Dishwasher detergent is judged on getting food off and not leaving film or spots behind. We scored seven on both. Our top pick is Cascade Platinum Plus ActionPacs with Dawn, with an SR Score of 91, as the most effective detergent in Consumer Reports’ tests across cleaning, film, and spots. If you want the best film and mineral-deposit resistance, Finish Powerball Ultimate (89) is the runner-up.
The ranking
| Rank | Detergent | Best for | Form / price | SR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cascade Platinum Plus ActionPacs w/ Dawn | Overall best | Pods / ~$0.35/load | 91 |
| 2 | Finish Powerball Ultimate | Film & spot resistance | Pods / ~$0.33/load | 89 |
| 3 | Cascade Platinum ActionPacs | Best value premium | Pods / ~$0.28/load | 88 |
| 4 | Finish Quantum | Hard-water shine | Pods / ~$0.30/load | 86 |
| 5 | Cascade Complete Powder | Adjustable value | Powder / ~$0.12/load | 84 |
| 6 | Seventh Generation Power+ Pacs | Plant-based | Pods / ~$0.30/load | 81 |
| 7 | Member’s Mark Ultimate Clean | Bulk budget | Pods / ~$0.18/load | 80 |
Methodology
The Home Score v2026 rubric weights five criteria that sum to 100:
- Cleaning power (35) — removing baked-on, greasy, and protein soils.
- Film & spot resistance (25) — keeping glassware clear and spot-free.
- Value per load (20) — cost per wash, not box price.
- Ingredients & rinse aid (10) — built-in rinse aid, phosphate-free formulas.
- Reputation & reviews (10) — lab testing and owner ratings.
Cleaning leads, with film resistance close behind because spotty glasses are the most common complaint. Re-weight toward Value and the powder and bulk picks climb.
Cascade Platinum Plus ActionPacs with Dawn
The overall winner. Consumer Reports rates it the most effective detergent tested, leading on cleaning while resisting film, discoloration, and water spots. Around $0.35 per load.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Cleaning power | 34/35 |
| Film & spot resistance | 23/25 |
| Value per load | 17/20 |
| Ingredients & rinse aid | 8/10 |
| Reputation & reviews | 9/10 |
Trade-off: among the priciest per load.
Finish Powerball Ultimate
The film-resistance pick. Above-average cleaning with excellent scores for resisting film and mineral deposits, plus strong spot resistance. Around $0.33 per load.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Cleaning power | 32/35 |
| Film & spot resistance | 24/25 |
| Value per load | 17/20 |
| Ingredients & rinse aid | 8/10 |
| Reputation & reviews | 8/10 |
Trade-off: slightly behind Cascade Platinum on the heaviest grease.
Cascade Platinum ActionPacs
The value-premium pick. Excels at removing grease and leaves dishes spot-free with minimal residue, at a lower per-load cost than the Plus version. Around $0.28 per load.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Cleaning power | 32/35 |
| Film & spot resistance | 22/25 |
| Value per load | 18/20 |
| Ingredients & rinse aid | 7/10 |
| Reputation & reviews | 9/10 |
Trade-off: no added Dawn grease-cutting boost of the top pick.
Finish Quantum
The hard-water shine pick. Three chambers including a built-in shine agent help glassware stay clear in hard water. Around $0.30 per load.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Cleaning power | 31/35 |
| Film & spot resistance | 23/25 |
| Value per load | 17/20 |
| Ingredients & rinse aid | 8/10 |
| Reputation & reviews | 8/10 |
Trade-off: cleaning trails the top Cascade pods slightly.
Cascade Complete Powder
The adjustable-value pick. Cheap per load and lets you dose to the load size, which pods cannot. Around $0.12 per load. Best for small households watching cost.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Cleaning power | 28/35 |
| Film & spot resistance | 20/25 |
| Value per load | 19/20 |
| Ingredients & rinse aid | 6/10 |
| Reputation & reviews | 8/10 |
Trade-off: messier to measure and weaker on baked-on soils than pods.
Seventh Generation Power+ Pacs
The plant-based pick. Fragrance- and dye-free with a plant-derived formula that cleans respectably and resists residue in CR tests. Around $0.30 per load.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Cleaning power | 27/35 |
| Film & spot resistance | 20/25 |
| Value per load | 16/20 |
| Ingredients & rinse aid | 9/10 |
| Reputation & reviews | 7/10 |
Trade-off: trails the leaders on the hardest grease and hard-water film.
Member’s Mark Ultimate Clean
The bulk-budget pick. A Sam’s Club store brand that cleans well at a fraction of name-brand cost when bought in bulk. Around $0.18 per load.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Cleaning power | 28/35 |
| Film & spot resistance | 19/25 |
| Value per load | 19/20 |
| Ingredients & rinse aid | 6/10 |
| Reputation & reviews | 7/10 |
Trade-off: inconsistent on heavy hard-water film versus premium pods.
Verification
- Cascade Platinum Plus ActionPacs w/ Dawn — most-effective rating verified on consumerreports.org and cascadeclean.com.
- Finish Powerball Ultimate — film and deposit resistance verified on consumerreports.org and finishdishwashing.com.
- Cascade Platinum ActionPacs — grease performance verified on consumerreports.org.
- Finish Quantum — shine-agent design verified on finishdishwashing.com.
- Cascade Complete Powder — dosing flexibility verified on cascadeclean.com.
- Seventh Generation Power+ Pacs — plant-based formula verified on seventhgeneration.com.
- Member’s Mark Ultimate Clean — value performance verified on consumerreports.org and samsclub.com.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the best dishwasher detergent in 2026?
- Cascade Platinum Plus ActionPacs with Dawn is the most effective detergent in Consumer Reports testing, excelling at cleaning and resisting film, discoloration, and water spots. Finish Powerball Ultimate is the close runner-up.
- Are pods better than gel or powder?
- Yes, in general. Consumer Reports' latest tests found the best single-dose pods clean better than the best gels. Pods are pre-dosed and convenient; powder is cheaper and lets you adjust the amount for small loads.
- Cascade or Finish?
- Cascade Platinum edges Finish on grease and overall cleaning in CR tests, while Finish Powerball Ultimate is excellent at resisting film and mineral deposits. Both are top-tier; the gap is small.
- Do I still need rinse aid with pods?
- Many premium pods include rinse-aid action, but adding separate rinse aid still improves drying and spot resistance, especially in hard-water areas. It is cheap insurance for spotless glassware.
- Are store-brand detergents any good?
- Some are. Consumer Reports found several store-brand detergents clean very well at much lower cost. They trail the top Cascade and Finish pods on the hardest grease and hard-water film, but for everyday loads they are fine.