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!

CJ, The best-rated dishwashers with a MSRP under $600 are as follows: 1. Bosch SHE5AL06UC 2. Whirlpool GU2275XTVQ 3. Bosch SHE4AM16UC 4. Whirlpool GU2300XTVQ 5. Kenmore 13899 You can probably buy these for about $100 less than MSRP. Good luck! Charlie Here is a link that might be useful: Dishwasher Ratings

White porcelain is slightly higher quality, as it's a heavier coating. However, all the materials are of accordingly "lesser robustness" nowadays. When you consider that an upper-middle Whirlpool washer (model LDA7800W2) cost $369 in 1976, and you're looking at machines 34 years later at $379 and $329, something has to give to allow it. :-) Whirlpool has been producing this direct-drive mechanical design (with a few changes along the way) for over 26 years under the Whirlpool and Kenmore brands. KitchenAid, Roper, Estate, Inglis, and now Maytag, Amana, and Admiral. Some of the model/brand lines were slightly more durable (such as KitchenAid when they carried laundry, with heavier motors, porcelain tops and bronze bearings on the dryers). One or two Maytag models have stainless steel baskets. Otherwise, A = B = C.

While burning natural gas (i.e., methane, a greenhouse gas) does produce less carbon dioxide than burning coal, it's been argued that during the production and distribution of natural gas, more carbon emissions are released into the environment, overall, than coal. Needless to say, the validity of the claims behind the eco-friendliness of natural gas, hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"), and fossil fuels in general, remain highly controversial. That said, in more practical terms, residential energy rates for natural gas will typically be significantly lower than for electricity (however it's been generated). In major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, this cost difference is huge, making the choice of a gas dryer an easy decision (providing you have gas in your home, and are able to properly vent the dryer). For whatever reason, so-called, "Energy Guides" (the ubiquitous yellow stickers found on most appliances) aren't published for either gas or electric dryers, making direct comparions near-impossible. Modern front-loading washers are pretty miserly on both electricity and water usage, and the minute differences in efficiencies between brands should be negligible. This post was edited by studio460 on Tue, Jul 16, 13 at 6:45