My favorite is the GE Monogram. The stainless steel interior is lighted. The bar handle is "cool" looking. I found a display model for $200 in Denver.

Unless your cast iron is one of the coated type it should not be placed in the dishwasher

Yes, that's why I mentioned it. I was trying to indicate that I don't put a lot of pots and pans in the dishwasher, but I should have been more specific.

Julie, I'll definitely look at units with the separate rack. Sounds like less bending!

Nicole, I just saw your post. I have a GE freezer and range, and am happy with both. I'll check out the Monogram--although $200 sounds like something for one of your "Hmm . . . bargain?" threads. :-)

I have a new LG that I love. SS interior, quad wash, condensing drying. It has an adjustable top rack for tall glassware and some of the tines in the lower rack fold down to accommodate large pots or bowls. Yes, the dishes get very dry without a heating element. It is wi-fi enabled and quiet. The normal wash cycle is 2:28 which seems long but I am not having to stand there watching it so what do I care? I have no complaints at all about this dishwasher. ( and I have had a few lemons )

I'm on my second set of Fisher Paykel dishdrawers (in 20 years). Hardly ever use the lower one; you may not need one at all. We run it after dinner -- yes, another one that takes two hours, but my 'houseman' (DH) unloads it if I've gone to bed. Love the no-bending convenience. I remove the water arm and bottom plate twice a year to clean the underside of soap residue.

The Monogram sounds good if it's as reliable as my Monogram 20 year old side x side fridge/freezer.

Another Miele dishwasher fan here. Quiet and very effective. The silverware rack on the top is excellent to have, gets tableware spotlessly clean. But it's expensive and I think there are capable machines at more affordable prices for you, alisande.

We went cheaper for a machine for a second home, wound up getting a GE at the recommendation of a Home Depot person because of the location (not next to the sink but on a perpendicular stretch of counter). On a good day it's mediocre, on other days it's worse. The top rack has non-adjustable tines that many of our items won't fit in, on, or next to. The bottom rack isn't a lot better. Cleaning performance is hit or miss. It's the first GE dishwasher we've had and we would most decidedly never buy another. We accept we made a mistake and don't want to waste money to replace it, at a second home where we spend less than half our time. It's possible that view could change (we may replace it) if we get fed up with dealing with it.

My sis has been through two GE in just the last few years. She replaced the second one with Bosch just last week, suspect she would have been money ahead if she'd bought Bosch to begin with ;0)

No one close sells or services Miele here. I have always had Kitchen Aid. My model now washes and dries flawlessly, although isn't silent at its older age (which doesn't bother me in the least).

SIL just did a very expensive gut remodel of her kitchen/dining and put in Kitchen Aid. Her sister put three in a new build 2 years ago....main house has a guest suite downstairs and there is a building for entertaining on the dock with a full kitchen too.

I've never had any reason to question Kitchen Aid. But in comparing them recently, I'm finding I like the way the Bosch are configured and that third rack looks more useful in the Bosch than the way the one in comparable Kitchen Aid is designed. Mine's of an age if something happens to it, I'll replace not repair so I'm following this Alisande....

I guess my point was...not sure you'd want your daughter to spend a ton on a new out of the box one....? I'm sure you have appliance discounters in your area....and deals....you might have to drive 150 miles/one way, like I did....? I've purchased Frigidaire from Home Depot for remodels too. They work just fine....and noisy!

I have the Bosch 800. It’s a year old and I’ve been really happy with it. It’s a little on the pricey side, but they have other models with less bells and whistles. I researched machines for months trying to decide. The one common denominator the majority had was complaints that the machines did not get the dishes dry. This was due to environmental regulations and irregardless of make or model. The reason I finally landed on getting the Bosch 800 is because it has a feature called Crystal Dry that works flawlessly even with plastics. My dishes are always uber clean, very dry but not hand burning hot.

