I looked at the Bosch because it gets great reviews, but in viewing the two side by side, I decided on the Kitchenaid. The tines and layout just felt better to me, and the heated dry cycle was a big plus. It's been a couple years now, and I am totally satisfied with my purchase. Dishes and glasses come out clean, spot free, and DRY. It is also extremely quiet....

Thank you. It is really helpful to hear from someone who owns the dishwasher.

I have a Bosch that is several years old and am perfectly happy with the way it dries. Anything ceramic, glass or metal dries very very well. Food storage containers made with thicker plastic, like the rubbermaid ones, come out bone dry unless the DW runs out of rinse aid. The only things that occasionally come out damp are the thin plastic semi-disposable storage containers and those reuseable plastic starbucks cups. From what I understand the thin plastic doesn't hold heat long enough for the condensation drying be as effective.

BTW, you really shouldn't wash your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. It's unnecessary, is a big waste of water, and if you look at the manual for ANY modern DW it will recommend against doing it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/05/why-you-shouldnt-wash-your-dishes-by-hand/

If you look at AJ Madison 4 models from Miele are within your budget. I use an older Dimension and it has worked flawlessly. I recommend Lemishine Dishwasher Cleaner($2-Walmart) twice a year to keep the operating components clean because of the newer detergents.

I know its out of your price range but the G6305SCSS from miele probably checks all of your boxes. It's $1499 but it has the auto open door to help drying and is about as quiet and effective as dishwashers come.

Asko does not get much love on these boards, but if you have service in your area, that will do well. D5434XXLS would be my recommendation

Thank you all so much. I will look at the Miele and Asko. I do have Asko service in my area, I had an Asko washer and dryer before my Miele.

I KNOW that washing dishes before they go in the dishwasher is not the the best habit. I actually enjoy doing dishes. Strange, I know. :) Dishes and Laundry and cleaning the toilet are my favorite household chores. I think it is the water.

Totally off topic, I switched toilet paper to Seventh Generation as I was shocked to read that super soft toilet paper was made from old trees. I do care about the environment. But, I am bad with water.

I am visiting showrooms within the next two weeks and purchasing on Labor Day weekend. I will look at the Bosch, KitchenAid, Miele, and Asko.

I really appreciate all your advice and recommendations.

I have the Miele with the Auto Open Door they mention, I can't recommend it enough. If you cook often, that top 3 d rack is great for spatulas, etc..

I have a Bosch SHE7PT55UC which I purchased to replace an Asko. I don't have too much trouble with dishes being wet if I don't unload them right away. The residual heat dries everything pretty much. The plastic glasses are the most trouble but really not if you leave them in until cool. I find the layout of the racks awful. The bottom rack doesn't work very well for most of what I am trying to wash. As for the reliability: I had to have the "rope" that tensions the door replaced when the dishwasher was a year and half old. Personally, I find that unacceptable in a top of the line DW. As for washing the dishes prior to loading them into the dishwasher: You really should decide if you want to wash them in the DW or wash them by hand. It is very hard on the glaze. When you prewash a dish, the dishwashing soap attacks the glaze of the plate since there is nothing to wash off. I make ceramic dishes and tell my customers it's ok to put them in the dishwasher or hand wash but not both.

Hope that makes sense to you

Inga

Thank you for advice on the Miele with the auto open door.

Inga ~ thank you for telling me about the glaze, I did not know that. That is really interesting. I thought it was more for saving time or using less water or that it was just really not necessary and wasteful to pre - wash dishes, I did not think it would damage the dishes.

Maybe I should just use the dishwasher for Sani - rinse (we have dogs that sometimes like to "clean" the plates) and dry. Actually, that would work well with my habits.

Why do you prewash? It defeats the purpose of having a dishwasher. Old habit? Let it go...

practigal ~ It is an old habit from the sixties! Old habits die hard! :)

There have been studies showing the prewashing/handwashing uses a great deal more water, and more electricity then modern dishwashers. As my 4 year old would sing...let it go!

