Is this Miele dishwasher feature just an expensive gimmick?

Fed up with rummaging around for a dishwasher tablet before running a wash? Miele's AutoDos could be the solution.

The brand's high-end G7 range of dishwashers come with AutoDos technology, and was billed as the 'world's first automatic dispensing system' when it launched around 2021.

Instead of tablets, it has a PowerDisk inside the door of the dishwasher that releases the right amount of detergent for the wash you've selected. 

However, our snapshot test has showed that while AutoDos works and cleans well, it's no better than a good quality tablet brand, and costs considerably more per wash.  

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What is automatic detergent dosing?

The idea of Miele's AutoDos is that the dishwasher has a large reservoir of detergent installed in the machine to dispense for each wash. 

The PowerDisks are filled with powder detergent, which gets released into the machine after the pre-rinse stage of the wash (when the dishwasher measures how dirty the water is and, hence, how messy the load is).

They also include salt and rinse aid in the same way all-in-one tablets do, meaning you shouldn't have to refill these as often.

Some Bosch and Beko and Hisense dishwashers also offer automatic dosing systems (also known as 'smart dosing' or 'dosage assist') on selected machines, but they use liquid detergent, as opposed to powder with Miele's system. 

You do pay a premium for AutoDos, though, with Miele G7 machines costing over £1,000 to buy. We've also found that you pay more per wash compared to standard tablets. 

Read all our Miele dishwasher reviews to see how well they perform in our regular testing

How much do Miele PowerDisks cost?

All new Miele G7 dishwashers come with six PowerDisks as part of their £1,000-plus price, so you can try out the feature.

Each PowerDisk is designed to last 20 washes. You can buy new ones individually for £10.99 (54p per wash), or in packs of six £57.49 (48p per wash). 

Most people will probably opt for the six pack, but this still costs 30p per wash more than a Fairy Platinum Plus, and 35p per wash more than the Tesco's Ultra Lemon tablets. 

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Do Miele PowerDisks clean better than Fairy dishwasher tablets?

If the Miele PowerDisks cleaned better than standard tablets, then you could justify the extra cost. 

However, our testing in 2021 found that a Fairy Platinum Plus tablet, available at that time, cleaned as well as a PowerDisk wash.

So, while Miele's system is certainly effective at banishing dirt and grime from your dishes, it isn't significantly better to warrant the premium cost. 

Are Miele PowerDisks easier to use than dishwasher tablets?

When we tested them in 2021, the PowerDisks did indeed last for exactly 20 washes.

Our experts also assessed how easy the system was to use, including fitting a new disk and removing it once it's empty.

While the disks mean you don't have to load a tablet every time, they can be fiddly to fit. The disk must be lined up and slotted in perfectly, which is much more of a hassle than just plopping a tablet into the machine and shutting the door.

You can recycle the PowerDisks when the detergent runs out.

Is Miele's AutoDos worth it?

The Which? verdict: It's an expensive gimmick

PowerDisks don't clean any better and cost much more than good quality dishwasher detergent tablets, so they're not a must-have feature. 

The benefit of Miele's AutoDos is convenience. If you have a Miele G7 dishwasher you can slot the PowerDisk in at the start of the month and it should last for all your weekly washes. 

Overall, though, this system is a much more expensive way to use dishwasher detergent than conventional tablets, so might not make sense in the long run.

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