I'm really happy with my KitchenAid. I put everything in the DW including pots and pans, my Cuisinart bowls, etc. I do not rinse my dishes, but will scrape large chunks into the compost pail before loading. I thought I wanted the 3 rack model, but after I snapped off 2 stems on wine glasses, I removed the 3rd rack and now the wine glasses (the new ones) fit. It is very quiet, I don't use any fancy detergent or rinse aid in it and everything comes out spotless and everything is dry. I load it to the gills, too.

Thanks for all these suggestions! I haven't ruled out KitchenAid, but I have to get over an experience I had years ago when my KitchenAid dishwasher went on fire. Fortunately, we were home close enough to see the flames that shot out the bottom.

Nicole, you're right--I am an inveterate bargain hunter, even when someone else is paying. Or maybe especially when someone else is paying.

Elmer, I appreciate your concern for my budget. I readily admit that my DH's years in the nursing home did nasty things to my finances. But this is on my daughter, not me. That said, I don't want to be greedy. (See my note to Nicole.) It's a generous gift any way you look at it.

If anyone wants to commiserate with me about my budget, I'll be starting a new thread soon about my search for a new (used) car. lol

If you are trying to be budget friendly, the Bosch Ascenta (low end model) cost us $450 last summer. It cleans great. We hope it has reliable performance (so far it does). It is a SS interior with a plastic bottom if that matters. This does not bother us and looks good. It has two racks instead of 3 in case that is important to know. But it's about half the price of the the higher end models.

I don't have a brand. Make sure you research the noise level.

I bought a Frigidaire Gallery (in 2014) and had to have it repaired twice in the first 2 years - electronics panel failed. It cleans okay most of the time, except it will not get a cake pan all the way clean.

I dislike the configuration of the racks, although at the time of purchase they seemed to be good.

Also check on availability of warranty repairs in your area. I shopped Miele and Bosch and neither had warranty repair available in my area. A friend who lives in another good sized town not too far from me found the same problem. She could get the appliances delivered but if they needed repair under warranty, there was no service. There may be independent repair people who will work on the machines, but it won't be paid for under warranty.

I bought my KitchenAid through Costco.

Oddly (most will think it decidedly odd), I haven't given much of a priority to the noise level. But now that you mention it, Adella, it's something to think about. The dishwasher I've had for 18 years (Kenmore Elite, made by Whirlpool, and was fairly high-end pricewise), was advertised as quiet, but it never seemed all that quiet to me. But I live alone and hardly ever entertain, and I guess I'm used to the sound. It would be nice to have something quieter. My daughter has a Miele or a Bosch, I forget which, and I can't hear it at all.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Whirlpool-24-in-Fingerprint-Resistant-Stainless-Steel-Top-Control-Built-In-Tall-Tub-Dishwasher-with-Sensor-Cycle-51-dBA-WDT710PAHZ/302033802

I got this dishwasher from Menard's 2-3 years ago. It was a Menard's Special Buy ($299). Quiet and cleans well. I don't have any complaints.

It does have a plastic interior. Which I am OK with since my water is moderately hard. Heated dry option.

I have a Bosch and would never own anything else.

I have a Miele which I love. It is stainless inside, with bright lights, gets everything very clean. It has an adjustable separate cutlery rack, is very quiet, the buttons are hidden, and texts me when it is done :) I know people who are very happy with Bosch, too.

Sometimes I wish my Bosch would make a little noise. It is so quiet that one night I forgot to push the button to start and didn't realize it. I need to lower my head and put my ear to the DW. And it does a good job cleaning the dishes.

Olychick, I wouldn't have thought to check availability of service. I'm glad you mentioned it. I learned that a local appliance repair I've used in the past is on Bosch's list.

In my kitchen, the range is stainless steel but the fridge and dishwasher are Biscuit. For the new dishwasher, stainless seems to be more widely available than Biscuit, and after staring at my kitchen for awhile I think either one would work. This morning I found two models that appeal to me. One is a Whirlpool with 3rd rack, s/s interior, 47 decibels, and lots of features I like. My 18-year-old dishwasher, made by Whirlpool, is pristine inside--no damage to racks or anything else. The other dishwasher I like is a s/s Bosch from their 300 Series. It has the same features as the Whirlpool except 44 decibels plus a Half Load Option that would allow me to run small loads without wasting water. I really like that option.

