The Viking D3 Series RDDB301 dishwasher has plenty of perks for the price. Heavy-duty racks, stainless-steel finish and tub, a guard beneath the upper spray arm, and room for 15 place settings are just a few of the features this model offers. You can also customize the look of the knobs and handle to match your cabinetry. But for $1,450, is it too much to expect the ultimate in wash performance?

In our dishwasher tests, which use a full load of very dirty items, the Viking was impressive though not superlative and was fairly energy-efficient. But the good news ends there. For drying stubborn plastic items, it was only so-so. The same goes for its noise score despite the model's "sound-absorbing" insulation and "cushion-mounted components." There's no time-remaining display, nor the ability to vertically adjust the upper rack to fit tall items below. And if you're particular about getting a "green" dishwasher, consider that some models less than half the Viking's price were just as efficient.

The RDDB301 is actually the best of three conventional dishwashers we've just added to our dishwasher Ratings, which now list almost 200 models, 38 of which we've recommended. (We expect to add three more soon, from GE and Viking.) The other newcomers are the $500 Ikea Renlig 802.222.43 and the $650 Summit DW2432SS.

Looking for a dishwasher? Besides our Ratings, check out our buying advice, which includes a video describing how we test.