They just don’t make appliances like they used to do they?
And yes I feel like my grandmother or mother when I say that. I guess you know you are getting old when you start saying things like they don’t make things like they used to.
But really what is it with modern appliances? They don’t seem to last as long as they used to. Is it just me or does it seem like the days of appliances lasting 10+ years are long gone?
When we remodeled our kitchen about two years ago I kept most of the appliances as way to save money. The main appliances were all less than five years old so it seemed like a waste to replace them.
My dishwasher was one of the ones we did not replace. At the time it was perfectly fine and I loved it. But that was two years ago. Since then we have had all kinds of issues with it.
It leaked all over my new wood floors. It stopped cleaning well. It currently doesn’t run through all the cycles correctly. Then last week two of the wheels feel off the bottom basket making it a bit challenging to load and unload the dishes.
I know dishwashers are not a necessity. Growing up we did not have one. We managed just fine. I could live without a dishwasher, but I am not ready to do that. I will admit that I love the convenience of having a dishwasher. And not only having a dishwasher, but one that actually works well.
We have been having issues with our dishwasher for months and have already spent a couple hundred dollars trying to keep it working. But as soon as we fix something, something else seems to go wrong with it. We knew at some point soon it would need replaced. They wheels breaking off last week was the final straw and I am ready to go dishwasher shopping this week.
As my husband and I were discussing new dishwashers and what we wanted to look at he suggested I post an Ask the Readers question about it. I told him that I had a totally different post planned to share today, but he reminded me how helpful you all are when it comes to recommendations about what you do and don’t like.
He convinced me to change my plans and do an Ask the Readers on dishwashers. Don’t worry I will share the recipe I had planned tomorrow.
So let’s talk dishwashers.
I have two important requirements when it comes to dishwashers. I want it to clean well and I want it to be quiet.
The first one seems pretty obvious. I think we all want our dishwashers to clean well. The second one though is an important one for me.
Our kitchen is open into our eating area and our living room. It is one large room. We spend a lot of time in this area of the house and I have some hearing issues. Nothing major, but I do have some hearing loss in one ear and background noises often really bother me. A noisy dishwasher makes it hard for me to hear anything else that is going on in the room. So, a quiet, or at least relatively quiet, dishwasher is important to me.
Here is where I am hoping you all can help.
Since I have not been dishwasher shopping in a few years what features should I look for? Are there any must haves or things that I should look for? If you have bought a dishwasher recently that you love I would love to hear about it. I am looking for recommendations about what to buy and what to avoid. What is the best dishwasher? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
I can’t wait to see what everyone has to say. We feel like our 12 year old dishwasher is going to quit sometime in the near future. We are hoping for a quieter one. Our is too noisey for our large open living space that it is located in. I also have another requirement. I will NOT wash the dished before I put them in the dishwasher. If it can’t wash them on their own then it is not worth it. We don’t rinse/wash our dishes for this dishwasher and yes we have a few that I have to give attention to after the load is done. I just feel like if you are washing off all your dishes before loading, why bother.
We had to replace ours a few years ago and my readers suggested a Bosch. I was really excited to get it, but when they came to install it, we found out the original plumbing involved a pipe sticking up in the back that would have been in the way of the bottom of that dishwasher. I ended up having to go shop for one by the way the back of it was made. I ended up with a Maytag. I like it. It doesn’t have any control panel showing on the front though, so we have no way of knowing how much longer it needs to run, or even if it’s started or not. I think they fixed this in later models, but it’s something to look out for.
You must have the same problem in the U.S as we do in the U.K. When I was little my parents replaced their old cooker – and the new one lasted about 20 years. I have a hard time getting one to be four. They JUST outlast the warrenty period and then die on you. All the appliances do now. Call me paranoid, but I am sure they make them like that deliberately so you have to buy new ones. Planned obsolescence I guess you’d call it. I hope you have better luck with whatever you get next.
I haven’t had to purchase one in several years (fingers crossed) but I will say that I program mine to run at night while we are asleep. No need to worry about noise at that time. Just a thought to look for that feature. Happy hunting!
