Looking for dish washer purchase advice

[mikeyny]

We need to buy a dw for the first time for the new Kit we just remodeled. We would like to spend 500 or less. The on line reviews are all over the place. Some say this one is good or its bad. What do you have and how does it work. Are there any specific models NOT to by.? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Mike

 

[fossil]

We put a Kitchenaid in our house in Virgina and were so pleased with it that when we remodeled here in Oregon we filled our kitchen with Kitchenaid appliances. D/W's all stainless inside and so quiet it's almost spooky. Nice stuff...but I'm afraid it'll bust your budget. :shut: Rick

 

[Dix]

I've had a few dish washers over the years. I learned that inexpensive isn't always the best way to go.

Any GE of Frigedaire under $300 type I had lasted 3-4 years. I have well water (with a recently added whole house filter). I am sure the unfiltered water had alot to do with the life of the dishwashers, as usually I run it only 1-2 times per week.

I currently have a 5 year old Amana, which is upper middle of the road. I like it. It's endearing feature is a "hot water boost" heating element for the hot water. It offsets the issues with the well water & cleaning. It's got the utensil holder on the door, and it's a tall tub (plastic), so it holds more than the usual size DW's. 3 levels of water. Not noisey, either.

The SO has a Kitchenaide stainless, w/stainless tub. It is not a tall tub, but has a bazillions buttons & settings, which he hardly ever uses.2 levels of water. He's had an issue with the drain clogging up, but they aren't the best rinsers, if ya get my drift :bug: He does run it 3-4 times a week, and aside from the drain issue, it's held up pretty well for 7 years. I think it's a little noisey.

 

[Later]

We put a Maytag in this house about 20 years ago paid about $450, had to put in a "chopper blade" about 10 years ago and a soap dish gasket about 5. Maybe $20 in parts total. Fast and quieter than the GE we replaced. Have a cheap Kenmore in our vacation home, noisy and slow, about an hour and a half just to wash, we air dry. We would get another Maytag if we needed one.

 

[DeePee]

Regardless of what you end up choosing, using too much detergent will cause premature failures.

 

[fossil]

Just FYI, Whirlpool acquired Maytag in 2006, and I copied this from the Wiki article on Whirlpool Corp.:

"Major brands:
Whirlpool
Maytag
KitchenAid
Jenn-Air
Amana
Roper
Acros
Estate
Inglis
Bauknecht
Brastemp
Consul
Gladiator GarageWorks
Whirlpool also manufactures certain appliances under the Kenmore label, (manufactured for Sears Holdings Corporation). Whirlpool has expanded the marketing of Inglis appliances which are sold in the United States at Best Buy stores. Whirlpool also manufactures IKEA brand appliances for low-cost home products retailer IKEA and Admiral appliances for Home Depot."

 

[mrurbplanner]

We bought a Whirpool (Model No. GU2300XTV) in February for the new house. It works great and is quiet. It was also ranked a Best Buy for Consumer Reports (for what it is worth).

In terms of price, it was middle of the road in terms of price range (Canadian Dollars), although the 2010 Consumer Reports Buyers Guide I have lists the price at $550 US.

Having had more of an "entry level" dishwasher in the old house, I consider the reduced noise is noticeable with the mid-range or more expensive model than the lower priced models. A quieter model was a consideration as the house design is an open concept kitchen / living room. I found the Consumer Reports rankings on noise somewhat subjective and judged that against the decibel ratings on the manufacturers' literature.

Hope this helps.

 

[mikeyny]

We have been leaning toward the Kenmore at about 600 bucks. Its a bit over our budget though. Tonite I will take a better look at the whirlpool. There is just so much bs in the online reviews its hard to know whats real or not.
Thanks for your input, at least i know I am getting real honest answers here. It will be several weeks before we buy. I will post what we buy when we do.

Mike

 

[festerw]

I don't think you can go wrong with Kenmore, my parents had one that went about 15 years before giving up. Their new one has been running for 6 years both run on well water. The old one required only a chopper blade a few years before it died, new one hasn't needed a thing.

