I know I'm a latecomer to this thread, but it's a good topic. The house I bought 6 years ago came with a Miele Novotronic DW. At first I was put off by the cutlery rack at the top, and still don't like having to "arrange" all the flatware, but the unit has been very good at washing, and it's pretty quiet. It has a fan that evacuates the steamy air through the door at the end of the cycle, so dishes are fairly dry. I don't think any new model offers this. But the experience I have had with Miele technical service on the phone deserves a special mention. They are quick to pick up, knowledgeable, patient and very polite. They will walk you through your problem and offer the appropriate solutions, most of which you can carry out yourself. Once you've made your first call, you're in their system. Best customer service I've ever encountered! Further, Miele excels in easy-to-fix design. Most owner-serviceable items (and there are several) can be easily removed and replaced - many without any tools. Some require a Philips screwdriver or a pair of pliers. I'm about to remodel my kitchen but the old dishwasher is going to stay. If it ain't broke, don't ditch it!

It should match the rest of the pulls / knobs in your kitchen.

If you are using all 8 inch pulls elsewhere I think I would use the 8 inch on the dishwasher. I used various size pulls in my kitchen. The picture below shows a 19 inch pull on a 36 inch drawer. It might give you an idea of how big an 18 inch pull would look. I think it might look too big on a 24 inch dishwasher. I used a 13 inch pull on my paneled dishwasher. There have been some other discussions on this forum regarding pulls on dishwashers. You might might try a google search to see what others have done. I think the consensus is that any size will work even a knob or cup pull. So go with what you like.

True. Spacers are still needed to attach the Miele side screws as well as block a possible noise path. There is one other factor to consider with Miele, at least true for my Optima. The Optima was designed to have a one piece panel mounted to a thin frame that attaches to the door. If the panel is intended to simulate the other cabinets with doors and drawers, the fake drawer part and the fake door part of the panel will be connected by a fairly thin piece of wood (metal backed would be better). If this panel spends any time sitting around unmounted to the dishwasher, warping of the thin wood can occur, and some effort "training" it flat without breaking it will be needed.