Thanks so much everyone for your great responses! I'd started responding to each of you when I last wrote (starting w/ the "oh no I wish you hadn't told me they're coming out w/ a new line" post) but then kids called and I never got to finish responding to the rest of you! My apologies... antss - those crate & barrel bowls seem perfectly fine. Thanks for relieving my fears! numbersjunkie - I wish! I can't pull the cabinets out because between the floor space being small enough and there being doors on either end of the long countertop, there just isn't room. But that would be a great idea otherwise! monicakm - trust me - I'd love to be able to get the Kitchenaid! From reading everyone's posts, I'm thinking or at least *hoping* that the problem you've had is more w/ Bosch and less w/ Miele (?) re. platters, baking dishes et al. I don't feel you're being pushy myself just because I made it clear how much I really wanted the Kitchenaid - FYI. You're just trying to help. ;) But like I was saying to numbersjunkie, I can't pull the dishwasher out more because there's a door that when opened (a fear I have - of it happening w/ too much force) will hit the dishwasher if it's even a little further out. It would also make it so that the door could never be opened fully and flush w/ counter to let in all the light from the mudroom/back yard...that would drive me batty. You do have me wondering though: can the Miele's 2nd rack be raised up like the Kitchenaids do? Hope so! carol jk - that's odd. Our water here is soft on its own so hopefully I can just disable the water-softening option. antss - it's funny...when you wrote "some people like the neat orderly loading of a Euro and others prefer the ability to load chaotically in an American tub" I thought that oh dear - I'm the chaotic messy one - very NOT Type A - haha! I want to be as chaotic as I please (w/ option of being orderly of course, when I decide to wear that hat as I do on occasion!) but I think I can still be chaotic w/ the Miele dishwasher, within reason (if that's not an oxymoron)! For example, I'm HOPING I can just lay the flatware on the top tray on occasion, knowing I can't put as many pieces in. I've seen that work for other people in other dishwashers. It all gets clean just the same unless there's heavy soiling. For me the highest priority is unfortunately that it fit in the space, then the second is that it is a reliable machine that's built to last, the third is that it's very good at cleaning very soiled/stuck-on dishes. Not sure where efficiency of space/flexibility of baskets falls in line but probably somewhere soon after! As for the new models not coming out anytime soon...I won't bother holding out. :( fauguy -Thanks for answering those q's! I don't have china/crystal that I use but I do use wine glasses. Can typical wine glasses take a lot of heat - e.g. same setting as pots & pans or cheese/starch? If they can take that kind of heat, I wouldn't have to do two separate loads. I guess if the new models end up being WOW FANTASTIC better, I could sell my current model and pay for the upgrade that way you know? Meanwhile I wouldn't waste time waiting around. Also, if the upgraded racks can fit into an older machine I could always just purchase those but who knows. Not all that important for now. whirlpool trainee/Alex - Thanks for the press release link! I love the lights, but most of all the intensive option. I could care less about the extra silent cycle having a separate kitchen however if it saves on water and electricity more then it would be a nice overnight option on occasion. buffalotina - good to know! I can't BELIEVE the off-the-charts excellent reviews everywhere I look. I don't know if I wrote this earlier or not but the bottom line is that if I had to get new bowls or a better-fitting but lesser-cleaning dishwasher, guess which one I'd choose? Bowls don't cost THAT much! And I'm sure they'd fit one way or another. Plus, I noticed the tines are surprisingly flexible - not that I'd rely solely on that. Alex - That video won't load properly for me for some reason. I eventually got it so that I could scroll slowly through stills but no video. Got the gist of it though, thanks! fun2cook - I've asked my contractor 3x now and he just won't recess the Kitchenaid due to it being an external wall w/ only 2x4 studs. And I explained above why it can't stick out, darn it. As for getting a dishwasher in black, apologies in advance for the following rant-of-sorts: I think black's generally a very nice idea and can look very good. I wonder though if it would fade into the background when surrounded by white cabinets and w/ nothing else being black (?). We have a white range and microwave and there's no space for wall ovens. I haven't had a dishwasher in years (so excited!) but the last one I had years ago (and for several years) was black and I wanted to try something different and new-to-me. I'm doing the integrated "cabinet door" look for 2 reasons: one being that it's trendy in the fun sense (I've always been behind in the times or unable to get the latest thing so that's new for me)! :) The other reason: my new stainless countertop (in 1913 period style if all works out well) will sit above the DW, w/ new stainless fridge being on opposite wall. The way that whole wall is set up in conjunction w/ the rest of the room is such that balance seems to be required more than usual. So again I'll have two walls opposite each other that will have noticeably stainless elements so hopefully no other distractions (just white cabinets and white farm sink and marble subway tile backsplash) and then the other two walls will just have white w/ no stainless (the white stove w/ white microwave and white 1913 cabinet above). So while things will be overwhelmingly if not annoyingly white, it's a small room and there will be some balance overall - and then there will be black accents from the original hardware on the cabinets but they will be relatively subtle. The true color in the room will come in through wall paint and accessories. It's the best I could come up w/ for staying w/ painted original cabinets and not having a whole lot of money - or my own personal designer! fauguy - I do know dishwashers come in white, thanks. I could get a white DW but that wouldn't be as attractive I don't think. I love combining "modern trends" or "upadated looks" with period-appropriate (not something we've always gotten in the past!), which the integrated cabinet door look offers. Plus it just helps w/ the overall symmetry of the lower cabinets under the counter. It can also help when dealing w/ a small, dark, easily-cluttered-looking kitchen. gwentm - you're so lucky your DW will go on an interior wall! Jealous! It's a GREAT dishwasher...really good reviews and at such a better price for their top of the line model. I suppose there's some validity w/ the argument that K.A. appliances aren't built to last as long as the Mieles but on the other hand, as technology advances, I might want to change out my long-lasting Euro dishwasher before the 20-year mark has arrived, anyway! ;)

