Advice on new dishwashers

[Ohiogal]

Our 13 year old Frigidaire dishwasher is just about kaput. I haven’t been happy with the job it does for a long time. We will probably need to get a new one. I will not buy another Frigidaire.

Anyone have any advice on a model you have that you like, or certain features you like.

I cook dinner 6 nights a week for a family of 4, so I really need a dishwasher.

Thanks for any and all advice.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. My Magic Chef was installed in 1991 and is still doing great.

[democratisphere]

2. KitchenAid makes great dishwashers with great reviews.

[Bayard]

3. I bought a new Bose several months ago

Just love it. A tad pricey, but well worth it. It gets even crappy stuff clean. (I'm not a big believer in pre-rinsing). It has excellent reviews. Super quiet. Good for our low water pressure area.

[flotsam]

4. Check their papers...

...you're not a republican you know!

[MontanaMama]

5. I had a 18 year old kenmore die last month.

I called the repair outfit I use for other appliances to ask what they recommend in terms of which brands they tend to repair least. They recommended Bosch. I bought a Bosch and had it installed. I like it a lot...it’s quiet and does a great job at washing. It doesn’t d as well as my old dishwasher but the installer said that’s to be expected because of new energy standards. It has an “extra dry” function that dries things more to my liking...It does not dry plastics well and the installer says that’s just the way it is. I tend to hand wash the few plastics I have now. This new dishwasher is quite versatile...I can raise and lower racks easily, use the silverware caddy, or not...the caddy can be used whole or in half or removed altogether if I have large items to fill the lower rack. I LOVE the skinny little rack above the glassware rack. It’s great for ramekins, spatulas, tongs, there’s a knife rack there too that holds knives snugly. All in all, I’m very happy with this dishwasher.


Edited to add that the dishwasher repair/installer guy said to put dishes in the dishwasher DIRTY. He said that dishwasher detergent is formulated to react with food. If you wash your dishes before you put the, in the dishwasher, then detergent doesn’t work like it should and results in buildup which shortens the life of the machine. Further that extra detergent can make glassware cloudy and can even etch glass which is often misconstrued as the machine not getting things clean...then people use more soap and the cycle continues. He recommends running an empty load, no soap, with a cup of white vinegar in the bottom of the machine once a month.

[TruckFump]

7. Exactly on the washing first issue.

I just scrape and rinse and put them in my Bosch...and they come out totally clean.

I have a microwave bacon cooker and I just drain it, rinse and put in the dishwasher and not one bit of baked on residue is left after going through the Bosch.

Gotta agree -- my old Kenmore -- from the 70s was a great dishwasher, but the best I have found lately is the Bosch.

Edits: Typos!

[Fla Dem]

14. Thanks for the advice regarding rinsing. I always rinse and dishes are all but clean when they go in

Unfortunately it's ingrained in me, but will try to do less.

[TruckFump]

6. Bosch -- hands down the best, the very best.

I have gone through a ton of dishwashers and finally found one that is by far and large the very best one I have ever had. I now swear by them. High cost initially, but worth it. The dishes come out sparkling. PS: I use good dishwasher soap pods, too, but with my Bosch, I do not have to add the pricey Rinse Liquid to the dispenser and the dishes and glasses still absolutely sparkle.

NOTE: A bit of a warning about buying close-out dishwashers and other appliances at places that are out-lets: My Bestie and her spouse bought what they thought was a new, high end dishwasher. It went side-ways on them immediately when the warranty was over. So, she called a repairman that works on that brand. What she found was, yes, it was a new unit, but it was a 10-year old model. So her supposedly new 2014 dishwasher had been made in 2004. Sooooooooo, if you find a bargain, be sure it really is new and not just a new never sold before unit.

Good luck!

[procon]

8. Whichever brand you decide on, look for models

that have the most useful features to you. Here's my list:

Don't buy anything with metal racks. They are guaranteed to rust and fall apart.

Buy the largest capacity dishwasher you can afford. You can wash anything that fits, from plastic toys to BBQ grills or be frugal and wait until you have a full load.

Adlustable or removable racks are nice to accomodate all the different types of dishes you use. Some models have 3 racks, the shallow top tray is great for cooking utensils and all those floppy silicone accessories.

Look for models that have lots of spray openenings on top, middle and bottom to get water everywhere. The force the water is what cleans, so you want a lot.

Make sure the rack configuration will accomodate your largest pot and bowl. Take them with you to be sure.

Get a dishwasher with the largest removable flatware rack you can find, they are useful for washing lots of other things.

A food disposal is a good option.

Get a stainless steel interior, it will outlast the plastic ones and they don't discolor or get scratched.

