Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

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windaar
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Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by windaar »

I am looking for a new dishwasher. Consumer magazines and sites push models with many features and adjustments. The problem is that I only ever use the "regular wash" setting with heated dry. Furthermore, I find racks with specialized niches and adjustable settings to be problematic; they actually limit what can be placed on a rack and tend to break. Could anyone recommend a brand and model that is durable and high quality without all the bells and whistles?
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G-Money
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by G-Money »

Don't know if it fits your criteria, but I bought a Bosch in the past year and have been very happy with it. I also only do "regular" wash and don't fuss around much with adjustable racks.
Don't assume I know what I'm talking about.
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BolderBoy
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by BolderBoy »

G-Money wrote:Don't know if it fits your criteria, but I bought a Bosch in the past year and have been very happy with it. I also only do "regular" wash and don't fuss around much with adjustable racks.
+1. My Bosch is 10 years old and works like a wizard.
PacNorWest
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by PacNorWest »

We bought a "Blomberg" dishwasher for our home - it's amazingly quiet.
Like you, we use the basic feature to wash.
Currently, we're in a rental condo that has a Bosch dishwasher which looks amazingly like our Blomberg and runs even quieter!
I think the Blomberg is a knock-off of the Bosch.
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Ged
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by Ged »

We have a Bosch that has been pretty much flawless.
BillyG
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by BillyG »

Take a look at the newer Kitchenaid dishwashers. We were all set to get a Bosch but read about some problems in their newer models. What sold us on the Kitchenaid is they have "caught up" in terms of quietness and energy efficiency, and they have a bigger tub than the Euro-models and more logical dish racks than Bosch for most American style plates and bowls.

But this might or might not be right for you.

What is most important for you to do is take some of your plates and bowls to a store and try them out in the racks in Bosch, Kitchenaid, Miele, etc. dishwashers. Make sure the model you select works for your plates and bowls.

Also, some dishwashers use a filter to catch large food particles and some dishwashers use a grinder to pulverize large food particles. if you don't like to clean dishwasher filters get a model with a grinder, although they will make more noise on occasion.

Good luck!

Billy
rustymutt
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by rustymutt »

We've had to much bad luck with Kitchenaid products. I'm done trying them, they've been a mistake. If you've got power issues in your neighborhood, you want to go with cheap appliances, and understand that if you get 12 years of service, we've gone way past what the manufacture wished would happen.
Last edited by rustymutt on Fri Jul 26, 2013 7:38 am, edited 2 times in total.
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BrandonBogle
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by BrandonBogle »

BillyG wrote:What is most important for you to do is take some of your plates and bowls to a store and try them out in the racks in Bosch, Kitchenaid, Miele, etc. dishwashers. Make sure the model you select works for your plates and bowls.

Also, some dishwashers use a filter to catch large food particles and some dishwashers use a grinder to pulverize large food particles. if you don't like to clean dishwasher filters get a model with a grinder, although they will make more noise on occasion.

Good luck!

Billy
Really good advice here from Billy!
Last edited by BrandonBogle on Thu Jul 25, 2013 3:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
donall
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by donall »

A couple of years ago I had to buy a new dishwasher and my criteria was the least number of buttons. Ended up with a GE (with the controls hidden) and have found that once you set to regular wash, you only need to press one button, shut the door to turn on the machine. Bosch are nice but have European connections that can cause issues with installers and repairmen.

I think it is fine to take dishes and try them out before buying. But one can also customize the racks by bending them :D
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Dumbo
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by Dumbo »

Ged wrote:We have a Bosch that has been pretty much flawless.
We wanted a Bosch for the longest time then I did some research (Consumer Reports?) and it wasn't that highly rated. I was under the impression they are exceptional appliances, plus they're made in Germany so there's that too. Anyways reading up on it made me second guess myself.

Maybe it's just a case of having too much information at my disposal.

Are their other appliances any good?
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TallBoy29er
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by TallBoy29er »

+1 for Bosch.

Regarding the comment about Consumer Reports, that is a subscription I have and use often (worth the nominal yearly fee). If you look at the most recent dishwasher reports, Bosch is by far the most prevalent name on the "Best Buy" and "Recommended" list.

I would suggest signing up for a subscription. Well worth the money.
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FrugalInvestor
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by FrugalInvestor »

donall wrote:A couple of years ago I had to buy a new dishwasher and my criteria was the least number of buttons. Ended up with a GE (with the controls hidden) and have found that once you set to regular wash, you only need to press one button, shut the door to turn on the machine. Bosch are nice but have European connections that can cause issues with installers and repairmen.

I think it is fine to take dishes and try them out before buying. But one can also customize the racks by bending them :D
We purchased a GE about a year ago when ours started leaking. Rather than have it repaired and risk damage to our new wood floors we replaced it. We disliked the GE so much that we returned it (to Sears). It didn't wash well, especially the flatware, wouldn't dry the dishes and was difficult to load due to the way the racks were set up.

