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View Full Version : Dishwasher - need a new one, anyone go through the pain?



Peter Elliott
05-01-2012, 1:18 PM
Our dishwasher just went. Anyone go through the pain of reading online reviews, etc.

I don't subscribe to Consumer Reports but read they put dishwashers through a tough test?
Anyone with the latest results?

Bosch seems to be well spoken of

Like to keep under $1000 and with all the reading today, it seems $500 to $800 is in the ballpark?

Thanks for the help!
Peter

Charles Wiggins
05-01-2012, 2:15 PM
Peter,

It would be a violation of copyright law and, I believe SMC's policies, for someone to share the article. However, I'd bet dollars-to-doughnuts that your local library has it either in print, or electronically, or both. It might require a quick in-person visit, but if you call them up they may be able to walk you through accessing it online, or even be able to email it to you as a registered user (assuming that you are).

I will tell you that Bosch, Whirlpool, and Kenmore drawer type were all scored equally well on reliability as the least repair prone.

David Weaver
05-01-2012, 2:20 PM
I think I'd find an appliance forum and ask there. Consumer Reports is fairly useful, but sometimes their torture tests and real-life long-term durability don't line up.

I can't remember how much it is a year, $26 or something for online content, but it's worth it if you value their information and want to make even one large purchase a year. The user reviews sometimes deviate from their ratings, and it's nice to be able to see their user review content as well.

Peter Elliott
05-01-2012, 2:36 PM
Thanks, I don't mind buying the mag/article etc. Was looking for "CSR said this one rated best", or I bought this one because of XYZ. Which doesn't violate any rules...

Looking for anyone that went through the process and how they like their new dishwasher
Thanks
Peter

Dick Latshaw
05-01-2012, 3:03 PM
Our dishwasher just went. Anyone go through the pain of reading online reviews, etc.


We went through this last Summer. Did lots of research and wound up with a Bosch SHX43R52UC. Not the cheapest Bosch, the next one up, I believe. We have been happy with it - gets the dishes clean (using Finish) and is very quiet.

Ron Natalie
05-01-2012, 3:42 PM
I can tell you what NOT to get. Avoid Fisher-Paykel (and the Kitchenaid rebranding of the same) dish drawers. While these appear to be a cool idea they are:

1. Unreliable (we've had several failures on ours and my sister had one that never functioned).
2. Noisy.
3. Not all that convenient to load.

I've got an LG in the other house, but if I had it to do over again, I'd get a Miele like my neighbor. That thing is so quiet that I have opened there's while it was running not realizing it.

Jim Matthews
05-01-2012, 3:58 PM
+1 on any Bosch with a stainless steel liner.

Jeff Monson
05-01-2012, 4:27 PM
+1 on any Bosch with a stainless steel liner.

I'll put another vote in for the stainless liner. I'm not too familiar with Bosch but hear good things about their appliances.
We have Electrolux, while the range has had a couple issues, the dishwasher has been super. Very quite and does a good job at cleaning.

John Pratt
05-01-2012, 4:41 PM
We bought a new dishwasher last year (Kenmore elite, 24" built-in, stainless) and I couldn't be more disappointed. $1100 poorer and we still have to rewash the dishes by hand. I think it may have less to do with the diswaher and more to do with the fact that there are no more phosphates in the soaps anymore. I hear from alot of people in the area who have the same issues. There is supposedly a product on the market that you can add to the wash cycles that will help, but I have not found any yet that work. The little bottle of jet-dry or other such products don't seem to do the trick. I even went so far as to try adding TSP (Trisodium Phosphate) to the cycle and at best was less than a quality wash.

Jeff Monson
05-01-2012, 4:56 PM
We bought a new dishwasher last year (Kenmore elite, 24" built-in, stainless) and I couldn't be more disappointed. $1100 poorer and we still have to rewash the dishes by hand. I think it may have less to do with the diswaher and more to do with the fact that there are no more phosphates in the soaps anymore. I hear from alot of people in the area who have the same issues. There is supposedly a product on the market that you can add to the wash cycles that will help, but I have not found any yet that work. The little bottle of jet-dry or other such products don't seem to do the trick. I even went so far as to try adding TSP (Trisodium Phosphate) to the cycle and at best was less than a quality wash.

