Dishwasher recommendations

[cypher1]

So it looks like my 18yr old Kenmore dishwasher has retired. Its funny since I only used about 4-5 times per year when I first got my home. In the last two months I've been cooking more, and was running the washer every 4-5 days.

Besides the size, price, brand, noise reduction, and cosmetic appearance, I'm looking for suggestions/recommendations.

While I'm not in a hurry to replace, and have no real complaint of washing by hand again, I was thinking of waiting till after the holidays to purchase. Not sure when better deals would appear, before or after xmas.

[feh]

So it looks like my 18yr old Kenmore dishwasher has retired. Its funny since I only used about 4-5 times per year when I first got my home. In the last two months I've been cooking more, and was running the washer every 4-5 days.

Besides the size, price, brand, noise reduction, and cosmetic appearance, I'm looking for suggestions/recommendations.

While I'm not in a hurry to replace, and have no real complaint of washing by hand again, I was thinking of waiting till after the holidays to purchase. Not sure when better deals would appear, before or after xmas.

I suggest you use a national opinion aggregator (ie. Consumer Reports). All you're gonna get here is anecdotes.

[FLA]

agree with Feh. Plus, check the scratch and dent dept. I got a Bosch dishwasher marked way down for a scratch on the side, well, you don't see the sides of a DW, so who cares? Had same warranty and was considered new.

also, I've read several times that using a DW actually uses less water than washing by hand and kills more germs. Maybe you'll use it more if its energy efficient

[97guns]

Buy the cheap, I always do and buy another when it quits, my cousin just bought a $1200 washing machine and my $300 washing machine clothes smells just as clean as his

[disneysteve]

I suggest you use a national opinion aggregator (ie. Consumer Reports).

Buy the cheap, I always do and buy another when it quits

I agree with both comments above.

Check Consumer Reports buying guide and then go with the cheapest option they recommend. Higher end products with huge price tags in no way guarantee you better performance or more reliability. If anything, the more special features and bells and whistles the unit has, the more things there are to breakdown and the more costly they are to repair.

[snafu]

I too review recommendations from Consumer's magazine [free at library] for their 'best buy' recommendations. I've had good luck buying 'builder's grade' DW from new homeowner who replaced that basic machine with the higher end, more expensive brand with a great many 'bells and whistles.' Energy efficient, with features important to you is best.

At this time of year you can usually negotiate the price with appliance outlets as Christmas season tells the retail profit story. Appliance sales staff work on commission and sale numbers are critical to retaining their jobs. Be sure to ask for free delivery and hookup, the worst they can say is 'no.'

I suggest checking with your provider, here there is a lower energy/electric rate after 7 PM. I delay operating until late evening to account for snacks, neighbours visits and wait to full. Just opening the door after the wash cycle completes allows load to air dry.

[FLA]

. Be sure to ask for free delivery and hookup, the worst they can say is 'no.'

I suggest checking with your provider, here there is a lower energy/electric rate after 7 PM. I delay operating until late evening to account for snacks, neighbours visits and wait to full. Just opening the door after the wash cycle completes allows load to air dry.

ask for free removal too if you aren't planning anything with the old one

I wish I had an energy plan that charges less in the off hours

and even though I got the Bosch so cheap it would've been stupid to pay full price for a cheaper model from a different company, it has many features I never use. ITA on only buying features you will use

some of Consumer Reports online is free. Raised by a dad for whom CR is his Bible, I almost always choose their Best Buy for the money option on most large purchases and have not been disappointed.

[cypher1]

I guess I should rephrase my question to any reader: "What do you like or not like about your current dishwasher for features? Or if you had to replace, what new features (if any) would you want?"

Normally I have no problems going cheap, in fact I was searching CL on ones that were 2-3yrs old that were being traded up for remodels.

On the flip side, I've been at my home for almost 7 years, and plan to stay for quite some time, unless I were to rent it out down the road. So I'd rather invest in something new in the long run that I know I will get value out of.

