Dishwasher Recommendations

[AKPilot]

Well, returned last night from a business trip to find our dishwasher sounding like a jet on takeoff. Motor's going out, after 10 years and replacement, motor, is about $150-$200. Slightly less than half that of a new one.

So the question is what brand, and/or model, of dishwasher would you recommend?

I'm going to be honest, we only need a basic dishwasher ($600 max). Our current one has all of these settings we never use. We really don't need one of those that has the self-enclosed HD t.v., icemaker, cherry-picker, satellite dish, etc. as well. One to two settings is all we need.

Thoughts?

 

[1974_Trident]

Bosch. Stay away from GE. I bought a new stainless steel GE a few years ago and it is a piece of junk. The roll-out tray for the dishes is water soluble and the springs which control how fast the door opens both broke within the past year.

My parents had a Kitchenaid which lasted them 35 years. If their water wasn't so acidic it would still be running. I have heard that Kitchenaid is not what it used to be, however. My parents replaced their Kitchenaid with a stainless steel Bosch seven years ago. Works flawlessly. The Bosch was much more than $600 but the cheapest dishwasher is the one which you don't have to replace.

 

[Pippen]

Anecdotally I'm hearing more and more problems with Bosch.

My in laws have one and we have one and both of us have had a lot of issues. Once the service guys figured out which parts from the factory needed to be replaced they've been okay. Mine has had 12 service calls (Sears warranty) and it's working now but most of it has been replaced (digital control board, motor, pump, some other stuff inside, soap dispenser and all the hooks and clips on the rack).

I feel like hanging up a sign on it that says 167 days without a service call.

FWIW, our independent appliance repair guy says to get a Whirlpool but at the time we bought they didn't have a quiet model. I'll be buying the extended warranties from here on out.

 

[tbzep]

My parents had a Sears Kenmore (Whirlpool) for about 30-35 years and replaced it with another when it finally had to be retired due to a leak caused by rust. When I built my house almost 15 years ago, I went the same route and have had zero issues with it.

It seems that Sears and the big chains like Lowe's and Home Depot have large appliance sales every other month. You could go with whichever name plate happens to be on sale this month, Kenmore or Whirlpool, and get the same machine.

BTW, Every brand will have good stories like mine, and also will have horror stories. Somebody should be along shortly to tell you that Whirlpool/Kenmore is a POS. JMHO.

Edit: Sears has multiple suppliers for most of their appliances, so pay attention if you are looking for a rebadged Whirlpool. They often have Whirlpool brands sitting close by, so just look at the construction and you will see the similarities.

 

[o1d_dude]

12 service calls on a Bosch dishwasher would seem not to be a good recommendation but that's just me.

 

[BobH48]

I have a Maytag dishwasher that was installed when we built our house 17 years ago.

1 service call (leaking door seal) in all that time. It was the basic model without all the fancy cycles but I must say that it is LOUD when it is running.

It now has a problem where the door for the detergent dispenser doesn't flip open on the last wash so we have to remember to open the dishwasher and manually open the detergent dispenser.

We called the repairman and he told us the cost to replace the motor that opens the dispenser door wouldn't be worth it for a dishwasher this old.

It probably cost about $300 when new and is comparable to < $400 Maytag diswashers that Home Depot sells today.

Even having to manually open the door, it still beats washing the dishes by hand like we used to do.

 

[WiK]

This is what happened to our previous Bosch dishwasher:

(and yes, the dishwasher was the cause of the fire)

That said, the new Bosch we got to replace that has been running fine for the last two years.

Phil

 

[cydermaster]

That said, the new Bosch we got to replace that has been running fine for the last two years.

..... as a pre-heater for Hybrids

 

[gdiscenza]

I like the Bosch we got about 14 months ago. It is so quiet, I have to look at the lights on the front to see if it is running or not.

0 problems so far, unlike the Maytag it replaced, which would moan and groan throughout the wash cycle from the day we bought it. I would have taken it back, but it was a floor display model, and all floor models had "all sales final" marked on them. That should have told me something right there.

G.D.