There's not that much difference in price if I go with s/s: $735 for the Whirlpool and $799 for the Bosch. Plus delivery and installation, of course. Getting the Whirlpool in Biscuit would bring the price down to $660.

@Alisande, I love my Bosch 800 dishwasher and truly love the third top rack for cutlery, etc.

I just had to replace a 3-l/2 year old (!) KitchenAid and endure a month-long kitchen restoration project due to leaking from the bottom, which I now know is common. NEVER KitchenAid again!

Mine is a Whirlpool. One thing I learned with all the dishwashers I've owned since buying this house (I've had 3), they are all the same. Reviews mean nothing. If you buy a lemon, you buy a lemon, and ALL brands have lemons. One thing I did learn however, is if the inside is stainless steel, it'll run quieter. Don't get one that's white inside: it'll be a lot noisier.

Bosch are very popular, but we got a Kitchen Aid since our last one lasted 19 years. Of course, they probably aren't made as well now. Ours is so quiet you have to look at the light to see if it's running.

alisande, I'm sure you'll be happy with a Bosch unit. They have an excellent reputation. I think you may have mentioned that your current dishwasher is hardwired? I may have that wrong. If hardwired, you'll need to have someone put in a box with a standard receptacle/socket. It's not something a dishwasher installer is likely to be permitted to do or know how to do.

Two things I omitted in my comment about the GE that we dislike is on the negative side, it's not very quiet but on the plus side, it has a stainless steel interior. We specifically chose that. We don't put plastic items into a dishwasher, to minimize the possibility that the hot water and caustic dishwasher detergent could leach chemicals from plastic. It's a choice and not everyone makes the same choice. Apparently plastic is only used as a tub liner because it's cheaper, hardly suggestive of it being thought of as a preferred material. In household washing appliances, higher quality and more expensive models always have stainless steel interiors. That tells me something.

I like the idea of a half load option - I use the "top rack only" option on mine for 99.8% of my loads, which cuts the wash time in half.

You would have to take care that the "biscuit" option actually is a close match to your other biscuit appliances. That is, if you are like me and find noticeable variations an annoyance.

I also have never worried about sound levels - I doubt that any top manufacturers produce a unit with decibels that would disturb a conversation in another room, and beyond that, I kind of like knowing when it is running and when it is done.

raee, with an open floor plan with the family room and TV viewing area adjacent to the kitchen and dishwasher (a common layout), discernable noise from a running dishwasher can be distracting. The Miele is whisper quiet when running (only water draining or filling can be heard, sounds emanating from the plumbing rather than the machine) while with my GE in the other home, there's no mistaking when it's on.

We have a Bosch 800 in Los Angeles and a Whirlpool (don't know the model number, but it was not cheap), and both are extremely quiet. We've had the Bosch for probably 10 years but we got the Whirlpool within the last year. Both clean equally well, but if I use Cascade pods in the Bosch, they leave a fragrance on the dishes that ruins the taste of the food, and so I have to run the rinse cycle again after the machine has finished. I solved the problem by switching to Method Dishwaster Packs, Free + Clear, and this gets the dishes just as clean and with no fragrance.

The main difference between the two is that it can take the Whirlpool up to four hours to finish a cycle, if it is very full. I think the Bosch takes 1-1/2 to 2 hours max. I do not like the silverware container in the Whirlpool, but it is not horrible.

A fridge and dishwasher will be next in my kitchen. I was dreading picking out a dishwasher. That Bosch Ascenta Sea Sea metioned has a ton of good reviews and priced reasonable. Thanks Sea Sea, that will be one definitely to consider.

A delay timer can have the dishes run while you sleep at night so as not to disturb your televiewing. I don't hear my LG running but if I am in the kitchen I might hear the drain gurgle. DH is not fond of it's little melody. It plays a 16 note tune when the dishes are done. I like it.

