I don't have any drying-plastic-problems with my Bosch. Of course, there's no way to avoid it if the piece is loaded so that water collects in the rims, crevices, etc.; I don't think that could be expected from any DW.

I have a KA which has heated dry and everything comes out very clean and very dry. Occasionally there is pooling of water in the inverted bottoms of glasses and mugs but that's it. I know it's not politically correct to have heated dry, but I'm happy with it.

No problem with my Kitchen Aid, either. It is sooo nice to have clean dishes. And the think is so quiet I don't even know it's on.

Hi - thanks! I was wondering - our cutlery is always spotty, as is all of our plastic etc. - is this just because my dw is a relic?

thanks
cheryl

no - I have in the past and never noticed a difference so just kind of stopped...

do you find it helps?

thanks

Yes, it helps.

kitchenaid... using jet dry...

would buy the same again... have recommended to several friends when they have replaced...

I remember reading a long time ago that dishwashers are very particular about the detergent that works best with them. So, before going out and buying another machine if this one is still working, you might try using a different detergent and see if that corrects the problem you've been having.

Best dishwasher??

Just wait a while, and get this one install this Fall!! :)

Here is a link that might be useful: The new Miel G 2002 La Perla

Best dishwasher - Bosch!!!

Enjoy the journey.
eal51 in western CT

Depends on your needs and budget. On the high end, Miele is generally acknowledged as the best. Bosch gets high consumer satisfaction rankings and would be less expensive than the Miele. Both would be quieter than typical American brands. Once you get to the mainstream American brands, KA IMO is probably the best of that group

Sears buys most of their Kenmore and Kenmore Elites from Bosch and Whirlpool (KA t00, a subsidiary of whirlpool).

Bosch makes Thermador dishwashers as it does with Gaggenau. I think The top of the line 9 cycle and next in line 6 cycle Thermadors are very quiet (44 dbs and 46 dbs) -they look and perform great too. I have zero problems on my Thermador pullouts and the top pullout is able to go down a level to place taller objects in it. It also has two mostly standard utensil baskets which you can place almost anywhere, or use one--or none depending on the situation.

You can buy the top of the line Thermador for a little over $1600 and the next down in line for about $1100. The Miele line that is anywhere near as quiet costs from $500 to $1,000 dollars more.

Greg

The LG dishwashers are the quietest that you can buy under $1000 and that still have a hard food disposal blade. Yes, the Euro type DW's are quieter, but have a filter screen that needs periodic cleaning and that many people have reported has contributed to an odor in their DWs.

All modern DW's need a rinse aid to perform properly.

Picking a dishwasher was the hardest decision I had to make when renovating the kitchen.

I'm another KA fan. It's very quiet to the point where I didn't know whether it as on and my kitchen opens into my DR/LR. I've never had an issue with the cutlery coming out spotty (with either the basket or the upper cutlery tray). I do use Jet Dry per the manufacturer's recommendation.

Those of you with the Kitchen Aid that you like so much, what are your model numbers? Thanks.

Hi
We just bought the Bosch top of the line touted as the "quietest dishwasher made in America". I replaced my old Bosch which never had a problem in 11 years. New kitchen with new flooring. Thought going new now would be best. I have listened to a GE Profile at my niece's house-could not hear it running. The lady a Williams sonoma has a thermador-wouldn't know it was running if it didn't have the light showing. My bosch is noisey. I definitely know it is on and you can hear all the swishing sounds. You walk into the kitchen and you know the machine is running. Anyone else experience this? Got it because the kitchen family room is all one big new area and my husband wears hearing aids hence background noise is a big consideration.

Sometimes sound may depend on how loaded the machine is are you running full loads or small ones? Also depends on how the DW is installed and the materials around it.

What type of flooring?

REgarding the GE Profile, I would recommend against it. Yes, it's VERY quiet. I also like the automatic dishwasher soap dispenser; you can add about a half of a bottle at a time and it automatically dispenses with each load. On the bad side, it's my experience that it's not a good choice. 3 things, the MAJOR one being it doesn't get the dishes clean. Secondly, the lower rack is ineffective in that when I put the plates in the slots, they tumble into a big heap when I push the rack back in. Lastly, it has an ineffective drying system - even WITH rinse aid.
For those reasons, we will be replacing our brand new dishwasher very soon.

