I do use the pods cascade and finish brands usually. I use the lemishine rinse aid, I have used all of the lemishine products and really like them. I have used various other rinse aids they are pretty similar.

I use the Finish pods myself. Sometimes I add the Finish liquid to the dispenser. Sometimes i don't. It doesn't seem to make a difference either way.

Ditto on the Finish pods & rinse aid.

I've tried the Walmart brand of the rinse aid, but didn't like the results.

I have a 10 yr old Kitchen Aid, and without the rinse aid the dishes don't dry...unless I have it jammed full to maximum capacity. Reality is most weeks I'm running it every other day just comfortably full. Full-ish.

Does your dishwasher not have a little indicator light telling you when its time to fill the 'aid' dispenser? I use Finish Jet-Dry and running the dishwasher about every other day, lower setting on the rinsing agent, a fill up lasts about 2-3 months. Less around holidays when I'm cooking more, or like this month where we've done more entertaining.

Cascade Complete pods, Costco. I use an Affresh tab when running a load of dishes about every other month.

Adding: Funny, but I'd never use premeasured pods doing laundry. I like them for the dishwasher.

It doesn't have a light to indicate if the rinse aid is full, you just look into a clear round spot to see if there's rinse aid in it. I've run it twice and I swear it looks almost empty! That can't be good! I'll have to keep an eye on that. Mine is set on 1.

Don't they make a pod that has built in rinse aid? Anyone try those?

my rinse aid instructions

You may just have to play with it for a while until you have a feel for your new appliance. If the dishes don't seem as dry as they should, add some rinse aid. If the dispenser won't take more and you're wiping it up around the refill port, you'll know still full ;0)

I have Fisher Paykel dishdrawers, second set in 15 years. A 'pod' is too much for one of these. I use Cascade Complete *granules* when I can get them. Rinse Aid is Finish Jet Dry.

I'm glad this thread opened. It reminded me to add Jet Dry to the top unit. I spilled enough into the tub that I needed to wipe it out. Oh, my! When I took the thing apart...there were strings of spinach -- and worse -- under the rotator plate. The bottom unit was even worse. Now I'm back here, smelling of bleach, but with very clean dishdrawers.

I think the dispenser just wasn't full, thanks morz8. What I had was a sample that came with the dishwasher, it held all of it but I didn't look to see where the full line was and I don't know how much was in that tiny bottle because I threw it away. I know it was pretty small though, maybe only 2 ounces. So I bought a large bottle and filled it up and YES I did over fill it because you cannot really tell when it's full and plus it's really hard to get it in that tiny little fill spot. Then I got out a funnel and that's when I over filled it. HA! I'm going to have to find a better container to put it in to dispense it properly. Maybe one of those hair color dispensers/applicators from Sally's with the pointed top.

I have always used Jet Dry for the rinse. Previously, I used Cascade pods, but my last purchase was from Costco and I decided to get the Kirkland Premium Pods. IMO this product is better than any other dishwasher detergent. I have given it to others and they have also converted to buying the Kirkland Premium Pods. A great product.

I recently installed a Bosch (3 rack) DW for my daughter and I'm seriously impressed with the performance using half a Finish Pod along with Finish rinse. Wow, compared to the builder model we trashed.

The Bosch reminds the operator when it needs rinse aid with an annoying, repetitive chime. :)

I have a Bosch which I hate but that's another story. A light comes on when the rinse aid is needed and I use Finish and cascade pods.

We have a water softener and I don't need a lot of detergent to get dishes clean. I use Walmart's Great Value powder. Because our water is soft Jet Dry rinse aid creates a lot of suds in the final rinse even at the lowest dispenser setting. So I stopped using rinse aid entirely. Dishes get dry. plastics not so much. Modern dishwashers are terrible IMO. I am going to be looking for a new one soon. My Sears is around 7 years old and at the end of it's lifespan due to rusting out pins on the racks. Next one will have a stainless interior. Maybe it will help with the sweating interior. I sure miss the old porcelain interior Kitchenaids of 30 or more years ago.

watchmelol, we replaced a 1980 model of a Hobart Kitchenaid and only because the racks rusted out and too expensive to replace them, also the soap dispenser didn't work but I just put the soap in the cup anyway and that seemed to do OK as a work around. We put that DW out to the curb and it was gone in less than an hour. I don't know if someone needed it for parts or if they needed it for scrap metal recycling. I'd like to believe it went on to wash more dishes. :) But honestly though, it didn't get the dishes as clean as this new one. I can actually put a dirty dish in it and it will be spotless.

Walnut Creek I am going to give that Costco brand a try next time we go. I of course don't have my kitchenaid dishwasher installed yet since I still have no kitchen but once I get back in the house I am going to be washing every thing I keep. I washed it all with bleach water before it got packed but it has been in storage all this time. I have learned while living in the rv I really don't need a lot of the stuff I have! A drastic reduction occurred during the flood and another is going to happen when we get done with construction.

We don't have a close Costco...I wish we did but it's not that great of a market where we live so they will never come to our area and we already have a Sam's Club.

I use white vinegar as a rinse aid. Works wonderfully.