My ASKO middle rack has slots for everyday silverware on the right side; it takes a little while to figure out how to best use it, but now that I've done this it is a feature I really like.. The left side I use for small, shallow things--utensils, shallow bowls, large spoons etc. If you want to wash some really tall things, you can remove half of the split rack to allow space for these items.

I'm just curious, hvtech42, where did those stats come from, and how does one find them for other appliances? Beyond who put the repair stats together, what was the time frame for their evaluation period? Did they break their stats down in any other ways besides just by manufacturer? For instance, were they looking at the company as a whole or one or two models? I think it is a good chart to keep, so thanks for inlcuding it. I just would like more details.

It was percentage of appliances that needed repair in the first year of ownership, I think the time period was between mid 2013 and mid 2014. The stats are quite interesting. Miele and Gaggenau usually come out as most reliable, but the runner up to them tends to be Frigidaire. Goes to show you how little price has to do with reliability. They found that 20% is the average repair rate across all brands and appliances. I also find it interesting how different brands names made by the same manufacturer can have drastically different repair rates.

http://blog.yaleappliance.com/bid/86397/The-5-Most-Serviced-Least-Reliable-Appliance-Brands

http://blog.yaleappliance.com/bid/86332/The-Least-Serviced-Most-Reliable-Appliance-Brands-Reviews-Ratings

http://blog.yaleappliance.com/bid/98653/Most-Reliable-Freestanding-Gas-Ranges-Reviews-Ratings

http://blog.yaleappliance.com/most-reliable-american-dishwashers

http://blog.yaleappliance.com/most-reliable-european-dishwashers

http://blog.yaleappliance.com/most-reliable-integrated-counter-depth-refrigerators

http://blog.yaleappliance.com/bid/98554/The-Most-Reliable-Induction-Cooktops-Reviews-Ratings

http://blog.yaleappliance.com/bid/55677/The-4-Most-Reliable-Appliance-Manufacturers

Thanks hvtech42 - those were very helpful! Also the related thread, Choosing Dishwashers where the issue of reliability (including a discussion of how that is defined) is a major deciding factor, along with features, rack arrangements and bang for your buck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Choosing Dishwashers

Great review, but when I went on the Asko website, I couldn't find any of the models listed. Trying to find out what model was in the video

I am visiting my mother, and she has an old ASKO dishwasher. Hers was installed in either 1980 or 1981. Within the first year, there was an issue with some plastic part, and it was repaired under warranty. Since then they've had some plumbing issues, but they were not caused by the dishwasher. I've been loading and unloading it for the past few days, and its a lovely machine. I now will look at ASKO more closely for my decision - remarkable to have something still look and function like a new machine after more than 30 years of daily use.

Chiming in on the Asko. I had a d5000 installed in 2012 in my second home, which is on a well (hard water.) I couldn't be happier with it. It gets erratic use - months without, then meals for 1-12 - and has performed flawlessly. So glad that it was recommended to me, I'm ordering another for my primary home. I can't remember the details exactly, but I do remember that the installation was a little fiddly. The cabinet maker needed to make some adjustments and the plumber had to adjust for something because the working clearance wasn't exactly as spec'ed.

We are still happy with ours, and perhaps there is a model year changeover and that is why I got mine at a really good price. I guess the one thing that isn't perfect is that plastic ware is still kind of wet, but I think that is the tradeoff for not having a heating coil in the bottom. And, to me, it is a very small and inconsequential tradeoff.

We really needed this replacement DW installed quickly because we were having house guests arriving. The appliance store wasn't able to provide an installer quickly enough for our needs. So, my husband, who has installed other dishwashers, did the install. It did seem time consuming and quite putzy.

I am on my second ASKO. First lasted about 8 years and this we have had since 2008. No needed repairs yet.They used to be highest recommended on Consumer Reports, now are way down on their ratings. I have always liked them. Plastic items do not dry thoroughly, but it washes excellently and silently and I accept the poorly dried plastics as energy conservation effect. My model is D3531XLI and it was unfortunately discontinued just after I bought it at full (high) price.

