.4 out of 5.
12 place settings is comfortable for 2-3 people running one cycle per day. For families of 4 or more, you may find yourself running it twice daily, which reduces its value advantage over a higher-capacity unit like the Kenmore 22-14605.
Like most 24-inch built-in dishwashers, the BDW300MHS hardwires to a dedicated 120V circuit. Standard installation also requires a plumber for water supply and drain connections. Replacing an existing dishwasher is typically a 1-2 hour job.
The Kenmore has 15 place settings vs 12, a third EasyFlex rack, a SmartWash sensor cycle, and UltraWash Plus cleaning that handles heavy soil without pre-rinsing. The BLACK+DECKER costs less and cleans adequately for lighter loads. Budget is the primary reason to choose the BLACK+DECKER. Capacity and cleaning performance are the primary reasons to spend more on the Kenmore.
At 45 dBA, yes. It's quieter than you'd expect at this price. Most people can hold a conversation in the same room without raising their voice. It's the same noise rating as the Kenmore and noticeably quieter than older or budget portable dishwashers.