Perhaps I should clarify -

I sincerely appreciate you all taking the time to read my post and all of your comments.

My first inclination is to buy a dishwasher with a heating element. I am open to other brands without a dedicated "heated dry", if owners have not had a problem with wet dishes or smelly dishwashers.

What I really want to know is if you own a dishwasher that you could give a very positive review and if you do not have the problems listed above, please let me know the brand and model number (if possible) as I am interested!

I mentioned my cleaning habits to let you know that I do not need a disposal or food grinder in the washer, I do not need a dishwasher to scrub my pots and pans, etc. I do like a Sani - rinse or wash. I like a heated dry, although that is not a requirement as long as the dishwasher is not smelly, etc.

So, please let me know if you have a great dishwasher!

Please, no more comments about pre - washing the dishes. I would never put them away like that, they would get a "super - wash" and massive rinsing. . Believe me, I am saving tons of water with my current habits as compared to me hand washing the dishes.

I do appreciate the comments on the glaze and why a little dirt on the dishes helps the dishwasher/ detergent to work better.

I came here because I have the best washer and dryer and I found out about them here! I want to feel that way about my dishwasher, too.

Reviews online are all over the place. I like the Kenmore Elite and I would just get another one, but, recent reviews are very negative.

If you don't actually need the DW to do its intended job of cleaning food off dishes then why would you need the "best" DW? It seems like you'd want the least expensive model that has decent ratings for reliability and a super hot rinse cycle.

I do not need the "best" or most expensive. I want the best for me and my habits. I would actually prefer under 1000 dollars. But, could go over for the right appliance. I just want a reliable dishwasher. I have read about dishwasher smells, dishwashers that leak, dishwashers that their shelves/ rollers break easily, and I could go on and on.

I want a reliable dishwasher. Sani - cycle. Dry dishes. No smells, well - made.

When I said my washer and dryer were the best, they are the best for me and my laundry habits. I really like them, they meet my needs, and I have absolutely no complaints about them. I would unconditionally recommend them. That is what I want for my dishwasher, that I can own it, be happy with it, and be able to honestly recommend it to others.

Dachshunds are the best dog for me and my family right now. They are not the best for everyone. I have owned Mutts, a Collie, an Irish Setter, a Golden Retriever, etc., they were all "best" for me and my family at that time in our lives. We loved them all and would tell them they were the best dog/ dogs in the world.

Best in this case does mean reliable, thank you for clarifying, fishcow.

I like the idea of the shelves made of steel. Mine are made of plastic and started to fall apart piece by piece.

I remember having to wash the dishes before putting in the dishwasher in the 1960s. Then great dishwashers began appearing in the 1970s. I quit prerinsing and have never looked back. So liberating not to have to worry!!

I want the same dishwasher that doxie_owner wants, for the same reasons.

Well, 12crumbles, I hope we find it. :).

I am narrowed down to Miele, Asko, and KitchenAid in no particular order.

KitchenAid has the drying capability that I want. I think it also has a rack configuration that I would like.

Miele is rated number 1 in reliability in the many places that I have researched. (Fewest repairs). Miele also still makes most of their own parts for the dishwasher which is rare.

Asko used to have repair problems, but, from what I can determine that is in the past. Asko sounds very well built.

Next week, I will visit a couple appliance shops and check them out in person. I, also, have one local shop that does my repairs as needed and I will ask the service technician which one is best from his experience.

The problem with reviews is that many are written when the products are brand new, before problems start. And, people are probably more likely to take the time to revise an earlier review or write a new review only if they are very unhappy with the product. So, I think, sometimes reviews are skewed. Consumer Reports rates new products based on performance, so a product may receive a number 1 rating, but, if you read the user reviews of people who have had the dishwasher for a longer period of time, the reviews can be very negative. So, it is difficult.

12crumbles, good luck!

