Dishwasher Woes

[Reefgazer]

My dishwasher is finally dying after 800 or so years of service, and I can't get parts to repair it.  What is the Speed Queen version of dishwashers?  You know, something that holds up well, uses real hot water if you opt for that cycle, and gets dishes clean.

[Carol in Cal.]

Ha.

 

I went through this last year and was so horrified by the poor quality out there that I'm delighted that DH, on his 5th tear down/rebuild try, managed to patch together our second hand, dented, at least 25 year old Kitchen Aide. 

 

However, if this had not worked out, based on answers here, I was ready to buy either a Miele, which seems like a high routine maintenance but reliable and functional dishwasher, albeit one that is so sleek and modern looking that it would have made the rest of my kitchen look absolutely ridiculous, or the high end Kitchen Aide, which I doubt would have been reliable or even longterm functional, but which did seem to have promise as a temporary solution.

 

I think that wrt appliances, we are at the first generation of energy efficient stuff, similar to first generation low flush toilets which did not, actually, flush.  And the success with which second generation low flush toilets actually do flush makes me optimistic that sometime in the next 5-10 years we will once again be able to buy appliances that function and last.

 

In the meantime, I have purchased a backup Kenmore washing machine on my neighborhood elist ($50) to keep in the garage for when my current workhorse utterly fails.  I am assuming that my dryer will run forever.  And we are limping our dishwasher along as described.

 

BTW, re. the newer dishwashers--you have to practically kneel on the floor to get dishes out of the bottom rack because of miniaturization.  While the extra dishwasher space is a nice feature, it is hard to imagine loading and unloading these after, say, age 75.  But don't think about that.

[KungFuPanda]

You're going to hate how LONG it takes to do even a quick cycle. Ugh.

[Katy]

The new ones are all bad in terms of garbage disposals and speed compared to the old ones.

 

Choose any of the major brands, definitely choose between the upgraded soundproofed ones, and make sure it has the Eco cycle as an option you choose, because if it is the ultra efficient one you may as well just hand wash.  This house had a new (low end) that I hate, but our last house had a new stainless Kitchenaide.  We bought last year's (ultra quiet high end) model on clearance at Lowe's. It cost the same as the new (low end) line. It still took 3 hours, but if we used Cascade anyone could badly load the dishwasher without pre-rinsing and almost everything was clean afterwards.  When I loaded and scraped everything was always clean. I took the time to get all the food off first though, no one else in the family does.

[Paige]

I have a new dishwasher- it's not quite a month old. It's a Maytag and is fine; not the cheapest and not top of the line.

 

Thoughts: 

It's energy efficient and uses less water and actually really does get my dishes cleaner than the old one which who knows how old it was. It was here when we moved. BUT, KF Panda is correct. It takes forever to run a load. I think it takes about 2.5hrs to run a normal load. I can do a quick cycle but then I'd lose my energy efficiency and most of the time I don't really need it done quickly.

 

It's the same physical size as my old one but somehow holds significantly less. I don't know why. If I'd realized what a difference it would be, I would have paid more for one with extra features that make things more adjustable or something.

 

I got one with a disposal b/c DS does the dishes and is sloppy about rinsing but there's still chunks to pick out of the grates. WTH? I got the disposal b/c I think picking stuff out of grates is nasty but I may as well have opened my choices up to the other options since it doesn't seem to make much difference. There were more choices w/out disposal than with. Maybe I'll see a difference over longer use with stuff not getting built up where I can't see it. 

 

It's much quieter even though it wasn't a fancy one advertised as super quiet. 

 

Mine has the steam feature and I like it. I think it helps get the dishes cleaner. 

 

 

[Carol in Cal.]

Oh, and, none of them can be relied upon to dry anything anymore.  For that you have to let them run completely, taking care not to open the door while the (little) heat inside is giving you some evaporation, and then open the door, and then leave it like that overnight.

[EmilyGF]

The European models have a food trap that you empty (which makes them quiet).

 

The American models have a food disposal that grinds away (that makes them loud).

 

Pick your poison. :-)

 

Emily

[Guest]

Agreeing with PP's. I don't see how anything that takes 2.5 hours to run is efficient for much.....but we didn't have a choice. I bought the nice stainless KA when we had to replace ours almost 2 years ago. I love that it's extremely quiet. Only complaint so far is it's easy to accidentally turn on if I'm working at the counter right in front of it. I think the newer model moved the controls to the top edge of the door which would prevent that. I just flip mine off at the wall switch to avoid turning it on. I use Cascade Complete which seems to get the dishes very clean, and set the four hour delay to run while we are asleep. I do still gve to wipe some dishes off before putting away, as Carol mentions- especially plastic as they aren't completely dry on the top rack.