 

[andytherocketeer]

All of my appliances are Siemens, which are $10/£10/€10 cheaper than the identical Bosch version. Only difference between the 2 is the handles!
Concerned now, after what Wik did to his dishwasher!

 

[KennB]

Just watch out for the low-end models of the better brands.

Also, if you have a local, family run appliance store in your area, drop in and get a vibe from them. I needed a new gas clothes dryer and picked up a leftover from a promotion for less than half the original price (still fresh in-the-box). I looked at dishwashers there (that's where I got the warning on low-end Bosch) and will grace that family business when the time comes.

 

[GuyNoir]

Stay away from GE.

Couldn't agree more.

Had one in our old home, tried fixing it three times (two times too many) and gave up.

Bought a KitchenAid. Worked flawlessly and was a LOT quieter.

Built new home. Installed all new GE appliances. MISTAKE!!! Dishwasher STINKS!

I'll replace with KitchenAid when it dies.

 

[user 13]

I have a 14 year old GE that has worked flawlessly. I think I paid $250 or $300 back in '96. During a kitchen remodel in 2002 my wife wanted a fisher-paykel. So we got one. We use both now and the FP is a maintenance night mare! Stay away!

 

[Bazookadale]

Couldn't agree more.

Had one in our old home, tried fixing it three times (two times too many) and gave up.

Bought a KitchenAid. Worked flawlessly and was a LOT quieter.

Built new home. Installed all new GE appliances. MISTAKE!!! Dishwasher STINKS!

I'll replace with KitchenAid when it dies.

My late parents had a Kitchenaid dishwasher for more than 30 years and to my knowledge never had a problem with it, still going strong when we sold the house last fall. I have a GE that came with my house and I need rinse very dirty dished BEFORE I put them through the washer - I will buy a Kitchenaid when I replace it.

 

[RandyM]

I like the Bosch we got about 14 months ago. It is so quiet, I have to look at the lights on the front to see if it is running or not.

0 problems so far, unlike the Maytag it replaced, which would moan and groan throughout the wash cycle from the day we bought it. I would have taken it back, but it was a floor display model, and all floor models had "all sales final" marked on them. That should have told me something right there.

G.D.

I did the same thing. The old Maytags racks rusted away and it was REALLY LOUD. The new Bosch has been running for about a year and a half with no issues except you can't hear it running!

 

[sunward]

what a question.

As stated, store brands are made by others. So Kenmore is not made by Sears but other companies. You can search to see which one based on the serial number.

I would avoid one with the digital control panel as they are expensive to repair. Also, the more gadgets you get, the higher the chance it make break. So the simplest ones tend to last longer.

And before you buy, make sure there is a local repair and parts network close by. Nothing worse than having to wait a month for a part.

 

[RandyM]

Nothing worse than having to wait a month for a part.

Well almost! I think what you meant to say was, "nothing is worse than doing the dishes by hand while your waiting a month for a part"

 

[Pippen]

I would avoid one with the digital control panel as they are expensive to repair. Also, the more gadgets you get, the higher the chance it make break. So the simplest ones tend to last longer..

Do they even still sell them without the digital control panel? I don't think I saw any when I bought ours and that was a few years ago.

The repair guys said these have become a huge problem because the replacement cost of a new control panel can easily be as much as a lower end appliance.

 

[sunward]

Do they even still sell them without the digital control panel? ....

Lots.

Get the one without the fancy flat controls with built in lights. Push buttons!

 

[karlbaum]

Can you take the old diswasher and put a rocket motor on it?

 

[Sandy H.]

We have a Siemens, like mentioned above - its the same as Bosch in most ways. There was a 'recall' on the digital control board that was due to a small percentage of fires started by the board. If you register the appliance, they have to send you the recall notice. If you don't, its up to you to verify if there is a recall or not. If you have a Bosch/Siemens from a few years back, go check the website to see if yours is affected.

That being said, I like the Siemens as it is indeed quiet and supposedly fairly water efficient. We have had no problems with it at all. In my opinion, no matter what brand of appliance you get, send in the registration information so it makes it more likely you'll get notices of any required changes that come up.

Sandy.