In my last house, I got one of the lower end Bosch dishwashers. I thought it was fine, but I didn't understand why people rave about them. Since I was planning to sell the house, I knew having Bosch would be appealing so I went for it. It was replacing Kitchenaid after about 20 years.

In this new to us home, we went with GE Profile. It is extremely quiet and does a good job.

I knew that any current dishwasher was going to be better than the 25 year old still functioning one that was here (functioning but poorly). The noise level is really something that has greatly improved. I think decibel level was one of the things I focused on.

anyway I am pleased with the GE.

I stopped doing dishes at night when I woke up and started to walk through the kitchen and found myself stepping into hot water. I do use delayed timers for somethings but not set to go off when I am asleep.

I don't want to preach in this very helpful thread, but it seems a good time to urge everyone not to run a dishwasher or dryer while they sleep or are absent from the house. I say this from experience, having had two dryer fires and one dishwasher fire. Fortunately, I was in the house and awake when all three started (not at once!).

Wow, Lars--up to four hours to complete a cycle? I thought my 88-minute Kenmore was long! I can see I'll have to adjust my thinking.

I’ve had both a Bosch and a Kitchenaid. I find them about equal. Both are whisper quiet. Quiet dishwashers usually have an indicator light so you can see the dishwashing is finished. My ‘requirements’ were quiet, stainless steel interior, and a heating element. I want my dishes dry when done. One thing I really dislike when vacationing in rentals-a silverware rack on the door! My new Kitchenaid has the third rack. I wasn’t sure if I would like that or not, the unit I picked happened to have one. I use it a lot fir lids, or long utensils, and my sponge. I also made sure it had a filter that was easy to remove and clean. A must!

I did have a control panel on a Kenmore dishwasher smoke and begin to catch fire. It was not running at the time and I smothered it quickly. That model was recalled within days of the incident but I replaced it with another brand.

(me) “Hi – I’m looking at your website and it says to call for the best price on two dishwashers I’m interested in. One is Bosch and one is Whirlpool. I have the model numbers.”

(woman) “Just a minute . . . hold on . . . you’re looking for a range?”

(me - second call) “Hi – I called earlier about pricing on a couple of dishwashers, and you said you’d call me back to let me know if Bosch offered a rebate on the model I was interested in. Were you able to find out about it?”

(woman) “Do you plan to use it outside?”

(me) “. . . um . . . no.”

(woman) “Do you want French doors?”

That's hysterical, but sadly the state of customer service today. I'm surprised you got a real human on the phone - twice! Have you looked at AJ Madison website - they have lots of info and most prices.

LOL! Alisande, that is PRICELESS!

Yeah, I am definitely going to be looking for French doors on my next DW ;))

Cycles are very long these days due to Energy Star requirements. A number of models have a Quick Wash or Short cycle, but be sure to check reviews. Some users have complained their QW cycles are almost useless.

Be sure to order the plug kit for the new DW (assume it isn't hard-wired). These days plugs are an extra cost addition for appliances!

And ask an electrician about your local codes. Out here a DW needs its own circuit.

One issue we're seeing out here on the West Coast is that a lot of mfgs have VERY limited availability. Bosch and Miele are especially difficult to find, and even KA is mostly out of stock.

One local appliance store has a special tab for "delivery next day" appliances. I've been checking DWs for over a month and seen only a couple of GE models, one Whirlpool, and a number of Frigidaire models. Frigidaire makes decent ranges but not DWs, so I haven't pulled the trigger yet.

The GE Profile DWs seem to rate better than the regular GE models, according to the reviews I've seen at a number of sites. Oddly though, Consumer Rpts rates GE Profile DWs well but Customer Satisfaction is only slightly above average. I've looked but haven't been able to pin down exactly why that is.

My old KA DW is slowly dying, but it'll (hopefully) hold on until I can find a replacement. The KUDS series from that vintage were pretty reliable; one service guy (visiting for something else, not the DW) told us to hang on to it as long as we could, because we'd have trouble finding anything as well built today.

