Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

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supersharpie
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Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 12:28 pm

Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

Post by supersharpie »

Our unit is on its last legs and we just started searching for a new one today. We are a little overwhelmed by all the options out there and would appreciate your recommendations of both what to buy and where to buy it. We would prefer to spend under $1000, inclusive of installation. Certain chains used to offer free installation of units over a certain price but that appears to be a thing of the past.
dhodson
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Re: Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

Post by dhodson »

I really like the super quiet ones under 40 dB.

I also like stainless interior.

I have kitchenaid but the Bosch units are also nice

The Sears version was interesting as well for the reduced price
Stonebr
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Re: Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

Post by Stonebr »

In my opinion dishwashers are not what they used to be. We bought a top-rated (by Consumer Reports) low cost machine several years ago. Within 18 months it was simply not getting the dishes clean. We cleaned the filter and grinder, used dishwasher cleansers, but it was basically not doing its job. It was quiet and energy efficient, but it didn't wash the damn dishes. It was a Kenmore (I think made for them by Whirlpool).

Now we own a higher end dishwasher -- Kenmore Elite (also made by Whirlpool). It is small, quiet, energy-star rated, expensive and the dishes actually get clean. I'd recommend you pay something close to $1000. I've heard good things about KitchenAid and Bosch. Don't get a low end machine or you'll be doing half of them by hand in two years.
"have more than thou showest, | speak less than thou knowest" -- The Fool in King Lear
michelef
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Re: Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

Post by michelef »

Before replacing our 13 year old dw, I asked two different appliance repairman which brand(s) they would recommend. Both advised to buy Whirlpool or Kenmore (made by Whirlpool).
Lafder
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Re: Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

Post by Lafder »

The last several appliances I bought through Lowes. They do have periodic deals with free install/hookup. The last time I was looking it was free install on a certain brand. You get an extra 5% off on the purchase if you use their credit card, and they also offer a military discount.

The install on a dishwasher is not much. Call your plumber and find out so you know how much is involved. Plenty of people do a self install, but I am not brave enough to do that.

I tried reading reviews, but nothing can replace going and opening and closing and playing with the racks and buttons to get a sense of whether you like the unit.

Best of luck! It should be fun to choose a new one. I found it stressful and reassured myself that any unit I bought would be better than the broken one I was replacing!

lafder
davebarnes
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Location: Berkeley, Denver, Colorado USA

Easy

Post by davebarnes »

Bosch
buy any model as long as the list price is >$890 USD
quiet
cleans well
A nerd living in Denver
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mhc
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Re: Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

Post by mhc »

We have had our Bosch for 2 years or so. It is the best dishwasher I have ever had.
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Z9yajAg
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Re: Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

Post by Z9yajAg »

I just bought a Bosch dishwasher to replace a 15-year-old Bosch. It's quiet, and I like the third rack. Cycle time is long (2+ hours), and it might not dry plastic items as well as other models that have a heating element. Consumer Reports rates the Bosch Ascenta a Best Buy, but I spent more.

Kenmore Elite dishwashers are well-rated on Consumer Reports, but I decided I wasn't buying any more Kenmore after owning a top-of-the-line washer/dryer pair that I didn't like (poor construction, too many repairs, and didn't last). The laundry room would not have flooded if Whirlpool had spent 10c more on a longer hose.
sls239
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Re: Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

Post by sls239 »

We moved into a house with a Kitchenaid dishwasher. It is very quiet and gets the dishes clean. But the problem is that the dishes don't fit well in the dishwasher, especially the bowls. It would be fine if all our dishes were plates, but they aren't. And it has broken more dishes than my 8-year-old.
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deanbrew
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Re: Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

Post by deanbrew »

I don't need to buy a new DW yet, and I'm pretty satisfied with the 10 year old Maytag I have. But when the time comes, do users (as opposed to marketers) find stainless steel insides to be worthwhile? We went with a plastic interior, as I just couldn't see that a stainless interior was worth the extra money. What do you gain with a stainless steel interior (I know the sales pitch is that it helps dry the dishes, but that seems like BS to me), and is it worth paying more than an otherwise similar unit with plastic interior?
"The course of history shows that as the government grows, liberty decreases." Thomas Jefferson
thewizzer
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Re: Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

Post by thewizzer »

We've had a Bosch for 7 years. No complaints. Cleans well, quiet, and you can put plastic on the bottom rack.
BillyG
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Re: Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

Post by BillyG »

We were going to buy a high end Miele or Bosch and instead bought a higher end Kitchenaid. Our decision was driven by the fact the Kitchenaid had a lot more interior space than the European models, and Kitchenaid figured out how to make their higher end units very quiet. We are extremely satisfied and cannot hear the dishwasher when it is on. It has been 3-1/2 years and no problems.

You should check out the interior of different models using bowls and plates you use in your home.

