X-Post from Appliances: Seeking DW advice - Bosch vs KA vs Miele

9 years ago

I posted on Appliances too, but would like to capture insight from the pros here.

I'm replacing my 8 year old Jenn-Air DW that I've been rather dissatisfied with for a few years. I'd like something stainless that cleans and dries well, has hidden controls (door top), and includes a basket. (The way I empty the DW, I carry the basket of flatware and gadgets to their respective drawers, which are near their point of use rather than next to the DW.) Reading reviews of my top choices has made me nuts, as of course there are stellar reviews and stinkers for every model. I'd love input from anyone who uses one of the following.

I went to Pirch thinking I'd for sure want a Miele as they seem to be thought of highly here. Looked at the Miele Crystal (G 6165 SCVi) and I'm underwhelmed (don't like the dark stainless, just OK with the handle, no basket, narrower than my existing cabinet.)

The Bosch 7 Series (SHX7PT55UC) has a nicer look than the Miele and has many nice features that I would like. I'm concerned that it is narrower than my existing cabinet -- I am NOT going to change out my custom cabinets.

I was surprised by also liking the KitchenAid 254 Series (KDTE254ESS.) (Surprised because I had a crappy experience with a KA DW prior to the Jenn-Air but that was several years ago.) The KA has the features I want, a handle that would look good with my refrigerator, warming drawer, and oven, and is the same width as my current DW. The Pirch rep said that KA is now ranked the highest for dishwashers; that surprised me (but that's just one guy saying that.)

If I have Pirch do the installation, the typical 1 year warranty is extended to 3 years for any of these, which gives me some peace of mind. I will likely sell this house in 3-4 years.

Any advice from the experts here?

TIA!

Featured Answer

bpath

9 years ago

I really like my Bosch 500, cleans great and I find the plastics dry better than in my old Kenmores. I run it in the evening and empty it in the morning, so they have all night in the residual heat to dry.

My parents have had their KitchenAid for 48 years now. I don't think they make 'em like they used to.

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Comments (12)

Katrina Tate
9 years ago
No expert but our first dishwasher is Bosch 800 Series SHP68T55UC. It's not installed yet.
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chicagoans
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you Katrina. The Bosch 800 seems to be a popular one here and it's less than the Bosch I'm considering, so I think I should take another look at it!
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akl_vdb
9 years ago
I have a KA that is 3 years old and I am happy with it. It's quiet, cleans well and looks nice.
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sas95
9 years ago
Our new KA died after 2-1/2 years. Never again.
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Buehl
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Our KA never worked well from Day 1. [KUDS03STSS - KitchenAid Architect Series II]

I had to wash everything on "Heavy Duty" to have a hope that most things would come out clean. I don't know if we ever had a load of completely clean dishes! That said, it was from 2008. They may have improved since then, but I have no desire to try again!

When that DW finally died my DH told me to pick the next one as he had picked the KA that we both hated! He told me to "check with the Forum"! :-)

We replaced it with a Bosch 800-series. It is so much better! It has the third rack, if you like that for silverware (I don't - we also store our silverware at it's point of use, not next to the DW), but it also has two baskets (that attach to each other or that can be separate.) I use the third rack for shallow items that often get turned over and filled with water when they're on the other racks - e.g., measuring cups.

My DH was dubious about the lack of a drying element, but if you leave it closed for awhile, everything except the plastics dries quickly. I've never had a DW that did a good job of drying plastics, so it's no different. As an added bonus, I don't have to worry about "top rack only" dishes - they can go anywhere!
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sherri1058
9 years ago
Miele.

Love, love love my Miele. The 3rd rack is great - no need for a basket. Clean dishes every time, which is what I want. You don't have to change out your cabinets, a lot of people put their Mieles in a 24" cabinet. Take a look at previous threads on the 3rd shelf.
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Kim Ladin
9 years ago
I had a KA dishwasher (one of the higher-end ones) in my last house. I think we bought it about 7 years ago. It worked GREAT, and it was really easy to load. It wasn't silent, but it was pretty quiet. Lately I've read some reviews suggesting maybe the quality has gone down a bit. But if you like it, why not give it a try, and maybe buy the extended warranty?
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chicagoans
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you everyone! I went back to Pirch today and bought the Bosch 800 series, with the controls on the top of the door. I had ignored it last time because their floor model has the controls in front, but you can pick your door style. After reading comments here and on the appliance forum about people liking their 800 series I took another look at it. I used Pirch's price matching and got it for $807; the Benchmark series I had been considering was $1299. So... you saved me almost $500! Thank you! I'll try to remember to come back and post after I've had it a few months to let you know what I think.
Dawn Y
9 years ago
Had KitchenAide appliances for past 20 years--yep same ones. Just replaced all due to loud fridge. Went with all KA stainless. Hope they last just as long.
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Steiger S
9 years ago
We just got a new kitchen aid dishwasher. It's only been in for 2 weeks, but it's the quietest one I have ever had and everything is coming out super clean.
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cpartist
9 years ago
KA is now owned by Whirlpool. Quality wasn't so great 6 years ago when we bought ours and it was their top of the line one. Won't repeat that mistake again. I'm going with Miele this time.
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