My search has gotten so complicated! Inventories seem to be down all over, and different models come in different colors, and some dealers deliver but don't install, and some don't deliver at all, and on and on. And then, as Elmer mentioned, I'll need an electrician to put in a box.

Any theories on why the lack of availability? Is it connected, as someone said, to the big cargo ship that got stuck in the canal?

I decided to forget about the color "biscuit," which I'm sure is on the way out anyway. Planning ahead, because after 18 years it's only a matter of time till I need a new fridge, I decided to go with white. I thought that would be readily available everywhere, but I was wrong. The most widely available "color" is stainless steel. I love the look of my daughter's s/s appliances, but I don't want to overwhelm my small country kitchen with a lot of steel. I thought s/s for my range and white for the dishwasher and fridge would be great. But I may have to go with s/s for the dishwasher. The fridge is across the room, but it's not a large room. What are your thoughts on a white fridge (it's presently biscuit) and s/s for the other two appliances?

Jakkom, I was sorry to read that Frigidaire's reputation isn't the greatest for dishwashers. A local dealer, whom I like to buy from because he's small, on Main Street, and still manages to have great prices, carries only GE and Frigidaire. He doesn't have GE dishwashers right now, but he does have a Frigidaire Gallery model with the features I want. Frigidaire lists it for $999, and I've seen it online for over $800. Home Depot's website lists it at $764. But my local dealer offered it to me for $569. It doesn't come in white at all. The decibels are 49 (vs. Whirlpool's 47), but I read many consumer reviews that rave about how quiet it is.

He delivers free, but doesn't install. He gave me 3 names of people who do the installation, but i don't know how much they charge. One thing that's holding me back (in addition to Jakkom's comment) is a Consumer Reports article I read online that said their survey showed a lot of dissatisfied Frigidaire dishwasher owners.

My other possibility is a Whirlpool with the same features, also in s/s, for $735. Delivery will add $60, and installation $150. I wonder if PA charges their 6% tax on delivery and installation. But I'm not completely certain this model is available because the person I spoke to (see the dialogue above) didn't seem to be certain about anything. About the Bosch rebate, she eventually said, "I think it's something like $50." Sigh. I'm going to visit the store this week and hope to talk to the owner, a sharp woman who knows what she's doing.

"Any theories on why the lack of availability?"

I don't know about other parts of the country but the major container ports in California - San Pedro/Long Beach and Oakland - are chock a block full of ships at anchor and some even doing the equivalent of what you'd say an airliner does - holding patterns - waiting for space to come in. Landing delays can amount to many weeks. The congestion dates back to last summer or earlier and doesn't seem to be getting any better. Increased volumes, supply chain backups, labor difficulties in some cases, all contribute to the congestion, a slowdown in the normal flow of imports that arrive by ship in containers.

I know there is an element of what they call multi-modal transportation - off the ship and on to railcars but I don't know if the rain leg is to take products all the way to the East Coast or what. A few friends have told us of delivery delays for household appliances they'd purchased.

I love my Bosch - washes super on short cycle and we run it once every three days - more with company. It is so quiet that it has a red light that shines on the floor to tell you that it is on. We have no problems with the dishwasher pods, Cascade. Dries beautifully, easy to load. I hand wash pots and pans and plastic bowls. I give it an AAA++

The rail leg takes things to transportation hubs where it is off loaded from the train onto trailers to be sent on. We have one of the switching/hump yards although there are others that divert to all parts of the US, Canada, Mexico and points south.

I mentioned it somewhere and it could have been in another thread but I was waiting for my car to worked on when two of the employees walked by. They were discussing why parts were backlogged. One mentioned it was because of a shortage of truck drivers caused by the virus. I know last year a friend in Iowa mentioned they were hard hit but I had thought the problem would have lessened by now.

i bought a Kitchenaid last year when my old machine bit the dust. My main criteria was it had a heating element. I lived with a Bosch for two years and hated that machine. The dishes were dripping wet. Water spotted, had to wipe the silverware, dishes, glasses. etc.

I like the Kitchenaid. Its super quiet, stainless interior, has a third rack (which I never use).

