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I need a new dishwasher...thoughts on my choices?

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Posted: Sun Nov 27th, 2005 10:38 pm

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Pegi
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We have the Whirplool Gold Tall Tub and love it, would not have anything else now, I do not know anything about the others. As with anything new these days buy the extended warranties. I work on these but still bought the extra coverage...

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Posted: Mon Nov 28th, 2005 11:27 am

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Samurai Appliance Repair Man
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We have a Kitchenaid Superba m/n KUDC25CHWH1. It's the older style with the larger washer/drain motor in the center instead of the newer design with the wimpy wash motor that's always burning out and the separate pump motor. I acquired it used from a customer who was remodeling, nothing wrong with it. Stainless steel tub, all the capacity we've ever needed, and solid, time-tested design. Try to find one used.

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Posted: Tue Nov 29th, 2005 06:22 am

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jahjahbinks

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the choices are many . you need to consider what you want v/s what you need v/s whats looks good v/s what is the best value ,

so here my take on that , the best dishwasher i have found that works almost silent uses little water almost no energy is ME according to my wife who has a whirlpool gold dish machine but by far BOSCH is the best buy

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Posted: Mon Jul 24th, 2006 01:13 pm

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sfodom
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Please pardon the Grasshopper for asking dumb question, but Pegi, I have never heard of anyone recommending buying the extended warranty, especially those who know how to repair things. So what's up with that? Is it really worth it?

Sue

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Posted: Mon Jul 24th, 2006 07:06 pm

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Pegi
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Sure I can repair it, own my Appliance & A/ C repair business, so I also know how much it costs for the parts and the trouble of taking it apart and doing the work, just the cost of a control board or the wash module would cover the cost of an extended 2-3 year warranty...the older stiff held up, so was a waste of money, with the electronics in the appliances these days, I recommend eveyone buy them, especially since everyone has gone to a one year warranty only on the value brands...we had to replace the evap fan motor in an 11 cu ft GE frig last week, 2 months out of the one year warranty, lucky she had bought the extended warranty or she would have paid the $256.00 repair bill on this box that cost her $329.84

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Posted: Tue Jul 25th, 2006 10:39 am

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Budget Appliance Repair
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Pegi wrote:
we had to replace the evap fan motor in an 11 cu ft GE frig last week, 2 months out of the one year warranty, lucky she had bought the extended warranty or she would have paid the $256.00 repair bill on this box that cost her $329.84

I really doubt that customer would have paid $256.00 to repair a $329.84 refrig, (if they had any smarts anyway). You most likely would have been walking away with your trip charge and the box would have went to the land fill.

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Posted: Tue Jul 25th, 2006 04:59 pm

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Pegi
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Yes, that is so, but NEW will repair up to the original cost of the unit...instead of replacing....good for us and them... :cool:

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Posted: Fri Apr 27th, 2007 11:35 am

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kevm
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Hello,

We are in the market for a new DW. We were loking at Bosch, best buy shu66c06uc best buy in consumer reports, however I just barely have 34 and 3/8 inch clearance under my countertop. I am also about to install wood flooring of 3/4 inch. When I take up the old floor and underlayment, I will get back about 3/8 of an inch, so if I assume I am starting with 34 and 3/4 and I add the 3/4 inch wood floor, I am down to 34 inches clearence if I am lucky. I am wondering if this Bosch will fit at that point.

I want something very QUIET. The maytag I have was listed as quiet in the year 2000. it is a jetclean with eq plus sound package, but it is too noisy for me.

The Bosch noise wise is perfect at 48db rating. I also understand they are pretty reliable. Here is the root of my question. Some appliance dealers that carry both in my area are recommending Miele to be safe on the clearance. Well Miele in the same quietness, if you can even figure out what that is using the Q ratings, will cost me roughly twice the price.

Can I ask if anyone has experience putting the Bosch into a tight enclosure, and if it worth the extra expense to go with the Miele (Optima Q3 or Excella Q4).

Thank you

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Posted: Fri Apr 27th, 2007 12:05 pm

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Samurai Appliance Repair Man
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Golden rule about dishwashers today: There are no excellent dishwashers today, no, not one. They are all mediocre with the possible exception of the Miele. Then you have to ax yerself whether or not its worth spending 2+ grand for dishwasher. For the money, the Bosch isn't bad. But don't buy it thinking you're getting the reliability of the Miele-- ain't happenin'. But, OTOH, the Bosch's are pretty easy to work on... unless you have to change the heater. Ugh! And count on repairing or replacing the control board in a 2 to 4 years.

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Posted: Fri Apr 27th, 2007 12:42 pm

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kevm
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thank you again. You have a great forum. Sales people have told me that Miele reliability is the best, and they can last 20 years or more. Thought most of that was high margin sales hype, but I am beginning to wonder if I am wrong.