A delay cycle is good if lots of people are taking showers in the evening, set the diswasher to finish at breakfast time and you'll have nice warm mugs and plates ready.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. I got a Bosch a few years ago and I love it.

It's very quiet and it gets stuff clean - a huge improvement over my old '80s vintage dishwasher.

[SeattleVet]

11. We got a Fisher/Paykel Dish Drawer.

Been going strong for 7 years now. Super efficient (uses about 2 gallons of water per load, and has a very efficient motor that uses little electricity). Mounts under the counter and pulls out to load/unload from the top, so you're not bending down and dealing with the door sticking out. Uses a *tiny* bit of detergent. It's running right now about 10 feet from me, and it is almost silent. The difference between a 'normal' and 'heavy duty' cycle isn't time, but it increases the pressure of the water coming from the arm. They make a few models. We got the single deep drawer, but they also have one with a smaller drawer on the bottom, and one that is double-wide (may have been discontinued - I don't see it on their website).

It was a little pricey, but we absolutely love it. Here's their page showing the models:

https://www.fisherpaykel.com/us/kitchen/dish-washers/dishdrawer.html

Bosch can sometimes be hit-or-miss. A friend went through a 3-year hassle with one that worked for maybe a few months during the entire time. Impeller, motor, seals all had problems, and the company wasn't much help. They were very disappointed, since they knew Bosch as a quality product. Maybe they just got a lemon, but their experience with the company has put them off on the brand.

Good luck!

[Laffy Kat]

12. I buy really inexpensive ones and just accept I'm going to have to replace it in 5 years. eom

[Major Nikon]

13. Here is the one I installed a couple of years ago...

https://www.lowes.com/pd/bosch-ascenta-50-decibel-built-in-dishwasher-white-common-24-inch-actual-23-625-in-energy-star/1000447453

One of the best things about some of the newer models is how quiet they are. My old one was noisy as hell. With the new one you can barely tell it's running.

It works quite well. About the only down side is for best results you need to crack the door open after it finishes so your dishes dry better. Otherwise they will be still a bid damp a few hours later. Overnight isn't such a big deal.

[Adsos Letter]

15. Been very pleased with our KitchenAid.

Have had it for about four years. Quiet, and really does the job.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

16. I recently bought a Whirlpool and I'm very happy with it.

Get one with the utensil holder that fits in the door, rather than taking up space in the bottom rack itself.

The interior is stainless steel, the racks are plastic coated.

[hunter]

17. As a do-it-yourself repair guy, I don't like German cars or appliances.

I can cheaply repair an old Kenmore (manufactured by Whirlpool) dishwasher forever, and I have.

From my perspective Bosh is just a more expensive version of other throw-it-away-when-it-stops-working imported appliances. Maybe it takes them a bit longer to stop working than Chinese appliances, maybe not. The quality of modern name-brand Chinese appliances is good.

Bosch discourages anyone but their techs working on their appliances, and when you open them up, for me it's like, "Bah! German engineering, I don't have the patience for that..."

When I buy an appliance, it's mine.

When our dishwasher finally dies, my wife and I are going to argue.

My brother and his wife are indifferent about dishwashers. They have a big farm house with lots of people coming and going and the house rule has always been to wash, dry, and put away your own damned dishes after you eat. You can be nice and wash someone else's dishes, but it's not mandatory. For fancy parties, the china and silverware wouldn't go into the dishwasher anyways. For casual parties it's paper plates and plastic.

For my wife and I, our first apartment and our first house didn't have dishwashers, but now my wife considers dishwashers a household necessity, even though our children are grown and moved away. I only feel that way about the washing machine and dryer.

[Kaleva]

18. Break a new hubby in slowly. After the glow of the honeymoon wears off.

[mnhtnbb]

19. I put a mid priced Bosch in the house we built

in 2011 and was very happy with it. When my friend had to replace her dishwasher, I suggested a low end Bosch and she ended up getting it. She's been happy with it.

[yellowdogintexas]

20. I have a Kenmore with surge blast in the back wall & I love it

If you are shopping at Sears, look for the models with the big red dots across the back. I place any really dirty casserole dishes in the back and press the button for that cycle. Cleans beautifully. If I don't need that cycle, I can leave it off. There is also a feature called 'smart wash' which senses the amount of food debris in the water as it circulates in the tub. I don't use it often but it makes sure you get a good clean rinse

This model has spray arms pointing down from the top , another pointing up just below the top rack and a third one on the bottom facing up in addition to the surge blast. Lots of water pressure going on.

It is very quiet. However it does not have the food grinder; it is really hard to find one with a food grinder these days. Mine has an easily accessible filter though.

One of the keys to good results with any dishwasher is to have really hot water. Too many people set the hot water heater too low.