Dishwasher - cutlery basket or tray?

[MinisWin]

Talk to me mighty housekeeping experts - do I want my new Bosch dishwasher to have a cutlery basket or a tray at the top? I've narrowed it down to two and this is the only difference between them? Better the devil you know (basket)? Or will a tray change my life forever? I'm fairly anal when it comes to dishwasher stacking so I don't mind taking the time to fill the tray. Has anyone had both? Which do you prefer? Will a tray hugely limit the height of what I can stack underneath?

I have a tray and having had a basket previously, I prefer it.

It is true as pp says that it is more faddly to fill up but you get quicker at it after a while. But I find the individual pieces of cutlery wash better.

We also cook a lot as a family and I like having the whole of the bottom tray to devote to pan washing!

We have a Miele and it is useful because although you lose a bit of height with a cutlery tray, the cup and glass tray below it is adjustable which helps a lot if you have tall pans in the very bottom tray.

Last point - I think a tray is safer because it is compartmentalised for sharp knives etc - I kept stabbing myself when items were shoved together in the basket!

I prefer the basket because we have a motley selection of glasses/ mugs/ Pyrex/ lunch boxes etc and I need the extra space on the top layer.... if I had an homogenous range of kitchen ware that fitted between the various prongs to maximise the space I would like the tray...... never going to happen

Would add I had always hankered after tray until DSis got one of each (!)and much prefers the basket machine for taking more overall ps she has the same jumble sale style of crockery range

You have to to far more touching of dirty cutlery when filling a tray I find

Love the tray, cutlery is clean. More room in bottom. Granted the top layer isn't as high. I still kept my basket but have no desire to use it.

I have a Bosch dishwasher with a top tray for silver and cutlery, this never seems to come out clean. Had it checked by Bosch, tried various tablets.It is only 2 years old. Any Ideas

I have a hotpoint with a sliding tray in the top and a moveable basket in the bottom. Sometimes I take out one or the other.

@Fabrichound start your own thread separately, you'll get more replies.

I've never tried a tray, but I've been through two baskets on the one machine. The sharp knives keep gouging bigger holes in the bottom of the basket