I understand the answer to be Miele but I cannot attest to that yet. I placed my order today. : )

You're asking a lot these days :-). Miele is certainly the Cadillac of dishwashers but a few people on this forum have posted problems arising around the 5 year mark and repairs tend to be expensive. My 10 year old KA just needed it's first repair - a new heating element - but more recent models seem to have more complaints. You pay your money and you take your chances!

Ugh! Would it be better to go with a "professional" model? Like I could even find one to fit that would be reasonably priced..... This is soooo sad.

I spent all day reading and had been thinking Miele or Bosch. However, it sounded like the Miele's were running a 10 year life span. So I was figuring I might calculate cost x projected lifespan.... but who can predict the lifespan of current models? The ones lasting 10 years were made 10 years ago. The bigger question is how good are the ones made today?

I went to some stores today and was hoping to find one WITHOUT a SS interior. My crummy GE Profile has one... at the time it was one of the few that had this and even with adding vinegar and water softeners it STILL corroded!

Why wouldn't you want a SS interior - that was a big selling point when I bought my KA 10 years ago.

I've only had my Miele for 3 years, but it's pretty heavily used. Twice a day at a minimum, three or more when the kids have their friends staying or we're cooking heavily for the holidays. We had a slight problem with debris in the drain line when it first arrived, but once we cleared that up, it's run flawlessly ever since. Nothing falling apart, nothing loose, and the racks are in perfect shape yet. I know we're not at the 5 year mark you're looking at, but since we do use it so much, I thought I'd throw in my $.01 worth. :-) I love the machine, it works beautifully, everything gets clean every time. And like Gary, I love that top rack for cutlery and utensils. I also like the way it loads, when you look at it it looks a little smallish, but I can pack that thing chock full and then some, and everything still gets clean. Mine was a discontinued model that I bought on clearance.

Good luck,
Cj

Thanks for sharing your positive experiences with Miele Gary and CJ! We do use our diswasher daily so having a machine that can handle that is important...

Weissman, I don't like the SS interior because I live in an area with hard water and even with softener it seems to corrode and get mineral deposits unlike plastic.

My Miele is now 9 y.o. No service call as yet. The way it's working I'm looking at another 9 I hope. We had an Optima (from 4 y.a. in another house; loved that even more).

The consensus on this board pretty much boils down to Miele or Kitchen Aid with highest satisfaction.

Mieles include a water softener which will take care of the hard water. I would only go with a SS interior. Mine still looks new. Just did a load of dishes last night -- take a look. Good luck on your search!

This post was edited by rococogurl on Sat, Apr 6, 13 at 8:52

"I went to some stores today and was hoping to find one WITHOUT a SS interior."

The manufacturers finally realized that the greater expense of SS easily won over the cost of putting a porcelain coating on steel.

It also allowed them to use condensation drying to meet government mandated energy rules.

SS interiors will not rust out nearly as badly as the old porcelain coated steel ones.

The oter alternative was plastic interiors (still available in some low end units) but those tend to be rather noisy.

I have SS with our Miele - I periodically use the conditioner and it looks brand new - I plan to try it with Tang next as the Appliance Doctor says this works...
it is pretty quiet - but when I replaced the rubber boot at the bottom with a wood piece - the decibels increased slightly.

My Miele is about 4 1/2 years old with no service calls. We run it about about twice a day. A couple of times it has given me a a faulty drain error, but restarting it has corrected the error sign. I do know that they are expensive to repair, but I love my Miele. It is quiet and cleans well. I love the silverware rack above, and the racking system in general although it did take me awhile to get the hang of it.
I have had numerous service calls on my oven and fridge/freezer - all under warranty thankfully, but the dishwasher just keeps on washing!! I love it

We've been quite pleased with KA and have bought several. Would buy again.

I've had my Meile for 4 1/2 yrs now. Yes they are expensive to repair. Had the first service call within three weeks (under warranty) to correct a factory malfunction. Meile guy guessed wrong what the problem was, resulting in a leak that damaged the 3 1/2 week old sink base cabinet....