Appreciate all these positive reviews! Just ordered an Asko (was also considering Bosch and Miele) to replace a nonworking Viking. In my past two homes, we've installed Bosch and have always had a good experience with them (no repairs needed during the 5 or so years after installation before selling the homes). Was attracted by the Miele reliability, but the plastic parts on the inside (including one of the cleaning arms), the wobbliness of the baskets, and the way my dishes didn't quite fit was a turn-off. Bosch is a fine machine, but with no internal fan the drying performance is not quite as good, and the silverware drawer on the 800plus model we looked at wasn't quite deep enough for our ladles. The main reason we went with the Asko was the inside -- it seemed more solidly built (more stainless steel parts, baskets felt secure and glided with ease). The appliance store explained that with the new (as of 4/2014) Wolf/Sub-Zero relationship, Asko service should be easier, due to parts stocking and 48 hour appointment turn-around requirements. Crossing our fingers....

Thanks for these reviews! Getting ready to order two Asko's (and replacing my Bosch which I am super happy about, I have never liked it.) I had not even heard about this brand before shopping. I saw them in person, then started researching, this thread helped a lot. I hope I like them as well as everyone else here has. I'll post a review a few months in.

My Asko is 5 years old. It is the 2nd Asko I have had and I love it. It is QUIET. I can sit 4 feet away and have a conversation. You have to feel it to know if it is running. Mine dries very well and I love the light that turns on when you open the door. My worst fear is that saying how great it is will jinks the good luck I've had with it!

dancingqueengw, please let me know the model number of the Asko dishwasher you described, above. I am eager to purchase but afraid of making an expensive mistake.

I had an Asko in our last house, installed in 2001. We paid top dollar for it, and it was whisper quiet, never leaked, and cleaned extremely well. I don't put plastic in the dishwasher, so I cannot speak to that.

It died at about 10 years. I was annoyed by that considering what we paid for it. I wanted it to last longer.

We replaced it with a Maytag, which I liked just as much, believe it or not. The noise doesn't seem to be a factor with dishwashers anymore, but I only had that one for 3 years before we moved.

I am in a different house and have a Kenmore Elite dishwasher that is four years old. It is a piece of junk.

New Asko owner here, since May, 2015. I love everything about it. Ease of loading, clean and dry dishes! The fact that it holds a ton of dishes and the front doesn't show water spots, drips or fingerprints. I have to look for those!

Thanks for the validation - we have an Asko - going strong since 1997. Ours has the heated fan dry and it DOES dry the plastic. So - we're going with Asko again in our new build - it's good to see them gaining some recognition - it seemed that Bosch and Miele got all the pub and Asko faded away. We've been VERY happy and we've even replaced a few parts ourselves using repairparts.com or whatever that site is - and it's been pretty easy to diagnose and repair. For example the rubber buttons - one tore - so I ordered the part and popped the front panel off. Cosmetic only- but it annoyed me. LOL

They do seem to change their (extra long) part numbers quite frequently - making tracking changes from model "year" to "year" difficult, though.

Thanks so much for lending your experience. I have a Miele Incognito dishwasher about 11 years old, which was a big upgrade for me from my old GE which was extremely loud. When the Miele comes to its final chapter in the near future, I will certainly look into the Asko brand.

We installed an ASKO D5636 in January. Our initial reason for going the ASKO was that Wolf-sub zero on-sell it and they will put the same stainless and handles as the rest of their appliances.

So far we are fairly happy with it. We have had to replace the cutlery drawer once, and already need to do so again. First time it came with a hole in the bottom of it, this time it cracked on second use. So not sure if this is a common theme or not.

Otherwise it is a very good dishwasher. It is silent, you can fit a lot of items in there and does a decent job of cleaning. We do get the water drops on plastics, but we dont put much plastic in there in general.

