Be aware that the brand of soap you use can make a huge difference. We had a terrible Kenmore/GE 1989 DW which couldn't clean anything. Finally switched to a KA KUDS30IVS and fell in love with its performance - BUT, recently we started using a 'green' gel detergent and the performance is terrible. The only times this stuff has done a decent job is when I had a really dirty load so I used the "High-Temp Scrub" which heats the water to an extra-hot 160 degrees - then the load came out fine. We're going back to Cascade gel, which works great on Normal Cycle with only an occasional need for the "Pot Scrubber" add-on. Cycle is 1 hr 15 min without heated dry, which I never use. The evaporative drying works extremely well, so if I leave the dishes in for an extra hour after the cycle ends, almost everything is dry anyway. One of the tips from this forum was to have the installer put in the special stripping underneath the countertop to deflect any residual steam (the KA doesn't vent through the top, but when you open it up soon after the cycle, a lot of moist hot air comes out). I did a very extensive review and updated review on this model KA, so if you do a search it may still be around - hard to tell with all the dropped older pages, though.

So glad to see more people post their experience with their machines. Thank you! alexamorrie, good to hear you're happy with your Kenmore Elite. I liked our old DW but I have to admit that I also like the 3rd tray Bosch and Miele feature. We always have a lot of flatware, spatulas, knives and such, more than we could fit in the flatware baskets in our old machine. Our old Kenmore had a small, long basket at the back of the top tray that came in handy but the new Kenmores don't have that, unfortunately. Buehl, good to hear from another happy Bosch owner. Thanks for letting me know that your dishes fit. I'm familiar with Pfaltzgraff (our previous dishware was Pfaltzgraff) so I know it's roughly the same thickness as our current Fiestaware. Thanks, rococogurl, for answering my question. I don't know how often I'll fold tines down or lift sections out but it would be nice to have that flexibility. Thanks, somersetlass, glad to hear you liked your Mieles. I'm glad you've had good experiences with your KAs, catbuilder. Our Kenmore badged KA was great, the previous KA not nearly as good. That said, neither lasted much beyond 10 yrs. And that's just crazy! Seriously, when did a 10 yr appliance lifespan become the norm? Karenseb, glad to hear you're happy with your Bosch. I'd love it if you'd take a pic of it in action. I'm curious to know what you mean by " more versatile double sided utensil rack." Thanks! sjhockeyfan, I think our old DW had fold down tines that we never folded down. But since the tines on the Bosch and Miele aren't quite as generously spaced as our old Kenmore, it might be an issue for us when we wash casserole dishes and fry pans. I think I'll need to take another trip to the appliance store to look at the machines again. A2, you are awesome for posting a pic of your Miele DW in action! I can't believe how much you fit in it! Do you remember which model it is? You mentioned on your 3rd year anniversary thread that you had a service call on the machine. What was it for? Thank you, everyone!

I agree with Jakvis, different people have different sensitivities to noise. My GE Monogram French Door oven in my ipinion is very quiet. My husband who is very hard of hearing hears it when it is in the preheat mode. It is a low rumbling sound that is very loud to him and sounds like a barge coming by our house. When it cools I hear it I know it has to cool things and I hear in a vague sort of way it's clearly not excessive. Now ask me about my VentAHood which only has one speed ---LOUD- and LOUD Not sure when I bought that system if they had two speed.but it is screaming loud and I can't hear anyone talking to me. I do use the self clean function on the oven and expect it to run a fan to cool things.; It really isn't excessive and well worth for the cleaning experience that I don't have to get involved with ::)) So noise is acceptible to me in many c ases unlike cilantra which tastes like soap and makes me ill where other people find it frangrant and tasty. Life is interesting to be sure. Inga

Like Heather, I, too, was surprised to find smaller price differentials between the two brands. I happened to be shopping for a replacement DW a couple of months ago. This was just as Bosch and Miele were releasing their updated model lines. I mention this because (at least, in my area), there have been deals offered on warehouse stock and floor models which may be worth considering, particularly if you are interested in a Miele. For your question about potential differences in the quality of the interiors of the two brands' models, I would say that Bosch models I saw all had nylon racks and parts much as the Miele models did. Miele's racks are designed to provide loading flexibility with few movable tines, etc. The new Bosch models' racks seemed to be a bit lighter in construction and seemed to have even more moving parts than they used to have. Because of that, I second homepro's recommendation to take some of your dishes and etc. down to a showroom (or showrooms). See how your things fit and whether you like or dislike the loading patterns for the models you are considering. Like 3katz4m3, I found I slightly preferred the Bosch models' layout. But that is very much personal preference so YMMV. You mentioned that your 8 y.o Bosch had developed leaks and asked if the latest Bosch models are more durable than your old one. That seems hard to judge. My original bottom-of-the-line Bosch DW lasted from the 1990s to 2011 with the only work being replacement of a worn latching release spring for the detergent dispenser. I bought a new DW when the control panel burned out and replacements were no longer available. The new DW was a Bosch 500 series model. It developed cracks in the plastic pump and sump housings this March just after the five year warranty ran out. The parts assemblies seemed very expensive and the replacement process seemed (to me) onerous enough to make me look at a new DW. I can say that, to my eye when shopping back in March, the new Bosch models did look better to work on than the ones from five to eight years ago. Whether that makes them more durable is hard to say. Miele DWs have a longstanding reputation for being built like tanks and there is the company's vaunted mantra of "designed for a 20 year useful life" or "7500 cycles." That is an admirable yet aspirational expectation; Miele's extended warranty is only five years. (Canadians can sometimes get 10 year extended warranties from Miele.) Some posters here have had Miele dishwashers last for a long time, but some have not. An additional consideration from previous threads on Miele DWs is that you probably will not need service, but if you do need service, you want to be sure that Miele factory service is readily available where you live as opposed to dealer coverage which may not be as good. One small thing of possible note: if you want a smudge resistant stainless steel finish on the exterior, Miele DWs had it and the Bosch ones did not, at least when I was shopping in March. On cleaning performance, I cannot speak directly to the abilities of the current Benchmark and 800 series because I bought one of the new 300 series models. What I can say is that the new 3-rack 300 series model takes about 15% longer to run a full cycle than its 500-series predecessor did, but does an excellent job. One difference between the machines is what Bosch calls a "Clean 30" cycle. So far, for me, the new DW's "Clean 30" cycle (which I now use frequently) has worked as well as the standard long cycles on its predecessor. ETA: Although the cycle is called "Clean 30," the timer display always shows it taking 38 to 40 minutes on my unit. I suspect you would see the same with the new Benchmark and 800 series models. As best I could tell when shopping, the higher level Bosch models offered those and additional cycle choices, additional rack flexibility, and, as Heather noted, there were a couple of the more expensive models that also offer built-in water softeners. Before starting out on my shopping trip, I had read some older posts here saying that Miele offered an automatic water softening system. Don't know if they still do that but the Miele model I saw when shopping (a "Crystal") required testing water hardness and programming the water softener much as the Bosch ones do. If memory serves, the price of that Miele was less than the Bosch Benchmark with the water softener (at least on that day). It also offered the end-of-cycle auto-door-opening feature which enhances final drying. I passed on it mainly because the cost was over my planned budget and our town's water is not all that hard. And a final FWIW : even the new Bosch 300 series models are rated at 44 dBA for quietness. Some of the Benchmark models are even less. The low-to mid range Miele models that I looked at were rated at 46 dBA as was my previous Bosch 500 model. The 2 dBA difference seems negligible to me.