I've got an Admiral that been going about 5 years run on well water, rebranded Maytag that I'd recommend also.

 

[firefighterjake]

As mentioned . . . and as most folks probably know . . . Kenmores are simply rebadged appliances from other companies . . . it's often a good idea to do some research (or simply ask the Sears Salesman) and find out who the true manufacturer of the product is . . .

 

[begreen]

Yep. It wouldn't surprise me at all if some of the mid-line Kenmores are made by Whirlpool or Frigidaire, which is owned by Electrolux.

Our old dishwasher was a 20+ yr old Thermador, stainless unit. It was noisy as hell, but did a great job and was virtually service free. It was still working when we sold it and probably still is. Now we have an upper-mid range Bosch, stainless interior, with Eco mode. It is exceptionally quiet and economic. Does a great job of cleaning dishes, even on the Eco-Mode, but I will be surprised if it stands up as well as the old unit. There is another thread on stinky sumps in these new units. We finally have this under control, but at first it was a bit of a nuisance.

 

[btuser]

My favorite dishwasher was a Kitchen Aid, which was around $600 on sale. It had the stainless interior and separate motors ect. Cleaned so well when we moved we bought the same one. However, THAT one had problems..... For the new, new house we bought a Bosch. $350 for a stripped-down version. Stainless sides and a poly-base. No disposer because they're illegal in Europe but for some reason we don't need one in this machine. Just a screen/filter that you lift out in case anything collects. Also, NO ESPOSED HEATING ELEMENT TO COOK PLASTIC ITEMS! I'm pretty happy with the dishwasher.

The premium for stainless steel is worth it. Quieter, holds the heat so heated drying isn't neccesary, and the inside doesnt' get stinky becasue the stainless doesnt' absorb odors like a plastic one does.

 

[semipro]

My favorite dishwasher was a Kitchen Aid, which was around $600 on sale. It had the stainless interior and separate motors ect. Cleaned so well when we moved we bought the same one. However, THAT one had problems..... For the new, new house we bought a Bosch. $350 for a stripped-down version. Stainless sides and a poly-base. No disposer because they're illegal in Europe but for some reason we don't need one in this machine. Just a screen/filter that you lift out in case anything collects. Also, NO ESPOSED HEATING ELEMENT TO COOK PLASTIC ITEMS! I'm pretty happy with the dishwasher.

The premium for stainless steel is worth it. Quieter, holds the heat so heated drying isn't neccesary, and the inside doesnt' get stinky becasue the stainless doesnt' absorb odors like a plastic one does.

We also have a Bosch that we found on sale in within your price range. Its super quiet, cleans well and one of few made in USA. Also, it does not use air sucked from behind or under the unit for drying. We had a bad experience with that on our previous dishwasher. The drying system is unusual though and many people don't like it. It works for us though.

 

[bjkjoseph]

get one that doesn't sit around and watch soap operas all day..

 

[jebatty]

I've had my dishwasher for 29 years, electricity free style. This gal gets the dishes clean every time, and even puts them away and then brings them back out to use again. Repeat. Never would replace her.

 

[John_M]

Fossil's post reflects my experience and current kitchen appliance inventory. Also agree on the importance for a stainles steel interior for the dishwasher. John_M

 

[jharkin]

A couple months ago I put in a nice SS Kenmore Elite unit. Only cost me around $300 after the cash for appliances rebate. A HUGE improvement on the ancient magic chef unit we replaced.

This one I believe is made by Whirlpool. I like it, quiet, built in disposal so no rinsing necessary, and it gets absolutely everything clean the first time even on the energy saver mode. Its very well insulated so even with the drying heat off things will dry in a few hours just from the leftover heat of the cycle. Cant yet tell how much it will cut my elec. bill.

It is hard to tell by the reviews... If you go on sears some people hate these, tohers love them. Even the ridiculously expensive Bosch models get mixed reviews.