We are a Bosch family too! When our last one broke, I researched via Consumer Reports to see what they saw, and that was their brand. We found the best price at Lowe’s. it was evident when it was being installed that it was so much better quality than our old one- metal pieces, vs. plastic in the old. We’ve been very, very pleased with it. The only think that I will say is that the pegs for loading are a little weird and my husband hates the way you have to put the dishes in, so he never does it. <> I brought my dishes to Lowe’s to see how they would fit and I was happy with it. Good luck with your decision!
Bosch here, too. It is quiet enough it doesn’t hamper conversation right in front of it. We’ve had it for several years (9 or 10, I think) and I am very happy with it still. Although I fight against rust stains in my bathroom sink, the dw’s stainless interior still looks great. Also, no heating element in the bottom!
Only downside I can think of is that if something doesn’t come clean, it gets baked on and has to be soaked before re-washing.
Oh, I forgot-the Bosch uses a small amount of soap, too. Like a couple of tablespoons worth.
This is my first dishwasher ever but I’ve seen lots of people pour huge amounts of soap into the dispenser of their dw through the years. The Bosch gets my dishes clean even with the small soap amount.
Within the last 6 months, I purchased a new Bosch 500 series. The dishwasher is quiet and cleans very well. I really like the third rack. I put all my silverware and small items there. What I don’t like is how the bottom rack is set up. I have to wedge the larger items in/around the prongs. They don’t fold down.
Good luck on your search.
Bosch, Bosch, Bosch!!! I replaced my old Sears model with a Bosch last year and I can not believe how well it cleans how quiet it is. Like most stay-at-home moms, I love my appliances – and my Bosch is my favorite! Worth EVERY cent!!
The house we just moved to, has a Kenmore dishwasher that is five years old, and it works just fine. The dishes get clean and while it isn’t totally whisper soft when it is running, it isn’t very noisy either. We have always bought Kenmore brand appliances and have very rarely gotten a lemon, except for a front loading washing machine that we bought for our old house ten years ago. It worked fine the first four years or so, but then it just kept breaking because one of the parts was plastic, if you can believe that! The repairmen hated them, and said that was bad engineering and particular to that model. I am assuming it has since been fixed, or at least I hope they have. In this house, everything is Kenmore and they all work beautifully. The dishwasher gets a real workout here, and I am really happy with it. We also signed up for a repair plan through our local gas company, on all of the appliances. I recommend that everyone get that if they can. At our old house they were there every six months for the washing machine, and those visits alone were well worth it. They covered parts and labor, and we didn’t have to pay anything. It is well worth it. If I didn’t have Kenmore I would probably look into Bosch as well. They are supposed to be really good.
Since you don’t like to wash your dishes first, be sure to get one with a food grinder built in. I, unfortunately, didn’t that my old one had that and the new one didn’t. It quickly got blocked with the food and I had to get two repairs before I realized I must rinse my dishes first. Also, be cautious purchasing from Home Depot or Lowe’s, they seem to have a lower grade of appliances. I purchased a $1500 refrigerator and it just made it one year. Just long enough to not have a warranty any more. I’m sorry to say that but I never purchase appliances from there any more. My dishwasher is a Kenmore and I love it (I just wish it had a food grinder). Good luck!
My mom and I both have a KitchenAid which is what it appears that you have. We both love ours. Very quiet and cleans great. My mom’s is probably 8 years old and mine is closer to 5 years. I run mine daily, sometimes 3 times a day. Still working…
This one that I have had all kinds of trouble with is a Kitchen Aid. However, the one I had before this one was also a Kitchen Aid and it lasted 10 years and we loved it, which is why we bought another Kitchen Aid. I think maybe we just got a bad one or a bad model of one with this one.
Our old dishwasher was loud and leaked on our bamboo floors and just stopped working. We suffered without one for a year and then caved and bought a Bosch. It is super quiet-sometimes you don’t know it is even running except for the red light it displays on the floor. We thought that was cool.
Has an awesome upper third rack for silverware that I love.
