Quick! Recommend me a Dishwasher!

Hi gang,

Our 20+ year old GE Dishwasher gave up the ghost this week.

The Home Warranty company is offering to repair it, or fork over $500.00 to subsidize a newer (and more energy-efficient) dishwasher.

So, with 2 kids and a nanny running 1-1.5 load daily, a replacement must be found post-haste!

Any recommendations? Some friends have already recommended the Maytag IntelliSense and possibly the Whirlpool Gold.

Any/all recommendations/experiences appreciated! TIA!!

Do you need a permit in your area for that? The neighboring county to me requires a permit to replace a water heater or dishwasher......so guess where folks come to buy a new one?? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

you should sign up at consumerreports.com and look there. i don't think it cost much at all to get the skinny on appliances such as this.

I have the second-best model of the Whirlpool Gold (installed 6 months ago) and it is very good.

Whirlpool makes the Kenmore so you can't go wrong either way. One of my Consumer Reports listed the preferential models recently. I'll look them up now and post them here.

Marty

**UPDATE** - The 8/04 issue of Consumer Reports lists the following top 5 models:
Kenmore Model 1636, 1637 $520
Kenmore Elite 1648 $870
Kitchenaid KUD101IL $580
Amana ADB1200AW $350 (A Best Buy)
Kenmore 1638 $570

Brand repair history:
Fewer Whirlpool
Kenmore
Maytag
Amana
GE

BOSCH! I'm serious man, we have one and it's really nice.

I have a maytag quietseries 100 and I love it.

[ QUOTE ]
_mike_ said:
BOSCH! I'm serious man, we have one and it's really nice.

[/ QUOTE ]

Looking at that same issue of Consumer Reports, Bosch was not tested but their repair history is next to last with about 14% of owners reporting repairs and serious problems.

We have had our Bosch for over 6 months with no problems .... knock on wood. My in-laws have had one for about 5 years and have not had any problems either.

All I know is ..... so far, so good. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

We have a Frigidaire Gallery and really like it. It has a hi-temp option (many do now) but it really makes a difference cleaning. We seriously never rinse our dishes and they always come out clean. It also grinds up the "waste" and dumps it down the drain, again I think this is common now, but wasn't on our last one. It is amazingly quiet and after 6 years still going strong.

Thanks everyone! Keep'em coming. Got a few more hours before heading down to the Mall...

I'm partial to Maytag, but in the last 3-5 years, most all of the majors mentioned have improved to the point that all of the better models are excellent choices. I haven't shopped dishwashers in about 2 years, but at that time the WP Gold had easier to load/roomier racks and the wash systems are now on par with Maytag.

BTW, dishwashers are extremely easy to install where you've got an existing one. Height is a critical measurement - if you've got a lower than normal opening, your choices are more limited. They're not heavy, so it's not a back breaker either.

I'll second what Marty said for the Whirlpool.

I've had the Kenmore Elite 17059 (which is a Whirlpool) minus the "TurboZone" feature for two years now, and I would highly recommend it! We couldn't be happier with how well it cleans dishes. I tend to pre-rinse dishes really well (I used to have to wash ALL of the dishes by hand as a kid, no dishwasher /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif), but it is NOT necessary with this washer. I can only guess if this new "TurboZone" cleans better.

My only gripe about this washer is it isn't as quite as quiet as some of the other "nicer" models. It's not bad by any means, and you barely hear it as is. I installed some extra insulation around the outside of the washer where it already had some, and added to what was already in the door. I taped a foam sheet to the back of the kick panel on the floor, and now you can barely tell when it's running. This is a much cheaper alternative then paying extra for the higher models when the only real difference was the sound insulation (noise rating).

A stainless tub will last much longer, and the nylon racks are guaranteed not to rust for life.

However, take the Sears stuff with a grain of salt right now (due to the Sears/Kmart merger). See my post here. I, for one, am worried anyway.

**edit***
I'll also second what Kitelights said about installation. E-A-S-Y.

We had a high end Kitchenaid (~$600) and it worked great and never any problems. Cleaned very well (MUCH better than the POS it replaced) and very reliable. When we remodeled we replaced it with a top of the line Bosch (~$1700) and it works great too (cleans very well), but we did have a repair shortly after we got it. The repair was covered under warrantee. The Bosch is quieter, but not hugely so. I don't have any regrets about either model.

The non-Bosch sales folks will tell you that the filter (instead of a food grinder) is going to be a pain. The Bosch sales people will tell you it isn't a problem - that stuff gets disolved and you rarely if ever have to clean the filter. I find the latter is true.

Go to a store and look at them and find one that fits how you want to use it. We looked at the Miele for example, and we didn't like how they do silverware.

Make sure you get a dishwasher with the stainless interior!

I'd buy either one of these brands again, but I have to admit the Kitchenaid probably is a better value. But I also prefer the style of the Bosch (it fits in better with our remodel) and the flexibility of the Bosch menu system.

Oh, and a lot of appliance stores will deliver & install the new one and haul away the old one for free.

-john

We had a roll-around GE give up the ghost a few years ago, and don't plan to get a new dishwasher until we can get one built in, which would requite a remodel of the kitchen, so it might be awhile.

Anyway I've been watching the market and I like the Kitchen Aids and Bosch's myself. Consumer Reports is a good resource, but only when used in combination with other resources. Everything they say has to be taken with a grain of salt, especially the repair histories. For example, people with problems are more likely to respond to the reliability survey than those who don't have problems, and a model line with just a few models is likely to have 1 problem with 1 model sour their reputation than a model line with dozens of models. On top of that, you're likely to replace a cheap dishwasher when something goes bad, whereas you'd repair a more expensive one, the repair might even be cheaper.

The CR reliability survey seems like a good idea at first, but the more you think about it, the more flawed it looks. Maybe if they provided us with more data, but since they don't...

FYI, for those interested, the wifey picked out some fancy-schmancy KitchenAid model, with stainless everything, blah, blah, blah...

I was supposed to be involved in the decision, but was too busy coralling and trying to prevent my two daughters (5 and 2) from destroying the place to be "involved".

C'est la vie...

You won't be sorry with the Kitchenaid. I think you'll be very happy how much better it works than that 20 yr old thing.

-john