I really like how the drawers are all adjustable, so you can fit pots and pans, or larger items by collapsing the dish racks and laying them flat etc... It also has a good number of cycles types that seem adequate for the average household.

I would have liked to have seen a rinse aide reservoir, instead of the need to fill it up each time. But as we are mostly putting through every day items, this isnt a big issue.

Now that this thread is live again, I will chime in with our experience. We recently replaced an ASKO D1976 after 12+ years and a terminal pump failure. The unit had some issues related to a poor install (from a supposedly-ASKO-certified installer) but the last several years had been uneventful. Our water is moderately hard and untreated. OK.

For the replacement, I considered Miele very strongly. Considered Bosch, too; we had one 15 years ago in another house. It seems, though, there are plenty of rants about Bosch now as well as raves. Bosch wasn't out of contention, but the consensus seemed far more positive for Miele and (when you could find it) ASKO.

I didn't need a cutlery tray, water softener (well, I wasn't going to pay the differential for it), etc.; in fact, I didn't need more than a DW that got the dishes clean and dry with a minimum of water and noise and a maximum lifetime.

I was OK with buying a demonstrator model, closeout, or scratch-n-dent. The store had various models of all three brands in that area. I opened the Miele, pulled out the rack, pushed it back, closed the door, and stopped considering the Miele. Yes, I know the brand's rep. I know from reading on a few sites that the racks are "like that". Maybe their four-figure DWs are better. But, honestly, the Miele's innards looked and felt to me like a higher-end KA or Frigidaire. Not impressive for the $$.

I bought an ASKO D5434 tall-tub. The store installed it, with the tech making lots of comments about how the other guy had done things (same company; go figure).

And, so far, it's been just fine. It does seem the add-rinse-aid indicator is on no matter what the rinse-aid level is, but I have another 2-1/2 years of warranty to fix that and I know when I need more. In the meantime, I'm very happy with the job this dishwasher does. On the extended-dry cycle, everything dries unless its design traps water. And I love the Mercedes-Benz aspect of pulling out substantial well-laid-out racks and all the metal inside the tub. I'm good for another decade or so.

I bought the top of the line Asko in 1991 and replaced it two years ago after it developed an intermittent leak. It ran twice each day and often four times each day on weekends without incident or repair. The leak developed when I changed to liquid soap and Asko suggested that liquid never be used - it is too concentrated to ever be rinsed when using short cycles with softened water.

Two years ago, I replaced it with another top of the line and custom door panel. The third center rack and top knife rack (no longer offered) are terrific. I also use the shorter cycles, ½ teaspoon of soap, water temperature at 105 degrees and the long air dry cycle. This combination is perfect for pre-rinsed dishes and fine glassware. I have the finest crystal in each load and the above combination (temp and dry) cycles never etch glass or cause damage - and everything is dry upon exit. I am no building a new house, have looked at Meile (since choosing their range and refrigerator) but would never consider anything but a top of the line Asko for my dishes. Buy with total confidence. And yes, they now report under SubZero/Wolf in Wisconsin.

Liquid dishwasher detergent does not inherently cause leaking .... unless it interacts in a way with local water chemistry to cause excess sudsing/foaming and leaks out of an air vent, and any detergent can potentially do that.

Our Asko is about 10 years old and still going strong (knocking on wood). You do need to be consistent about cleaning filters and running vinegar through it every couple of months. We had to replace a plastic pipe that ruptured about 3 years ago, but it was relatively inexpensive to fix.

I'm also looking at Asko as well as Miele. From looking on line it appears the new models are arriving and Asko has moved the cutlery tray from the middle to the top. Asko was the only brand I've seen that had it in the middle. Any reason to want it in the middle as opposed to the top? To me it seems it might get in the way of larger items being in the middle.

I've narrowed it down to Asko and Miele mainly based on comments I've read about drying performance. Those are the only two brands that use condensation drying where I seem to consistently hear that dishes come out dry.