I went for the Bosch. It cleans well and is very quiet. I often have folks comment on the quietness of my dishwasher. Be sure to get the one with the stainless steel inside (hope I am saying that right) We have had ours for 5 years now and run it up to 3 times a day, 7 days a week. My mom and sister also have a Bosch and love theirs. Blessings on your ‘Dishwasher shopping’. Can’t wait to see what you decided on 😉
Bosch is the quietest and does an amazing job cleaning!! I have one with a third rack, that is very handy for long spoons too.
We bought a Bosch a year and a half ago and to say that I’m slightly obsessed with it is an understatement. It cleans very well, it is super quiet (we went one step up from the basic model to get the uber quiet model and it is WORTH IT–it has a light that shines on the floor so we can tell it’s on, otherwise you can’t hear it at all!), and it has the third rack for silverware, which means I can fit an obscene amount of dishes in it (and they still get clean!).
I have LG and it is quiet. Does a good job and easy to load/unload.
We’ve always had Kenmore, and have been generally happy with them. I pretty much like everything Kenmore makes, therefore we have a Kenmore front load washer/dryer set, upright freezer, french door fridge, and dishwasher! Always was happy with, and used, the canister vacuum sweeper for years, before we built a new house and got central vac. But, I have had a few minor issues with my last dishwasher, just enough to make me interested in checking out a different model, #1 being, yes, the BOSCH! 🙂 My mom has one and she really likes it for the quietness. Hers is smaller than mine though, and I would hope there is a larger model available for my family of 6. Also, my sister-in-law just got a Bosch, after being VERY disappointed in her Maytag. They LOVE their Bosch, and are thrilled with how well it cleans, which is the main detail they were looking for…a dw that you don’t need to rinse the dishes first of all. So, there you got my opinion! #1 – Bosch, #2 – Kenmore. 🙂
We bought a Whirlpool a couple years ago and lived to regret it. It was whisper quiet but the cycles seemed to take forever. It had a hard time with pots, pans and baking dishes. I had to pre-rinse those if I wanted them to come out clean. The dish basket on the door seemed like a great way to maximize capacity on the lower rack. But in practice, it just made the silverware harder to load/unload and rarely did all the pieces come out clean.
We had a GE profile before the Whirlpool and absolutely loved it. We moved cross-country earlier this year and are currently renovating a house we bought. I’ve done a lot of research on dishwashers. We’re going with the GE Profile series again. I love the adjustable upper rack, tines that fold down, flexible silverware baskets, and the dedicated bottle washers. They are whisper quiet (we have an open concept floorplan as well) and do a great job of cleaning. This is the model we’re buying – PDT720SSHSS. It appears to be the updated version of our previous beloved GE Profile.
Dishwasher shopping can be an overwhelming process. I hope you find something you like!
We have the exact GE Profile dishwasher Megan refers to above. We just built a new home and bought GE Profile appliances and a GE cafe fridge. LOVE THEM all! Seriously, I have many caviats I look for in appliances as we don’t buy the cheapest of the line. These all work excellently, look very sleek. The dishwasher in particular is very very quiet, cleans really well and has lots of space. I run it ONCE per week for my family of 3 and I cook every day. The control panel is located on the top panel, so when it’s closed it is a nice stainless steel look without anything busying it up.
Now, our last house that we built before this one we thought we were being smart and went with a full kitchen of LG appliances. NEVER NEVER again. We had multiple problems with every appliance and had numerous service calls in the 6 years we lived there. The fridge was claimed under the lemon law and we got a whole new fridge after only 2 years. The microwave was very very loud. The stove’s temp gauge went out, it was going to cost more to have it fixed so we had to buy a whole new stove after only a few years. But, the dishwasher, it never cleaned well at all. I always pre-rinse my dishes, and even with doing this, the LG wouldn’t get things rinsed off. I hated these appliances with a passion. When we knew we were building again, we were adament that we were going with a another brand.
I highly recommend this model GE Profile or even the higher end Cafe lines. Our main floor is an open floor plan as well, and the GE dishwasher is very quiet. You don’t even hear it running except for when it might be dumping water into the sink drains. We are very happy with our purchases from GE.
We have a Bosch dishwasher and it’s fabulous! It is quiet and the dishes are always clean. I would definitely purchase Bosch again. Our kitchen is open to our eating area and family room; when the dishwasher is operating, it isn’t noticeable.
