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View Full Version : Help Me Choose a Dishwasher!



Indianamom2
11-17-2010, 02:03 PM
I'm in the market for a new dishwasher. Mine is a base-line 6+ year old (whirlpool) Estate and it neither cleans nor dries anything anymore.

So I've been looking. I really don't want or need a top-of-the-line model, but I don't want bare-bones anymore either, as that isn't worth the money, IMO.

I need a stainless exterior. In my dreamworld, I'd also like a stainless interior, but I'm wondering if that's really a necessity. I would prefer a large silverware basket, especially if it can be configured several ways. Nylon racks are a must. I love the look of a fully integrated door, but I'm not set on it.

I found a Fridgidaire Gallery series stainless fully integrated door dishwasher for $350 (normally $550) at Lowes. The only thing it doesn't have is a stainless tub. But I don't know much about Fridgidaire. Here's the link to the one I'm considering:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_42959-2251-FGHD2433KF_4294863671_4294937087_?productId=308004 3&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity _sold|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Special%2BValues%2Bfor%2BApplianc es_4294863671_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis _ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_quantity_sold%7C1&facetInfo=Special%20Values%20for%20Appliances

Reading the reviews (a few of them) people either love it or hate it. No help there!

Anyone have recommendations or things to consider? I really don't want to pay much more than $500...but is that possible?

smiles33
11-17-2010, 02:34 PM
I LOVE our Bosch. It came with the house and is super quiet and cleans well. Ours has a stainless interior, which I think is really nice (it doesn't stain, looks nice, and helps the inside get really hot). Maybe you can check out Consumer Reports and find out reliability ratings? We've lived in our house 5 years now and it's still good as new. If it's original to the house, then it's 13 years old!

P.S. I think it's a low-end Bosch. The controls are on the front (not the top edge) and it only has a few options (which I never use).

indigo99
11-17-2010, 03:19 PM
We bought a kitchenaid this year. I don't even remember all of our considerations now, but I'm happy with it. It doesn't clean quite as well as our old one did (which was ten years old), but I don't think they can and still meet all of the newer government guidelines. It's large and quiet, stainless interior, scrub jets in the back for cleaning casseroles, and the silverware drawer goes along the side on the bottom (not on the door which I hate).

The bosch had features that I really liked, but they all seemed smaller inside and cost more.

indigo99
11-17-2010, 03:23 PM
Oh. I also remember that some of them had slanted top racks so you could put larger items in the bottom. I didn't want that because we use a lot of tall glasses that go on top. Our top rack does adjust up if we need more room on bottom once in a while though.

Be sure that the stainless doesn't show fingerprints. Some of it does, and that would drive me nuts.

zag95
11-17-2010, 04:59 PM
We bought a kitchenaid this year. I don't even remember all of our considerations now, but I'm happy with it. It doesn't clean quite as well as our old one did (which was ten years old), but I don't think they can and still meet all of the newer government guidelines. It's large and quiet, stainless interior, scrub jets in the back for cleaning casseroles, and the silverware drawer goes along the side on the bottom (not on the door which I hate).

The bosch had features that I really liked, but they all seemed smaller inside and cost more.
:yeahthat: Went with a middle of the road Kitchen Aid from Sears. Ours has a stainless interior, white exterior.... pretty quiet.

Cuckoomamma
11-17-2010, 05:36 PM
I use our dishwasher 4 times a day, so I can tell you what I do/don't like and my list of what I'm looking for when the one we have kicks the bucket:)

We have a plastic interior, and I would definitely do a stainless steel interior next time. I'm very concerned about chemicals/bpa all that good/bad stuff and just don't think it's a great idea to expose our eating surfaces to plastic that's heated to high temps. Also, our dishwasher was recently recalled because the plastic part near the heat element was catching on fire. All the models with the stainless steel interior weren't recalled (obviously!).

We have a tall tub feature where the bottom rack is lower than usual so I can put my stock pots in with no problem. Love that.

Love our stainless exterior.

Wish that our utensils were configured differently. We have a basket, but I have to be careful that the spoons and forks don't nest with each other and avoid being cleaned.

Half our upper rack is lower than the other half. Wish it was all the same level so that I didn't have to pay attention to which side taller things were on.

I think that's about it. I don't really care about the noise. I'd rather a dishwasher that cleans better than one that's more quiet, but those are my priorities.

Enjoy whichever one you choose!

MommyAllison
11-18-2010, 01:08 AM
I love my KitchenAid too. We bought it in Feb 2009 and have had no issues so far. Stainless interior, very quiet, cleans very well. No bells and whistles really, but I wasn't looking for that. We hand wash our pots, pans, and sharp knives, so the dishwasher is really just for regular dishes and silverware. We decided against Bosch (our initial pick) because having a grinder was important to me - I don't like having to scrub dishes clean before loading them in the dishwasher.

My parents have had their KitchenAid for a long time, probably almost 15 years, and they still love it. That influenced our decision too.

sunshine873
11-18-2010, 01:37 AM
Mine's a Kenmore and it does a great job. I would really lobby for a stainless interior though. Mine is stainless & I love it. My previous plastic tub (& friends' with plastic tubs) seem to take on stains & funky smells over time. Yuk. I think a stainless interior is worth the extra cost and will lengthen the life of the washer.

katydid1971
11-18-2010, 02:03 AM
I LOVE our Bosch. It came with the house and is super quiet and cleans well. Ours has a stainless interior, which I think is really nice (it doesn't stain, looks nice, and helps the inside get really hot). Maybe you can check out Consumer Reports and find out reliability ratings? We've lived in our house 5 years now and it's still good as new. If it's original to the house, then it's 13 years old!

P.S. I think it's a low-end Bosch. The controls are on the front (not the top edge) and it only has a few options (which I never use).

:yeahthat:

srhs
11-18-2010, 02:29 AM
That seems like a really good price. Did you consider checking Consumer Reports? I think they have a pretty good track record with appliances, right?

sunchip
11-22-2010, 08:15 PM
Have you looked into Samsung? It's a great deal for black friday and rave reviews. We're in the market and bought the WF419AAW model. See this thread over at SL. We were able to price match at Lowes for free delivery and installation.
http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?sduid=0&t=2402743

Hope that helps. :)