Our Miele is about 6-7 years old. It's is hooked up to the cold water only. Cleans well with powdered Cascade and Finish rinse aid. Use the China setting maybe 6 times a year. Wash crystal by hand.

I scrub all our larger pots with Bonami, or ones that have more burned food particles. Smaller pans, I give a quick scrub - and put in with the dishes.

3rd rack for utensils is great - they don't get scratched, and are always clean.

It doesn't do a good job on cake pans.

I would highly reccomend Miele DW!

Bummer about the DW. There was a rash of fires in GE/hot point DW at some point

My Miele is 4 years old and is hooked to hot water.
It cleans everything including cake pans.
It has the door that pops open to help dry the dishes. I am not at home but maybe a superba model

I use the Miele tabs.

Have fun shopping!

Double check your tennents d/w model with the CPSC website to see if there was a recall on that model. You may be entitled to a discounted d/w or maybe a free d/w.

Superba would be KitchenAid.

I think Miele once said cold water would increase the cycle by up to 15 minutes (or so). In any case, European dishwashers will heat until the water is hot - there's (almost) no time-out like on some US dishwashers.

How long does it take for your hot water to reach the dishwasher? The average Miele fill is probably a gallon, maybe less. It might well be that, unless you purge the line, your first fill will always be cold even when connected to hot water. In this case, just don't purge the line before running a C&C cycle. That being said, I have run several cycles with 120F water entering from the first drop and the temp inside the dishwasher fell within seconds. Try taking a shower with one gallon of water being recirculated - it'll be cold in no time.

Have a look at the YouTube channel mielegallerycaplans. Their videos explain and show the difference between models and features.

Alex

Here is a link that might be useful: mielegallerycaplans

There is no recall or anything. It was a Frigidaire. Honestly I don't think this was anything special; I've heard about fires happening in all the brands (except Miele LOL). I guess I should probably report it just for safety purposes. I really don't want another Frigidaire dishwasher, even if it's free or discounted.

I have a Miele Dimension which I had installed 2 1/2 years ago. It was a new model then, I don't know if there's an update. I really love it and it's so quiet that I have to open the door sometimes to make sure it's running. The controls are hidden however on the top of the door.

LOL on remembering the model of my DW. I know the names changed since I bought mine. The way I can tell it is running is a constant red light is on that is visible between the DW and counter. If is blinking,it needs attention.

I do remember it is a fully integrated version and similar to NJ.

I have a 10 y.o. Incognito hooked up to cold water. Then I had an Optima 4 y.a. -- same thing. It does a great job and in a decade 0 repairs/issues that couldn't be handled with tech support by phone.

No worries with cold water hook up. The temperature of the rinse cycles can be programmed on the phone if necessary.

Both of mine have china/crystal as I use those cycles. Always have. I have Riedel glasses and they come out sparkling. I've washed antique dishes in there, even gold-rim dishes (with half a tab).

I do pots and pans in the dw daily. I've switched out to Sitram and Demeyere as it washes flawlessly in the DW.

My thoughts are exactly like yours - I paid the money for it and there's no sense doing anything it can do. I don't. The only things that don't go in there are good knives, wooden utensils and the occasional pot or pan that isn't dw safe.

I have washed bakeware in there -- depends on the material. But mostly, it's fine.

I do like the hidden panel. Didn't think I would but it's great because I'm not constantly wiping that down. Remember, a panel on the front will get drippy with use.

I do like the silverware rack. I can get a ton on there. It's the old one mind. If I were to get a new machine I would get the 3D because it's handy when you need it. Do you need it all the time? Hard to say. I wash ladles and bit cooking spoons and forks on top of the glasses on the second shelf.

I get best results with full loads and Finish Powerballs. Also good with Method tabs -- use half for a regular load or china-crystal and a whole one for a very full load.

Good luck with your choice. There is an ease and reliability with this DW that makes it a pleasure to own. Why so many love them.

Thanks for your help everyone, especially rococogurl. I decided that I could not fathom spending $1500+ on a dishwasher and instead "cheaped out" (lol not really) and got the Classic one step up from the bottom of the line. I decided I didn't need the China/Crystal cycle. It surely is not as nice and quiet as the high end models, but it has the 3 main things I was looking for: quality, 3rd rack, and front controls.

The Mieles are all nice hv and will be quiet, too. Congrats!

I would love to have a miele as I have only heard wonderful things about them, but I'm 2 hours from a certified installer and repair technician and when I called him, said that Miele's can be touchy and I should not get one. That said, are they that temperamental or does he not want to travel 2 hours one way? Also, I have a great kitchenaid in my current home that has lasted at least 10 years with no problems, are Miele's that much better?

Hvtech,

I got the bottom of the line Miele Classic 4225 in November 2013 and it is still excellent after 9 months of operation. If you are coming from an older dishwasher, even the cheapest modern Miele will seem very quiet.

And the condensing dryer version works very well IMHO. I did ditch some of the kiddie plastic cups and went this thin wall polycarbonate and just regular glass. If you have Correlle dish ware, you will be amazed how much stuff fits in the main dish rack. My wife's only complaint is some of the plastic Tupperware stuff does not nest well.

If installing yourself, dig around for a post I had on how to do it. It's really not that bad, but I did hire in an electrician for 45 min to help install the outlet. It was worth it. From your posting name, I assume you are taking the install on.

You will not regret this investment.

Laundryvet

I have installed dishwashers before, but never a Miele. I moved the GE Profile this morning and that went smoothly. Does Miele have any quirks vs. other brands I should know about ahead of time? The GE was plugged into an outlet under the sink, not hardwired, so I'm assuming I can just wire up a plug to the Miele and reuse it.

I probably should RTFM :)

harringk: I like KitchenAid too, but they aren't what they used to be. I still think they are a good buy in the sub $1k range, but if you are spending above that Miele is just better.

That said, although they are reliable machines, if they do break they are expensive to repair compared to other brands, and more difficult to work on also. Miele does not do open parts distribution so you must order through them. If easy to get parts and tech info are important to you, Miele would probably not be the best buy. I value those things but this purchase is a trade off for me: quality is important also and nothing else I looked at compared to Miele.

Yes! In addition to needing an outlet, dont forget it needs a 23-5/8" opening, not 24". expect a sheet of wood/or 3/8" styrofoam with foil on one side of the cabinet will work. That will ensure dw is as quiet as possible.

Hvtech42,
Check the water connection coupling diameter. I needed an adapter on my La Perla II, the one supplied is a smaller diameter than the American standard. I believe they've corrected this on the newer versions. You'll also need to cut a larger opening to accommodate the size of the inlet hose's water leak protection system, I had cut cut about a 2" x 4" opening.
Miele come with the electric plug attached. They also need to be screwed into the sides of the opening and not to the countertop.