[kenreau]

Curious if anyone has dishwasher brand recommendations, based on Consumer Reports, Appliance Tech repair history, etc.  Priorities are stainless steel door front, long term reliability and solid cleaning performance.  Budget is around $1K +/-.

Our current 9 year old GE Monogram dishwasher has been cleaning less well over the past few months and we recently had a flood / back up event that caused some wood floor damage.  A number of our appliances have the same stainless steel look, so we need something similar for appearances.

During the first 2 years (around 2004~2005), GE did have to replace a logic board several times and some other items that kept failing.  After that, it has worked reasonably trouble free for the past ~5 years.

In searching around, I see Samsung, Bosch, Electrolux brands.  Are there any clearly superior products?  I've read some of the Euro models are quiet and reliable.  Are there any to avoid?  It kind of appears like all the major brands are more or less made by a few companies with the same internal parts and kind of become a commodity.

Thanks
Kenreau

[thunderbrick]

My Kenmore Elite works great, but if sludge builds up around the front door gasket water can leak out the front.  In fairness, I bought it used nearly ten years ago, and replaced the gasket once.

[SoCalWJS]

All I can say is that our old machine gave up the ghost a few years back after a part broke that was no longer available. It cleaned the dishes very well, but was not considered "energy efficient" by today's standards.

We looked at a few and spent extra for a high end KitchenAid model that was full of extra features, "quiet", and recommended.

We've been fairly disappointed. The same part has broken twice (first time covered by warranty, not the second time).

Doesn't clean worth a d@mn. If you make a full load, count on several pieces not being clean.

But Hey! It's energy efficient! 

[jackman]

I don't want to jinx myself but we bought a Kitchen Aid 5 years ago and it's going strong.  Operates well and is very quiet.  If you check on line, everyone hates everything!  Good luck and let us know what you find.  All of our Kitchen Aid appliances (and our Bosch washer and drier) work perfectly and we have never had a problem.  We didn't buy the insurance so I hope nothing changes anytime soon!

Cheers,

Jack

[datman]

I have had good experiences with Bosch dishwashers. I just replaced my 19 year old Miele with a Bosch and am impressed by two things. First it gets dishes and especially glasses sparkling clean. Second, it is even quieter than my Miele was. At about $800, it is impossible to beat.

[Tyson]

2nd the Bosh - cleans well and is extremely quiet. 

What I've found with the latest generation of washers is that they all use less water than the older generation, so your choice of detergent becomes much more important.  The brand that I've found works best for us is Finish - Quantum.  It has the "powerball" in it.  As much as I hate to say it, avoid the "green" brands like 7th Generation - they don't clean worth a dmn.

[lokie]

Bosch

[GT Audio Works]

The best dishwasher you don't have to buy !!!



Seriously...after repairing these things for many years I can tell you, one mans best D/W ever is another mans piece of crap !!
They all have problems of some sort. Its just the luck of the draw, will you get a good one or a headache.
Some had real problems, like the tendency to catch fire..NOT GOOD! Some just have varying degrees of aggravation due to leaks, not cleaning, not drying etc.
The issue with D/W's today is designing for low water usage, low power consumption and low noise. Everybody wants energy efficiency and quiet, but this means a small motor with a small amount of water in the tub which is counterproductive to clean dishes. So they extend the wash time to hours for some models, which leads to other issues such as detergent and water hardness issues.
Ideally for clean dishes you want the biggest pump and motor for the best water recirculation with the hottest water.
This is the way they used to build them, but the noise level and energy usage would not be tolerated today.
I wish I could recommend a good one , but I am not up on the latest batch out there. One year GE may have a good one with a minimum of service issues, then they make a new model and its a stinker !!   
I would scope out a specific model you like and do some research on the internet regarding its service history.....does it have problems with pump seals that will let go and ruin your hardwood floor or control boards that are susceptible to moisture causing failures , heating elements that melt the plastic tub etc.
A few years back Bosch made a good one for under a grand but even they had their share of problems, and they were a real p.i.t.a. to repair.   Good Luck !!  Greg

[GT Audio Works]

2nd the Bosh - cleans well and is extremely quiet. 

What I've found with the latest generation of washers is that they all use less water than the older generation, so your choice of detergent becomes much more important.  The brand that I've found works best for us is Finish - Quantum.  It has the "powerball" in it.  As much as I hate to say it, avoid the "green" brands like 7th Generation - they don't clean worth a dmn.

Detergents all had to get clean , so to speak and drop phosphates from their ingredients. Phosphates were good for cleaning dishes but not for ground water. Some have bounced back with good formulations like Finish,, others like the eco brands just don't work.
Water hardness is the problem...D/W's want nice soft water, no calcium. If you have hard water and a cheap detergent your nice shiny D/W tub will soon be covered in a white film, as well as your dishes. If you have hard water a water softener is mandatory for todays dishwashers.   Greg

[Tyson]

Greg, your experience mirrors mine.  We have soft water here in Denver, so a Bosch and a good detergent work well. 

[bearman2]

I have a Bosch for 6 years and it done a great job. The Bosch does not have a dry cycle at the end so some things are still wet but plastic does not melt.

[Tyson]

On ours it has a 'sanitize' option during cleaning where the temp gets much higher and then the water evaporates by the end of the cycle. 

[kenreau]

Great responses, thanks, guys 

Sounds like the Bosch line is worth investigating further.

I just returned from a lunch hour trip through Sears for some reconnaissance.  They had a sampling of most major brands (except GE).  Not surprisingly, they had marketing posters up identifying the (Sears?) Kenmore Elite line as the top 3+ choices per a "leading consumer review" magazine.  Worth another look, but the top models (#12793) are in the $1,500 range.  I did look inside the Kenmore and it did have the most elaborate looking set of spray wands and nozzles. 

We do not have hard water issues, thankfully. 

I'll post updates of the procurement process.

Thanks
Kenreau

[kenreau]

The best dishwasher you don't have to buy !!!



Seriously...after repairing these things for many years I can tell you, one mans best D/W ever is another mans piece of crap !!
They all have problems of some sort. Its just the luck of the draw, will you get a good one or a headache.
...Greg

Hah, thanks, Greg.  This goes right along with your "Extraordinary performance.. reasonable price" avatar saying.  I actually considered this briefly, but with a household of 4, we need to run the dishwasher daily and it just doesn't make good use of my time, at this time.

Thx
Kenreau

[jd3]

We've had GE and Kenmore.  Then we got a Bosch.  Super quiet and does a great job cleaning.

[nickd]

My first chioce is Miele, but it maybe over budget. Amazing machines with water softening built in

To stay in budget, the Bosch lineup is hard to beat for the $

[WGH]

I have a Bosch 18" Model SPX5ES55UC and it's a sweet little machine. It is very quiet at 46 dB, a built in water softener, and 4-Part leak protection.

[Doublej]

Had a KitchenAid which I hated. It was loud, the door weighed a ton and the cords they used to counterbalance the door snapped. Seems like it was a known problem with the unit.

Bought a Bosch. Guys come and install it on a Saturday. They say to run it once without anything in it, turn it on and leave. I then go out and come back to a huge pool of water on the kitchen floor. I call and fortunately they return at the end of the day to look at it. They order a replacement. Five days later they take the broken unit out and replace it with a new new one. No problems. Quiet as can be. Doesn't fit as much stuff as the old one but it's quiet and uses some crazy small amount of water.

Plus I think it's made in the US. SC I believe. 

[Crimson]

DON'T get a Viking.

[SlushPuppy]

Bosch. I'll be buying another in a couple of months when I move to a new house.