Dishwasher recommendations

asmileaday

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 8:41 pm

I will be purchasing a dishwasher for the 1st time. Never used one. I grew up with it being used as an expensive dishrack.
Can anyone clue me in? What do I need to look for? What features are useful? Is there any specific brand or model you'd suggest?

amother

Amethyst

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 8:50 pm

I love my meile as it is so quiet.

simba

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 8:54 pm

Bosch is known as best on the market.
Look for how much water it uses.
How long each cycle takes.
How much noise it makes.
Does it have a drying function.
Some have special settings for bone China or
Crystal.

crust

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 9:45 pm

I finally bought my first dishwasher before Pesach of this year.
My kids feel rich.

I did not use it yet. Smile

I'll let you know as soon as I will bli neder.

Last edited by crust on Tue, Jun 18 2019, 9:47 pm; edited 1 time in total

yksraya

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 9:47 pm

I have a whirlpool. Am happy with it. Not noisy. Dries the stuff well. (make sure it has a drying feature).

stepmama

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 10:00 pm

I just ordered dishwashers. I did not go with Bosch coz I heard it doesn't have a drying element. It's also more expensive. I ordered kitchen aid in the end, even though my appliance repair man said to go with may tag. Kitchen aid has more features. I hope I made a good choice!! Good luck!

mommybrr

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 10:06 pm

I have a whirlpool and maytag (purchased 3 years ago) I prefer the Maytag it washes and dries better. I also like the "quick cycle" feature for when in l need the dishes clean in an hour and can't wait 3+ hrs for a regular cycle.
FYI- With any dishwasher- make sure to use rinse aid- it makes a huge difference in how clean the dishes come out

asmileaday

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 11:33 pm

Thank you guys so much! Every bit of information is appreciated.
Currently I use tons of disposables. I'm kind of imagining that I'll start using more real dishes once I have the dishwasher...

amother

Khaki

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 11:44 pm

Bosch and Miele are European style dishwashers. They use very hot water and do not have a dry cycle. Opening the dishwasher at the end of the load (some Miele models do this automatically) causes most of the hot water to evaporate very quickly. Plastic does not dry as well using this method, but my plastic, metal, etc. is almost always perfectly dry right when I open the dishwasher. There is also no food disposer, you do need to scrape dishes.

I have (and love) a low-end Bosch. One very helpful feature of the Bosch which I don't know if other models have is a flood prevention mechanism. So when a pot of rice which was not scraped went into the dishwasher and clogged everything, nothing overflowed onto my floor. I was able to bail out the water, remove most of the rice, and rerun the load. Gross, but far better than a flooded kitchen.

In general most dishwashers perform adequately. For best results, scrape but do not rinse, and use very good quality detergent. For me, the Finish Quantum pods provide excellent results, but when I first got the dishwasher and used Seventh Generation powder, for example, I was very disappointed.

Most dishwashers nowadays try to save energy and water, and to that end need to run v..e..r..y SLLOOOOWWW loads. Like over 2 hours. On the positive side they tend to be very quiet, but the cycle length is definitely a downer on Motzei Shabbos when I need to run multiple loads.

Some of the newer Miele models offer a "quick and intense" load option, which basically emulates an old-fashioned dishwasher, using more water and energy (and probably producing more noise) to get the same level of clean in half the time.

American style dishwashers usually have food disposers and heated dry.

Some dishwashers have cool rack configurations, but I wouldn't choose a dishwasher based on that - you will figure out how to load your model most efficiently with time.

Also be aware that dishes that stack tend to load better into dishwashers. Deep small bowls are very annoying since they take up so much space. I am hoping to invest $100 in a new set of Corelle at some point because it loads so beautifully and washes perfectly!

Might add more later.

ETA: I do not use a rinse aid, although supposedly dishes dry better with it.

asmileaday

Wed, Jun 19 2019, 9:03 am

amother [ Khaki ] wrote:

Thank you that was very informative!

Is there any reason not to get a brand with a grinder? Or do most people end up scraping anyway so it's not useful?

Based on all posts here I will definitely look for a model with a quick cycle option.

Chayalle

Wed, Jun 19 2019, 9:16 am

I'm very happy with my Stainless whirlpool dishwasher. Got it 1 1/2 years ago when I moved. I use it every Shabbos, and sometimes during the week. My dishes come out sparkling clean.

I never bother with all the various settings, I just run a standard wash no matter what's in there. Don't know if this is what I'm supposed to do, but I just do. If I had to bother learning about everything, I'd probably never use it. It does a great job as is.

The only feature it has that I really care about and love, is it has these stand-up compartments for cutlery where each piece is separated from the others, rather than all of them grouped together and touching each other. It comes out so much cleaner this way, much better than previous dishwashers I've had.

I'm glad I didn't bother going high end. I'm happy enough with what I got, so why spend more. I don't care that it's not super quiet - doesn't bother me. Neither is my washing machine or dryer that quiet.

amother

Amethyst

Wed, Jun 19 2019, 9:27 am

simba wrote:

Meile is the best. Bosch is an all around better value.

amother

Amethyst

Wed, Jun 19 2019, 9:28 am

OP,

Would you base interested in a barely used dishwasher?

asmileaday

Wed, Jun 19 2019, 9:35 am

amother [ Amethyst ] wrote:

OP,

Would you base interested in a barely used dishwasher?

No, someone is paying for it as a gift so money isn't my first consideration.

simba

Wed, Jun 19 2019, 9:50 am

asmileaday wrote:

No, someone is paying for it as a gift so money isn't my first consideration.

Then go with Miele.. more expensive