I'll mention that all the new DWs I've seen lately now use a hose connection similar to a garden hose, just smaller. With its own rubber gasket, one can put it on by hand. Some units come with the proper elbow (which you put on before putting the unit under the counter), others you need to get one from the box stores when you get the hose (and electrical stuff). Anecdote: my friend had a flood when she started the machine before going to the grocery store. The drain hose either popped off or ruptured, I forget which. Ruined the parquet floor, subfloor, and ceiling in the garage underneath the kitchen. They ended up replacing all the parquet with tile.

After doing a fair amount of research for the right dishwasher I decided on the kitchen aid. I've had it for about two months now and absolutely love it. It cost about $1500 (stainless steel) with installation and delivery. Here's what I love about it. quick rinse. we're only two so we don't run it every single day but the quick rinse helps to wash the food off at high temp for in between washes. It washes and dries on the normal cycle just fine. It has a built in garbage disposal -you don't have to clean out a filter. I rinse the food off for the most part before loading. It has an extra cutlery rack on the very top which isn't absolutely necessary for me. I really like the shelf height adjustment for the top cup rack because I can fit pots below and use the "pot scrub" feature which I think is fabulous. I just ran a pyrex through the other day with some stainless steel pots and everything came out spotless. It has a rinse dispenser thing that you fill up once in a while (since installment I haven't run out yet) and then it dispenses for each load. As for the detergent, I just use the electrosol 3in1 tabs. You just put one tab in the compartment and close it up. The KA is well made and I couldn't be happier... of course, I was handwashing for the last 6 years and that took a lot of time and space (drainboard constantly out).I've linked the model I bought below. Here is a link that might be useful: my Kitchen Aid dishwasher choice

Hi Raehelen: Regarding why HD is replacing the dishwasher and stove top: Probably because most of our kitchen remodel was done through them. We used them as our GC, ordered all of our cabinets, granite fixtures, appliances, etc through them. Our Project Coordinator truly has been "on our team" since the beginning. She came over and inspected the dishwasher and stove top - listened to me, verified the complaints were legit, and took the results to her Manager. She has a GE Profile dw in her home, and hers is a lesser model, and her dishes come clean. With that, she understands that a dishwasher NOT washing the dishes properly isn't something that someone is just being picky about. I am not certain, but I believe they spoke with GE on my behalf as well. I guess replacing a few appliances is pretty insignificant for them when you consider the overall picture - including giving them quite a bit of business in a down economy/construction market. Not sure... just guessing that they considered that. They haven't been "perfect" throughout the entire kitchen remodel - but darn sure close. On a scale of 1-10 in my overall satisfaction with them, I'd give them an 8.5.

Welp, we went to HD today. We got the washer/dryer issue taken care of (hopefully). We picked up our new stove top (induction!)- to replace the one we have. I swear, we just must have bad "ju ju" when it comes to appliances. At any rate. I took a look at the limited selection of floor models that HD carries. What I felt that I learned about my experience, based ONLY on this trip is this: Amana & Hotpoint, looked like junk. Of course they were super cheap, so I am sure that they fill the bill in that regard. Maytag: Disappointingly, they too looked and felt cheap. The racks were low budget plasticy and just not what I want. They had the exact model I was looking at, except in SS, while we'll be getting black. I wouldn't get that one based on the racks alone. Wah! GE: I am just fraidy scared to get another GE, but really, as far as quality goes (sturdy, nice looking, etc), they rated 2nd. LG: Surprisingly, even though I've read that some folks really don't recommend LG - they were far superior in looks and sturdiness. The rack were, solid - for lack of a better word. It also had 3 racks, rather than the standard 2. There was a super short rack at the top for knives and spatulas and other long flat things. I really liked that feature. The rack folds up, or removes, if you want it to. The 2 models that they had there were pretty pricey in comparison to the others we looked at (that they had on display). They're made in Korea tho; not the good ol US of A. I'd hesitate, but only for a minute. If they were made in China - I'd say NO WAY. We left there feeling that 2 decisions (washer/dryer and stove top) were enough for one day. I wanted to come back here and post what I found and see if anyone has any comments or opinions based on my findings today... and do some more research. Anyone? Thanks again all, Boxie