I hope I don’t get salmmed for this but I have to ask. Who makes the best dishwasher? It seems like you can spend a lot of money on something that doesn’t even clean well. Did I get in the wrong business or what? 🙂
Fredd
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Replies
I used to install appliances professionally for a living and I always thought Kitchenaide was a really well made machine. They are a bit pricey though. A good middle of the road machine is the Whirlpool which is basically the same machine but with a plastic tank. (Kitchenaide was stainless steel) This might have changed maybe Whirlpool has stainless steel now too. The higher end Maytag machines were nicely made as well. By all means stay away from lower end GE machines and anything made by Frigidaire. They were complete garbage. I'm sure someone on here will tell you the Frigidaire is the best thing since sliced bread but trust me its a piece of crap.
Ever have any experiences with Bosch?
Stainless insides, quiet, extra rack, easy to install and customer still happy 5 yrs later.A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
I'm with ya on the easy install, like the up front screw to level the back side._______________________________________________________________
my tagline has fallen and can't get up
The leveling was nice, simple and easy and the side mounts were clean for the granite top. Nice unit, big front handle on this one tho---------------don't forget to locate it with drawer considerations. I just missed it.............by chance.
whew!A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
I recently installed a Bosch, all electronic control, no heated drying, client says it's really quiet, but he doesn't like the no heated drying part._______________________________________________________________
my tagline has fallen and can't get up
OK. Great But one question remains. Does it vent steam right under the counter top?
Sorry, I don't know._______________________________________________________________
my tagline has fallen and can't get up
no...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Stainless insides, quiet, extra rack, easy to install and clean really well...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Yes I installed dozens of them, they're great too. Probably better than Kitchenaide. The only thing about them was when installing them on a floor that didnt go all the way under the cabinets you would have to build up the floor to get it in. Also there was a channel underneathe the machine that you have to route the copper tubing and the electric line through which can be a little tricky. On the ultra high end there is also Fisher-Paykel which is a 2 drawer machine and the Asko which was probably the best machine I ever installed. So quiet I couldn't tell it was on when I was done installing it. Had to open the door and get hit with the steam of the water. Ah the memories........ The best part about being an installer was I used to steal all those little samples of detergent and rinse-aide that comes with every new machine. I didnt buy dishwasher soap for YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Craigabooey
Thanks Craig. Too funny about the detergent! What a hoot!
Do those Bosch machines come in any colors other than blue and black with red lettering?Personally, I'm going to wait for the "Litheon" version to come out.:)BruceT
Don't know if your seriously asking, but I've got a plain white bosch. Mike
Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.
"Don't know if your seriously asking..."Don't take postings seriously when followed by this little smiley-face sign :)I was referencing the color scheme of Bosch power tools.BruceT
so what is wrong with those colors???
be and no smiley..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Not a thing, although DW may not want to coordinate her kitchen decor with my power tools. She's funny that way.Maybe for Christmas I'll give her a mixer - does Milwaukee offer one of those yet in its Lithium Ion V-28 line?BruceT
wimmens tend to be like that...
go figure...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
that and any color ya want..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Many of the Bosch machines will take a raised wood panel for the front.
And mine was $600 - not 1K
Treat every person you meet like you will know them the rest of your life - you just might!
another vote for bosch.In all the research I did, that came out ahead. Definitely quiet.The drawback is no heated drying. Saves a lot of energy, and works great on glass and ceramic...however, plastic stuff doesn't try well. Nothing a dish towel can't fix, though.
I bought a Bosch. It is the quietest......... till the alarm goes off to tell you the cycle is over. Gets me outta bed......I have to open the door to shut it up!
The thing about dishwashers is how well they load, the Bosch is not very user friendly for loading.
It is tops for quiet!
Just don't buy one without the WIFE.
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
You can turn off the alarm. After getting out of bed once or twice myself I figured that out pretty fast.
Turn it off...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
You can turn the end of cycle signal off using the menu buttons. It's in the manual.
Manual? what's a manual? is that like a road map? hehe
I'll look it up.....Thanks, now maybe I can get some sleep..."Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
"Just don't buy one without the WIFE."Does that mean that I have to get married before I can replace my 27 yo Maytag?PS, it has a dryer heater, but no water preheater.I am too cheap to use the dryer heater.
Edited 10/17/2006 7:35 pm by BillHartmann
Does that mean that I have to get married before I can replace my 27 yo Maytag?
LOL!
