New Dishwasher

[Candy]

Old one died yesterday. I don't want to spend a bundle. We probably won't live in this house long enough to get our money's worth out of a top end Electrolux or Bosch. As a former Realtor I know dishwashers do not sell houses. Lack of one can. So $500 and under, is relatively quiet, able to half loads would be nice, but as long as it gets the dishes clean and it is white I am not going to be too fussy. I really have not shopped for a DW in almost 20 years.

[Candy]

I am still very happy with my "new" Whirlpool. The capacity is amazing and it does a great cleaning job. It does have hidden controls that Consumer Reports put down. With my machine you adjust the settings and press the start button before closing the door. Very simple. I think I will be sorry to move out of this house in a few years and leave it behind. I don't think that there is a pricier DW on the market that would do a better job than this DW. I don't see much reason to pay more than $500 unless you are a brand obsessed appliance snob.

[fern]

May I also ask what soap you use in it? I've often read that certain machines do better with certain detergents. We've tried several, but I'd like to know what you're having success with in yours.

thanks.

[Candy]

Cascade. The type sold here is for hard water. We are in a major Limestone area, I think is formulated with softeners. I have not noticed any etching from minerals in the water. I am guessing that they and a number of companies formulate for the region they are selling in. No proof of that, I just surmise that is the case.

[pine time]

Good question. For all my love of the KA we bought, we had a tiny leak and the service tech also asked about the soap, which was Cascade. He said use only Finish (the hard tablets), and we've had no problems since then.

[BobB]

We've been using Cascade liquid in our KA for almost eight years now with no problems.

[Isolda]

I learned my lesson 10 years ago when I bought a fancy-looking Fisher-Paykel dishwasher because those drawers were oh-so-cool. Piece of junk. I replaced it with a Kenmore and have been very happy with it. I usually recommend Kenmore appliances (have their washer and dryer, as well as couple of window unit a/cs) unless someone has a specific space or appearance issue to deal with. For example, I'm not sure they make a tall built-in refrigerator that would fit in the space of the one I will be replacing, so I may be stuck with something I don't really want.

[mikie]

Kenmore, interesting, I have never owned a Kenmore, being in the plastics business and calling on some of the major white goods manufacturers over the years, I've always been under the impression that their specifications for manufacturing tolerances were just a bit wider than the branded counterparts. Consumer Reports, however rates them very well typically and they seem not to be repair prone as a whole. However, my daughter has a Kenmore side by side refrigerator and it has to be the poorest excuse for an appliance that was ever built. She's had it about 4 years and I don't think more than once could I get ice and water both from the door dispencer. It's just the luck of the draw I suppose. Although I don't believe they (anyone) make much as good as they used to.

[masha]

Kenmore dishwashers (and washing machines) have traditionally been made by Whirlpool, although in recent years I believe that some of the higher-end Kenmores are in fact made by LG. Other manufacturers make other Kenmore appliances.

[masha]

Candy - Further to my post above, we paid more than $500 only because we have granite countertops and needed a DW that could be side-mounted, whereas most of the DWs for under $500 can only be top mounted. Went with the KA, which of course is also a Whirlpool product.

[mikie]

I'm a big Kitchen Aid dishwasher fan, we have had very good luck with them over the years and they are very quiet.

I don't know if this is correct or not, but we were looking at appliances about a week ago and the salesman told us the European brands, dish washer, built in ovens, were not as deep as US brands. Said counters were not as deep in Europe and this is why you can't get as much in a Bosh or other European brands. I have not tried to verify this with product literature, but it's worth checking out if you are considering those brands.

[fern]

Candy, what did you end up buying? Our dishwasher has been something of a lemon, the worst thing is that it does a poor cleaning job. It recently broke down (again) so I'm hand washing and notice that the dishes are sparkling clean, a definite change from the usual. Ugh.

I hope you're happy with your purchase and would love a report.

Thanks.

[fern]

Candy, I just found the info in another post. Would be interested in hearing if you are still as happy. Your post sounded very promising!

[poser]

Hand washing dishes really will not be as effective as a dishwasher. It might look cleaner, but you will never be able to get the water hot enough and still hand wash.

As for a report back from Candy? My big pet peeve with this site. People will come here for advise, and have no interest at all for any conversation. They ask the question, read the answers, and disappear until they need another question answered.

[fern]

My dishes are definitely cleaner than our dishwasher gets them, no doubt about it. They come out of the machine filmy and sometimes gritty. We've tried different products but still have trouble. This one has just been problematic, unlike any other we've had.

As for Candy, she is a long-time poster who has shared a vast amount of knowledge on these boards. She knows food like nobody's business, and cookware, china, all sorts of kitchen items. Search her posts for some fabulous info.

It's certainly possible she won't look and reply but it won't be because she's a taker. I've learned a ton from her over the years.

[Candy]

Whirlpool deep tub. I have to bend over further to load and unload but the capacity is worth it and I have no complaints about the cleaning power. It may be louder than others but I rarely run it until after bed time.

[BobB]

We got a KitchenAid when we moved into our current home about seven years ago and have been very, very happy with it. Works great, very quiet, stainless interior, built-in disposal means just scrape your plates, no rinsing required.

I just took a peek at Lowe's and they have the basic KA in white or black for $539. You might find it for less if you shop around.

[pine time]

Sounds similar to the KA we bought, and I love it. I find that the "light wash" is adequate for 90% of the loads, too, so saves a bit of water/electric costs. Our control are hidden, and we got the extra deep, so I think that added some to the cost, but so far, like the KA a lot.

[masha]

Candy - What are your counterparts made of? If granite or other stone, you will need a "side-mounted," rather than "top-mounted" DW; those typically cost more than $500. If you can go with a top-mounted model, I would look at the Whirlpools and Kenmores (made by WP). (I just bought a KA for $700 because I needed a side-mounted model and wanted certain features not available in the more moderately priced).

[Candy]

my countertops are hunter green formica. If I drop something it has a better chance of surviving than with all of the stone products. I college I had to work in a test kitchen with stainless countertops. They were dark and spotted easily. As for counterparts, all are white.