Help me buy a new dishwasher!
May 5, 2013 6:45 PM Subscribe
Which dishwasher should I pick?
My old Frigidaire dishwasher is on its last legs. I did a search online and Consumer Reports says Bosch is the way to go? But then I read some not so great reviews either. Can anyone recommend a good brand/model that they use and are happy with?
Any other tips? I read you should avoid the ones with hidden buttons on the top of the door because they're prone to breaking down because they're too close tot the water and heat.
Looking for something in the $600 range. Thanks!
My old Frigidaire dishwasher is on its last legs. I did a search online and Consumer Reports says Bosch is the way to go? But then I read some not so great reviews either. Can anyone recommend a good brand/model that they use and are happy with?
Any other tips? I read you should avoid the ones with hidden buttons on the top of the door because they're prone to breaking down because they're too close tot the water and heat.
Looking for something in the $600 range. Thanks!
Previously.
At about that time, we got a Bosch, and we love it. YMMV.
posted by China Grover at 6:51 PM on May 5, 2013 [2 favorites]
At about that time, we got a Bosch, and we love it. YMMV.
posted by China Grover at 6:51 PM on May 5, 2013 [2 favorites]
Another Bosch fan here.
posted by bearwife at 7:21 PM on May 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by bearwife at 7:21 PM on May 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
I am very happy with my KitchenAid (model KUDS30FXSS5). I was not happy with my Bosch, which had a filter I needed to clean and a door that felt flimsy. The dishes seem much cleaner with the KitchenAid.
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:30 PM on May 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:30 PM on May 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
This winter we picked up a Maytag MDB7749SBM and like it a lot so far. Holds a ton, reasonably quiet.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:50 PM on May 5, 2013
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:50 PM on May 5, 2013
Best answer: If you haven't checked out the Consumer Reports buying guide (an actual book that's usually available at the public library), I suggest you start there (instead of the paywalled website). They have more detailed information about the general reliability of different brand names and also give best buy (price vs. quality/feature trade-off) suggestions. I would trust the aggregated (i.e., n > 1) results from Consumer Reports than some random review online.
That said, I recently looked into getting a new dishwasher and Bosch had one of the highest reliability ratings. I'm just waiting for my current dishwasher to fail...
posted by scalespace at 7:54 PM on May 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
That said, I recently looked into getting a new dishwasher and Bosch had one of the highest reliability ratings. I'm just waiting for my current dishwasher to fail...
posted by scalespace at 7:54 PM on May 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
Bosch. Get the best model you can afford, but you can save money as most models have a hidden button and outward facing button option. The buttons on mine face out. Cleans very well, and is very quiet. I have found that you do have to keep it filled with Jet-Dry, though.
posted by oneironaut at 9:05 PM on May 5, 2013
posted by oneironaut at 9:05 PM on May 5, 2013
We have a Bosch at our family cabin and I really love it, very low water usage for very excellent cleaning. It does have the hidden buttons and we haven't had it long enough to know if those wear out because of heat/steam damage, but my only current complaint about those is that it makes it tricky to tell where the machine is in the process of washing.
I know a lot of people love the Fischer Paykel drawers but I have also heard horror stories about them, it seems very much a love it or hate it product (which is a bummer, I want it to be awesome so I can install those in my kitchen remodel, the concept is so great).
posted by padraigin at 9:05 PM on May 5, 2013
I know a lot of people love the Fischer Paykel drawers but I have also heard horror stories about them, it seems very much a love it or hate it product (which is a bummer, I want it to be awesome so I can install those in my kitchen remodel, the concept is so great).
posted by padraigin at 9:05 PM on May 5, 2013
We have a Fischer Paykel, it is mediocre in cleaning performance, reliability and noise. About the only good thing it has done is introduce us to a really great repairman, who has recommended Bosch and nothing else, when the Fischer Paykel finally dies for good.
posted by Cosine at 9:43 PM on May 5, 2013
posted by Cosine at 9:43 PM on May 5, 2013
We have a GE, which we love because it is quiet.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:40 PM on May 5, 2013
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:40 PM on May 5, 2013
We have a Bosch and like it a lot. It came with the house and initially I wasn't sure about it since it's the kind that doesn't have a heating element but only uses the heat from the water. It's surprisingly effective and uses a lot less energy. We did have to replace the control module initially but that was because it has sat with moisture in it for months during foreclosure proceedings. The repairman who came to work on it had nothing but praise for the model and said all his customers who have it love it.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 11:21 PM on May 5, 2013
posted by otherwordlyglow at 11:21 PM on May 5, 2013
I have a two year old Bosch, bottom of the line with front buttons and it's been working well. One thing I looked for was run time. Some machines have regular cycles that can take over 90 minutes. Pot scrubbing cycles can take three hours! I could wash every dish in the house by hand in less time. The Bosch I picked has a quick cycle that takes 30 minutes.
posted by fundip at 4:38 AM on May 6, 2013
posted by fundip at 4:38 AM on May 6, 2013
We bought a KitchenAid this year and it is OK but it is not as quiet as my old Miele and the glassware seems more spotty. I was not believed until the college kid began came home and began rewashing glasses before using them.
posted by beaning at 6:19 AM on May 6, 2013
posted by beaning at 6:19 AM on May 6, 2013
I have a Siemens, which is the same company as Bosch, and I love it. It was expensive but I read a ton of reviews and decided it was worth it. It has front buttons, and for the quick cycle I use a dishwasher liquid rather than a tablet - I found the 29-minute cycle wasn't quite long enough to dissolve a tablet.
One thing I found out, though, is that it has an inlet/outlet/drain thing on the right-hand side about half-way up. From time to time the dishwasher would flood and I couldn't work out why. Googling eventually led me to a post on a forum where someone else had had the same issue and it was caused by stacking her flexible plastic cutting mats on that side of the dishwasher, where they got sucked against the outlet and blocked it. That's exactly what happened with me. Now they go on the other side, and I haven't had a problem with it since.
posted by essexjan at 6:52 AM on May 6, 2013
One thing I found out, though, is that it has an inlet/outlet/drain thing on the right-hand side about half-way up. From time to time the dishwasher would flood and I couldn't work out why. Googling eventually led me to a post on a forum where someone else had had the same issue and it was caused by stacking her flexible plastic cutting mats on that side of the dishwasher, where they got sucked against the outlet and blocked it. That's exactly what happened with me. Now they go on the other side, and I haven't had a problem with it since.
posted by essexjan at 6:52 AM on May 6, 2013
I bought a Bosch with outward facing buttons in that price range 2 weeks ago and have been very happy with it thus far.
posted by Jacob G at 6:55 AM on May 6, 2013
posted by Jacob G at 6:55 AM on May 6, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Ideefixe at 6:51 PM on May 5, 2013