"The LG dishwashers are the quietest that you can buy under $1000 and that still have a hard food disposal blade. Yes, the Euro type DW's are quieter, but have a filter screen that needs periodic cleaning and that many people have reported has contributed to an odor in their DWs."

Just an FYI, the odor is usually not caused by the filter screen. The main culprit is the drainage line not being installed correctly when used in conjunction with a sink that has a garbage disposal. The suction is powerful enough to pull waste from inside the disposer down into the DW. By installing a "Gap" or "loop", this solves the
the problem.

Also, there are basically two ways to view buying a DW. Do you want efficiency in speed/drying, or do you want efficiency in energy use.

For speed and if you want your dishes dry, go with an American unit which uses an element to heat water and air. For a more energy efficient model, buy a European unit from Miele, or Asko. These use water heaters to heat the water but aren't the best at drying.

I now have only one piece of advice for anyone that's looking for a dishwasher or who is not satisfied with the performance of their current dishwasher: GET A MIELE!

Seriously, get a Miele. It's the best. No complaints here. NONE.

sshrivastava - which Miele do you have? There are so many models to choose from - we don't have much in the way of fine china (which we hand wash anyway).

Sorry to hijack...

Thanks.

I think all the Miele's are good. I have an Excella and it does an outstanding job.

I think sshrivastava has a Laperla like I do. It is very similar to the Excella - they have the same cycles.

Back to the OP - you need to take into account HOW the machine you are looking at dries the dishes.

If it's blasting hot air through the machine (eg. Miele G641 older model), everything gets dry, awesome. But not efficient.

If it's using a high final rinse temp to heat everything inside the wash cabinet, then relying on room-temp air to dry. Plastic stays wet, but really really efficient.

Few tips for things drying in dishwashers.

Open the door when the cycle finishes. Do not leave it on overnight as any moisture inside the wash cabinet will re-condense on the crockery/cutlery.

Use rinse aid and play with the rinse aid dosage to get the appropriate setting.

RECOGNISE that not every wash cycle on any brand machine will completely wash & dry your dishes. All the cycles are included to keep every brand in the marketplace.

Only a few cycles will have appropriate wash/rinse times&temps to properly wash and dry.

LukeN - Miele Australia

"RECOGNISE that not every wash cycle on any brand machine will completely wash & dry your dishes. All the cycles are included to keep every brand in the marketplace."

Luke, that's interesting and something I've always suspected. I generally only use one of my wash cycles on my ancient/inefficient Whirlpool (Ugh!). I'm planning to get a Miele. I need the styling of a full stainless steel front with the gizmos hidden inside the door. Anybody want to recommend a particular model?

GET A MIELE and forget everyone else. Seriously. Unless you have a unique need for something like dish drawers, there is no reason to ever consider anything but Miele. I know that's a bold statement, but in my case it's the absolute truth.

I have a Miele La Perla, it washes and dries beautifully. Sure there's a few drops of water on plastic items, but if you selected extended drying that's not a problem -- and besides, are you going to melt if you get a few drops of water on you while unloading the dishwasher????

Miele dishwashers are amazing.

Wow, those are some strong statements, SSHRIVASTAVA! I love your enthusiasm, that's what I'm looking for. We are going to get a Miele Optima, I hope I am as pleased with this model as you are with yours. I hope it performs as well as your top of the line. Thanks, this helps me, I hope it helps PLANNINGNUT.

I have a Laperla like sshrivastava. I bought it in June of 2006. It replaced my 10 year old Miele G885. There was nothing wrong with the G885. It ran just like new the night before it was replaced. The new one matched my new kitchen design scheme so that's why I bought it. I actually hated the day it left, even though this new one arrived the same day, because in the 10 years I had it I never had a problem and everything was always clean.

Of course this newer one has improvements, for example the water softener system will now mix hard and soft water together so that you get the correct hardness regardless of fluctuations, It has specialized cycles for starch and cheese, touch displays and such, it uses less water(less than the 5 gallons my old one used)and it drys plastic well but the basic result is just like the 10 year old model - things come out clean. The Optima has the same inside racks and offers a lot of features, and most people on this forum that have them - like them.