Next call-out was about 2 months ago. No longer under warranty. Basic call-out charge is $200. They tell you when they can come and if you can't be there, tough luck. Wait another 2 weeks until they deem you worthy enough to come out. Oh, you need a part that guy doesn't have in his truck. Wait another 2 weeks, and be so very very glad that you are honoured enough to be able to own a Meile product.

Not getting another, ever.

Hummmmm I wonder if the KA or the Boshe (800 series) would be equally expensive to repair?

We looked at dishwashing machines today. My husband really liked the Bosch (since he liked the Thermador and it's basically the same). He also liked one of the high end KAs (we have a KA fridge and it might be nice to have at least one appliance matching! Our wall ovens are Electrolux and I read horrible things about the Electrolux dishwashers! So that's out).

We did like the Meile quite a bit, but it's probably wise to factor in repair costs....

These days I think it's probably wise to opt for the extended warranty on any brand of dishwasher. Our 11 month old Kitchenaid broke down (electronic control box was replaced) which seems to be a common problem so why the repair guys don't carry extra's in their truck is baffling. It took just over a week to get the part and have it running again. I would have got a Miele but in this small town there is no dealer any longer and who knows how long it would take to get it repaired if something did go wrong. Not worth the chance. The previous kitchenaid in this house when we bought it was barely 2 years old when it crapped out and cost a fortune to repair, then it broke down about a year later and only by knowing someone who worked for them was I able to get the cost of that repair refunded. It was something like $300.
Never again Kitchenaid (Whirpool actually) since Kitchenaid is just a name now tacked onto Whirlpool machines.

My Kenmore dishwasher is over 20 years old. I know if I replaced it, the new one would not last that long. Sure, it's not as energy efficient but it washers diishes very well. If it ain't broke, don't replace it!

For all the bashing that F&P gets and the bad reliability rating from CR, my DishDrawer DD603 is 9.5 years old and no repairs. Couple/three false alarms through the years that were either transitory glitches or loading error. The racks are in perfect condition, no rusting.

Love my KA! Never a problem and cleans like hand washed! I'm doing a kitchen reno this Fall and even though I'm heading towards Pro series appliances I'm sticking with a KA dishwasher.

I considered the F&P dish drawer, but I tend to be a creature of habit, and most of the time when I change to some new concept or design, I end up regreting it. I just don't want to pay for that risk.

After a lot of thought with regard to maintanance, parts, etc., I'm now leaning more toward a higher end Kitchen Aide or 800 series Bosch. Weirdly, my husband liked the Bosch because when he was at the store he loved the Thermador dishwashers and then realized they are just a repackaged Bosch!

I have some ramblings to add for future readers:

The cliche "they don't make em like they used to" is not cliche with a lot of old line American brands.

Kitchen Aid dishwashers used to be the gold standard but no longer are. WHen made by Hobart in the 60's and 70's they were bomb proof and expensive. Now, that division has been sold at least twice and the new suits are trading on the prior glory trying to build to a price point which is at or even below what your parents paid back then. They really don't care about high quality, they only care about feeding the machine to drive the financials upward to boost the stock price.

Same with Maytag Washers and Thermador cooking products. No longer what they used to be.

Re: this brand vs. that based on a complaint you read on the internet -

No one makes perfect machines everyday throughout a model run. Just go ask NASA and the space shuttle program. Arguably the most complex machine on the planet with many of the brightest minds working on it with no share holders to perform for and a failed machine doesn't result in dirty dishes or a ruined floor , so the stakes are very high ! Still , even they had defective units !!!

I don't think repair cost should factor too much into the decision. You cannot accurately predict financial outcomes of your appliance choice over the long haul by saying you'll be better off selecting GE's $115 service call over Sears' $150. What if you NEVER call for service? It's even hard for the manufacturers' actuaries to predict this stuff with certainty.

Cooksnews' problems aren't because he chose miele, they are because he lives in Timbuctoo. This is true with any small volume product vs. a high volume one. Bet it's easier to get service on a Ford than a Benz out there too. If he'd gotten any of my three mieles from the last 15 years he wouldn't be squeaking at all because they've had zero issues. Wonder what his tune would be if he'd chosen a KA and it was one of the units that catches on fire, and it burned his house down ? He didn't , so it's kinda pointless to second guess , but people still do.