As you are aware, you are correct about the costs. Can you shed any light on the Miele Q ratings? I would like something no louder that 48db at a cost of no more than 1500 installed, which is nearly twice the cost of the Bosch already. I can hit that number with a Optima (Q3) but will have difficulty hitting it with an Excella (Q4) The Miele cycles also seem to be unusually long. 140 minutes?. Also, I know about needing rinse aid because of the drying methodology, but putting salt in a water softener in your dishwasher? (lol) that seems a bit excessive if not slightly snobbish.

I also here that parts are very expensive and that it is hard to find people that know how to install and fix them. Any thoughts on this? thank you again

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Posted: Fri Apr 27th, 2007 01:22 pm

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AccApp
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Get an LG, very quiet and well made. I have an LDS 5811 and I love it.

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Posted: Fri Apr 27th, 2007 01:33 pm

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kevm
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Thanks for the response. Not that I disagree with you at all, but LG has no track record in the US to speak of. The products seem very innovative and they sure are quiet. Our refrigerator choice, was actually nearly a tie between Amana and LG, but we went withe the Amana, A recent consumer reports quick pick. It is still built here in the states, but with parts from where, I couldnt really tell you.

I believe that LG is a blend of Lucky and Goldstar in Korea. While I would never assume that LG is the same, Goldstar basically made low priced junk (IMHO) as far as I can remember.

That being said, people I know have had good success with LG appliances. I hear getting someone to repair them can be difficult, and the brand is not carried by many appliance specialists, although a few have them. They are mainly stocked and pushed by big box stores.

Again, not that there is anything wrong with that, and I thank you for the response and the suggestion.

Regards

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Posted: Fri Apr 27th, 2007 01:33 pm

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rozello
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I have had a Miele Excella for two months. It's performance has been excellent. It cleans much better than my 7 year old Kitchenaid that the Miele replaced. The glasses and cutlery have never looked better. I have a whole house water softener so I know that water softness is not the issue. Don't be shy about using the built in water softener if you need it. After all you are paying for it.

I used my crock pot on high and it burned the food on the outside edge. I put this in the Miele and it cleaned it perfectly. The Kitchenaid would never have been able to do this.

I beleive the optima is 48 decibels, excella 46 and La perla 44. I can only hear the Excella when it is draining.

You do have to learn how to use it. The euro dishwashers clean very diffently from american ones. The miele uses very little detergent and heats the water to a very high temp.

Rob

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Posted: Fri Apr 27th, 2007 01:42 pm

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Pegi
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Yes, LG is named for Lucky Goldstar, the goldstar window units are cheaply made but the other brands they make are very nice, they make all of the window units for Sears now under the Kenmore brand, most likely most of the microwaves out there are made by LG also, as are the french door friges with the GE name on the front, never know who has made what these days....

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Posted: Fri Apr 27th, 2007 01:47 pm

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Keinokuorma
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Also, I know about needing rinse aid because of the drying methodology, but putting salt in a water softener in your dishwasher? (lol) that seems a bit excessive if not slightly snobbish.

Well it really cuts down scale residue if you have hard water... if your tap water is soft, you don't need to bother yourself with the softener after filling the tank with water. You CAN use salt even then, only on softer water you don't need to add so often.

Last edited on Fri Apr 27th, 2007 01:50 pm by Keinokuorma

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Posted: Fri Apr 27th, 2007 02:09 pm

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kevm
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thank you all for your responses. How sure are you on the DB ratings if estimates if I may ask? If the Optima is 48, it should do us well at about $1400 vs $800 for the 48 db Bosch. I listened to a Miele Diamante that was a Q2 rating, and that sounded a bit noisier than the Bosch.

Thank you again

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Posted: Fri Apr 27th, 2007 06:41 pm

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nickfixit
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kevm wrote: Hello,

We are in the market for a new DW. We were loking at Bosch, best buy shu66c06uc best buy in consumer reports, however I just barely have 34 and 3/8 inch clearance under my countertop. I am also about to install wood flooring of 3/4 inch. When I take up the old floor and underlayment, I will get back about 3/8 of an inch, so if I assume I am starting with 34 and 3/4 and I add the 3/4 inch wood floor, I am down to 34 inches clearence if I am lucky. I am wondering if this Bosch will fit at that point.

You need to to be POSITIVE that it will fit, and remember it MUST be pulled out from under the counter for many repairs. Get this issue worked out before you buy anything or build anything.

See if the retailer will let you have a copy of the installation reqirements.

Nick

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Posted: Fri Apr 27th, 2007 06:59 pm

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kevm
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Thanks Nick,

The Miele's are all quite adjustable. The Bosch is much less forgiving.

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Posted: Fri Apr 27th, 2007 07:11 pm

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nickfixit
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I've been in houses where they added flooring and made it impossible to remove the appliance. It's a sad state to have to remove a marble counter top or a slate floor to service a dishwasher. Although, it does make for a real short repair visit, because "homey don't play that game".

