Consumer Reports' Highest-Rated Dishwasher Gel Is Under $5 And Outshines Cascade

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One of the best things about having a dishwasher is the lack of labor required compared to manually washing a large load of dishes; saving you time that's otherwise spent over the sink. Having a dishwasher is an everyday luxury, but it feels particularly disappointing to not have your dishes come out clean. Thanks to a trusty Consumer Reports ranking, we know which dishwasher detergents are worth the price and which fail to deliver sparkling clean dishes. Consumer Reports' dishwasher detergent ratings had one clear winner in the gel dishwasher category. Out of seven different gel detergents tested, Consumer Reports declared Walmart's Great Value Automatic Dishwasher Gel as the overall best.

Consumer Reports gave the Great Value detergent top marks for its ability to clean dishes but also for its lack of the white, mineral film that sometimes remains on dishes once the wash is over. The detergent doesn't contain bleach or a rinse aide, but it does contain enzymes which (similar to how enzymes help break down and digest food in our bodies) aid in the breakdown of food residue on dishes. It's not only Consumer Reports that praises this dishwasher detergent, either. On Walmart's product page, the Great Value detergent has over 16,000 ratings that average 4.5 out of 5 stars, with many highly complimentary reviews from satisfied customers. In other words, you're better off ditching the pricey dishwasher pods and leaning into an affordable but hardworking gel detergent.

Walmart's Great Value brand is often a popular name brand in hiding, and like many in-house grocery store brands it offers a much better price for otherwise similar products. Consumer Reports named a different store brand as the best single-dose dishwasher detergent, which shows the publication isn't swayed by expensive name brands. As for the 75-ounce Great Value gel detergent, Consumer Reports writes that the cost per load of dishes is only $0.07 per use, which is extremely affordable.

Walmart's Great Value gel detergent unfortunately does not resist water spots, but this seems to be the only drawback of this otherwise high-scoring detergent. Walmart recommends using it alongside Great Value Dishwasher Rinse Aid to get a truly spotless washing experience, so if the water spots bother you it's worth knowing you have options.

The second-highest rated gel detergent was Cascade Complete + Oxi Dawn, which did resist water spots. However, it ranked slightly lower in its ability to resist discoloration and film. Along with the Great Value dishwasher gel, Consumer Reports also recommended this Cascade detergent, but those were the only two of the gel detergents that were officially recommended by the consumer advocate group. With 16 less ounces and costing more than four times as much as the Great Value gel, though, it's hard to justify buying Cascade over Great Value here.