"bleaching salts" That's rather loose terminology. The component of dishwasher detergent that can etch glasses is the strong alkaline salt(s) that are there to destroy organic materials, such as fats and oils. This is the same principle as the washing soda (sodium carbonate) used by our ancestors, and the lye (sodium hydroxide) used in some drain uncloggers. Dishwasher detergent also contains components (such as hydrogen peroxide aka "oxygen bleach") that are intended to remove stains and kill bacteria. These are what I would describe as "bleach". Of course, there is considerable overlap in functionality between the two groups, but I think it is misleading to use the word "bleaching salts" in this context. Much better to stick to "strong alkaline salts". This leads us to a solution for the pathological dish rinsers amongst us: add a small amount of vinegar (acetic acid) to your wash to neutralize some of the alkalinity. ("Lemi Shine" is a commercial alternative that uses citric acid.) Here is a link that might be useful: Finish Quantum ingredients.

This thread is surely far from its original intent. I posted my findings based on first-generation series of the W 48XX and T 98XX. Miele in now into the second-generation of this series and I have seen posts by Larsi regarding some front door/drum gasket issues, and there were some vibration concern by another; Larsi came to a resolution, and I do not know what happened to the person with the vibration issues. But to be fair to Miele the washer is a tad short of third-hundred pounds so floor construction will always be a consideration with that amount of weight. I recommend anyone buying Miele’s to purchase the extended warranty or wait until Miele is offering the extended warranty as an incentive to buy perk. Have Miele certified installers do your installation to avoid any fine-print issues (e.g., lightning strikes). From what I have learned Miele made these models for North America for several reasons: Competition was offering large capacity, and customers were inquiring about this and other features (e.g., bleach dispensing). They were losing sales to people who were turned-off or did not have access to 220V in their homes. There is no doubt that Miele stepping into this territory was stepping-out of their comfort level and their expertise with their existing products. However, I do believe Miele is making a concerted effort to better these products. Will the competition outpace Miele? That is yet to be seen. I do appreciate that Miele products are not “gimmicky.” Would anyone care to provide insights on the "quality" of the internals compared to their less expensive counterparts? This is tall order, and you really have to be at the machine while disassembling it to see how Miele has thought matters through. I can say that Miele uses highly-skilled labor to build these units as the different fasteners, and materials they secure require a deft hand. One clue to Miele’s comprehensiveness is that the back of these washers and dryers are finished similar the sides and front. In others words you can have your Miele washer dryer in the center of your room and the backs would be perfectly acceptable in an exhibition setting. On another note, the styling of these units is exceptional. It would take another long post to describe how well the styling on these units is thought-out. There are some very complex styling cues that all come together and make it look easy, but in reality that are very difficult to accomplish. Miele products remind me very much of Bang & Olufsen, and Apple.

My $.02, I have a pair of Asko's I've had since Aug/1997. Within the first couple of years the motor went out on the washer (seems to be a common problem) but it was covered under warranty. Probably around the 5 year mark I replaced the belt on the dryer. December of 2006 the motor quit on the washer again. I did some reading and bought a set of brushes, replaced them myself (very simple to do) and it's been going strong since. Over the last couple of years the dryer has been taking longer and longer to dry the clothes. I finally tore into it last week and cleaned out the blower housing. It was nearly closed off. It's back to drying like it did when new. All of these things seem like normal maintenance to me and I am pleased with the set. One thing that does bother me is I've repaired wires burnt in two in the top of the dryer on 4 different occasions in recent years. They are the wires to the fuse for the washer. It's only blown a fuse one time since I've had the set. I've never contacted Asko about this or mentioned it on this forum. Has anyone else experienced this? Thanks, Dave