Nick

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Posted: Fri Apr 27th, 2007 07:20 pm

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kevm
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I'm with yout. I think you are agreeing that the Miele, although more costly up front is the best bet overall?

Thanks

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Posted: Sat Apr 28th, 2007 11:32 pm

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billccm
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I had a GE PotScrubber from the early 1990 that cleaned so well. I really wish I had spent the money to repair that dishwasher. It was noisy, but I hardly never had a reject glass, or dish out of that dishwasher.

Due to unamious recommendations from Appliance repair people, Internet research, and some friends, I bought a KitchenAid (Model KUDR01TJBL0). This dishwasher was not cheap at $880 installed.

To be kind, it is mediocre at best when it comes to cleaning. Also, the reliability has been the lowest of any appliance I have ever owned. In the first year, I had three service vists, decided to extend the warranty (which was a good move), and had three other repairs visits the following year. I'll spare you the details on what has been replaced.

I like the idea of finding a used dishwasher. Perhaps there should be a list of 'workhorse' appliances as part of this great forum?

I know when my KitchenAid fails, I will try to find a used dishwasher of better quality, or go try a Bosch.

Take care,

Bill

Last edited on Sat Apr 28th, 2007 11:34 pm by billccm

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Posted: Sun Apr 29th, 2007 01:24 am

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When I used to service the Miele I found that it was the easiest to work on because you can pull it out of the hole and remove the side panels while running the unit (most of the time). I was also talking with one the salesman that I used to work with recently and he said Miele are phasing out the built-in softeners on their d/ws. Also Miele stand behind their product quite well and are usually willing to cover some out of warrany costs. I had 2 or 3 motors go on a few models that were past the 5 year coverage period and Miele had covered all of them, (the average motor is $500 here in Canada). The price is also comparable to other d/w at about $1300 to start.

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Posted: Sun May 6th, 2007 02:08 am

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Scottthewolf

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Bosch dishwashers may be very quiet, but they are far from being reliable. They are also a pain in the neck to repair, even a simple job like replacing door springs, the dishwasher needs to be pulled from under the counter and flipped on it's back . I would stick to Whirlpool. Also, NONE of the foreign models are available in a portable model.

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Posted: Sun May 6th, 2007 08:47 pm

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grizzly
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kevm wrote: Hello,

We were loking at Bosch, best buy shu66c06uc best buy in consumer reports..... I am down to 34 inches clearence if I am lucky. I am wondering if this Bosch will fit at that point.

Can I ask if anyone has experience putting the Bosch into a tight enclosure, and if it worth the extra expense to go with the Miele (Optima Q3 or Excella Q4).
Installed a Bosch this week. Our store doesn't carry Bosch, but the guy was a long time customer so the owner special ordered it. When they say 34 inches, they mean it. Unlike a WP with the toe panel off, on the Bosch, you can't reach underneath the thing and feel/see the pump, motor, fill valve, etc. The base of the machine is a big piece of plastic running all the way under it with a channel in it for running the supply line up from the back of the enclosure. It has three levelers, two in front (on either side) and one in back (in the middle). Thankfully, the back leveler is remotely adjusted from the front with a flat blade screwdriver, so you can level it once its already pushed back all the way into the enclosure.

Note, the Bosch doesn't come in a cardboard box. It ships sitting on a big chunk of styrofoam reinforced with pine, then has four veritical chunks of foam at the corners, then on top is a carboard box with the accessories, then the whole thing is wrappend in plastic. I prefer having a box so I can have something to throw all the excess packing material in.

Here's the installation instructions for the model you are considering:

http://www.bshextranet.com/files/techtoolbox/SHX-V56-57Cii(en-fr-sp).pdf

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Posted: Sun May 6th, 2007 09:13 pm

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kdog
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just had to toss this hat into the ring- the fisher paykel dish drawers, so far have a good track record in these parts- very quiet, unique, and versatile as you can run one or both drawers as required. aside from the odd hiccup, most consumers seem extremely pleased with them. also available as a kitchenaid version.

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Posted: Sun May 6th, 2007 10:28 pm

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Scottthewolf

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I beg to differ with you on the reliability of the Fisher & Paykel dishdrawers. If you have tall dishes, forget about it.

I have seen them leak like crazy because customers are too rough with these machines. I think they are a pain in the neck to service and we will only sell these to customers after we have explained to them all the problems we have had with these in the past as well as warning customers you have to be very gentle with these machines.

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Posted: Thu May 10th, 2007 05:44 pm

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kevm
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Hi,

Thanks to everyone for the responses and recommendations. We have purchased the Miele Optima. It is not installed yet, but obviously we hope that it is very quiet, that it cleans, and that it lasts a HE$$ of a long time..!!!

Take care

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