 

Also, due to the cycle length, I keep a back up of paper plates as running a midday cycle is no longer happening if we run out of dishes or cups. Even the Eco cycle takes longer than our old dishwasher did. You're going to have to settle on this one. No shining SQ to save the day thus far. :(

[Reefgazer]

It must be that backup of paper plates that makes it energy efficient. *eye roll*. Seriously, not one reliable and functional dishwasher out there?

 

Agreeing with PP's. I don't see how anything that takes 2.5 hours to run is efficient for much.....but we didn't have a choice. I bought the nice stainless KA when we had to replace ours almost 2 years ago. I love that it's extremely quiet. Only complaint so far is it's easy to accidentally turn on if I'm working at the counter right in front of it. I think the newer model moved the controls to the top edge of the door which would prevent that. I just flip mine off at the wall switch to avoid turning it on. I use Cascade Complete which seems to get the dishes very clean, and set the four hour delay to run while we are asleep. I do still gve to wipe some dishes off before putting away, as Carol mentions- especially plastic as they aren't completely dry on the top rack.

 

Also, due to the cycle length, I keep a back up of paper plates as running a midday cycle is no longer happening if we run out of dishes or cups. Even the Eco cycle takes longer than our old dishwasher did. You're going to have to settle on this one. No shining SQ to save the day thus far. :(

[Pippen]

My GE Profile dries washes and dries dishes reliably. However, both racks started rusting out--as in tines falling off--at 18 months. Replacement costs for the racks is high. Stay away from this brand. 

[TravelingChris]

I don't think any of them dry anymore really.  It has to do with environmental regulations.  I don't like it even though in my old dishwasher I rarely used dry.  My new dishwasher cleans much better, is much quieter but it is wet.  HOw wet depends on how quickly I open it and how much I let it air but I can do all that and still they are wet.  I live in a damp forest and it is never really dry here. All in all, I like the Bosch we have in that it does clean well and is quiet.  

 

I can certainly go off on another rant about non drying dishwasher and non flushing toilets and non spraying showers.  But I guess I will just put up with it since there is little I can do.

[Carol in Cal.]

Something to be careful of with the high end Bosch--the tines on the bottom rack are slanted, so I couldn't put my pasta pot in there.  Now, I am an avid non-handwasher, so that nixed it for me.  YMMV.  Some of the tines can be folded down out of the way, but not enough to wash that crucial pot.  That's how I ended up deciding to fall back on the high end Kitchen Aide, until just in the nick of time DH managed to repair our old one after all.  It might sound like a garbage truck, but it does clean and dry the dishes.

[MBM]

We really liked our Bosch dishwasher. We'll be redoing our kitchen soon and I plan to install another one.

 

I love Bosch tools, too.

[Bootsie]

Something to be careful of with the high end Bosch--the tines on the bottom rack are slanted, so I couldn't put my pasta pot in there.  Now, I am an avid non-handwasher, so that nixed it for me.  YMMV.  Some of the tines can be folded down out of the way, but not enough to wash that crucial pot.  That's how I ended up deciding to fall back on the high end Kitchen Aide, until just in the nick of time DH managed to repair our old one after all.  It might sound like a garbage truck, but it does clean and dry the dishes.

I am renting a house with a Bosch dishwasher, and I have found it is the HARDEST dishwasher to load that I have ever used.  It is fine if I am doing just plates and glasses.  But, I haven't figured out a good way to load serving bowls, pots, or casserole dishes.  It does wash what I can get in it great.

[Paige]

Mine dries fine. It didn't dry well for the first time last night and I think it has to do with how it's loaded because it's never happened before. I'll be experimenting to see if there's something that DS blocked last time that made it not dry as well as it usually does. It actually dries better than our older one. 

[bluemongoose]

Ive had a high end kitchenaid for the last 10 years...the only reason it lasted that long is my DH was able to make many repairs to keep it going. The last straw was when it had a slow leak out the bottom and warped my flooring. We replaced it about 6 months ago with a Bosch 800...this is their upper mid-line, not their high end, but not the entry model either. It has more drawer flexibility and better drying than the entry model. The dry is still not quite as good as my old Kitchenaid, but it is decent. It cleans better than my kitchenaid did. The cycle time is about the same. It is quieter until it drains; for some reason the drain is really loud! I don't notice the lack of disposer because my husband promised to take on the job of emptying the catch  :001_smile: . 

Edited July 20, 2017 by bluemongoose

[gardenmom5]

I had a GE profile with three arms, and very flexible racks - and it got my dishes clean.  I loved it, and was sad when it died.

 

I wanted a quieter dishwasher . . . quieter is not all it's cracked up to be.  I currently have a high end kitchen-aide and utterly loath and despise it.  we have to practically wash the dishes before we load them, and use an extra hot water feature  in order for them to come clean.  things i NEVER had to do with my GE profile.   and it's a much longer cycle.

 

I was also infatuated with that third top rack. I'm so over that.  it is a  complete waste and takes up space for other stuff.

[Carol in Cal.]

I had a GE profile with three arms, and very flexible racks - and it got my dishes clean.  I loved it, and was sad when it died.