I feel your pain John, have you tried the Cascade packets yet?? I buy them at Menards as that is the least expensive place to buy them from. It is a clear packet with powdered detergent and a blue liquid? (not sure if its a drying agent or detergent). We use these in conjuction with the drying additive, our dishwasher works good with this combo.

This is the product I'm describing http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=cascade+dishwasher+packets&view=detail&id=A5221EB486D4F46006B5D2503C602B527296687F&first=0&qpvt=cascade+dishwasher+packets&FORM=IDFRIR

Dan Friedrichs
05-01-2012, 4:59 PM
I've got an LG in the other house

No no no no nooooo.
Our LG is a piece of junk. I was much, much happier with a KitchenAid I had, before.

Tom Esh
05-01-2012, 5:19 PM
+1 for Bosch. Going on 5 yrs, no issues. Does an excellent job and almost silent.

Chris Padilla
05-01-2012, 5:33 PM
Plunk down $6 for a 1-month subscription to online CR and it'll be money worth spent. JUST REMEMBER TO CANCEL IT BEFORE THE MONTH IS UP.

Bosh for super quiet although it'll be north of $1k. I went Kenmore from Sears. Reasonably quiet, works fine 2 years later although I found a rust spot on one of the rack. I haven't dug into the warranty to see if I can get it replaced but in the mean time, I slapped some rust converter purple stuff on it.

Steve Baumgartner
05-01-2012, 8:50 PM
Both we and my sister-in-law have Miele and couldn't be happier. They are without doubt pricey, but after 7 years still running strong. And so quiet that the only time you are aware they are running is when the drain gurgles during pump out.

Jim Becker
05-01-2012, 9:13 PM
Recently put in a Kitchenaid that retailed for about $899 before rebates. Love it. Stainless inside and out. Very quiet. Does a super job.

JohnT Fitzgerald
05-01-2012, 9:39 PM
We put in a whirlpool a year ago that we like. It is super quiet. Stainless steel interior. We also considered the KitchenAid in the same price range (probably similar to the model Jim has) - both got good reviews, and people we know with the KitchenAid like it...but we just liked the silverware basket in the Whirlpool better.

Don't underestimate the power of a good detergent - I believe CR did a report on them not long ago but you can always google for reviews and feedback.

We also looked at some Bosch units but the ones we saw did not have an automatic disposal for debris - the screens had to be cleaned manually.

Peter Elliott
05-01-2012, 10:07 PM
Thanks All, I appreciate all the information. Certainly don't mind buying CR for the dishwasher reviews. I know a lot of us go through the same pain when buying stuff, hoping to catch some good/bad on models with real use reviews. Looks like I got a bunch, so thanks!

Bosch or Miele - sound like good thumbs up for those two. My local lowes has a guy that sells appliances and he really goes out of his way to make the sale a good one! I'm going to stop in and see what he says.

Thanks again and keep'm coming!
Peter

John Lohmann
05-01-2012, 10:16 PM
I have a Kitchenaid in the basement, bought a whirlpool to replace it

Joel Goodman
05-01-2012, 10:32 PM
Bosch is excellent but you have to clean the screen periodically -- very minor effort. It's on the bottom of the machine and has a quarter turn latch. The one I have is very quiet and was not super pricey. The Miele was $$$$ when I looked. BTW if you're installing yourself the Bosch is tight where the connections are, unlike the GE it replaced, which was like working on an old American car. Maybe that's why it seems to hold more than the old GE!

Art Mulder
05-02-2012, 9:40 AM
+1 for Bosch. Going on 5 yrs, no issues. Does an excellent job and almost silent.


Bosch seems to be well spoken of


Bosch is excellent but you have to clean the screen periodically -- very minor effort. It's on the bottom of the machine and has a quarter turn latch.

