Samsung DW80J7550US Dishwasher Review

The subject of today's review, Samsung's DW80J7550US (MSRP $999—on sale for $699) scales down the price by cutting back on extra features like cutlery trays and specialty cycles.

In our tests, we found that the DW80J7550US didn't get dishes as clean as other WaterWall-equipped Samsungs. In fact, when it came to cleaning, the DW80J7550US was no better than other dishwashers in this price range. It only bested its competitors at cleaning items in the corners of racks, where the WaterWall's jets have no trouble reaching. Otherwise, the new technology doesn’t seem to offer a significant advantage on this model.

The DW80J7550US isn’t a bad appliance—especially not for a sale price of $699—but it also isn't a technological breakthrough that will change kitchens forever. Still, if you like its unique style and modest list of perks (like easily adjustable racks, an attractive logo-less front, and responsive touch-sensitive buttons) it's definitely worth a look.

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This video was recorded inside the Samsung DW80H9970US dishwasher, but it has the same WaterWall technology as the DW80J7550US.

Design & Usability

In the pocket

There’s a lot to like about pocket handles: They’re wide and easy to grip, they don’t protrude outward like other handles, and in the case of the DW80J7550US, they glow blue to let you know a wash cycle is in progress. The rest of this Samsung looks very clean, with no logos or branding visible on the front.

Touch-sensitive controls are hidden on the top of the door. Bright blue indicator lights and a timer display will illuminate when the dishwasher is powered on, but are otherwise completely invisible. It’s a neat effect that adds to the DW80J7550US’s clean look.

The interior has a fairly standard layout, consisting of two racks and a two-piece cutlery holder. The main attraction is the sheer flexibility of the lower rack: Every row of plate supports can be folded down to fit extra-large items like mixing bowls and serving platters.

Thanks to a couple of fold-down shelves and height adjustment for the upper rack, you shouldn’t have any problems loading tall, deep, or oddly shaped dishes. With tines up, we certainly didn’t have any issues fitting 11 place settings and 1 serving setting inside the DW80J7550US.

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Features

No shortage of settings

Even though the DW80J7550US's option list is trimmed down from its Chef Collection counterpart, it still offers a slew of settings. Five wash cycles can handle most dishwashing needs, and there are even a few customization options to play around with.

If you've got some tough stains, the DW80J7550US is well equipped to handle them. The Zone Boosters feature, which is unique to WaterWall dishwashers, allows you to increase the spray intensity of the jets on the left or right side of the tub. This means you can strategically load the nastiest stains on one side so the WaterWall jets can blast the mess right off of your dishes.

There are other, more familiar settings too: Sanitize, Dry+, Child Lock, Lower Rack Only, and a Delay option that can be set for up to 24 hours.

Performance

A bit spotty

The good news is that the DW80J7550US has no problems with water coverage or filtration. In some other dishwashers, these are problems that stem from poor design, construction, or wash programming, and allow dishes to remain dirty even after they’ve been in the wash.

However, the DW80J7550US lost a lot of points when its Normal cycle left visible chunks of meat and dried milk stains behind. The stuff that did get washed off was properly swept and drained away, but the overall results were still dissatisfying. The Heavy cycle didn't have this problem, but we wouldn’t recommend using a heavy duty cycle for all washes unless you want to wait longer for dishes to finish, all while using a lot more water and electricity.

In every cycle we tested, we also noticed water spotting on the spoons we coated in dried egg stains. Perhaps due to the unique spray pattern or the timing of the washes and rinses, water droplets seemed more likely to collect, pool, and dry on the spoons, leaving marks behind.

Assuming average use patterns (remember, this means not using the Heavy cycle to replace Normal), we expect the DW80J7550US to cost around $27.38 per year in operating costs. This is a little below average compared to other consumer dishwashers.

For in-depth performance information, please visit the Science Page.

Warranty

For the first year of ownership, Samsung’s warranty will cover all parts and labor needed to repair any defects found in this dishwasher. Additionally, certain parts are covered for five years, including many of the belt-operated moving bits that power the WaterWall. As always, consult the owner’s manual for specific details.

Why We Like It

Another brick in the wall

If you want an affordable dishwasher with WaterWall, this is your best bet. The DW80J7550US has great looks, high flexibility, and decent cleaning capabilities. It’s a step below the pricier Samsung DW80H9930US, which is almost the exact same dishwasher but adds a third rack.

If you're not sold on WaterWall tech, but want a dishwasher with similar aesthetics, the Bosch SHP65TL5UC is a great choice. It features the same pocket handle and brand-free front, and even has a third rack for additional silverware space.

By the Numbers

Strictly by the numbers, the Samsung DW80J7550US fared better in some areas and worse in others compared to similarly priced dishwashers. However, the good and the bad evened out, giving this dishwasher a solid—if not terribly thrilling—overall score.

Performance

We baked the same stains onto the same dishes to test the Normal, Heavy, and Express 60’ cycles. After testing, we found every one excels at keeping food particles from redepositing. However, they also share similar problems. Every cycle struggled with meat and baked-on egg, which other dishwashers have no problems removing. Additionally, we noticed water spotting on the spoons where the egg stains were originally placed.

In terms of speed, the Normal cycle is a bit longer than average, clocking in at 2 hours and 18 minutes. You’ll be fine if you tend to run washes before going to bed, but not if you like to wait until your sink is full and then crank out multiple loads at once. Express 60’ might help, but this cycle was designed for light stains, intended more for running a quick wash mid-party than everyday loads.

We assign a heavier scoring weight to the Normal cycle because that’s the default, everyday cycle designed to handle the most common loads. The DW80J7550US’s Normal cycle did a worse job than other consumer dishwashers, which dragged its overall score way down. The Heavy cycle cleaned more effectively, but took longer and used more water.

Efficiency

We estimate an annual utility cost of $27.38 per year for the DW80J7550US. This number is derived from typical usage patterns, which assume buyers are using the Normal cycle most frequently and the Heavy and Express 60’ cycles only occasionally.

The Normal wash only used 0.56 kWh of power and 2.7 gallons of water, which are both fairly low compared to the everyday cycles on other dishwashers. Heavy uses more than double the resources: 1.19 kWh and 6.94 gallons. Finally, Express 60’ scrapes by with only 0.68 kWh and 3.21 gallons of water.

Capacity

It was easy to load the 11 standard place settings and 1 serving setting we use for our capacity tests. Additionally, fold-down shelves on the upper rack provide some more loading space, all the plate supports on the lower rack of the DW80J7550US can be folded down, and the entire upper rack can be raised or lowered to provide clearance for tall items.

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