 

I wanted a quieter dishwasher . . . quieter is not all it's cracked up to be.  I currently have a high end kitchen-aide and utterly loath and despise it.  we have to practically wash the dishes before we load them, and use an extra hot water feature  in order for them to come clean.  things i NEVER had to do with my GE profile.   and it's a much longer cycle.

 

I was also infatuated with that third top rack. I'm so over that.  it is a  complete waste and takes up space for other stuff.

Yup.

 

This is like the new features on wash machines.  I yearned over them, and then those Samsungs started to freaking explode.  Literally explode.  Not that there is any specific connection except that in general the proverbial 'they' are adding 'features' while removing high quality basics like 'not exploding' and 'actually cleaning the clothes' and 'not tearing the clothes'.  

 

Got me a Speed Queen.  No frills, but I expect it to work 'fine' for the rest of my life.

Edited July 20, 2017 by Carol in Cal.

[gardenmom5]

Agreeing with PP's. I don't see how anything that takes 2.5 hours to run is efficient for much.....but we didn't have a choice. I bought the nice stainless KA when we had to replace ours almost 2 years ago. I love that it's extremely quiet. Only complaint so far is it's easy to accidentally turn on if I'm working at the counter right in front of it. I think the newer model moved the controls to the top edge of the door which would prevent that. I just flip mine off at the wall switch to avoid turning it on. I use Cascade Complete which seems to get the dishes very clean, and set the four hour delay to run while we are asleep. I do still gve to wipe some dishes off before putting away, as Carol mentions- especially plastic as they aren't completely dry on the top rack.

 

Also, due to the cycle length, I keep a back up of paper plates as running a midday cycle is no longer happening if we run out of dishes or cups. Even the Eco cycle takes longer than our old dishwasher did. You're going to have to settle on this one. No shining SQ to save the day thus far. :(

 

no - it doesn't.  it's very easy to bump the controls if the door is open; so as soon as you shut the door, it starts running.

 

the only nice thing I have to say about it is it's quiet.   so quiet at times, - i've been known to open it during a cycle because I didn't realize it was running.

[gardenmom5]

Yup.

 

This is like the new features on wash machines.  I yearned over them, and then those Samsungs started to freaking explode.  Literally explode.  Not that there is any specific connection except that in general the proverbial 'they' are adding features while removing high quality basics like 'not exploding' and 'actually cleaning the clothes' and 'not tearing the clothes'.  

 

Got me a Speed Queen.  No frills, but I expect it to work 'fine' for the rest of my life.

 

 

I've had good luck with my LG front loaders (I collected on the extended warranty for the maytag).

I did have to figure out how to wash my very heavy bathroom rug without freaking it out. . . . a very slow spin cycle.

[scbusf]

Oh, and, none of them can be relied upon to dry anything anymore.  For that you have to let them run completely, taking care not to open the door while the (little) heat inside is giving you some evaporation, and then open the door, and then leave it like that overnight.

 

This drives me INSANE. One of these days, DH is going to find me in a fetal position in the corner mumbling about how the Heated Dry cycle on our new dishwasher doesn't actually DRY anything.  :lol:

[PeppermintPattie]

My Bosch has a 25 minute quick wash. I love it!

[Sun]

I have a Miele. I love that thing with a completely unholy love. It cleans EVERYTHING. I scrape off chunks of food, but don't rinse at all, even casserole dishes with crusty, baked-on crud. It all comes out clean. Like the other European dishwashers, it does not have a heated dry, but I find that the convenience of being able to put plastic anywhere in the dishwasher makes up for it. Its method of drying supposedly involves condensation on the walls of the dishwasher, and it seems to work pretty well. I have to wipe off the bottoms of a few of the glasses or any bowl with a large lip at the bottom, but I always had to do that anyway with a US dishwasher with a heated dry--and I've never had a US dishwasher wash anywhere near as well as my Miele. It was expensive, but even my penny-pinching husband thinks it was well worth the money.

 

The "express" cycle on mine is 40 minutes, and it works well on normal dishes and glassware. I would not use it for cooking pots or casserole dishes, but I'll sometimes run the breakfast and lunch dishes after lunch to have an empty dishwasher ready for dinner prep.

Edited July 20, 2017 by Sun

[Sun]

Something to be careful of with the high end Bosch--the tines on the bottom rack are slanted, so I couldn't put my pasta pot in there.  Now, I am an avid non-handwasher, so that nixed it for me.  YMMV.  Some of the tines can be folded down out of the way, but not enough to wash that crucial pot.  That's how I ended up deciding to fall back on the high end Kitchen Aide, until just in the nick of time DH managed to repair our old one after all.  It might sound like a garbage truck, but it does clean and dry the dishes.

 

That bottom rack is one of the reasons I went with a Miele. I can fold half of the bottom rack totally flat if I want, and the other half has sensible straight tines. I find it much easier to load than a friend's Bosch.