Help Me With The Dishwasher Decision

[jyl]

Okay, want some informed opinions here.

Dishwasher has crapped out. Irreparably. Only about 15 years old. At about 10 y/o it started breaking and we limped it along but when the heating element melted a hole in the bottom . . .

Two types of replacement we are thinking about.

1. Stacked dish drawers. Like Miele, F-P, etc.

2. Undercounter commercial. Like Fagor, CMA, etc.

Pros and cons?

Context: we usually hand wash, no particular reason, just a habit. We mainly use the dishwasher when we have big dinner parties, 10+ people. Wife likes to set a fancy table on those occasions, everyone gets four glasses, six pieces of silverware, etc. Then we have trouble fitting it all into one load, so we end up hand washing half of it anyway, until 1 am . . .

[Gogar]

It seems everyone always raves about Miele and Bosch and really complains about F-P.

I bought an undercounter $800 Bosch and I'm happy but it's only been a few months.

I also liked my previous GE that had been in the kitchen since the early 80s. So who knows.

[Nickshu]

We installed two Bosch Benchmark series. Not cheap but very nice. Aqua Stop feature is a big selling point for Bosch. Benchmark series is actually made in Germany.

[rfuerst911sc]

We recently had new counter tops installed and the dishwasher we had ( a Kenmore ) was still working but noisy and you couldn't fit dinner plates on the bottom rack standing up . You had to lean them to clear the wash bar . Wife wanted a new one.

I know everyone raves about Bosch and others but we are on a budget . It may cost us in the long run but we bought a Whirlpool from Lowes . Standard black door with controls on top of the door . Plastic tub nothing fancy . Has a " America " sticker on the door so that helps . Just used it last night for the first time it is super quiet . Dinner plates and large pans easily fit the over sized lower rack . Wife said the dishes were clean this morning so if she's happy I'm happy .

Didn't bother with an extended warranty , for the price of $379.00 I expect it to last at least the one year warranty period after that it's all a crap shoot. With a global economy there is a fair amount of parts sharing and some factories building different " brand " appliances under the same roof . In this case I think it was designed in America and built elsewhere .

Before purchasing I randomly selected 6 - 7 different brands and went online to see the reviews . In EVERY case there were good and bad reviews . Not that the internet is the final decision maker but it is a data point . And those good/bad reviews included the one we purchased . Time will tell .

[billybek]

I had 20 years on a Kitchenaid dishwasher that was still working when removed and had replaced it with a Kitchenaid that cleans well and is much more quiet than it's predecessor.

[JJ 911SC]

Most important, check the racks.

We got a Bosch at the office that is awful. The glass fall side way, large cups don't fit and the utensil basket is just about useless.

[nvr2mny]

Check out Asko too.

[tdw28210]

15 years on the US Made (North Carolina) under the counter Bosch. Still working like a champ.

[DanielDudley]

There really isn't very much to a dishwasher. Mine is a Maytag, and it is OLD. The new ones are all quieter.

[blucille]

We installed 2 single f-p dish drawers when we remodeled our kitchen almost 15 years ago.

I really hate them.

That being said, they have held up ok for 15 years, well beyond the life of what I expect for most appliances. They are very inefficient on space, you can’t fit any pots and pans, and the biggie is the dishes don’t come clean often.

When it was just the 2 of us, they were big enough, but now that our family has grown, we fill them up quickly.

The way our kitchen was done, we would be able to remove the drawer below the dishwasher and install a full sized unit, but it will be a hassle.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by DanielDudley

There really isn't very much to a dishwasher. Mine is a Maytag, and it is OLD. The new ones are all quieter.

Mine is old too, a 1950s model. No replacement parts are available, but the racks are well designed, sturdy and handling wear and tear well. There are occasional leaks, but overall performance is adequate for my needs.

[mrbeverlyhills]

I've put in 5 dishwashers in different properties in the past year; the best is the LG Direct Drive.
Stay away from ASKO it is crap, neither it nor Miele/Bosch/Viking have a built in disposal.
The LG grinds everything up, has ample storage for big and little items as well as cutlery. Moreover everything is actually pretty much dry when it is done.

Plays a nice little digital tune when done. Nice touch.

Less than $850 at Lowes, all stainless steel.

[sugarwood]

I've had my $200 Frigidaire for 15 years.
Racks are starting to rust, but I just Dremel off the cancer.

Looks like you can still get one for $250
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/frigidaire-24-tall-tub-built-in-dishwasher-white/5439181.p?skuId=5439181

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Mine is old too, a 1950s model. No replacement parts are available, but the racks are well designed, sturdy and handling wear and tear well. There are occasional leaks, but overall performance is adequate for my needs.

hmmm.....

[jyl]

Thoughts about something like this

https://www.acitydiscount.com/Fagor-Dishwashing-Commercial-High-Temp-Undercounter-Dishwasher-37-Racks-Hr-COP-504W.0.168826.1.1.htm?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=cse_goo&ppcid=22&link=168826&gclid=CjwKCAjw7frPBRBVEiwAuDf_LVfLatwWR92er9crd76V 5ihve4YVo-cco6s7OY8LPBzqpTerIPrT2BoCxwgQAvD_BwE

Cycle lasts about 180 seconds. Uses 180 F water to sterilize. Dishes come out hot and dry quickly. No garbage disposal, dishes have to be scraped and rinsed, then load up racks and wash a whole big dinner party's worth of dishes in 6 minutes. Expensive. Needs 240 v and room for a bucket of detergent. I figure I'll be using it at <1% of design usage, so maybe it could last the rest of my life?

[id10t]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Mine is old too, a 1950s model. No replacement parts are available, but the racks are well designed, sturdy and handling wear and tear well. There are occasional leaks, but overall performance is adequate for my needs.

Does she have a sister?

[billybek]

Originally Posted by id10t

Does she have a sister?

Dat der is purdy funny...

[Bugsinrugs]

Just put in a Miele that replaced our 25 year old Bosch. Tipping point for my wife was the wine glass holders. It's a European model that is 23 1/4 inches wide. Normal is 24 inches. I have some retro fitting to do.

[sugarwood]

Originally Posted by jyl

Thoughts about something like this

https://www.acitydiscount.com/Fagor-Dishwashing-Commercial-High-Temp-Undercounter-Dishwasher-37-Racks-Hr-COP-504W.0.168826.1.1.htm?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=cse_goo&ppcid=22&link=168826&gclid=CjwKCAjw7frPBRBVEiwAuDf_LVfLatwWR92er9crd76V 5ihve4YVo-cco6s7OY8LPBzqpTerIPrT2BoCxwgQAvD_BwE

Cycle lasts about 180 seconds. Uses 180 F water to sterilize. Dishes come out hot and dry quickly. No garbage disposal, dishes have to be scraped and rinsed, then load up racks and wash a whole big dinner party's worth of dishes in 6 minutes. Expensive. Needs 240 v and room for a bucket of detergent. I figure I'll be using it at <1% of design usage, so maybe it could last the rest of my life?

What is your use case?
You opening a restaurant in your home?
Otherwise, why would you need to do 10 loads of dishwashing every hour?

Talk about bringing an Uzi to a thumb wresting fight.

[jyl]

Basically it would be nice to be able to wash ask the dishes after a big dinner party without staying up until 2 am handwashing the two loads that don't fit in the dishwasher, or waiting for the dishwasher's hour long cycle to finish so I can put in the next load.

Sort of like why some people put two dishwashers in their kitchen. I don't have room for that.