Its a good machine and the dishes are dry and spotless when I unload.

Would never buy a dishwasher without a heating element. Personal opinion, based on living with one.

Jane

Jane, more recent and certainly upscale dishwasher models are more energy efficient and dry by condensation. It works just fine on most things but I'm told not always that well for plastic items.

We never put plastic items in a dishwasher anyway for several reasons so it isn't a problem for us. Other items in the dishwasher are dry by the end of the cycle. I would never buy a dishwasher with a heating element myself, it's very old fashioned and can be dangerous.

Delay start--I use it sometimes because our electricity rates are time of day tiered.

Leak detectors are inexpensive & small & will fit under the dishwasher. And there is the smoke alarm if it catches on fire. You should have both. As a general rule, I don't run the DW, washer or dryer when away from the house.

Heated dry is an option on my Whirlpool Gold DW. I have to purposely select it. When I lived in a hot & arid climate, I never used it...just popped the door open & left to air dry in a flash. (In the days before optional heated dry). Now that I live in a climate w/ humid mild summers, I do use the heated dry option more often than not.

My DW has a 'Hi Temp' wash option and a 'Sani Rinse' option which, I assume, relies on the heating element to heat the water.

I never hard wire a dishwasher. We removed the cord from the old DW and installed it on the new dishwasher. My laundry room directly below the dishwasher so we dropped the cord to an outlet in the laundry room for easy access to unplug the DW. (The ceiling of the laundry room is unfinished so we have easy access to all of the kitchen plumbing.)

My reason for a DW with a plug is so it is easy to disconnect from the home wiring. Because of frequent thunder/ lightning storms during certain times of the year & because dishwashers now have a lot of sensitive electronics. If you have whole house surge suppression installed, disregard.

The Whirlpool that I have has a 51 dB rating. It is much more quiet than the DW it replaced and is the most quiet DW that I have ever owned.

One thing to consider is that if you have some hearing loss due to age, you may not even want to have the most quiet DW on the market. That is, if you are accustomed to using aural cues to tell you when a cycle is finished. Which may be the case if you are replacing an ancient dishwasher.

If the old DW is still operational at all, you can download a sound meter app for your phone & test the sound level of the old DW for comparison to the dB's of new dishwashers.

ETA: I initially thought that the longer cycle times of new DW's would bother me. Turns out that it doesn't bother me at all. It's done when it's done is my attitude now. If I need an item right now (extremely rarely), I just hand wash it.

As you have discovered, your new dishwasher may have to be whatever you can find in stock if you must have this week. Covid has impacted a lot of the aspects of manufacturing as well as spurring a lot of home improvement projects (increased demand, perhaps?)

If you have a choice between Whirlpool vs Frigidaire, take the former. Whirlpool makes decent DWs altho their flagbearer is the KA line.

Yes, unfortunately biscuit is not popular. Almond is a different color, more yellow-ish in tone. I found that out, LOL.

I currently have mismatched appliances - a white stove with fridge & DW in SS. It's.....okay. Not obnoxious, but these days I make the assumption that anybody buying our home would rip out the kitchen and do it over, anyway! But that is common in our San Francisco Bay Area market, which is very different than yours, I think.

I hope I can get the Whirlpool--if not this week, then whenever I can. I don't have to tell my daughter what I want right now, but my birthday was two days ago. More importantly, I've been without a dishwasher for three months, and I'm ready. :-)

Can I just chime in on something really quick? When I got my Bosch, the store wanted 150.00 to install it but I called my handyman and he did it for a fraction of that. Originally, I had a plumber lined up and he was going to charge 100.00. Just food for thought.

Hourly rates are usually proportional to skill and capabilities, excluding those who have rip off prices. Can a dishwasher be installed by a handyman? Perhaps sometimes. Does it need a plumber? Perhaps sometimes.

In my area, most tradesmen have a minimum charge to show up and do work. Remember they have to drive to and from too. Often the minimum charge covers one hour of work. $100 as a minimum charge and estimated cost to have an install done by a licensed plumber is cheap.