The Bosch 800 Series still does what made the brand famous: cleans thoroughly without pre-rinsing, runs quieter than your refrigerator, and CrystalDry actually delivers bone-dry plastics. The gamble is that recent USA-made models are failing early, pumps giving out before year two and door latches popping open mid-cycle, problems the old German-built units rarely saw. If you find a German-made 800 (increasingly rare) or score a killer deal on a USA model with a solid warranty, the performance justifies the premium. At full retail on a current unit, you're paying Miele money for reliability that now lands closer to mainstream brands.
Bosch built its dishwasher reputation on German-made tanks that ran silent for fifteen years, but the current Benchmark line is a different machine wearing the same badge. Control boards fail within two years, racks slide like they're fighting you, and warranty repairs stretch into six-week waits while you hand-wash. The 800 series still cleans beautifully and runs quieter than your refrigerator, but you're gambling on whether you get a survivor or join the chorus of buyers wondering what happened to the brand they remembered. If the premium price reflects the old Bosch, shop elsewhere; if you're paying for current reality and accept the service lottery, the cleaning performance and third rack still deliver.