This isn't limited to the sticks either. I live in a metro area with close to 6 million people. I can get on some in house techs scheds in one or two days , while other's take a week or ten days like Cook's and when they do show up they have the same holier than thou attitude as his DW tech. Its simply how the world works. Hey Cook , try and sched a Comcast technician and see what he says when he shows up at your place and then get back to us on that experience.

The parts issue is easy - how much inventory do think that guy can physically store on his van? DO you think the manufs' give those parts to the techs ? SO, we have limited space for material, and a sizable outlay in $$$ for pump or heater or high pressure switch and now we get to the point where Cook's tech probably serviced 10 brands. Still think it reasonable for him to have a GE DW pump, a miele steam generator, a KAid oven control board, a Viking fridge compressor, and a maytag door seal on his truck just in case he gets a call from you for one of those ???

Bottom line is - if you choose a high quality unit you probably won't need service. However, should you need it you'd should make sure there is a technician in your area that has the ability and DESIRE to work on your machine.

All manuf. have unhappy customers out there. If you truly want a a long lasting machine you need to look for one coming from a company that is privately held and not subject to the whims of the stock market. There are very very few of these around though. They will also cost a small fortune compared to their mass production competition. It simply costs more money to design , build and deliver a product with higher initial quality and a longer lifespan than it does a tarted up weekend promo that every Sears in the U.S. can sell every third Sat. for $399 along with a free delivery and a box of soap too.

Another thing to consider is these manufacturers' are sometimes at the whim of their suppliers. No appliance company has complete vertical integration such that they can supply everything that goes into a fridge or a DW, not even GE. So, sometimes you get a faulty batch of copper pipe like sub zero or defective control boards like Kit. Aid ovens and DWs. How a company handles these mess ups tells you a lot. SZ replaces theirs no charge, while KA denies there is even a problem at all. It helps to have fewer units to replace , but it's the behavior that concerns me more.

I have had kitchenaid for about 15 yearsin 2 different homes. I have never had a problem. I do also have a bosch that was in the house. The bosch is a bit quieter but it does not work on a heat dry. I personally like the heat dry option. I am in the process of actually replacing my bosch since I am redoing my kitchen and who knows how old it really is. I am going to replace it with a kitchenaid since for us it has been tried and true.
GL!!!

It seems like Bosch comes out well in Consumer Reports: http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2012/08/18/bosch-kenmore-clean-dishwasher-ratings/gty23gItXi4pOUKS0aDyjK/story.html

"Cooksnews' problems aren't because he chose miele, they are because he lives in Timbuctoo."

I wouldn't exactly describe my location thusly. I live in a city of over a million people. The problem is, Miele Canada operates only ONE national call service through which to book a certified repair guy. The $200 call-out fee is uniform throughout the country.

My KA DW is 15 years old and still works/looks like new. I hope when it's time comes, that a new KA will be as good as this older model has been. It's been a fabulous machine, never ever one service call. I'm afraid that a new one will not be as good as this older model. It's a Superba Whisper Quiet Ultima circa 1998. I will definitely go with KA again though. Miele is out of my price range and what I don't need is tough to get service!!!

As we speak we are deciding betwenn the Miele Classic and KitchenAid Superba KUDE48FXSS. Both are priced the same.

I have a brand new Thermador dishwasher and it does not work - it will cycle through the program but just will NOT drain. So the service tech came out (last Monday - today is Thursday) and has ordered a drain pump and control unit. Sadly the control unit arrived by Ground today but the drain pump is on backorder.

Doesn't seem like there's any urgency or interest in after sales.

Also the top part of my steam/microwave oven comes away from the cabinet by almost 1/4" when you pull the door open.

The fridge (bottom freezer) is not deep enough and has little space - you would never guess by looking at the exterior.

Don't know whether the OP has made a decision, but I hope he/ she got a Miele! My sweet little 18 inch Touchtronic has been humming along for about a decade, with no problems.