If you really want to save money just wash the dishes by hand and store them in the dishwasher till you run out of plates :-)
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
I have the Bosch also, does anyone know how to shut off the beep noise when the dishes are done? My bird now mocks the beep sound because I've washed dishes in the a.m. and it beeped all day long. Now he's doing it, finally got him to stop with the Nextel chirps after getting rid of those 3 years ago, now hes a dishwasher alarm.
RTM...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
My Bosch had a typo in the instruction manual concerning turning off the end of cycle signal. There is an errata sheet that gives the correct instructions, or a call to their 800 hot line will tell you.
"Just don't buy one without the WIFE."
Whoa!
So the WIFE was an optional extra?
Sears never even mentioned that ...
ya think there's a 30 dat trial no questions asked trial period..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Much as I wanted to buy domiestic it irritated me to no end that the domestics did not specify sound levels or water consumption - and those were my priority. As mentioned it make is impossible to compare.
So, yet another vote for Bosch. Purchased mine at Sears and it was a Sears spec'd model. Liked the fact that it has a upper rack only cycle - uses about 1/2 the water that the other cycles use. Impossibly quiet. Stainless inside and out with the controls on the top edge of the door. Installed it my ownself, No issues with it in two years.
Dan
We have a G.E. Machine that we got with our house...I've learned to like washing dishes by hand. Your right...the G.E. machine is worthless.
Chris
Had a KitchenAid, worst piece of crap I ever owned, I had to replace every plastic part plus the door seal at least once due to breakage. The service place finally stopped coming around to fix it - I'd never get a call back.
Now I have a low-end Bosch, still worlds better than the KA, I love it . The non-heated dry cycle is no big deal, it just means you have to towel off the bottoms of some glassware and maybe some plastic pieces after the cycle. The BIG advantage of the non-heated dry cycle is that you can run plastics and heat-sensitive items on the bottom rack, where they tend to clean better.
Also look at Miele - top dollar but a great machine.
Kenmore, Kenmore, KENMORE. Dollar for dollar they have more features for the same money as a comparable Kitchenaide. Often no interest for 1 year, free delivery, rebates. We recently had a Kenmore Elite installed by a plumber who ran a test cycle. He was ASTOUNDED at how quiet it was. We have had Kenmore for over 25 years (The pricey Maytag leaked water all over the place on the first cycle after installation). My wife will open it up after a cycle and say "I can't believe that this pot got clean!". Besides ... repair parts via internet UPS-ed to your door on Sears charge. Show me where you lose on this deal!!! There is no status in overpaying ... as they say, "Never give a sucker an even break and never wise up a chump". $1500.00 for a dishwasher is a joke.
I've heard Bosch makes a good one. I was also told that Kitchen aid makes a good unit too.
I bought the wife a KA and as long as you watch how you load it it works well.
I've also been told that the machines with stainless interiors are better. I think it has something to do with the machine smelling less if dirty dishes are left it for a while.
I think the stainless interiors allow the machine to heat the water hotter for cleaner dishes. That what a salesman told me though so who knows...
With today's open floor plans, a super-quiet dishwasher is important. Otherwise, you never want to run it when you're home. At my place, we also have hard well water, which easily stains the plastic insides of most washers.
We got a low-end Bosch several years ago. it really is super quiet. No problem running it at any time. the stainless steel interior has stayed bright and shiny. it has it' own pump and uses little water. Mine has a heating coil for drying; is the no-heat thing some new EU regulation?
Anyway, compared to the U.S. brands ones I've always had previously, there's no comparison. Get the Bosch.
Edited 10/15/2006 10:02 pm by BarryO
I bought the Bosch about two years ago. It was pretty easy to install.
Its so quiet you have to put your ear up to the door to tell if its on or not.
I'm not crazy about the plastic inserts in it for the utensils and dishes.
Seem kinda cheesy for a machine I paid almost a grand for. For almost a thousand bucks those parts should be stainless as well. Other than that its a great machine.
Creation arises, is sustained for awhile, and then things change. That’s the dance.
I would like to thank Everyone for their input. I made a decision and hands down it's going to be the BOSCH! Thanks for all of your input. THe internet is great for this type of stuff!!
Best Wishes to all
Fredd
One more vote for the Bosch. Just put one in and love it, can barely hear it run. I recommend you get the model with the light that shines down on the floor to let you know it's running. Miele is great too apparently but you pay a few bucks more. Got my Bosch at K-Mart / Sears of all places. Free delivery and best price in town.
I just installed the Miele dishwasher that I ordered a few weeks ago. Ran the first load yesterday. So quiet you need a stethoscope to hear it run. Stainless interior. Three racks and 3 wash arms. Sensors that adjust the wash according to how dirty the water is getting. Also a built in water softener that takes care of the hard water problems automatically. Expensive...that goes without saying, but you asked who makes the best.
