I got a top of the line KA. Although I got it because I've always been happy with KA stuff and although I am happy with my wall oven and fridge, I can't wait to replace the dishwasher that's only a year old.

Anything like peanut butter does not come off. And the racks are not as versatile as I wish for filling with different sized dishes. It's also really frustrating that some of them that are intended to move up or down tend to flop back down all the time.

I don't know what I'll get when I get the opportunity but it will be something else!

I also forgot one of the things I HATE about it is that I can't set it to just the cycle I want. For example, sometimes the dishes don't get completely dry and sometimes I'm doing canning and I want to sterilize the jars and keep them hot while I get the jam or whatever ready to go in them. I can't set the KA to just a "dry" cycle.

That's definitely something I'm going to insist on for my next dishwasher.

I have the same type of complaints about my KA. I have to wash the dishes first if I want them to come clean.

Sorry to muddy the waters but have you considered the Fisher & Paykel drawers? That's what I'd get if DH would allow it. They are a long-lived family company with a really good, solid reputation from New Zealand but have bought a Maytag plant in the US and are now manufacturing appliances there. They have also recently bought out DCS. After talking to many an appliance dealer I've concluded F&P is the brand they have at home.

They were the first to pioneer DW drawers. This is a link to one of their many different models.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fisher & Paykel Dishwasher

you should really do a search on the appliance forum. regarding the F&P: there's been LOTS to say about them over there. i know three people now who have had their drawers replaced. how about a miele?

I pined for dish drawers for years while waiting for my dishwasher, original to the house (built in 1981) to DIE!

Then the time came and we put it down in a gentle, humane way. No dishwashers were harmed inn the writing of this post.

DH insisted that he could handwash until the new kitchen went in. That lasted about a week.

He called me at work to give me the news that he was done hand-washing (he's retired). This constituted a household emergency. The car can need service for months on end, but the dishwasher MUST RUN! I told him where to look for the dish drawers locally but also said that I'd be happy with a Bosch like his mother has.

I was mildly disappointed when I got home and saw the Bosch, but that only lasted until we ran it the first time. My dishes come out CLEAN (what an idea, huh?)! You can take the top rack out to run tall stuff, but I can put my tallest stock pot in the bottom and run it with the top rack in place!

There has been a small learning curve to learning how to load it. I can put tons of stuff in the top rack (things as tall as a 48 oz. pitcher), and pile things on top of the loaded rack, to boot. Sometimes things don't get dry, but there are very few things that don't get clean even on the regular wash cycle.

I would have liked to have had dish drawers, but I'm tickled with my Bosch. And I can apply the money I saved to that soapstone that I want . . .

BSH, which is the company that owns Bosch, Siemens, Thermador, Gaggenau, and a few other lesser known brands (mostly in Europe) make very good DW's. That said, you will always find people that don't like a certain brand because they got a lemon or they want it to do things it wasn't designed to do.

The European DW's almost never have heating rods at the bottom--they rely on a special evaporation process. One advantage on removing the heating rods is that the bottom drawer can be lower and you can have more room inside. Also, if you have children or are careless, you can't get burned fishing out a fork that fell to the bottom.

Another advantage is that you can put plastic on any level and it won't melt or warp.

Since the Euro models also rarely have macerators to grind up food, you should check the bottom filter every so often and clean as neceassry. The Euro's do this to keep noise down as macerators (on most American models) raise the db's by 2-4 db's. The Euro's are also more ecologically designed with lower electrical costs (no heating rods) and often lower water useage.

I would stay with any dishwasher in the Bosch family, paticularly Bosch, Thermador, and Gaggenau. Many people like the Miele's and the Asko's too. But there are some that want the heating rods and the macerators--in which case stay with the Kenmore Elite models that have them and KA.

Greg

I really like the Bosch dishwasher! I run it when I'm at home and awake to open the door to release steam at end of cycle (can be within a few hours). The dishes dry quite quickly via air with the steam released with the door opened a few inches.

Hi,

I couldn't decide between the KA dishwasher and the Bosch. But when I checked out Consumer Affairs and the Recalls, it seem a bunch of dishwashers have been recalled because of potential fire hazards. And in some cases they did start a fire. Unfortunately Whirlpool was one of the brands cited (they make KA dishwashers as well as the whirlpools).

They may have changed the engineering design by now and GE, KA, and Whirlpool dishwashers may be fine, but that pushed me towards the Bosch. Plus the Bosch has a sensor that shuts off the machine if there is a water leak. That was pretty important to me as I have cork floors in the kitchen.

It took me a while to get used to loading the new dishwasher, but it washes everything beautifully and dries the dishes pretty well (especially with the door opened a crack).

That is my 2 cents worth! I'm very pleased with my Bosch dishwasher after years of a Whirlpool!