I'll be the dissenting opinion... :cool:

I've had a Bosch DW for around 12 years and would NEVER get another one like it. We bought it because we were sold on the water-saving features. The problem is that it does NOT have a food grinder in it. The result is that every few months I am digging in the bottom because the intake has clogged. Popcorn kernels are the worst, but corn and other bits of food can also get down there and plug the bottom inlet. Even more annoying is that somehow food bits will get past the filter and get inside the upper spinning arm and clog the outlets.

Never again. The next DW I buy WILL have a food grinder in it.

Oh yeah, another key feature to watch for on your DW is a timer for delayed start. Our city has gone to time-of-use billing on electricity, which means we now have to remember to come back and start our DW, since it does not have a timer on it.

Ben Hatcher
05-02-2012, 4:54 PM
If I were to buy based on CR suggestions in that price range I'd buy one of the Bosch Ascenta models.

Stew Hagerty
05-02-2012, 5:35 PM
I'll be the dissenting opinion... :cool:

I've had a Bosch DW for around 12 years and would NEVER get another one like it. We bought it because we were sold on the water-saving features. The problem is that it does NOT have a food grinder in it. The result is that every few months I am digging in the bottom because the intake has clogged. Popcorn kernels are the worst, but corn and other bits of food can also get down there and plug the bottom inlet. Even more annoying is that somehow food bits will get past the filter and get inside the upper spinning arm and clog the outlets.

Never again. The next DW I buy WILL have a food grinder in it.

Oh yeah, another key feature to watch for on your DW is a timer for delayed start. Our city has gone to time-of-use billing on electricity, which means we now have to remember to come back and start our DW, since it does not have a timer on it.

I've had a Bosch for 12 years now and if I have a choice, I will never buy anything else again. It is far and away the best DW I have ever had. It is quiet, it is efficient, it doesn't have an exposed electric coil dryer, so you don't have to worry about melting even the most delicate plastics, and they clean better than any I've ever seen.

As for the filters and clogging. When you are loading the DW, scrape the plates before you load!

In the 12 years I've had it, I have had to unplug the screen exactly 1 (one) time. As best as I can remember, I've only pulled out and rinsed it off for maintenance 2 or 3 times besides. So it is definately not a big deal.

Scott T Smith
05-03-2012, 7:04 PM
Another endorsement for Bosch DW's. Have had one for around 7 - 8 years with no issues.

As far as cleaning the screen, we, uh, have an environmentally friendly system in our home for pre-cleaning the dishes, which reduces the need to clean the screen.

Jim O'Dell
05-03-2012, 9:12 PM
We replaced the one we inherited with the house about 3 years ago. We got an Amana with the stainless liner. Bought it online with free delivery. Was just under 600.00 IIRC. We like it. Seems to do a decent job. LOML doesn't complain anyway. Especially when I load it. :D Jim.

Shawn Pixley
05-03-2012, 10:32 PM
We got a Bosch SS to replace an ISE. The Bosch was easy to install and has worked perfectly. As others have said, it is almost silent as our kitchen is open to our very reflective dining room / living room / great room. I would absolutely get another one. Scrape the food off before you load dishwasher and you'll have no trouble.

John Coloccia
05-03-2012, 11:00 PM
I installed a Bosch in my last house, and have a Miele in my current house. I liked them both. The Bosch was quieter, I think....somewhere around a coffee machine.

Now if we're talking washing machine, the Miele can not be beat, IMHO.

Anyhow, I don't think you'll go wrong with either one.

Jim Becker
05-04-2012, 9:44 AM
As I mentioned previously, we recently purchased a Kitchenaid (replaced our aging Fisher-Paykel setup). We first were looking only at Bosch due to the reputation, but the Kitchenaid interior was more to our liking in both capacity and configuration. We (briefly) looked at the Miele...but it was way out of budget!

