I had the same problem with my dishwasher (LG)and had a tech come out and he was kind when telling my how simple the problem was to fix. Do not use powders- buy the tablets that are sealed. The powders absorb moister and ruins the product. Don't pre wash your dishes. Since they removed phalates, they replaced them with enzymes. The enzymes need something to eat so the dirtier your dishes are the better! Also make sure your hose thats prob under your sink is high enough. Ours was too low so some of the gunk would back up.

I'll make another plug for the Bosch SHV58E13UC or SHV68E13UC (I use the SS version - SHX68E15UC). Both are part of the 800 Plus series. The SHV58 usually sells for under $1200. Sometimes you can buy it for under $1000 after rebate. I have noticed that plastic items in the glass rack tend to stay put - much better than other dishwashers I've used or owned. I'm guessing this is due to the variable spray pressure feature found in the 800 Plus Series. This feature has a lower spray pressure in the upper racks. I personally recommend the SHV58/SHX58 to every customer. If someone doesn't like manual cleaning a filter, then I'll recommend a KitchenAid non-EQ model (the EQ series has a European style filter that needs to be cleaned manually). Also, if you have hardwood flooring, the Bosch, Asko and Miele all have a protective base that will catch most water leaks and shut the internal pump off when the water level gets high enough. The unit will go into a fault setting prompting you to call for service. The KithenAid and most American units are completely open underneath and have no such protection. You can boost the final rinse temp through a programming sequence that helps dry the plastic items better. I love the 3rd rack for silverware and utensils. I like the built-in water softener as it helps with cleaning and preventing mineral build-up. My glasses are always sparkling. It also shines a red LED light on the floor when the cycle is running and shuts off when the cycle is done (InfoLight) And it has about 8 more plate/bowl positions in the lower rack versus the KitchenAid if you remove the silverware basket which I hardly use because of the 3rd rack. Here is a link that might be useful: My company's Bosch SHV58E13UC web-page

The exposed control panels I find a little easier to use, and they sometimes give info about where the dishwasher is in the cycle (useful if you want to know if it's almost done, or if you want to add a forgotten item early in the wash cycle). OTOH, the cabinet door panels vary in size from one manufacturer to another, and if *this* dishwasher fails you may be limited in what you can replace it with if you want to keep the cabinet panel. Sometime the exposed control panels are 6" tall (matching most U.S. cabinet drawers), others just 4" or other sizes. Miele makes some filler panels to adapt cabinet panels that are too short, but short of sawing off part of it (often not a feasible option) there's nothing that can be done if your new DW has a larger exposed control panel than your old one. Some fully-integrated DWs do have a light or other indicator to show it's on, either pointing downward at the floor, or upward making the small gap above the DW and below the countertop glow. Using a fully-integrated DW also means using your own cabinet pulls. You'll need a fairly large, sturdy, easy to grasp one for your dishwasher. If all your other cabinets have small round knobs, you'll either ruin the intended hiddenness with a big handle on the DW or have to grasp and pull hard on a small knob or handle (which I wouldn't recommend - it may break off over time). Integrated DWs with exposed control panels have the manufacturer's usual door latch which usually is easy to use. Obviously there's an aesthetic difference between the two. Most (all?) of us have exposed ovens, so I don't really see the point of hiding the dishwasher unless it really blows the symmetry or something. The low height of the open door has nothing to do with whether it's standard/integrated/semi-integrated, but rather is a result of the move to "tall tub" dishwashers with doors that open all the way down to the toekick, rather than 3/4 of the way down with a stationary access panel between the door and the toekick. The door on those old dishwashers didn't open as low as on the new ones, since the pivot point and thus the entire open door was 6 to 8 inches higher. Nowadays, only low-end dishwashers still use that design, which substantially reduces capacity. Whatever happened to top-load dishwashers? They were really easy to close, although harder to load. The drawer-type dishwashers are perhaps easiest to use, and the Fisher & Paykel drawers are shallow enough so the fully-integrated DW won't stick out in front - and unlike other brands, they have a few controls on a small plate that mounts near the top corner of the cabinet panel, available in different colors. I think GE/Monogram had a fully-integrated dishwasher that had a small panel that fit in a rectangular hole cut near the top of the full cabinet panel, not sure if they (or anyone else) still offers this.

I have a KA "S" model - about five years old and it's great. It can mounted to the side cabinets without any special kit. There are instructions in the manual - you can probably read it online - basically, there are plugs on the sides of the DW that you remove, take the tabs from the top of the door, insert them on the sides and screw them in. Mine vents out the top front - no problem at all.