Hard water spots will show on stainless. While they don't show on plastic, the hard water still makes spots. You have to use Lemishine once a month to keep it clean.

Plastic insulates and is quieter by nature. Metal tubs need mastic and foam or fiberglass blankets for heat insulation and to surpress noise of water spray. Models that use the condensation drying method typically have stainless tubs which cool faster than the dishware. Moisture is drawn off the hot dishes to condense on the cooler surface of the tub where it drips down to the bottom.

While stainless is a poor holder of heat and is mostly for marketing it still does the job better than plastic. Stainless can also support higher water temps for sani cycles. Personally I would pay extra for dishwashers like they were once made, with porcelain on steel interiors.

Stainless is more resistant to heat than is plastic but that's a non-point for dishwashers. I can boil water in a plastic measuring cup to no ill effect. There's no household/consumer dishwasher that reaches boiling temperature. Racks are coated with polyvinyl or some ilk of plastic and silverware baskets are plastic so concern over tubs being plastic doesn't keep plastic completely out of the machine. :-)

Boiling water in a plastic cup may not kill you immediately, but it releases plastisizers and many scientists have raised serious concerns about the effects of these on long term health. I'm not sure about the use of plastisizers in the making of dishwashers since they are a less flexible plastic, but I'd prefer not to take the chance myself.

I don't boil water in the plastic cup on a recurring basis ... just pointing out that I can without destroying it. Regards to long-term health and plastic, 100% avoidance of plastic is impossible IMO. I read a report some months ago that microscopic particles have been found in water supplies around the world.

All dishwashers have plastic. The pumps, water passages, coatings on racks, etc. are made from various types and grades of plastics. Having an all stainless tub doesn't mean anything if trying to stay away from plastics.

I guess you could wash dishes by hand but the city water is most likey being delivered in plastic pipes and your water faucets have plastic internals.

Diane R,

My house (2004) is in a rural area, private well. PVC pipe comes from the well (which is allll the way around in a corner of the front yard) to the pump tank (allll the way around to the garage on the other side of the house from the well). Distribution lines are in the attic, with insulation covers and I haven't checked what is the pipe material up there.

Many newer homes have PEX for the distribution lines with copper fittings only at the fixtures.

PEX Information

For the last 20-30 years cities have been replacing their water delivery systems with plastic piping as they modernize their sytems. Even if you live in 50+ year old neigborhood there is a high likelyhood that pipe leading to that area have been updated with plastic pipes.

Stainless steel tubs emit bitumen fumes that make me sick. Someday they will b banned. As bad as plastic is it is less toxic than bitumen.

I didn't know bitumen was used as a sound (and heat?) insulation on dishwashers until I learned about it being used in (some) Bosch dishwashers on another site. After repairing a patio roof with mastic (even with a OV mask), I want to stay as far away from bitumen and tar as I can. Have to check out any dishwasher I buy.

I can swear that my last new-bought DW (Maytag) which had a SS tub didn't use bitumen for insulation (just lots of fiberglass).