The vent is not in the side, it is located in the door in the top. Look at the user manual online and you will see it. Some people indicate they have seen steam come from this vent at times but I have never seen it. We run ours while we are in the room, because it is so quiet, and have never noticed steam or detected moisture.

Regardless, KA provides a strip of reflective metal tape that you are supposed to located on the underside of the cabinet above the door in order to deflect the steam. you can of couse use more tape to seal off the area. Just use common aluminum tape, like what they use on vent pipe joints. I do not think you will have an issue, and it only will be applicable to wood or surfaces that can be affected by moisture. Stone should not even be an issue at all.

We really like our DW, it is super quiet. It fits completly under the granite overhand but is not 100% flush with the cabinet face. It replaced on that was and had cabinet panels on the front. We went with the SS look this time. No regrets. But the installer did not know what to do with the tape that came with the DW and was throwing it away. I fished it out of the trash and installed it myself.

I just realized that it is possible that the panel ready models might not have the vent at the top of the door, due to the panel insert design. Maybe they are relocated to the side? Regardless, the reflective strip still applies, as far as I know. Again, download the installation manual and read it. You can view it from several sources, including the KA site.

I have a def. vent on the top of mine. The DW also came with the silver moisture guard tape and install directions for that area. BUT, I also have a "vent"" on the right side of my door. It looks ridged like a vent but, I can't tell if it is an actual working vent. There is nothing written in the install info or usage booklet concerning this area on the door. I have written to KA for clarification concerning this plastic ridged "thing" :)
I'll pass on info I rec'v from them.

I had responded to another one of your posts but have been away and didn't see your further questions. I am the one who has the KUDE70 installed in my island. I don't have pictures right now of the dishwasher installed. I just looked in the installation instructions and it says when installing "some models" (doesn't specify which ones!) that you have to, "Remove the backing of the moisture barrier and apply to underside of the countertop along the front edge of the counter." I would think that if that side vent were a working vent the installation instructions would have you apply a moisture barrier on the cabinet next to that vent. We have granite countertops and do not have the moisture barrier installed. I checked the vent on the side of the door and there does not seem to be a problem at all with steam there. I've checked the cabinet, checked the vent during the dishwasher cycle and have never seem steam escape. I've stopped in the middle of a cycle, opened the door and felt the cabinet beside the vent and there is never any moisture there. The installation instructions did not mention anything about a side vent, just what I wrote above. My dishwasher is totally integrated. In fact, my husband complains that he can't find the dishwasher! It does not stick out even a tiny bit. It is totally level with the front of the other cabinets.

I love this dishwasher. I would buy it again in a moment. Let me know if you have any other questions.

mrsthesun - Thanks - glad to hear you have fully integrated the KUDE70 without problems. Your deduction about the moisture barrier instructions makes a lot of sense.

benjayva- Please let us know if you get any clarification from KA.

FYI, mrsthesun has their KA installed in an island and this may allow the dishwasher to be flush, however, if this is being installed underneath a typical 24" deep counter, the dishwasher will stick out. The KA dishwasher is deeper than others. This to me would not be "fully integrated" but may be to others.

If you want a truly integrated dishwasher a good rule of thumb is to select a Miele, Bosch or Asko model.

Or Fagor . . . don't know much about it but has great reviews on ajmadison PLUS heated dry!

My dishes would not fit into the Miele or Bosch so I decided on the KA. I found out the KA panel ready was deeper only after it had been delivered. My contractor/designer recessed it a little bit so it could be fully integrated. I'm hoping we don't find another reason that it can't be done - like a possible side vent!

benjayva, I just checked the door of the dishwasher. The vent on the top looks like it is attached to a vent and a gasket for steam to escape that goes through to the inside of the door. The vent or whatever it is on the side has no visible interior vent that goes through to the interior of the dishwasher. It appears to be part of the door only. Look at the attached link - p 3 from the parts diagrams for the DW.