It depends whats important. I liked the idea of the dish drawer so much that I had to have the Fisher Paykel. It is so much easier to load and unload, I'd trade off some other features. I bought it in spite of many complaints about reliability on the epinions.com site. The reliability problems seemed to be directed towards the older generation of machines. I fix things myself, so I wasn't worried about labor costs to repair. I took a chance on this issue, and it has paid off so far.
It is very quiet, and when I'm over at other peoples houses, I realize that it is way better than average in this catagory. It is not silent though. It is on now, and I'm about 10 feet away. It sounds about as loud as the fan on my computer, which is about 2 feet away from me. We have an open floorplan, and run it whenever we need to without worry about the noise.
I got the one that you add custom panels to, and it doesn't tell you anything about where it is in the cycle. This was a little irritating at first. There is only a light to indcate if it's running or not. I've gotten used to this and don't care anymore. I really don't need to know this, especially since there is a second washer available.
I feel that for an $1100 dishwasher it should have a stainless interior, but it doesn't. It is plastic. Also the 2 flip down shelves seem a little flimsy, but they are working fine.
It does a fantastic job of cleaning.
It took a while to get used to the best way to load it since it is different than other units.
I have had it for 2 years now and had no failures or repair issues.
We did break a glass in it once, and when cleaning it out, a piece got past the screen. The pump started making some noise. It was so easy accessing the entire pump. Basicly you just turn the screen a little, and lift up. It's in you hand now. The pump is magnetically driven from below. No seals or places to leak. Easy to keep clean
It is 2 separate dishwashers and each holds about 2/3 the number of dishes of a standard unit. So you can do more dishes at the same time, or a single smaller load is less wasteful than a standard unit.
It is one of the most energy efficient units on the market.
No heated dry, but it really doesn't matter. The hot dishes evaporate almost all of the water anyway.
It is the easiest to load and unload dishwasher that I have ever used by far. We use the top drawer daily, and the bottom about weekly. So there is rarely any bending over.
In my opinion it is the best unit available, but it's not perfect.
Meile if you got the bucks but parts can be a problem in some areas. I had 2 installed 2 years ago. 1 3 shelf, the other a 2 shelf. Very quite machines and the install was fast and clean.
My own house has a GE Profile, full stainless model. It's almost as quite and it cost 1100.00 less. It was the standard install of laying on your belly.
What are you looking for?
A stainless interior model or is plastic OK? Plastic tubs save a lot of bucks but didn't work for mum since her well water is super-high in dissolved metals (stains the tub).
Another thing worth considering is the energy-usage of the dishwasher. The energystar database or the energyguide sticker at the shop will tell you a lot about what a dishwasher will cost you when its working.
Shopping in places like sears is interesting because you never know who makes the Kenmore stuff these days. IIRC, Bosch currently makes their high-end stuff, a US manufacturer picks up the rest. Also, there is a lot of private-labeling going on...
I have a Miele dishwasher that I love... enough that I've bought other Miele appliances. It's very quiet, and I really the silverware rack, which gets the silverware a lot cleaner than the little trays most dishwashers have.
But most of all I like the service. I had trouble with the appliance dealer I bought the dishwasher from. They were out five times to install it and it still wasn't right. I called Miele and they sent someone out and fixed everything. A year later I had a problem and they sent someone out who made me feel like not only was he going to fix any problem that came up, but that he couldn't be prouder of the company he works for and the products he represents.
I now also have one of their vent hoods and ovens, and I love both.
Consumer reports lists one from (believe it or not) Sears as your best bet. I installed one in my kitchen last spring, and I love it.
It's quiet enough, tho not as quiet as a Bosch. You can have a quiet conversation in the same room while its running, so what more do I need?
Its absolutely huge inside, tho it fits in the same old space.
Its not stainless steel on the inside, but since I don't have rusty water, that makes absolutely no difference to me. And steel is a lot more expensive than plastic.
And the price is literally about half of the Bosch's.
But note that there is a specific model number that is their best-rated. Similar ones from the same store/manufacturer don't get the high rating. So be careful.
Unless you're the lead dog, the view just never changes.
I bought a Bosch in a stainless steel Finish. With the controls on the front. Paid about 650 for it. I love it. My dishes have never been cleaner. I have a stainless steel interior. I really don't lkike the makeup of the upper rack but i could probably get used to it. A normal cucle runs about 90-100 minutes. That feels kinda long to me. On saturday, I tried my hand at honey roasting some almonds, and failed miserably. Ended up with severely burned nuts. I had already put the baking sheet in the trash and thought I would giv the dishwasher a shot at it. And damned if it didn't clean every bit of burned stuff off of it. I was amazed!
