Huh. Everybody knows that most built-in dishwashers you see listed as “26-inch deep” aren’t actually trying to stick two extra inches out into your kitchen—they’re simply giving you the total appliance depth (door + handle + space for hoses/hinges) rather than the cut-out depth (how deep the cabinet cavity needs to be).
1. Nominal vs. actual depth
• Nominal “standard” depth is 24″—that’s what most cabinet openings (and countertop overhangs) are built around. 
• Actual depth with handle is often 25½–27″. That extra 1½–3″ includes your door thickness, any handle or pocket-handle protrusion, and sometimes a slight bumper or hinge offset. 
2. Cut-out depth vs. installed depth
• Look for the “cut-out depth” or “depth without handles” spec—on many 24″-wide dishwashers this is closer to 21–22½″, so the body of the dishwasher actually sits fully inside your 24″ cabinet. 
• The remaining inches are simply the door (and handle) that rest flush against your cabinet face.
3. Why the extra space is needed
• Room for plumbing & leveling legs: Hoses, drain/water lines, and electrical often enter through the back or toe-kick area; you need a little clearance behind the unit.
• Door swing clearance: When you open the door, you need 21–27″ of clear floor space in front so you can load/unload without bumping into an island or wall. 
4. Top-control vs. front-control
• Top-control models hide their buttons on the top edge of the door, giving you a completely flat front; they aren’t inherently deeper, but some fully-integrated “panel-ready” units (which let you mount a ¾″ custom cabinet panel on the front) will spec a deeper overall depth to account for both the custom panel thickness and internal space for controls. 
• Front-control models simply list both “depth without handle” and “depth with handle” so you know exactly how much the handle sticks out.
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In practice
• Measure twice: Check both the cabinet interior depth (from back wall to face of your frame) and the total depth of any model you like.
• Don’t fear the “26-inch” spec—if your cabinet is a true 24″ deep cavity, the body will still recess fully; it’s just the door and handle that extend to meet your cabinet face (and maybe sneak a half-inch beyond).
• Plan for clearance: Make sure you’ve got at least 21–24″ of floor space in front of the dishwasher so the door can open fully without blocking traffic or bumping islands.
That way, you get a dishwasher that sits flush with your counters and cabinetry—with only the handle peeking out—while still giving you room for all the plumbing and a proper door swing.
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Above, courtesy of ChatGPT.