Here is a link that might be useful: KUDE70 Parts

It's me again and I have this resolved. Contacted Kitchen Aid and Good News! This is the info I received from them:

The side vent is actually for air intake, moisture should not escape from that vent. The upper vent remains closed on the fully integrated dishwashers for 4 hours if the cycle is not interrupted. If you have the moisture barrier kit installed under your countertop this will help repel the heat and moisture as well to prevent damage to your cabinets. The fully integrated design will not interfere with the side intake vent. It will still work properly. If you do experience any issues, please contact us via telephone or email and we can arrange for an in home diagnosis. Thank you for contacting KitchenAid.

So is it possible to fully integrate it? Ours will be on an exterior wall but we have 2 x 6 studs if that matters . . .

If the depth of your cabinet is 24", the answer is no. This means that after the custom panel and dishwasher have been installed, the dishwasher door will be protruding out from the rest of the cabinets an inch or so.

Fully integrated would mean fully flush, correct? By sticking out slightly, this isn't fully integrated. Integrated, yes, but "fully integrated", no

Here is a link that might be useful: KUDE70FVSS Dimensions

aprince - folks have integrated them, fully (I understand) by recessing them into the wall. Some builders won't recess particularly in an 2x4 wall. Ours our 2x6 and just wondered if folks have been successful in doing this. I really don't have a feel for how far they would need to be recessed either? Looks like there is about a 1 1/2 inch difference in specs between the Kitchenaid and european. . .

Mine is recessed into an interior wall about 1.75" with "wiggle room" per my contractor. Panel is not on yet but it looks like it will be perfectly integrated.

keep me posted! I would love to get the KA dishwasher - can't warm up to the European ones. I need two also so the price point is attractive :)

gwentm,

I'm about to install our KitchenAid KUDE70FVPA (panel-ready) dishwasher, and our cabinet maker is creating the custom door panel as I type...

When making my appliance purchase decision I was out here quite a bit, reading about this issue, and I was real specific with my GC and cabinet maker about this question.

Our lower cabinets are the standard 24" depth, but given that the wall behind them isn't perfectly flat along the long length of this wall, the dw opening happens to be about 24 3/16" deep from the rear wall to the front of the cabinet structure.

Although the KUDE70 specs state that the total depth of the DW is 24 7/8", I measured our panel-ready model (ordered well-in-advance) and determined that when pushed flat against a wall, the front of the DW door that the custom panel attaches to is actually 24 1/4 inches out from the wall.

Our cabinet style choice was to have overlaid drawer and cabinet fronts (with added raised molding, fwiw). The 3/4"-thick door/drawer fronts, with the little vinyl pads, protrude about 25" from the wall. So, I expect our 3/4" custom panel, added to the 24 1/4" panel-ready DW, to fit perfectly :-). Note that had we opted for *flush* cabinets and drawers, we would have needed to find another inch of depth to match up with the custom DW panel...

Also, our granite counters have a 5/8" overhang past the door/drawer fronts, so the DW will be "totally integrated" under the counter. Pictures below...

Good luck to you,
-- brian

Thanks, They're hooking mine up this week finally. The panel is on but it's not all the way in yet. Long story! I did see it fully integrated for a few minutes when they put on the panel and it looks great. Thought it would be in today but the tile guy was working on the backsplash so they couldn't work on the dishwasher. It's progress anyway so I'll take it!!

OK, Installed today. I it still needs a little adjustment but it is definitely integrated.

It looks great and yep, it's definitely integrated! I'm glad that it all turned out well for you.

My KUDE70 is going into an island. So from what I have read, if I have my cabinet man make the opening 25 1/2" deep I should be able to push the dishwasher back and have the custom panel fit flush with the rest of my cabinets? I am so confused and worried this is not going to look good. Anyone out there have a picture you can send of the finished look?

Bumping this to see what gwentm did to fully integrate hers. . . We had a long talk today at the appliance store on how to do this. I am not opposed to making my cabinets deeper (will have to do it on two runs as an l shape but I have room) but wanted to know what else I needed to consider.

I need two dishwashers and am looking at the KUDE70 and the one below that (forgot the model number) with the cutlery rack, or Bosch 300 and Bosch 500. Bosch is slightly more as the appliance guy is giving me a deal on the Kitchenaid.

Bumping this again to let everyone know mine are in (KUDE70 and 30) and paneled and fully integrated with inset panels. We move in next week. There is a very slight gap (1/8 an inch) at top of panel but it is not bothersome at all and maybe all have this? I think it looks great.