We ended up with a mid-line Whirlpool which is what we had before. We like how it loads, washes and dries. It has more buttons than we need but we ignore the superfluous ones and are happy with the results.
Have a plan, stay the course and simplify. Then ignore the noise!
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Ged
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by Ged »

Dumbo wrote: Are their other appliances any good?
I don't have any more Bosch appliances, but I have found their power tools are worth taking a look at. I have a jig saw that I'd rate as excellent, a digital protractor that is excellent, and a sander that I'd call very good.
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Jake46
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by Jake46 »

Ged wrote:We have a Bosch that has been pretty much flawless.
+1. We've had a Bosch for several years. Excellent cleaning & very quiet.
obgraham
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by obgraham »

Looking at Bosch reviews at Amazon, it appears you either love or hate this appliance. Most of the haters don't like the way it loads. I'd be checking that out.

I've found that even in the lower end models there is a huge difference in how well dishwashers are laid out to load the dishes. I've got a great GE here, and a lousy Frigidaire in Arizona.
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theduke
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by theduke »

Bosch has a dishwasher plant in North Carolina and they're made with US connections. Mine is about one year old and is great. Very quiet.
Last edited by theduke on Thu Jul 25, 2013 9:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Atilla
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by Atilla »

We have a Siemens. They are made by Bosch I think. Anyway - moderate price, work great and very few buttons on the front. Nothing fancy...just get the crap clean. And it has for the past few years. Love it.
123
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by 123 »

We bought a new dishwasher as part of a remodeling project. We got a Kenmore Elite clone of a Kitchenaid. Paid about $800, a couple of hundred less then the "real" Kitchenaid. We selected it because of its quietness and we've been very pleased so far. While we were attracted to some European brands we found that they lacked a regular "heated" drying cycle. We had endured a very noisy low-end dishwasher that the prior owner had installed for many years. It was just time for some peace and quiet in the evening. Our climate doesn't support much natural drying so the presence of a regular "heated" drying cyle was a requirement for us.
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letsgobobby
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by letsgobobby »

We've had two Kenmores and they work great for a reasonable price.
dewey
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by dewey »

G-Money wrote:Don't know if it fits your criteria, but I bought a Bosch in the past year and have been very happy with it. I also only do "regular" wash and don't fuss around much with adjustable racks.
Ditto. We have an entry level Bosch--now 5 years old. best dishwasher we've ever owned.
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hsfan92
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by hsfan92 »

Bosch
mbres60
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by mbres60 »

We have a Kenmore Elite that Consumer Reports rated highly. We bought it end of May. We have been using powder but it isn't working. Stuff is stuck on bowls and some knives. I am going to try the Finish powerballs detergent as soon as my sister brings me my large box she bought at an incredible discount. My next load will be used with those. The two samples that came with the machine worked fine. My fingers are crossed. The great thing about the new dishwasher is that it is QUIET!!!
madbrain
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by madbrain »

+3 for Bosch .

When I moved into my current home 3 years ago, I wanted to take the Bosch from my former townhome with me. It was the top of the line model, almost $2000 .
Unfortunately, the countertop in the new home was too low by about 1" to fit the Bosch DW. Bosch didn't have any so-called "ADA compliant" dishwashers.
I bought a 2nd from top-of-the-line Miele which is also exceptional.

Both the Bosch and Miele are very simple to operate. Both are extremely quiet. I prefer the Bosch slightly, though. I wish it would have fit.
The Miele was a little bit less money, though.
davebarnes
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Bosch

Post by davebarnes »

Consumer Reports says: 31 of the top 50 dishwashers are Bosch.
In my experience with Bosch dishwashers, they all clean well if you follow the directions.
The main differences among the models are: rack setup and noise.
The more you spend, the quieter they are.
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Macmungo
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by Macmungo »

Perhaps we are reading different issues of Consumer Reports. Among the top 50 dishwashers listed on pages 47-48 of the issue of July, 2013, 8 are made by Bosch. Not "31".
Last edited by Macmungo on Fri Jul 26, 2013 3:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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englishgirl
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Re: Simple, High Quality Dishwasher?

Post by englishgirl »

I have a Bosch. It runs very well. It's not all THAT quiet though, but maybe I didn't get a high-end enough model. Or maybe my house is smaller than others. There's frequently a kind of wooshing-banging-thwocking noise, like it suddenly opens or shuts the water inlet and a huge rush of water is sucked in or out, creating some sort of a vacuum bang. If that makes sense. It goes "woosh-ker-thuck". Also, it beeps for a really long time when it's done, which wakes me up if I put it on at night. I suppose I could actually read the instruction manual to figure out how to turn off the beeping, but I am guessing that it really, really wants me to open the door and turn it off.
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