I have a Miele with a front wooden panel and I have not noticed any steam escaping or heat issues at all. I have no concerns whatsoever that the DW will damage the panel.

The only issue I have with the DW is it is so quiet that I sometimes open the door before the wash cycle is finished.

First-world problem, I know - :)

Doc

The best panel ready dishwasher is the Miele Futura Diamond Series G5915SCISS(full console)/G5975SCVi(fully integrated).

Door opens at end of cycle automatically and lets steam leave out the top. Comes with SS panel to place under the countertop in case it is plywood or other material penatrable by water.

Miele Futura Dimension Series G5775SCVi also is a fully integrated panel dishwasher with auto open door but in a much more populary priced class:) It does not have auto close,LED interior lighting,and some other luxury features in the Diamond.

There are cheaper Miele panel ready dishwashers too.

The issue with KA and panels has only really come to light recently with a new design.

I have had the Miele Optima since 2006. "Semi integrated".
It is paneled, but the control panel shows---which we like.
That way we know what it is doing, and we found the controls are easier to use than our prior kitchen aid which had the controls hidden at the top inside of the door. After all, if your gonna spend "ALL THAT MONEY" on a Miele, then why hide the freakin" thing (Inquiring minds want to know)!!!

Anyway the door does not auto open like some of the fancier models, and no steam comes out---so you don't need that "Stainless Steel protection plate" with it.

Both the panels on the Miele DW as well as the surrounding cabinetry look just as good as they did when first installed. 6 years ago.

Now to be fair to Kitchenaid---we had 3 of them and all were trouble free for at least 9 years each.
One poster posted a complaint about the venting of the kitcheaid and it's kinda been like the "Chicken pox" here in Garden webb. There was definitely something wrong with that "Particular" (IE Hers) that is not wrong with many of the same models. That vent is not supposed to open for 6 hours yet hers does but we have seen post from other folks with exactly the same model and NO venting Problems, NONE!!
So it's getting a bad rap as folks here seem to recall only that post and not the others with the same exact model and NO Problems with theirs.

The Kitcheaids are slightly deeper than the Euro Models so it will require a slightly deeper cabinet than would a Miele. There are many posts about this here in Garden web and how to resolve this problem IE more cabinet depth.

Good luck with your decision, You really don't need to spend the money on the fancy door opener and in fact,
(To Me), your panels and adjacent cabinetry are safer without it!

HTH's

Gary

No issues with our paneled Optima--also circa 2006-'07. Ours is fully integrated. I had fought that, but my KD pushed for it, and DH was on board, so I capitulated early on in the design process. I am happy I did so. I think our kitchen would have looked just as nice with a "visible" DW, but I do like the "symmetry" afforded us along that row of cabs by our fully paneled DW. Plus, the wood panel is much more "forgiving" than SS when it comes to minor drips and water droplets. :-)

No auto-open/close, nor lighting, but I do like its cleaning capability. I know to look for the red light indicator, but DH never does, so if he isn't in the kitchen when I start the DW, I place a sticky note on the counter edge over the DW: "DW is running" or "Don't Open" or "DW is clean" so he'll leave the door closed until the cycle is fully done.

Even at the start of a cycle, when the DW is filling, and at its noisiest, DH can't hear it either (esp if the TV is on), so telling him "the DW is RUNNING" (verbally or via the sticky note), is a must in our house. It's not a drawback of the DW by any means, just a DH who sometimes "leaps" before he "looks" LOL!

The house we live in now had a matching cabinet panel on the original DW. When it came time to replace the DW, we could not get a matching panel because it would have to be custom made, and neither a new panel nor the stain would have really matched the 14 y/o cabinets.

We're not getting a matching panel with our current remodel for the same reason.

Average lifespan of a DW is 7-10 years. I'm not going to spend the $$($) on a panel just to toss it in 7 - 10 years, if the new DW even lasts that long. We are getting Bosch and the only model that would accept a panel is TOL. That's another $1k I really don't want to spend (over the model we're getting) + the cost of the panel.

Hopefully your new DW will last 20 years.

I avoided KA solely because of that vent on the side of the door. I really question the design engineering there. Word is the problem is fixed, but with my luck, it would fail in 'X' number of years and we wouldn't know until steam already warped our new cabinets.

The KA door has to be mounted out from the cabs in order to avoid the vent, while the Bosch can be flush-mounted. My sister has one of those KAs and her door is not mounted flush with the cabinets. The whole thing sticks out approx. 1.5" from the cabinets. Our 12 y/o Whirlpool made Kenmore, with steam vent in front, is basically flush with the cabs.

There is some misunderstanding regards to the KA side vent.

I have a service document that describes the system and diagrams the airflow path.

The drying process and airflow path works three different ways depending on the model features.

For units that have ProDry with Fan Assist --

1) If ProDry option is selected, the tub vent damper closes at start of the cycle ... then opens for the dry period and the fan turns on. Air is pulled out of the tub and also in through the side door vent and blown down through a duct, out and forward at bottom of the door. When the cycle is finished (Clean light on), the fan runs for 60 mins longer with the tub vent damper open, then the fan shuts off and the damper closes and remains closed for five hours (or presumably until the door is opened).

2) If ProDry is not selected, the tub vent damper closes and stays closed through the entire cycle (including the dry period), and stays closed for six hours after the cycle ends.

For units that do not have ProDry with Fan Assist, the tub vent damper functions as described in section 2 above ... and there is no air duct inside the door to direct (the passive) airflow down and out ... in which case some heat and moisture could exit from the side door vent, but only whatever residual heat and moisture remains after six hours, unless the door is opened early within the six hour period.

The damper opens if a running cycle is paused, closes when the cycle is resumed. After the cycle ends and the Clean light is on, the damper opens if the door is opened for 5 seconds or longer and does not reclose when the door is shut.