Patrick McCarthy
05-04-2012, 9:55 AM
Got the Meile approx 6 years ago. LOVE it. Stainless interior, built in water softener (have top add salt), quiet and does great job. At first I thought the silverware tray at very top -slides out and you lay silverware horizontally - was weird, but it is one of the best features. Gonna be close or somewhat north of the 1k mark

Jim Becker
05-04-2012, 9:59 AM
Gonna be close or somewhat north of the 1k mark

Very "north"... LOL

Bob Rufener
05-04-2012, 10:57 AM
We have been in our house for 37 years and did not have a dishwasher for the first two years. We put in a Kitchen Aid and when that went south, we bought another Kitchen Aid. It is still going strong and does a good job of cleaning dishes. I don't know if their quality is as good as it has been but we have had very good success with them and they get used a lot. We have gone with the pouches of soap as well. I think we got them at Costco. My wife likes them and so do I because she was constantly overflowing the powdered detergent and using much more than necessary.

Scott Flamm
05-04-2012, 12:37 PM
I have a 2 year old and a 4 year old. I figure in a few years we can replace the dishwasher with them:D. Cheaper in the short term but more expensive in the long term!

Ole Anderson
05-04-2012, 3:41 PM
The detergent pouches Finish (Quantum) and Finish (Powerball) as well as Cascade (Complete All in 1) rated at the top in the CR report. Cheap detergent can erode the finish on the glassware. We use the Cascade product in our older Frigidaire Gallery and are pleased with the performance.

Don't overlook the importance of water quality when considering dishwasher performance. Hardness and iron will hurt the end result.

Jerrimy Snook
05-04-2012, 3:46 PM
I looked at the reviews on CR but didn't find the units tested in the stores so we bought a Kenmore (generally score well anyway) that was on sale for around $500. It is quiet 47 or 49 db if I remember correctly. It cleans well when loaded correctly (we were told to follow the loading instructions). It has the stainless interior and nylon racks. If we run out of Jet Dry then the dishes don't get dry. It does not have fancy loading options but we don't have fancy things to load.

Phil Thien
05-04-2012, 6:28 PM
We had a GE up until a couple of years ago. It was unbelievably noisy.

It died.

We replaced it with a Bosch. The Bosch is so quiet I can barely hear it running. Love the thing.

John Lohmann
05-04-2012, 6:59 PM
One thing nobody mentioned is the insulation on our Kitchenaid is twice as think on the Whirlpool that replaced& put it on the Whirlpool, you could probably buy upgraded insulation on Amazon, but I've never looked

Jim Koepke
05-05-2012, 3:01 PM
Here is another vote for Bosh and for not putting dishes with large amounts of food attached into the dishwasher.

At least scrape them first. The only time our filter needed cleaning was when the wife was watching TV while loading the dishwasher and ended up putting some plastic wrap an jars with labels in the rack.

My experience with CR has been they are not always the best at picking the winners. Many of the models get changed before publication. The people are not always all working together on looking at the products. Different teams may be reviewing different products without any cross checking of findings.

I know many years ago they gave one appliance a bad rating and another a "best value" rating. They were the same appliance with one having a private label being the only difference.

I have seen similar cases of their not understanding the products they reviewed.

jtk

Peter Elliott
05-05-2012, 8:06 PM
Awesome thread guys.. great info, tips, pro/cons.

Ya, we ruled out Miele.. $$$ was just over the top.

So, I went lowes, sat down with my appliance guy who I have been dealing with for about 8yrs and ordered a Bosch.

I took the Consumer Reports (April 2012) Bosch Ascenta #1 choice. Ended up getting stainless version for the same as Black/White.
Then took another 5% off with using the lowes card.

I did (rarely ever!!) take the extended warranty. It was $70 and now I get a full 3yr warranty. I figured $35 a yr was a good investment for the extra 2yrs

Total came to $600 plus an $15 install kit. Glad I went with the install kit too, it had new hose, fittings, etc. The bosch came with a new drain line.

Took all of 45mins putting it in. Bosch certainly has made it pretty simple to install.

Thanks again and we're back up and running!
-Peter