Kitchen

[Bernie]

We are remodeling our kitchen and are looking for suggestions. Need one with a disposal built in. Thank you!

[shoekitty]

I am keeping this thread up there, as I am needing one too.  You might check consumer reports.  The new dishwashers are not like the old ones we have had.  They break at the drop of a hat.  My daughters and several friends have bought one of the top of the line washers by Fisher and Paykel.  All of them have them fixed at least every 18 months.  Expensive repair too.

I have heard good things about some LG, and good ol kitchen aid.  Mine is 30 years old and the racks are getting bad.  Shoot, it is 350 bucks to replace racks!! I pais 250 or 300 for the washer 30 yrs ago

Good luck and I will check this thread for recomendations!!

[Lilysmom]

Bernie, I love my Bosch.  So quiet you have to check that it is on.  Stainless steel interior, covered heating element, tall tub.  Ten years old and going strong.  Energy star rated.  

Good ode luck with the Reno!  LM

[Twoaces]

I love my Bosch, too.  I've had it for about 2 years, so it has a new feature: a 3rd drawer that is near the top and is fantastic for things that aren't high, like spatulas, serving  utensils, sponges, small saucers, etc.  However, the Bosch does NOT have a disposal, so it doesn't meet the needs of the original poster.

[PamelaSue72]

We just got our Bosch at the beginning of July. It's a good dishwasher. Very quiet. There's a little red light that appears on the floor when you turn it on.

I love the third drawer at the top for the silverware. So far (and I have really put this thing through its paces) there has not been a thing that hasn't come out clean. The dishes are dry, too, although some of our plastic items have to be dried a bit with a dish towel. It's good. It's quiet. Stainless steel exterior and interior. 

It does not have a food grinder. Thus far, I have not found that to be a problem.

ETA: Although the Kitchen Aid was highly rated by Consumer Reports, too many people reviewed it poorly for me to buy one. And when I was in Home Depot a couple months ago looking at dishwashers, a woman walked over to me and asked me if I was considering the Kitchen Aid....that's one that I was looking at in the store. When I said, "Yes", she started telling me about all her problems with her new Kitchen Aid dishwasher. From wheels falling off on the racks, to problems with the door, to problems with control panel, she was very adamant about not buying one. This was a perfect stranger to me, but she was very upset about her KA, and so, for what it's worth, I took her comments to heart, particularly after reading the bad reviews about the same kind of problems on Consumer Reports. 

[Fressa]

I just replaced mine last year with a KitchenAid stainless steel tub model..I'm a big consumer reports fan and did quite a bit of checking there as well as on line reviews. I alos ot a lot of useful suggestions from the kitchen forum users. Remember to keep the features that you want/need at the top of your list. Most brands have merged and the insides are made by the same few manufactueres.

Check the inside racks to see the lay out, space between the tines (important if you have ceramic dishes) and material used for the tines. Check for any adjustable optons that you might require and if your pots and pans will really fit inside with your dishes.

Remember that the new appliances are only made to last apprx 6-8 years or so.

These were the most useful tips that I received and really saved me time and $$.  

[Tigriss]

Bosch.  It is quiet, has a quick hour cycle, and works very well everytime without a high price tag!  We got ours at Lowe's.  It was super easy to install if you plan to do it yourself.

[ID2]

I've had a newer KitchenAid dishwasher in my house that I just sold. I liked it so much I got one in my new cottage we just built. When I began dishwasher shopping I specifically knew I had to have the feature of getting one with a heating element. I HAVE to have my dishes dried with heat not the European way which is with steam. I surely don't want to spend all this money and still have to towel dry my washed items! I am very happy with my top of the line KitchenAid! Happy shopping!

[novamc1]

After many years of happy experiences with KitchenAid dishwashers (even though they seemed to need replacement every five or six years), I bought a Bosch about two years ago.  Worst appliance I have ever owned.  Hoping for it to break so i can get something else.  Here's what I have found after owning the Bosch:

Very quiet machine. 

Gets dishes clean, except doesn't seem to always rinse glassware well that is loaded too close to the ends of the rack. 

Third rack for silverware or long cooking utensils is totally useless to me, although my sister and brother-in-law love theirs---I don't think the utensils get washed or rinsed enough up that high with two levels of dishes and bowls loaded below.  I removed the third rack soon after purchasing.

The plate racks are not tall enough and not spaced widely enough  to accommodate my dishes and bowls very well, so  I can't load as much and have to run the machine far more often.  This is a big deal, and for me, the biggest deal-breaker of this machine.

Totally agree that the "steam dry" method is crummy.  I want dry dishes when the cycle is finished.......now I have to leave some items to air dry on the counter or on paper towels on the kitchen table.

Does  not automatically  grind up food debris and dispose of it, so a regular cleaning of the filter is necessary, and it requires a learning curve to even  know that it consists of two separate pieces that need to be separated before cleaning........and some of the crud I have found there is disgusting.....not big stuff, just scum.

The Bosch maintains a reservoir of standing water in a well at the bottom at all  times, and I'm told this is a feature, not a bug in the design.  I believe this pool of water is responsible for the weird smell that sometimes hits my nose when I open the machine.  I often run it empty with some vinegar in a bowl of water to freshen the smell.

All in all, I hate the Bosch, no matter how highly it was reviewed when I bought it.  Give me back a KitchenAid any day.  Good luck with your own purchase!