We have an Asko that we installed in November 2010. Model 5233XXL - at the time it came with a 5 years parts and labor warranty (the only reason I bought it due to the poor reviews from CR). My wife actually loaded the same dishes we use in it and other dishwashers to show me why she wanted this one.

It has performed flawlessly and our dishes are always clean and dry (except plastics as others have mentioned). We did have an issue with the bearings for the upper tray but I think it was due to the calcium build-up that we never treated. The parts were replaced under warranty last year.

I have now established a schedule of cleaning the filters every month and also running the dishwasher with white vinegar once a month. It definitely helps with keeping the upper tray moving smoothly. We are now remodeling our bathroom and were considering changing to Bosch but it looks like we will go with another Asko - mainly based on our experience with the one we have (the current one has stainless front and our new kitchen remodel calls for one with a panel so our cleaning lady will get her first dishwasher in a couple of months!)

0ur 17 year old Asko D1976 just died. An outstanding performer all those years with just some minor repairs when out of warranty. I looked at the Boschs but the complaints about it lacking a fan to aid in drying was a turnoff. Our Asko's washing and drying has been superior. I looked at the Boschs but the features of the Asko are outstanding and that is owned by Sub-zero a huge plus as our refrigerator with ice maker also 17 years old and their service and honor of their parts even in some cases when out of warranty have been exceptional! So we went for the top of the line Asko Professional model and anxiously await its installation.

Just to nitpick, SubZero doesn't own Asko, rather they are the exclusive distributor for Asko in North America. I'm not sure how that will relationship will play out in the near future given that SubZero is about to come out with their own dishwasher.

I realize this is an old thread, but it was very helpful to me. In the middle of the night, weary from reading horrible reviews for the brands we proles can afford, I did a search on the differences between high end and regular dishwashers, which ultimately led me here.

Long story short, as a result of this discussion and others, I ended up buying an Asko at a local appliance warehouse outlet, at half the price of a Kitchenaid. It is loud, but not that loud, and it gets all the dishes, including the plastics, CLEAN!!!!! I am in live and spoiled for all others. Thank you, Houzz community!

After the fact, about 15 min after warranty expired - one of the bottom racks broke. There is no replacement - we tried everywhere. This meant having it repaired as a metal piece by a friend of our contractor. It rusted. Today it finally died. I never really felt this cleaned any better than our old Sears model. Yes it was quiet but it didn't live up to its claim about drying. Our final episode was it just ran and ran without doing anything and would not turn off. ASKO service took our call during Super Bowl and promised a technician for today. Fortunately, before scheduling it, she said more than likely the tech visit plus parts would probably cost more than a 12 year old machine was worth. I didn't like the Bosch so today bought a comparable Kitchen Aid. Also, my brother got the same machine at the same time and his died a lonely demise two years ago. We will skip the high end models here on in.

I am sorry to hear that. How long is the warranty? I forgot. We got the service plan through Bray and Scarff, so we wouldn't have the worry of having to fork over $$$ for high end parts.

The real problem was that the rack piece was broke has no part replacement. Really look at that if considering an ASKO - and after the regular warranty - a simple sensor or pump drain plus the very pricey visit by and "authorized tech" is very expensive.. We would've had to replace the entire basket (plus outrageous shipping cost) not just the one piece that dropped up and down for one of the racks (when it flopped so did the dishes).

Do I understand correctly that your machine was 12 years old? I wonder what the life expectancy of a Kitchen Aid DW is?

For those of you that own an Asko, please read my post here and comment on what you think:

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5119224/new-dw-to-replace-8-year-old-miele

Has anyone figured out how to enable turbo drying? 2 loads of dripping wet dishes. Hating this so far.

Are you talking about on an Asko or a Miele? My Asko has an 800-number on it. I have called them at 11 o'clock at night and talked to a live, native-English speaker who talked me through my question.