I suggest you use a national opinion aggregator (ie. Consumer Reports). All you're gonna get here is anecdotes.

Already read up on CR to get a better gauge of bells and whistles, but I'd still rather ask around to get different opinions on brands/features. Add to the fact I value the feedback on this forum more than I would of random reviews on Best Buy, Amazon, etc.

agree with Feh. Plus, check the scratch and dent dept. I got a Bosch dishwasher marked way down for a scratch on the side, well, you don't see the sides of a DW, so who cares? Had same warranty and was considered new.

What do you think of the Bosch brand overall for a DW?

[cypher1]

Energy efficient, with features important to you is best.

At this time of year you can usually negotiate the price with appliance outlets as Christmas season tells the retail profit story. Appliance sales staff work on commission and sale numbers are critical to retaining their jobs. Be sure to ask for free delivery and hookup, the worst they can say is 'no.'

I suggest checking with your provider, here there is a lower energy/electric rate after 7 PM. I delay operating until late evening to account for snacks, neighbours visits and wait to full. Just opening the door after the wash cycle completes allows load to air dry.

ask for free removal too if you aren't planning anything with the old one

All good advice. I would say energy efficient features is a priority, and I'm not worried about noise or drying since I usually run before going to bed, and empty in the morning. Plus I'm only cooking for myself so I usually just wait to fill it up throughout the week before use.

[disneysteve]

I guess I should rephrase my question to any reader: "What do you like or not like about your current dishwasher for features? Or if you had to replace, what new features (if any) would you want?"

I would want a dishwasher with one cycle - wash the dishes.

That's it. What more do you need a dishwasher to do? We have a low end unit that still has multiple options that we never use. We run it about every 3 days and always use the same settings. All of those other options are just extra fluff they add to justify charging more.

[wjcalderon]

I bought a Whirlpool dishwasher about 3 years ago. I paid around $350 for it.
I use the "normal" cycle about 99% of the time.
On rare occasions, I use the "heavy duty" cycle.
It's energy efficient and relatively quiet.
It does everything I need a dishwasher to do.

In the past, I owned a builder's grade GE. I used it for 16 years and it was still working fine when I sold that house.

That's my 2 cents worth....

[disneysteve]

Normally I have no problems going cheap, in fact I was searching CL on ones that were 2-3yrs old that were being traded up for remodels.

On the flip side, I've been at my home for almost 7 years, and plan to stay for quite some time, unless I were to rent it out down the road. So I'd rather invest in something new in the long run that I know I will get value out of.

Don't convince yourself that you'll get more "value" out of a more expensive unit. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. The higher end unit isn't likely to last any longer than the lower end unit so you'll actually get less value out of it.

[Spiffster]

I like our Bosch but im sure we paid WAY too much for it.

Things I like:
1. Its quiet, almost cant hear it running... but on the other hand, I actually like the white noise of a running dishwasher. ;-)
2. Its energy efficient... but definitely not gonna pay for itself, or even the premium I paid over a standard dishwasher for that matter.
3. The filter is easy to clean.
4. The heating element is not exposed, so items that fall to the bottom of the dishwasher dont get melted.
5. Controls are hidden, which gives the dishwasher a nice clean look.
6. Cleans dishes VERY well.
7. No problems in the 6 years we have owned it.

Things I dont like:
1. Its quite, I miss the white noise :-/
2. It was pricey, I think we paid 900 bucks on a steep discount at Sears ~30% off.

In the future, we will probably look for another Bosch, but probably wont opt for all the fancy options. Hope this helps.

[97guns]

You done good getting 18 years out of it before dying on you, don't buy a used unit, cheap and new is the way to go

[Fishindude77]

My biggest gripe with modern dishwashers is that due to their energy efficiency features, they do not dry the dishes. Always have wet dishes when I open it up to put them away. Same issue with dishwasher at home and the one at work.

At our lake home we have a real old heavy duty dishwasher that sounds like a Harley when it runs and probably uses double the electricity, but when you open it up, the dishes are hot and dry. I'm going to keep using this one till it dies.