Doxie may I suggest that you take along some of your pots, platters etc as you look to see if and how they will fit in the dishwashers. Asko is now serviced by Subzero/Wolf technicians. Good luck to you!

Thank you. Good idea!!!

If you want to stay under $1000 I would definitely offer the Asko. It will dry well (IF you get a model with a 3 in the number, D5424 has no drying, the D5434 does!).

Okay. I know you all are very excited to hear about my fact - finding mission.
I went early as I took my son to the airport today, so I was in the area.
I live in the D.C. Metro area, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, but, I live out in the country, so, I do not get into "town" too much.
These are obviously just my impressions, not meant to offend anyone who owns these models or plans to own them.
And like I said above, what is "best" for me may not work at all for you.

First up, longing for the days of the heated dry cycle. The nostalgia of dishwashers of old, look no further than KitchenAid or Kenmore (other brands that I saw were GE, Maytag, and Hotpoint that had heating elements). The Hotpoint, down to the latch, was a total throwback to the sixties.
Kenmore Elite and KitchenAid are both made by Whirlpool.
KitchenAid has a slightly better build quality than the Kenmore Elite.
The dishwashers that I looked at were all highly rated by Consumer Reports, fwiw. As I mentioned above, Consumer Reports looks mainly at performance, I think.
I looked at the 1277 model (12776) and the more expensive 12833. The 1277 model had better user reviews. If I were to get a Kenmore, I would get the 1277. Great sale right now online, 475 dollars off. Better quality, less gizmos to break.

Of the KitchenAid dishwashers, there were 3 models that I examined:
KDTM404ESS
KDTM354DSS
KDTE704DSS

To stay in budget, I would get the KDTM354DSS. It has less plastic parts to go wrong than the KDTM404ESS. It is top rated by Consumer Reports, it has over 250 reviews online at KitchenAid that are mostly positive. It is on sale.
A side note, at the kitchen store in Northern Virginia, which has branches in Maryland, etc., model KDTE704DSS was reduced by 500 dollars! I think it is discontinued. Also, this particular store was having a floor model sale, lots of great dishwashers at great prices. PLUS, next weekend no sales tax on energy efficient items, which includes dishwashers. Floor models are installed for free.
I am not sure if I am even allowed to say that much.
But, if you message me, I could give you the name of the store.

So between KitchenAid and Kenmore, I would go with KitchenAid due to better user reviews and slightly better build quality.

Totally off topic and out of my price range, KitchenAid had a model with a window and a lighted interior! Too cool for words.

Some observations, where, oh where has the quality gone. The washer arms are many times just plastic, some even have plastic whirligigs on the ends of the washer arms!!! One salesman explained that plastic was there for a reason; if something falls into the bottom of the dishwasher, plastic is less likely to break the item.
Oh, and this plastic is many times painted/ coated to resemble chrome.

The good, these units have real heating elements. They dry!!!! Some have the added benefit of a fan to speed the drying process.

Next up ~ the European models!

Sent from my iPad

I forgot to mention that the KitchenAid dishwashers that I saw still vented to the side, a problem that I have read as it vents onto the adjoining cabinet.
I honestly only checked two of the models above and they both vented to the side.

I went to two dedicated kitchen type stores. One local and one with a large selection, sales, etc.

The Bosch, everyone raves about it. The local store said to go with Bosch, no repair problems. Highly recommended, great machine.
I list Bosch as a European model, but, some are made in America, I would say that most are American made.
Just, not for me.
I am just letting you know, that Bosch had the most unconditional recommendations by both kitchen stores. Of course, Sears recommended Kenmore and if it were fifteen or twenty years ago, I would agree. In my opinion, and just my opinion, in dishwashers, Kenmore is not what it used to be. I do hear good things about the Kenmore Elite refrigerators.