Well, for those who wonder how long a dishwasher should last, I offer my 1982 GE 2500. With its matching cherry raised panel on the front, it has been perfect for 36 years, with the exception of replacing a water valve about half way though its long life. No rust, no cracked plastic tub, no leaks, just clean dry dishes in about an hour.

Unfortunately, it finally didn't turn on last week and a little power tracing and metering shows that the control panel has finally died. Now the problem is finding another dishwasher that will last like the great old girl.

From what I can see online, I will be steering my wife and some samples of our "problem dishes" toward Asko, Miele, Bosch and Kitchenaid. Miele currently seems to have the best reliability rating. However, I don't like the long cycles and the often complained about lack of perfect drying. However, everything will come down to the DW saying "That's the one I like!!!".

Hope the new one last like the old one.

Carlos,

I had a Miele Diamante from 2010, worked well until the circulation pump motor died back in Jan. So only got 8 years on it, when I was hoping double that. The repairs would of been close to $1000 ($700 part, labor, tax) so I looked to just replace it. Wasn't sure if I'd go with Miele again, but did look at the newer Miele units, Asko 40 series, and Bosch 800 series. It was a close call between the Miele and Asko, but I ended up going with Miele again because: 1) It offered the most flexible basket layout, 2) had the largest cutlery tray, 3) door opens at the end to help drying, and 4) they had it discounted $400 off.

I've been using it since April, and and very pleased with it. If you need it done in an hour, use the Quick Intensive mode. Or if you are running it over night, you can use the Normal, Pots & Pans, or Sani wash, at it is what I usually use since they take about 2-3hr but does dry better.

My Asko is close to 8 years old and I absolutely love it. At the time, I got it clearance and found a rebate online so it was a steal. So quiet.

I am trying to find a new pump for an Asko dishwasher that was in this house when we moved in in 1999. It has never been serviced! Right now with COVID no one is open to service it. I wouldn't buy anything else.

Hoping to update to a 2020 discussion. Current Asko dishwaser (8 yrs old) is starting to develop rust on the rack in two places... small chips that will grow. We've had Asko washers since early 1990s. No memory of the first. A second after a move in 1995... that one also developed rack rust and was replaced in 2012 with the current machine.

With the current 5 yr warranty through September 30 we are tempted to purchase another Asko. Rack rust aside these have been good machines. Anyone else have anything to report re rusting racks? Or just experience with Asko dishwasher since 2016 or so?

Should add that we have an excellent install/service company and that plus the extended 5 yr warranty is a primary reason to stay with Asko. No authorized Miele installers in this area so limted to 1 yr warranty unless extra $$$ to extend it. Other option might be Bosch.

Wow! I wish I liked our Asko as much as every one else seems to. The cleaning is good, yes. The drying is pretty good too, yes. The noise factor is fine, but not nearly as quiet as what I have had with GE and Kenmore. The loading...OMG, the loading is excruciating. I can hardly fit anything in this machine. I wish SO much that I had waited for the Bosch, or had gotten the Kitchenaid, like my kids told me to get. The racks are smaller, and the space between the "prongs" is insanely small. This is definitely not the dishwasher for me, unless there is a way to get new racks. The third row is ridiculously placed at the top of the dishwasher. I honestly can not stand that I spent the money for this dishwasher. Good cleaning means nothing, if you can hardly get any dishes in there...and forget being able to put in tupperware. I am so disappointed. I wanted so much to love this as much as so many others have..

Seriously? Such a different experience than I've had with Asko. Which Asko did you buy? The XXL or.... ? Both of mine were so quiet...no way can you compare this to the GE or Kenmore. I hate Bosch. I like a lot of my Kitchen Aid appliances warming drawer, trash compactor, microwave, 42 inch cabinet depth refrigerator... but my Asko Dishwashers? No comparison. I've had 3. Two I bought in 2014 at my previous house I sold last year. Now my new house has one. I was so happy when I found out again we had an Asko! It's still a gem. The prongs on the lower level are for plates and I can easily fit 8 place settings (8 Dinner & 8 Salad) plus plus plus. Top I can fit 8 wine glasses no problem plus plus plus..Also, Cascade Complete Platinum...your dishes and glasses will come out sparkling!

