Help, I need a new dishwasher!

[Carol in Cal.]

Ours failed epically and spectacularly.

Ugh.

 

Any tips?

 

I already know that I want one that is fairly quiet, and that doesn't have those utensil slots to load the utensils one at a time.  And it would be nice to have deep enough baskets to do two levels of plates at once. 

 

Any specific models or manufacturers that you recommend?  Any cautionary tales?  I need to move fast on this.

[Guest]

The Miele is super quiet and easy to stack dishes in, and I never had cleaner dishes in my life.  As long as it is not an ugly death, I hope my Kitchenaid dies soon so I can replace it with a Miele.

 

My friend adores her FisherPaykel (sp?) dishwashing drawers.  Much easier on her back, and she can run smaller loads.  Very quiet.

 

[gardenmom5]

I wanted a really quiet one - it's very quiet.  top of the line kitchen aid.  just one problem . . . it does NOT clean worth a darn.  I loath and despise it.  we finally got it to do a tolerable job (and I *mean* "tolerable", not 'great'.) by getting the water hot - and turning on the temp booster.  we were talking about replacing it within a couple months of buying it.  returning it wasn't an option.

 

I had a ge profile I really liked (it died), it cleaned really well, had *very* verstile racks that could be tailored to the load . . . . it just wasn't super duper quiet. .. . . quiet isn't all it's cracked up to be.

 

 

[NorthwestMom]

I have a Miele that's a year old and I love it.

[Ellie]

Ours failed epically and spectacularly.

Ugh.

 

Any tips?

 

I already know that I want one that is fairly quiet, and that doesn't have those utensil slots to load the utensils one at a time.  And it would be nice to have deep enough baskets to do two levels of plates at once. 

 

Any specific models or manufacturers that you recommend?  Any cautionary tales?  I need to move fast on this.

 

I have a mid-range Whirlpool that I love. When it's time to replace it (it's almost 12 years old), I will get another Whirlpool, possibly the higher end model. It has utensil slots, but I never use them. I just push them up and ignore them. The Whirlpool has a deeper tub than most; the upper rack can be adjusted, although I'm not sure if it will hold dinner plates. I'll have to go check. I put a boatload of dinner plates in the bottom rack and have never needed the upper rack for those.

[prairiewindmomma]

We put a Bosch 800 series (third rack for silverware) in about a year ago in our old house. We miss it immensely. It has a tub to contain any water leaks (essentially when we had wood floors in the kitchen!), it is incredibly silent, and it could hold either a service for 12 or our dishes from the meal + cooking pots/pans.  I did not like having to clean out the drain/trap every few weeks, but that was the only downside for us. It was incredibly efficient in its use of water and energy.

 

We also looked at Mieles.

 

Our previous dishwasher was a Kenmore Elite--highly rated, but not by us.  Our current dishwasher in this house is a GE. Not my favorite either.

[Crimson Wife]

We got a basic model Bosch (maybe $700?) in summer '14 because everybody I knew who had a Bosch raved about theirs. Well, I hate it.

 

The design of the spraying arms is very poor because little bits of food residue get stuck in them and block the holes. So after each load, I have to remove the spraying arms, clean them out manually, and then do a separate "rinse" cycle. Otherwise, I have to manually rinse the dishes after taking them out of the dishwasher . When I had it serviced under the warranty, the repair guy who showed me what the problem was said that it was a design flaw and he gets lots of calls over it.

 

If you go with a Bosch, spend the money to get a top-of-the-line one because the basic one stinks.

[BarbecueMom]

We got a basic model Bosch (maybe $700?) in summer '14 because everybody I knew who had a Bosch raved about theirs. Well, I hate it.

 

The design of the spraying arms is very poor because little bits of food residue get stuck in them and block the holes. So after each load, I have to remove the spraying arms, clean them out manually, and then do a separate "rinse" cycle. Otherwise, I have to manually rinse the dishes after taking them out of the dishwasher . When I had it serviced under the warranty, the repair guy who showed me what the problem was said that it was a design flaw and he gets lots of calls over it.

 

If you go with a Bosch, spend the money to get a top-of-the-line one because the basic one stinks.

THIS!!! I absolutely hate our Bosch, for this reason. I have to put "already cleanish" things around the sides because those holes in the sprayer arms are always half-blocked.

[cintinative]

We made the mistake of buying a Bosch without considering 1) the interior configuration of the racks does not work well with our high usage of IKEA plastic bowls and plates and glass baking dishes and 2) I like to empty the dishwasher when it is done, not wait until morning when they will be dry (Bosch doesn't have a heating element).

 

Largely for the first reason we brought the Bosch back and got a Kitchen Aid. The internal configuration works for our needs. Make sure you pay close attention to that. I didn't really look at much but features, but the Bosch is actually a lot smaller inside because of all the insulation they put in to make it energy efficient.  Okay, so back to the Kitchen Aid. I do like this dishwasher. It does what it is supposed to do. I am having more trouble with cloudy dishes than I used to, and need to rely more on rinse aid. Not sure what that is about.  Another thing--don't get  stainless. That was a huge mistake. I don't think ours came in another style but I hate that it is stainless. It endlessly has drip marks on the front of it.  =)

[Guest]

Do NOT get a Kenmore Elite.

 

I have never hated a dishwasher so much in my life. The thing's a piece of garbage.

Agreed!

 

I've had a Bosch for a year and love it. Super quiet and my dishes actually get clean! Even the peanut butter spoon!

[Carrie12345]

Love my Bosch.