As my business is appliance repair, I can give you an “Expert” opinion to back up what the masses have already said……BOSCH!! Every single person employed with our company owns one. I always say, when in doubt, ask the people that service them! 🙂
Thank you for sharing that! I really appreciate it because yes repair people know what works and what doesn’t!
My oldest daughter bought an all GE kitchen-which she now regrets (its 2 years old and now they have to replace their dishwasher).. I would suggest something high end (Bosch or something like that) if you want quiet and cleaning ability. Check out HGTV and see what appliances they are putting into homes on remodels.
Good luck in whatever you choose (be sure to let us know what you choose !)
I hopped over to your blog to leave a comment about how I love my Bosch dishwasher and was happy too see all the other positive comments about them.
We bought the lowest priced Bosch model (it was from either Lowes or Home Depot) we could find. I use the FINISH tabs in it and it washes beautifully – about 5 years old now. They said it was quiet – and perhaps it is compared to some brands – but don’t expect it to be silent. You can definitely still hear it running!
Oh – I will add the cycle time is much longer than my previous washer – I can choose from two different cycles but they both are about 1.5 hours long!
I have had several dishwashers, and found that, the best one is still ME!!!
We moved into our house last August that had a tiny dishwasher. I was running it several times a day! And it was loud….and took forever! We upgraded this winter to a GE Top Control Stainless with a Stainless tub. We were told (not sure how true this is though I’ve haven’t looked it up so don’t hold me to it) that with a stainless tub it can be mounted either with top screws if you have laminate countertops or side screws into your cabinets if you have granite. This dishwasher is super quiet! You can hear the kitchen clock ticking over this running a cycle. It has a food grinder and a steam setting so you don’t have to prewash (I usually do out of habit, but husband and kids don’t). It holds a good amount of dishes, I usually run it either once a day to every other day with my family of 5. Have fun shopping!
My husband ordered us a Bosch a year ago. When it was delivered, I wasn’t home (or reachable by phone) and the thing didn’t fit in the spot…it was a half inch too tall. My husband took a hammer to the tile counter top to get it to fit. I would have returned it, but the damage was done. That led to a $20,000 kitchen remodel with new floors, a granite counter, new backsplash, etc. (We had previously done the cabinets.) Just to make that dishwasher fit! Anyway, it IS super quiet. Like other readers have said, you don’t know it’s running unless you see a red light on the floor. I agree that not having a visible display as to how much time is left can be annoying. It does make the dishwasher look nicer in the kitchen, though. I also agree that while the third top rack is great, the bottom rack is not adjustable at all. While it holds a ton of plates, I sometimes have trouble fitting large bowls or pots down there, and end up either putting them on the middle rack (which is adjustable) or hand washing them. Think about what you like to put in your dishwasher, and how you would load each rack, before you buy. Also, to anyone who is having trouble getting their dishes clean, make sure it isn’t your water that is the problem. Years ago we learned that it was our hard water that was causing cleaning problems, not the dishwasher or the soap. Getting a water softener solved the problem.
We’ve had our Bosch for about a month. I did a lot of research prior, and called customer service to find out what some of the features were for different models (found different things on different sites so I didn’t want to rely on that) so I could tell what best fit our family.
The one we chose has 3rd rack and a timer on the front so you know when it’s done – because you can’t tell by listening!
It has performed beautifully.
Get a Bosch. They are quiet and I believe you can get stainless steel racks. I will never buy anything but a Bosch.
I have a kenmore elite, stainless interior, tall tub, with adjustable height on the top rack. It’s not the most expensive of the elites, and it has a decent quietness rating–it was less than $1000 when I got it a couple of years ago. very happy with it. I received a really good sale price at the time, too.
I have an LG dishwasher model #MEZ64589001. It is the quietest unit we have owned. 3 shelves, lots of adjustable tines to fit various configurations. Absolutely love this dishwasher. We have owned it for almost 2 years.