This is a good website for information, photos, reviews, comparison shopping, and pricing.
http://www.ajmadison.com/

Billy
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Taylor Larimore
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Re: Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

Post by Taylor Larimore »

supersharpie wrote:Our unit is on its last legs and we just started searching for a new one today. We are a little overwhelmed by all the options out there and would appreciate your recommendations of both what to buy and where to buy it. We would prefer to spend under $1000, inclusive of installation. Certain chains used to offer free installation of units over a certain price but that appears to be a thing of the past.
Supersharpe:

I think it is usually better to rely on
Consumer Reports
than anecdotal experience. The July 2014 issue of Consumer Reports evaluated 92 dishwashers. The Top 4:

Kenmore Elite12703, $1,350
Kenmore Elite 12783, $1,200
Bosch Ascenta SHX3AR7(5)UC, $730 ( a "best buy")
Kitchenaid KDFE454CSS, $1,500

Bosch had the best repair record; Whirlpool 2nd; Miele 3rd and Kenmore 4th.
Samsung, LG and Frigidaire had the worst repair records

Good luck and best wishes.
Taylor
"Simplicity is the master key to financial success." -- Jack Bogle
nordlead
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Re: Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

Post by nordlead »

Your requirements will greatly affect the choices.

In my opinion you should buy something from this list, probably a Maytag, and then hire a contractor if you need it or just do it yourself, it is extremely easy. Free install just means it was baked into the price. Maybe double check the one you pick with consumer reports evaluation on cleaning - http://www.lowes.com/Appliances/Dishwas ... 5D=1z11pl0

Now, how did I generate this list?

I desire a hard food disposer. This allows me to just scrape off the really large pieces and toss it in. The hard food disposer takes care of the rest. Full stainless steel tub is a must in my opinion. It provides superior drying capabilities (it retains the heat better), doesn't discolor, and has no chance of leaching toxic chemicals and breaking down due to the temperatures. Nylon racks (stainless wasn't an option, and those get really expensive). Nylon lasts longer than Vinyl or PVC (PVC also leaches in the wet hot environment).

I personally have a Maytag with all of those features and installed it myself for $400 total (it was a scratch & dent). It comes with so much insulation around the outside that it is hard to hear if it is running. It has gotten slightly louder then when we first bought it, but it is by no means noisy and never interferes with conversation in the kitchen. It does a good job cleaning dishes over 15 months later, so long as you load it properly. If you cup the dishes or point them away from center they don't get clean, but a ceramic pan used for bake ziti comes clean every time if I lay it flat.
Last edited by nordlead on Mon Nov 03, 2014 8:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
nordlead
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Re: Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

Post by nordlead »

deanbrew wrote:I don't need to buy a new DW yet, and I'm pretty satisfied with the 10 year old Maytag I have. But when the time comes, do users (as opposed to marketers) find stainless steel insides to be worthwhile? We went with a plastic interior, as I just couldn't see that a stainless interior was worth the extra money. What do you gain with a stainless steel interior (I know the sales pitch is that it helps dry the dishes, but that seems like BS to me), and is it worth paying more than an otherwise similar unit with plastic interior?
There are 4 benefits that I know of for stainless steel tubs.

1) They dry the dishes better. The metal retains the heat much better than plastic.
2) They won't discolor
3) They won't break down with age
4) They have no chance of leaching chemicals
nordlead
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Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 9:09 am

Re: Seeking recommendations for a new dishwasher

Post by nordlead »

Taylor Larimore wrote:I think it is usually better to rely on
Consumer Reports
than anecdotal experience. The July 2014 issue of Consumer Reports evaluated 92 dishwashers. The Top 4:

Kenmore Elite12703, $1,350
Kenmore Elite 12783, $1,200
Bosch Ascenta SHX3AR7(5)UC, $730 ( a "best buy")
Kitchenaid KDFE454CSS, $1,500

Bosch had the best repair record; Whirlpool 2nd; Miele 3rd and Kenmore 4th.
Samsung, LG and Frigidaire had the worst repair records

Good luck and best wishes.
Taylor
Whirlpool manufactures Whirlpool, Kitchenaid and Kenmore, and owns and Maytag and Amana. I would hope, that Whirlpool would do as good a job with any one of their brands when talking similar price points.

Also, Bosh and Whirlpool do not sell dishwashers with hard food disposers. This is how they stay at the top of the reliability and quietness for brands. Other companies, like LG and Samsung make dishwashers with either filters or hard food disposers. So, LG could be more reliable than Bosh when you compare similar models, but the hard food disposer drags down the company average (theoretical, I don't actually know if LG is better than Bosh and I doubt it, but it shows a flaw with consumer reports that you should be aware of).

And, if you are willing to buy a Kenmore (made by whirlpool), Consumer Reports says the difference in reliability between them (Kenmore) and Bosh, Whirlpool, Miele, Maytag, GE, KitchenAide, and Fridgidaire is meaningless.

So, what I can sort of conclude from Consumer reports is to stay away from LG and Samsung, but everyone else is pretty decent.
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