Nothin' worse than severely burned nuts...
had to hurt too,...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I have a Bosch all stainless inside and out with hidden buttons (they are on the top edge of the door - ie they tuck underneath the edge of the countertop. It looks sweet, it is super quiet and practically sterilizes the dishes it heats the water while washing. The dishes dry on their own since the water is so hot. And since there is no heating element plastics can go on the top or the bottom rack.
Brian
whirlpool. lowest amnt. of problems. quiet... due to the way water splashes on the interior. only brand i buy.
bc,
I'm with you.
I came in late but installed a Whirlpool in my first house used it for 11 years with no repairs / problems: moved into current house which had a aging Maytag ( talk about noisy!; installed another Whirlpol when we gutted the kitchen for major overhaul.
I am on city water - no rust / mineral problems; plastic tub still pristine white after 5+ years. Perhaps a bit noisy as compared to some of the higher priced machines, but we set it up to run in the middle of the night via the time delay switches - we're upstairs, it's downstairs - I don't hear it! No repairs / problems.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
Seriously consider Bosch - installed one in my home one year ago and I couldn't be more satisfied. Bosch should amplify the sound so you know it's running!
Carl
I prefer bosch¯
No food grinder jsut a catch screen dump it once in a while.
SS interrior lots of insulation on the outside pretty quiet.
Here's a thing about Kitchen aid----- high end ones are built by whirlpool---- low end --- Oh crap I can't remeber. Same with kenmore.
Bosch are slightly narrower---- european thing.
OK not resi practicable--- but HOBART is the best damn thing out there when it comes to dishwashers though
Hobart does make a resi undercounter , but there so so.
When asked why is there four engines on a 747------ "cause we couldn't fit six" a Boeing engineer
Is ASKO Sold in the US we had one in a previous house it was excellent would certainly have another.
Regards from OZ
You can make it fool proof but not idiot proof
My ASKO had repair problems Replaced with Bosch -- no problems!
You might want to post this over in Cooks Talk, or even do a search over there - they have had a number of discussions on this subject.
" There'll be no living with her now" - Captain Jack Sparrow
We bought the Fisher & Paykel in our last house, and when we got our new house there was no question we would buy one again. Expensive ( about $2200 in Canada) but we love how it works.
Sounds like you've made your choice, but for reference on appliances, I always go here first: http://www.applianceguru.com
Great info for new and old units, and has saved me a ton of money in the past.
Bosch... excellent tools... excellent dishwasher.
I'm glad this came up.... gives me a chance to vent about the domestic brands of DW's...Whirlpool, Frigidare, etc.
When I was looking for a DW for my own house, my 2 top requirements were the sound level and the amount of water used (low flow well!). I looked at every single brand on the market...thank god for the internet.
What I found was that ONLY the European brands publish a sound rating. None of the domestic brands do. The domestics use their own meaningless terms such as Super Quiet, Ultra Quiet or some such nonsense. The European brands rate each model in decibels...the only way to compare sound.
Same with water use. Only the European brands, Bosch and Asco list gallons per cycle.
Given this, I was determined avoid the domestic brands. It's not that the domestics don't make quiet, low-water units, but there's no way to tell what you're getting until it's too late.
I ended up getting an Asko, which I can barely hear, even up close.
REDDOG
Miele probably makes the best. But they are too expensive for most of us.
Bosch has ranked at or near the top of Consumer Reports ratings for several years.
I bought one at Sears in 2001. Love it. It is very quiet, cleans well, has a simple and attractive control panel.
Some people may be put off by the lack of an electric heating element, but I think the Bosch approach is superior. There is no exposed coil at the bottom of the tub to trap dirt, melt fallen plastic items, or reduce space for dishes. Drying is accomplished by hotter wash temps (which probably means better cleaning) and a stainless tub.
The lack of a food grinder in the trap also is not an issue. The very hot water melts a lot of debris. Anything left over is managed by rinsing the easily-removed trap once in a blue moon.
Some people may be put off by the lack of an electric heating element, but I think the Bosch approach is superior. There is no exposed coil at the bottom of the tub to trap dirt, melt fallen plastic items, or reduce space for dishes. Drying is accomplished by hotter wash temps (which probably means better cleaning) and a stainless tub.
You're right; mine doesn't have one either. It dries plenty fast, due to the heated water.
I've had my share of melted plastic utensils that have fallen on the coils of older washers.
I believe that would be Mexico. Most of the commercial dishwashers I have seen have been Mexican. Not a lot of choice in the color though.