I can only say to read the manual to learn how to determine drying levels and all the "how to's" .....there are many options and if you don't take the time to figure it out. Don't blame Asko.

Asko dishwashers are under-appreciated. I have a Miele (2012) and an Asko (2013) dishwasher. The Asko cleans better and has been more dependable than Miele. The Miele is a touch quieter but I like the Asko control panel and ability to adjust temperature.

We have just purchased an ASKO 30 Series 24" Built In Dishwasher-Stainless Steel-DBI663IS, I've not heard of this brand before and can't find many sites doing comparisons that aren't selling them. The Maytag we bought had a 10 yr warranty, but it's had pump and control panel issues so we're returning it (I bought it because of the warranty). Our KitchenAide lasted 12 years but we did have to do some repairs. This Asko does not have a food grinder in it, which makes me nervous, as the kids aren't good at scraping plates. My 3 questions are: if this is such a great machine why does it only come with a 2 yr warranty, AND, what is the expected life of this model, AND if repairs are needed, how hard is it to get parts and are they expensive to purchase. (I would equate a high end dishwasher repair to similar to a high end vehicle, same parts cost more because it's "high end"). If anyone can give any insight to longevity and repair I'd appreciate it. I trust that this thing will wash dishes well! Thanks.

I've had an Asko dishwasher since 2012.. one repair since then in 2019 at about $140 to clear a clogged internal pump. That might have happened since the regular filters were seldom cleaned. Since then the filters are checked each month. Easy to remove to clean. Machine did leak at the bottom front once... "gunk" gathered at the bottom edge over time and the door was not sealing. It was easy to clean with paper towel and sponge... no problem since then and it also gets cleaned each month now.

Dishwasher was the basic model at the time. It is run just about every night on the shorter "glass" cycle that cleans all regular plates and glasses. Seldom use anything longer.

In metro Detroit there is an authorized Asko repair service that's quite good. Same people have done yeoman work on a 20+ year SubZero refrigerator. The 2-year warranty is better than the 1-year Miele and others. I would not recommend purchase unless an "authorized" install and service facility was available.

thank you so much!

I'm so happy that you created this post because about 20 years ago I installed an Asko in a kitchen remodel and absolutely LOVED it! I never knew anyone else that owned one and somehow Bosch has gotten a lot of press over these years. Now I'm in a new house and hate the Bosch that came with the house and am doing a kitchen upgrade and in my search can't find hardly anything on the Asko dishwashers. I went to an appliance store and they were promoting Kitchen Aid so I was kinda going to go that route. Now with the shortage, I decided to find out about the lead time for an Asko and call different high-end appliance stores. I found a place that said they are receiving a shipment in early January. This time the lady I spoke with said that they sell many Asko's and that since SubZero/Wolf took it over many customers buy because of that connection. I was reassured after speaking with her and also this thread gave me the confidence again that I once had in Asko. It's just so strange that you don't find any comparisons or information on Asko. It's as if they are a non-player in the indutry but sounds like they are with those in the higher end world. Seriously I can't tell you how much I loved my Asko. I never had to rinse my dishes and that always impressed my guests. I mean why else do I need a dishwasher if I'm going to rinse or wash before???!!! Yay. I'm getting my Asko once again and I can't wait!! I'll try and come back here and post my experience since I'll have a fresh comparison with my current Bosch.

I'm the person who started this post seven years ago.

We just remodeled the kitchen in the second home we recently bought. I put in the exact same ASKO that I installed seven years ago. I found a really good deal on this now discontinued model. I'm hoping that this one will also work well.

@HU-858645283, what is your feedback on ASCO 30 series after an year? We are at a junction to choose DW and we are alternating between Bosch and ASKO. Please, can you speak from your experience? Thanks