Dishwasher recommendations and what features are important

amother

Thu, Jun 12 2014, 12:23 pm

Which dishwashers can you recommend that you bought recently. Looking for inexpensive model. It does not have to have high end features.
What features should I look for when searching?

asd3

Thu, Jun 12 2014, 12:25 pm

I have a whirlpool I bought a couple years ago. I wanted one that had the silverware rack on the door and not in the tray so it doesn't take up space. I also wanted one that sprayed water from the bottom and the top and not just from the bottom

MMCH

Thu, Jun 12 2014, 12:34 pm

ive never done research for dishwashers,
but my mil has a special silver wear rack on top of both dish racks, its awesome.

idk which ones she has, I do know is that it comes with something of a self clean, and shes able to use for pesach with new racks

amother

Thu, Jun 12 2014, 12:47 pm

I will look for the top sprayer.

Would you be able to find out which brand, model is the self clean? and do appliance stores sell extra racks?

rachel6543

Thu, Jun 12 2014, 2:29 pm

I'd recommend looking at consumer reports and see what they recommend. They do independent testing.

One thing I think is important to consider is noise. My first dishwasher was so LOUD. I now have a whirlpool (5 yrs old?), it's so much quieter; works fine so far, no issues.

rosehill

Thu, Jun 12 2014, 4:40 pm

When shopping for my fleishig dishwasher, I read all the reviews, did all the research, and wound up with a middle-of-the-road Maytag. Would have loved a Miele, but couldn't afford it. I detest my Maytag with a passion. It has to be loaded just so, and even still, the dishes don't come out so clean.

When shopping for my milchig dishwasher, money was even tighter, so I went into the store and asked for the cheapest stainless steel dishwasher they stock. I got a frigidaire (which I later found out had HORRIBLE reviews), and I LOVE IT. My dishes come out spotless every time, including baked on cheese etc. The inside is plastic, though, so I couldn't kasher it for Pesach if I wanted to. I've had it for about 2 1/2 years, and it's still going strong. If it died tomorrow, I would feel that I got my money's worth.

MaBelleVie

Thu, Jun 12 2014, 4:51 pm

If you think you will want to kasher it, speak to your rav beforehand. It can be pretty complicated depending how you hold.

amother

Thu, Jun 12 2014, 11:28 pm

MaBelleVie wrote:

If you think you will want to kasher it, speak to your rav beforehand. It can be pretty complicated depending how you hold.

I was wondering about this, if everyone holds by this or just some.

saw50st8

Fri, Jun 13 2014, 5:00 am

amother wrote:

I was wondering about this, if everyone holds by this or just some.

Not everyone does. We do (if there a stainless steel tub and you put a baked brick in to steam the dishwasher).

4Sisters

Mon, Jun 16 2014, 10:19 pm

I have a whirlpool gold series that we got last year. It does a reasonable job washing. I posted here b/c I specifically want to warn you AWAY from getting a silverware rack on the door. My dishwasher does a ROTTEN job on silverware that is not mostly clean to begin with, and I have heard this from others as well. It especially doesn't work on food that is on the backs of the silverware, b/c the water doesn't really reach those parts. Unfortunately, this is a popular feature of dishwashers these days b/c then the companies can advertise about how many more dishes you can fit in.....

Good luck finding what you want/need/can afford!

Raisin

Tue, Jun 17 2014, 4:18 am

make sure the arms are removable and the insides accessible so you can clean them if any food gets stuck in them. My meat dishwasher is great but its impossible to clean inside the arms. I had to get them replaced. I am much more careful about food particles being rinsed off then I used to be but it is hard.

Sanguine

Tue, Jun 17 2014, 6:48 am

I used to have a list of dishwasher features (I've gone through a few) but now my absolute favorite feature is the 29 minute cycle. It's not as hot but it's perfect for Chalavi dishes and I'm willing to run it just 3/4 full (which I wasn't with a 2 hour cycle)

Raisin

Tue, Jun 17 2014, 9:46 am

Sanguine wrote:

Most dishwashers have a half hour cycle. I use it for plates and glasses after shabbos and they seem to come out just as clean as with the long cycle.

I used to think brand is important but my obscure brand dairy dishwasher is still going strong after 12 years.

m+m

Tue, Jun 17 2014, 10:18 am

I have a Maytag and am very happy.

A few things to consider:

Can the buttons be accidentally touched on shabbos, or is there a "lock" feature?

I only have space for 6 glasses and I wish I had more room for glasses