Stuck on dishwashers

15 years ago

I've searched this forum for quite some time before posting. So hopefully my questions are a little bit unique.

I want to spend about $600-$800 on a mid-range dishwasher. We've had ours for 10 years and it's not cleaning any longer and has rust on the inside tub. I want a stainless steel tub, white on the outside.

At first I was completely gung ho on Bosch's - but then I realized that it might not be so easy to get service on the thing in my area, and I have heard that the parts are hard to obtain and can be costly to fix.

What really drew me to Bosch was their Aquastop feature. I have found some Kenmore Elite's with the same feature.

I don't really want to have to manually clean my filter, and am not sure I like the idea of going without a heated dry.

Questions:

1. Is Bosch manufacturing the Kenmore Elite line?

2. Is Kenmore Elite the only product that has leak protection? If not, which brands, models?

3. Do the higher end Whirpool's have leak protection? Which models?

Thanks in advance.

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Comments (6)

John
15 years ago
As far as question #1 goes, I found this handy dandy lil website that will give you some idea as to who is manufacturing those Kenmore appliances:

http://www.appliance411.com/purchase/sears.shtml
asolo
15 years ago
If you're focused on "aquastop", can't help you....no opinion.

Do have opinion about your filter concerns....non-issue. Infrequent attention needed and quick/easy/brainless when you feel like it. This is not a decision-maker.

Do have opinion about drying......No dishwasher does now or ever has dried everything all the time to everyone's satisfaction. Anything you buy WILL dry your load pretty well most of the time. Whether heated dry like most or condensation-dry like Bosch/Miele (which don't have vents either) they'll all do a pretty good job most of the time. If you want perfection in drying, you won't find it.

Pay for quiet. You'll be glad you did. They start getting very good that way at the upper end of your price range. I would suggest 52 decibels as an upper limit. They won't tell you. You'll have to ask.
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tyguy
15 years ago
I think you were spot on when being gung ho on a Bosch.

At your top end budget, especially if you are going white exterior, you can get yourself a very nice Bosch dishwasher.

I have to ask, where did you come to the realization that parts and service may be hard and or expensive to get? Bosch is a pretty popular brand in the US now, and many (probably all at your price point) are made in the US, so I highly doubt that parts would be hard to come by.

As for the filter, I scrape (not rinse) my dishes and I have never had to clean the filter on my Mieles or Bosch. I have occasionally taken the filter out and expect to have to clean it, but every time it is fine. There have been a couple of times I have cleaned them simply because the filter is sitting right in my hand so why not?
HoyHouse
Original Author
15 years ago
Hi everyone, and thanks for the responses.

To jrtmouse: Thanks for that link!

To asolo: I realized that my use of my current dishwasher is very basic. At first I thought it was because it is crappy - but honestly I doubt my habits will change much with a new one. I usually load, then wash, then open the doors for airdry. I NEVER use the heated dry. But that is also b/c the last time I used heated dry my plastics melted and one dish broke because it was too hot and I was trying to place it on the shelf with the others. Literally broke right in half!

I'm with you on the quiet. Last night we had the TV blaring b/c of the dishwasher. But they do tell you, at least in the big boxes - at Lowes they are lined up by decibel rating, at Sears they are quite upfront about it on the info sheet on each washer.

To tyguy: I have searched the web for terms like "leaks" and then the various brands, Kenmore, Whirlpool, Bosch, etc. I hardly ever find issues with leaks on the newer Bosch's. Crazy. Older ones, sure, but not the newer ones.

When I searched for "Bosch dealer" in my area, nothing turned up. I visited a few forums that had people talking about how the parts were hard to get, expensive, etc.

UGH, so confusing! What I want is something that probably doesn't exist. Something that is guaranteed to not ruin my floor, basically. And quiet. Everything else I can deal with!
aprince
15 years ago
"I want a stainless steel tub, white on the outside."

Unless Bosch has changed their product offering in the $600-$800 range, isn't the tub part stainless, part plastic?
weedmeister
15 years ago
If leaks are what you fear, I think you can get a separate device for leak detection. It would be similar to what is used for the laundry room. It could be as simple as an alarm or something that turns off the water.