Side note, Thermador, made by Bosch, is an impressive machine. I saw a 2200 dollar one. Blew me away. Of course, my husband would be blown away, too, for different reasons. :)

Then I saw the Asko. I am not the woman that I was over twenty years ago. I used to want the latest thing, push buttons, LED display, black, stainless! YES, YES, YES!
My Dad used to say don't get the latest thing, wait for the technology to develop and the bugs to work out. Now, thirty years later, I appreciate simplicity.
I breathed a sigh of relief, the Asko had one simple, metal washer arm. Yes, sturdy metal! The racks went in and out easily. I should mention that the KitchenAid had amazing sliding capability on their racks. (and you really should be sitting down for this, SatinGlide Max Rails). But, despite the long name, they really do work. But, do they hold up, only time will tell.
I was impressed with the simplicity, the build quality of the Asko.
It did fit my dishes. But, would take two loads to complete, including casserole dishes, pots and pans.
Asko does make an XXL model with more room.
I saw the D5534XLFI model.
The bad, the interior is smaller than the American models that I saw.
No heating element, but, Turbo Drying????
I was informed that Asko was aligned with Sub- Zero, as stated above by cedelchef!

I also saw an interesting stainless steel silverware basket from Maytag. Of course, you could probably just buy that basket and put it in another dishwasher. The recommendation is to put knives sharp side down to prevent injury. But, ultimately those knives poke holes in the bottom of the silverware basket. So, stainless steel sounds good. Many machines now gave a third rack which would also alleviate this problem.

I have some bad news, neither store had Miele. I purchased my Miele washing machine and dryer at the local store. They informed me that they could no longer even order a Miele appliance as a Miele store had opened in Tysons. It is a Miele Experience Center!
So, I will have to make another journey out to experience Miele in action.

The question is will the heated drying or the build quality win out?

I need to see Miele to make a final decision.

But, I have pretty much made up my mind...

Thank you for all your recommendations. Some of these were not even on my radar :)

Sent from my iPad

Goodness, you present a treasure trove of information! I love that you are giving model numbers. That is a great help for researching. Too oftne I see only brands identified which is nearly useless since one model can be great and another a disaster. Thank you!

Thank you. I like doing this type of research.

Doxie, I have the Asko model D5654XXL with tubular handle. It holds 17 place settings. Today I made cole slaw food processor, all of the food processor stuff fit on the top rack, BBQ sauce pot on bottom over a PowerZone for pots, I have 18 plates, 3 bowls on the middle rack and 4 glasses. Not full yet. It takes a long time to get it full.

I really liked the Asko! I was surprised by how much I liked it. It seems very well built.

Thank you cedelchef and 12crumbles.

I was not even considering Asko until you all suggested it. Now, it is number 1 on my list, I was really impressed.

We made cole slaw today, too :)

:) re the cole slaw!

Doxie-owner,

you can't order a Miele from the Miele experience store. It is just a show room. Best Buy with Pacific sales in it (there is one in Rockville) sells Miele. ABW, candeys in Alexandria, M&M appliances in DC etc all sell miele. Miele now delivers their own appliances and does the install if you want. The delivery is $95 and $195 for the install. I am adding another dishwasher as part of my remodel and ordered a lumens with the knock feature.

Good luck in your search.

doxie - welcome to the overthinkers club, those of us who read everything and actually go see products! I just cannot buy without doing that. Time spent now is worth a world of regret.

I have a Miele in my house. It's 11. Nothing in this DW has ever broken. It's not had a repair. It cleans super well and has a sani cycle and china and crystal which is what I need. I don't prerinse, just scrape. Plastics aren't always completely dry but I just put them on a towel for a while. We had another place before and I had a newer Miele in our apartment which I also loved. I am hoping to get another 5-10 years of service from this one.

Everyone should get what works best for them. But I wanted to share my experience because this DW has given me exceptional quality and longevity.

homepro01 and rococogurl

Thank you both. It is good to know where to buy the Miele and the purpose of the experience center.

Thank you. It is helpful to know that the Miele works well AND holds up well.

I just used to order Miele 20 minutes from my house and they installed it and serviced it, so this is all new to me.