I’ve been thru the same thing. My 9 yr old Kitchen Aid leaked underneath it, thru the sub floor and ceiling tile in basement, that’s how I discovered it, as the tile bulged. I shopped hard, did major research, went to local Maytag store, I don’t like Maytag or that store but shopped price and product anyway. Went to Lowe’s looked at Kitchen Aid, Bosch and something else. Sales lady quietly said to me, don’t buy Kitchen Aid, we are having major repair problems with them and lots of customer complaints. I looked at the Bosch, liked the new model just out, because it has heated drying cycle. it was on sale but would take 3 to 6 weeks to get one in. I came home and husband checked Best Buy, every day price same as sale price at Lowe’s, in stock and could have delivered to house at no extra charge in 2 days. That’s is what I bought. I had plumber install it, that was after the restoration company dried, replaced sub-floor, etc. What a mess! Thankfully insurance covered all the damage but not the cost of dishwasher. I have had this lovely machine 10 months, I LOVE IT! So quiet, and efficient. I use express cycle 99% of the time for full loads, rinse cycle every evening between washes. Rinse cycle takes 9 minutes, express cycle 50. Other cycles take way to long for me. That’s my recommendation!
We bought this house 20 years ago and are already on our 4th dishwasher so I am slowly becoming an expert! We also remodeled our kitchen about 6 years ago and I kept the working appliances but of course the dishwasher broke about a year later anyway. So I bought a Kitchenaid Stainless probably similar to the one you have. Based on my previous issues, I decided to buy the extended 5-year warranty and I’m so glad I did. I’ve had the motor replaced twice, the motherboard once and I’ve lost track of how many rollers I’ve had replaced. It’s been frustrating but at least I didn’t have to pay for anything. The warranty is up next February so we’ll see what happens after that. But when it is working, it’s super quiet and it cleans great. So you may want to consider the extended warranty for your new one. I’m sort of torn if I would go with a Kitchenaid again.
I’ve heard great things about Bosch as well, but when I was shopping last time, the salesman said some people don’t like them because the tines are closer together than other brands. Once I noticed the difference, I realized most of my stuff wouldn’t fit the way I’m used to and I probably couldn’t fit as much in a load. So that’s just something to think about when shopping. I do like how the tines are farther apart on the Kitchenaid/Whirpool models. Good luck and please update us on what you do!
We have had a Miele dishwasher for about 8 years and I love it. After researching it was between the Bosch and the Miele. One of the things that sold me on the Miele is the top silverware rack. The utensils are laid out rather than standing upright as in nearly all dishwashers. I think this gets them cleaner and surprisingly I realized that was the part I hated about putting clean dishes away–sorting through the utensils. I put the spoons in one area, knives in one, etc. Then I just grab a handful and put them away. It’s very quick and easy. The Miele is very quiet. I also like it because it doesn’t have a heating element; it dries with the heat of the water and a fan. The dishes come out exactly the same as with my old dishwasher. This is a good idea since it allows you to put plastic items on the bottom and not worry about them melting. The Miele also has an adjustable upper rack so you can raise or lower as best fits your dishes. It is not an inexpensive dishwasher, but I was tired of buying name brand appliances that don’t last. I don’t have experience with a Bosch dishwasher but there are certainly a lot of positive experiences detailed here. I do have a Bosch washer and dryer and do not like them, but I don’t know how much of that is because it is my first front loading machine.
We recently moved because hubby’s job was transferred. Even though the dishwasher worked well enough to pass the home inspection we knew there were problems with it. Before we moved in the door gasket had to be replaced twice because the old on leaked but after we moved in we noticed how loud the dishwasher was and other problems developed. We decided to replace it now rather than wait for it to cause problems (like the water claim that it had caused last year).
We bought a Bousch because it is quiet and the stainless steel interior (bottom of the tub is plastic) retains the water heat which allows the dishwasher to dry the dishes without a heating coil. So far we are pleased with it. The dishes come out clean. We do have to use a rinse aid due to our hard water.
The utensil holder has two sections that can be used together, side-by-side, back-to-back or individually. Usually we have enough items that we use both and leave them side-by-side on the bottom rack. The top rack can be set at three heights (easily adjusted with tabs on each side of the rack). When I was making a pro/con list the top rack being adjustable was one hubby insisted we would use then he reminded me of several times in the past I have said I wanted the rack to move.
Model # SHX4ATF5UC/21