Last year on the next street over from me, a 1920's Art Deco building was converted to condos starting at over 1 million. Each unit has Bulthaup kitchens, Miele cook tops, hoods and ovens, subzero refrigerators and Optima Dishwashers, so I figure the developers must be confident in their choice of the Optima.

We are VERY happy with our Optima. We don't tend to unload the DW immediately after a wash cycle is completed, so we do find water on a few items, mostly plastics. I think I've found there's less of that (if any at all) on those rare occasions when I unload the DW as soon as it's finished running (so LukeN's advice would be correct).

The only other items which consistently have water are our mugs--water collects in the recessed bottoms (no surprise there!) especially since we load them in a section of the rack that isn't angled enough for the water to completely run-off. No biggie, I just dry the wet spots with a towel while unloading.

Does anyone have experience with Fisher & Paykell's Dish Drawers? I really like the idea of being able to do small loads but still having large-load capacity for guests...Or being able to run two different cycles....

Janet..., My sister has the F&P dishdrawers and really likes them, quiet and cleans well and she has had no problems. That's what I wanted to get, but my DH didn't and he won that battle.

My F&P DD603 will be 5 years old in August. Never any trouble with it. Being a single person household, and not cooking much, it takes me several days to fill just one drawer. When I do cook, of course it fills quicker. Both drawers aren't used very often, just when I have family or guests.

As for drying, DishDrawers don't have a drying heater, relying on residual heat from the heated final rinse and a blower to promote evaporation. Longer cycles (Heavy, Heavy Eco, Normal, and Delicate without the Eco option) heat to higher temps than shorter/lighter cycles (Delicate Eco, Fast, and Fast Eco) so accordingly drying performance is better. Plastics dry OK if left overnight, although lightweight/disposable-type items may need a bit of toweling if the time-frame is pushed. Better with the drawer ajar overnight. I've found also that the new JetDry Turbo makes an appreciable difference.

Hi I notcied that a few people love thier kitchen aid dishwashers, could you please give me model numbers, as I have another dilemma with my remodel and have to purchase by the weekend. Thanks for any info
Marilyn

I responded to this post much earlier on, and I would like to add something.

After much hair pulling about the dishes not getting dry, nor clean, and absolutely hating our new dishwasher - someone suggested not only adding Jet Dry, but changing to powdered dishwashing soap.

With the 2 of those items combined, I am happy to report that our dishes are coming out wonderfully clean - and dry.
(Of course some of the plastic ware is sometimes still a little wet, but that seems to be pretty common in most dishwashers)

So, before replacing your dishwasher, please give the Jet Dry and powdered dish soap a try.

Hope this helps someone, it sure helped me. Thanks GWers!

I have a Maytag dishwasher, and love the way it cleans. I find that powdered detergent cleans better in my dishwasher.

We remodeled our kitchen in the fall (Oct.) of 2005...and thanks to information from wonderful members of this forum, I have a beautiful ivory Lacanche, soapstone counters, and a fireclay Shaw's original sink....LOVE it all..at the time, I went with the F&P DD...and now they have both gone out...the last one (lower one, wouldn't you know) went out on Friday. Well, I DO use them all the time...but don't you buy appliances to actually USE them? Anyway, here I am again to look for a dishwasher...guess Miele it is....I'm just disappointed that something that expensive didn't last three years. It will be over $600 to repair them....hmmmm.....but, there ya go! They really were wonderful while they worked!

I'm looking for a new dishwasher and am overwhelmed by the differences of opinions. Consumer Reports magazine gives Bosch top ratings. The user reviews are divided into two camps; they either love it, or say is is a worthless, smelly, expensive waste of time & $. any comments/suggestions/recommendations. I'm willing to pay for top quality if I know that is what I'll get. In the meantime I'll have to live with dishpan hands:)

You don't need to spend $1,000 on a dw. My eight year old KA cleans the dishes perfectly and dries them too. What more do you want a dw to do???

PS: Most new dw's are designed to be used with Jet-Dry. Buy a big bottle at Costco and it will last a long time.