I would start the search by going to Consumer Reports, which is usually available in public libraries. Or you can subscribe online and access their ratings on their website if you plan to buy a lot of things and can justify the expense. After reviewing the CR recommendations, zero in on 2-3 brands that you think might work, then come back to this website and ask more specific questions. Maybe people can tell you about their own experiences information that's not included in CR. Then you can make an informed choice.

We paid close to $1000 for a top of the line Bosch about 2 years ago and are very pleased. but I understand your not wanting to spend that much, especially if the Bosch reputation is now compromised.

Good luck with your search.

I do suggest that you bring some of your dishes to the store once you've narrowed yourself down to some brands (Maytag, Whirlpool, KA, etc). The racks will be different and hold dishes differently. for example, I had lots of problems with my dishes on the Maytag and with bowls on the KA.

Also, much of the price differences in a line of products has to do with more cycles and rack layouts. The inner workings stay the same. Hence the bottom washer is the same as the top. Though you should inspect the spray arms and such.

We bought the top of the line Whirlpool. I hate that it dries the loads only occasionally. It replaced an older Whirlpool that did great. Guess they don't make them like they used to. Because of our experience with this new Whirlpool product, we won't waste our money on another item by them.

athomesewing - do you use the heated drying option on your DW and/or do you use rinse aid. There's no reason that your dishes shouldn't be dry if you use either or both of those options. The European DWs like Bosch and Miele that don't have a heated dry option need rinse aid.

Yes, we use the heated dry option and this is the first dishwasher we have ever had that MUST have rinse aide, and we do use it. I don't like that either, god only knows what chemicals we are ingesting from that stuff. Anyway, there are usually water drops on everything. I don't think the flatware has ever come out dry. We had the repairman out a couple of times until warranty finally expired. Now we just live with it, and hate it. By the way, the older Whirlpool was noisier but washed and dried the dishes and didn't require the rinse aid to actually dry the dishes.

I am not sure how Bosch has a bad reputation. Most of the complaints I hear are mostly user error. The European machine are different (Bosch, Miele, Asko), no heated dry. So most users think there is something wrong with the machine when plastics are still wet. I just bought a upper model of the Bosch about seven months ago, and love it. I paid ~$900 and actually got a pretty good deal as MSRP was $1100 or so. I would look at the lower end Bosches for two main reasons, all seem to clean dishes very well, and most are very quiet. The Whirlpool and Maytags seem nice too.

Most newer american machines in order to get the energy star rating have the heating element turned off on default washes. You have to turn the heated dry on each time you select a cycle. Some cycles will not let you turn on the heated dry, glass/china cycles for example, in order to prevent damage to washed items.

I would look at Bosch too. I have had Whirlpool and Kitchenaid most recently with GE and others in the family. I was happy with a KA I had years ago, but it started getting louder. The main reason I went looking further here is that they changed the racking features and I couldn't get what I wanted then. I got Bosch and have 2 of them. I bought next to the top of the line and they were about $900. For $600-700, you should be able to buy one or two models below. Fewer cycles is rarely an issue, the quiet factor won't be too much different, but you may give up the adjustable racks. They clean well and are quiet -- very important with our open family room.

Thank you all for help and advice! Maybe I'll take a look at Bosch again. I currently don't use the heated drying option so I don't think I'll miss that. By the time I get around to emptying the d/w, the dishes are pretty much dry anyway! HD has an LG on sale this weekend so maybe I'll look at that too since that is what our refrigerator is and we've been happy with that. Any thoughts on the LGs?

I too looked at LG dishwashers, they seem to offer a lot of stuff for a decent price. And their rack design seems very innovative on the upper models. My main concern was getting service/parts, as I have had not so good luck with LG products. I have had 2 LG dehumidifiers and a LG Plasma TV not make it two years with out major problems. Other people have had multiple LG products and no issues, so if you have had good luck with them, I would take a look.

I've been in luxury appliance sales for 10 years and if it were me, I'd spend my money on the Bosch. You could probably get a really good deal from a local independent dealer on a basic model. I do like a cheap Maytag as well... It would have better capacity and possibly a faster standard wash cycle. If you can wait and save your pennies, definitely consider a basic model Miele. Miele just changed over their model line up within the last few months and you may be able to get sweet deal on a display closeout. Hope this helps!

We bought from a local retailer (called Percy's) in Worcester MA recently- a KitchenAid that we're happy with. Paid 899$ installed. Here's the best thing though- they were running a '500$' in free grocery giveaway. It seems to be a real deal- its a grocery loyalty program (you can check it out at www.claimyourgroceries.com). Basically you choose 1 grocery store (we picked Trader Joe's), and each month you mail in at least 100$ in receipts. Then you 'earn' 25$ back each month..do this for up to 20 months= 500$. Not bad!

So just a thought in case you can find anyone in your area having that promotion- or call the website people and ask, that would go a long way to making your dishwasher a more reasonable price!

:)