Karen

We got a mid-grade maytag as a stopgap until we re-do our kitchen...and I love it. Versatile, gets the dishes clean, and reasonably quiet. Now, when I DO finally get to re-do the kitchen, it's going to be a Bosch or a Miele...I think. ;^)

I am planning to put a Bosch in our kitchen (one of the few decisions that has been made). We have a friend who repairs appliances and he recommended to us to either go with Bosch or Miele for DW since they are both easy to repair and don't need repair very often. Since then, a lot of the reviews I've read indicate that they're also among the best at washing thoroughly and quietly.

Well, we have a top of the line KA dishwasher and LOVE it. We never, ever rinse dishes (I barely scrape them) before putting them in and we also load it up with pots and pans, and even one time when we forgot to put soap in the dishes still came out clean.

I was really disappointed to read of all the bad experiences others have had. Our experience has been nothing but tremendously positive.

Our dishwasher is about fourteen months-old (we got it before we remodeled), so we've been able to use it for quite a while.

About the Bosch: we had a mid-range Bosch in our penultimate house ('01 - '06) and liked it, but didn't love it. And this is why: it didn't have a grinder. That meant that every so often we had to bend way over and get in there to dig out whatever food detritus remained. I was pregnant twice with that dishwasher and I'll tell you, there was a lot of swearing going on (from me) every time I had to get in there with my big belly.

Both my husband and I refused to look at a dishwasher which didn't have a grinder.

The KA is also heaps quieter than the Bosch, but as I wrote, it's an unfair comparison because the Bosch was older and mid-range, and the KA is newer and top-of-the-line. I did read it's not an issue for you.

Good luck!

Call an appliance repairman and ask about the appliances you are considering. They know which ones break down most and which ones are likely to have more expensive fixes. Just check to be sure they don't do warranty work on the brand you are asking about because then they are not allowed to say anything bad.

On that line of thought built in counter depth refrigerators are more difficult and expensive to fix.

I went with Bosch due to the fact my parents got a Bosch within the last year and they love it (they're so picky, too). It's very quiet and the model we got has a quick wash feature which has seemed to be the cycle of choice for my parents. It uses less water and is shorter. Mine is in place but the plumbing is not complete. I hope to be using it soon!

I'm going to start a new Bosch thread....I'm now leaning that way and don't know which model....:)

I just sold my white 10 yr old KA dishwasher just because white didn't work with my new kitchen. The new owners love it. I replaced it with another mid line KA. I absolutely love KA. Never rinse the dishes and they always come out clean and dry. I looked at Bosch, but knew that if my dishes were not dry when I opened the door, I would not be happy. To each his own I guess.

We are getting a Miele. I wanted the dish drawers but was talked out of them by a few places I went to. Too many problems and not enough capacity. The appliance place really recommended this brand even though it was less than the Asko we were looking it. Seemed like it is a good deal and I love the fact that you can do 1/2 loads. It also has a cool cutlery tray up on top that is a third tray where the cutlery is all sepated and gets washed easier. It is just on order so I can't tell you how much I like it yet.

I had a Bosch in my last house and loved it. Plastics don't get totally dry but glass and ceramics do. It has to do with the condensation drying. It works best on things that hold heat. Plastics don't do that so they never get try in most European dishwashers. I find that plastics have all kinds of lips and crevices that hold water too that drive me nuts when I pull them out only to have them drip everywhere. Condensation drying is very energy efficient though and if you don't have a lot of plastic stuff it will save you a lot of money in the long run to not have a heating element running all through a drying cycle like many US-made dishwashers offer.

I now have the FP dishdrawers and love that they are small and ergonomic. They are easy to load and, more importantly, easy to unload. I'm the kind of person that won't run a load until the thing is FULL. In my Bosch that meant every dish I owned was in there and it would get funky after a day or two. Not an issue with the FP. Drawbacks: plastic interior (not stainless steel) that stains and doesn't hold heat so condensation drying isn't quite as effective, it's relatively loud compared to my low-end Bosch, and it has a pretty disturbing reliability record (mostly I think due to the mechanical failures associated with the lid clamping down to make them watertight - I had a problem with this early on my DH is a total fix it guy and it hasn't been a problem since).

I stayed at a friend's house who had the Miele and I could NOT get used to the upper cutlery tray. That's entirely optional since many models do without it. I don't think you can go wrong with the Miele or the Bosch. I was even considering the GE for my next remodel - something kind of convenient about that fill-it-to-the-brim dishwasher fluid feature. I see they are even using it in their front-loading clothes washing machines. Must be a popular convenience feature.

I have a new Electrolux EWDW650GS. So far, I'm happy. It is extremely quiet - really can only hear a very little water sloshing on start-up (like I've got to put my ear to the door!). Cleans well and drys well, although plastic containers will still have some moisture.

We've had to accomodate a different configuration than our old KA, but I suspect that will be something to deal with in any new dishwasher.

Thumbs up!

From a resale POV, if you ever decide to sell your home, I'd go with a Bosch. Even if you get a top of the line KA, a lot of buyers will still see that as a KA and not be as impressed if it were a Bosch.

marvelousmarvin... Thanks...I hadn't thought of that! If I get an answer back on whether it does a good job on pots/pans casseroles I think it will be The One.