Kirkland pods work much better for me than the pricier pods.

Bosch recommends Finish. I use Powerball and Finish rinse. I also dial back the rinse aid amount to "medium" from "high" using the settings menu, because it smelt like detergent afterwards and I could taste a chemically aftertaste in cups.

I wouldn't necessarily go by one instance of uncleaned dishes. That can happen with any dishwasher for a variety of reasons.

Never used pods until this new house and new dishwasher, always used Cascade lemon powder but don't know it that's even available anymore. I've been buying the pods at either the dollar store or Aldi and have had no issue with an overly chemical smell or poor cleaning.

I really like seventh generation powder and any [Kroger] store brand rinse aid in the dispenser. That powder is not the cheapest but I use a bit less than up to the line. Very clean. I no longer buy cascade. I run eco cycle consistently, but every month or so run NORMAL just to get the very hot water all around the tub for longer interval. Every few months run a dispenser of dishwashing MACHINE CLEANER to keep the seals /etc. maintained . [you buy individual single use dispenser]. And pull out filter basket and gently clean it every 6 weeks or so. I think to some degree, keeping the machine clean and maintained is half of it. Think of how often the machine is run, and what it has to do.

I second the pods from Aldi pods. (Radience). I just finished a bag of them & found that they work just as good or maybe slightly better than the Finish Quantam pods. I'm using Lemishine rinse aid.

FWIW, the Aldi pods say on the pkg to 'Compare with Cascade'.

Inexpensive Whirlpool machine. Moderately hard water. I always run the longest, hotest cycle because I only run it when the machine is full. Might be two or three day old dirty dishes in there.

I used Finish products when I had a Bosch and was very happy with the results. I use Miele tabs in my Miele now.

My Bosch DW is 10 yrs old, I used cascade powder then switched to Finish powder. Both clean very well. I do not fill the whole detergent compartment. Also clean any spilled powder around compartment befor sliding the cover.

If Costco is easy for you, why not jump in and try them? They offer that guarantee. If you aren't happy, you can return for a full refund.

I like Lemishine

I'd try Costco's pods, because you can always return them if you aren't happy. In the mean time, try cutting the Finish tabs in half (that's what my Miele tech recommended). Also, the Method tabs have been recommended here before. You might try them.

Best: Cascade Complete 12x Power ActionPacs. Don't pre-wash, just scrape. No Finish; just open the door to evaporate. Works great.

It is increasingly difficult to find automatic dishwasher gel that is NOT in a pod, but our Aldi carries bottled Radiance gel, which performs effectively in our dishwasher and (big plus) the scent it contains is moderate compared to others we've tried.

Well, I ventured into Costco today, and it was amazingly half empty - I expected chaos on Christmas Eve day, but it seems I found a magic Costco.. I got some Kirkland pods, and my first experience was good: all clean, no smell afterwards. Of the 13 loads I'd done with the Finish Quantum pods, I can think of 3 that left dirty dishes in the load, which is just a horrible average. The rest of those went in the trash, and I'll see how the Kirkland pods do. I'll keep all your ideas in mind if I need to change again.

I've not tried it but have seen recommendations for Bubble Bandit.

I've been using Cascade institutional powder, now renamed as Cascade Fryer Boil Out (same formula) for 10 years.

I have an 18” Bosch and used Finish Powerball Quantum pods and Rinse Aid for almost two years. However, I decided to try a powder detergent since I live alone and sometimes want to wash a half load using less detergent. I bought Biokleen and am amazed at how effective it is using a scant tablespoon of powder. In fact, I’ve washed a full load on the half-load cycle with the same effectiveness in almost half the time. My machine has a water softener compartment, a critical feature with hard well water.

I only use The Essential Cleanera dish pods now. They are unreal (also toxic free which I love) highly recommend them, I don’t use anything else since I swapped. She makes pretty awesome toilet cleaner too. https://www.theessentialcleaner.com.au Good luck in your search!

When phosphates were taken out of detergents cleaning dishes when you have hard water changed. Mine had a milky film on all glassware. I bought a new dishwasher thinking it was the problem. only after the new one I bought did the same and I felt like I wasted money buying a new one, I read up on the internet. I buy whatever pods. No preference. But I can't live without LemiShine. Gets things spotless and all natural citrus cleaner. I get mine mainly at Target.