Make sure you clean out your filter!! I never had the fishy odor either. I always used either Auto + Sanitize or the Heavy + Sanitize. The Normal cycle will not heat high enough during the main wash, even with Sanitize rinse on. Grease and oils from dishes actually need to melt and break down with detergent present to fully eliminate them. If you are using detergent pacs, it might be too much. Try something like Cascade powder and use a little less. Cascade Fryer Boil Out is incredible as is available online.

"Our local store rec'd the Electrolux Q50 series. Though reviewed.com loves this machine I'm having a difficult time finding owner feedback. I was told this was Italian time-tested technology, just now brought to the US. And the orbit clean has just come out of patent, but is also not "new". Any leads on further information?" The Frigidaire FPID/FGID and Electrolux EI24ID/EW24ID (including the 50QS) are brand new and seem to be a redesign from the ground up. Electrolux did not have a great reputation for dishwashers in the past; owners complained of poor washability and reliability. However, it's very possible this new line is great and exactly what they needed. You certainly won't find any user reviews at this point, though. If you buy one, let us know what you think! The only real "proven" dishwashers on the market right now are Maytag and the Euro manufacturers Bosch, Miele, and Asko. Although Maytag is a Whirlpool brand, they still use the previous generation Point Voyager tall tub wash system that works well. Whirlpool has transitioned the rest of their brands including KA to the "Global Wash System" which supposedly is quieter and uses less water but is unproven. GE and Electrolux/Frigidaire just introduced complete redesigns, presumably because their previous offerings weren't so great. Those are also unproven.

Stainless steel dishwasher interiors are largely marketing, although they're also related to condensation drying methods. People tend to think that stainless steel holds heat inside the dishwasher better than plastic but that's not true ... except regards to an insulation blanket or coating on the exterior of the tank. Simple test to confirm that metal transfers heat much better than plastic -- Heat a pot or kettle of water to near-boiling. Hold a typical metal/aluminum pan on your hand and pour in the water, see how quick you drop the pan from the heat transfer. Then do the same with a sturdy plastic container and see how much longer you can hold the container because the heat does not transfer through. Condensation drying depends on the dishwasher tank cooling faster than the dishware, thus drawing moisture off the dishes to condense on the interior of the tank and run down to the pump sump.

So glad to see more people post their experience with their machines. Thank you! alexamorrie, good to hear you're happy with your Kenmore Elite. I liked our old DW but I have to admit that I also like the 3rd tray Bosch and Miele feature. We always have a lot of flatware, spatulas, knives and such, more than we could fit in the flatware baskets in our old machine. Our old Kenmore had a small, long basket at the back of the top tray that came in handy but the new Kenmores don't have that, unfortunately. Buehl, good to hear from another happy Bosch owner. Thanks for letting me know that your dishes fit. I'm familiar with Pfaltzgraff (our previous dishware was Pfaltzgraff) so I know it's roughly the same thickness as our current Fiestaware. Thanks, rococogurl, for answering my question. I don't know how often I'll fold tines down or lift sections out but it would be nice to have that flexibility. Thanks, somersetlass, glad to hear you liked your Mieles. I'm glad you've had good experiences with your KAs, catbuilder. Our Kenmore badged KA was great, the previous KA not nearly as good. That said, neither lasted much beyond 10 yrs. And that's just crazy! Seriously, when did a 10 yr appliance lifespan become the norm? Karenseb, glad to hear you're happy with your Bosch. I'd love it if you'd take a pic of it in action. I'm curious to know what you mean by " more versatile double sided utensil rack." Thanks! sjhockeyfan, I think our old DW had fold down tines that we never folded down. But since the tines on the Bosch and Miele aren't quite as generously spaced as our old Kenmore, it might be an issue for us when we wash casserole dishes and fry pans. I think I'll need to take another trip to the appliance store to look at the machines again. A2, you are awesome for posting a pic of your Miele DW in action! I can't believe how much you fit in it! Do you remember which model it is? You mentioned on your 3rd year anniversary thread that you had a service call on the machine. What was it for? Thank you, everyone!