Are we supposed to guess what a KDFE1004HWH is?

You may have meant the KitchenAid KDFE104HWH. Consumer Reports tested the KitchenAid KDFE104HPS but it also tested the KDPM354GPS which performed better for $50 more.

@monicakm_gw: " I'd get the advice from others over what CR says. They are so corrupt and (usually) the opposite of what REAL consumers report"

Yet another conspiracy theorist on Houzz.

We ditched a KA for a Miele in our remodel a year ago. The KA did a VERY poor cleaning job, No comparison to the Miele which really works.

Love our Miele, too, especially the top cutlery tray.

Check out Bosch. It also has a third tray for cutlery or small items -- we use the silverware basket for silverware and the third row for small stuff. The nice thing about using the third tray for small things is that they don't flip over!

Consumer Reports March 2020 has a dishwasher product update with ratings.

One of my aunts had three KAs, the first dating to 1974 (so that's average 15 years each). The last for 12 years (2007 to 2019). No repairs on it that I'm aware but the rinse aid dispenser was leaking and the racks deteriorating. She replaced it with a Bosch ... not because she didn't like KA, she just wanted to try a Bosch after hearing/reading much touting of them.

We replaced our KA (the second one we owned) with an ASKO. Love the ASKO. Would never buy a KA again, nor would my two children who bought their KA's within the past 5 to 7 years.

Because of the fit to the cabinet (1/8 inch too small cabinet spacing) we replaced a KitchenAid with a GE and are very pleased with it. Cleans well, is super quiet.

Love love love our Bosch.
https://www.bosch-home.com/us/productslist/dishwashers/18-ada/SPX68U55UC

Two thumbs up for our Bosch 800. Even my DH loves this machine, and that’s saying a lot!

We have a Miele, which is a miracle worker. It allows me to pack dishes super densely, and they still all get clean perfectly. The cutlery rack and all the adjustable features are very well designed and really make a difference. I have on occasion run it without detergent (my mistake), and it still cleaned perfectly.

It now is about 8 years old, and the only part that needed repairs was the gasket in the backflow preventer. After years of daily use, it finally wore out. A new valve cost me about $40 and I replaced it myself. It can be taken out without needing any tools.

We also have a Kitchenaid in the in-law kitchen. It's a couple of years younger than the Miele. It gets used very lightly. Interior organization is far inferior and it can't hold as many dishes. Even with this lighter packing density, it always has some dishes that need to be handwashed afterwards. In fact, I ran an experiment. If I run the Miele on it's 30min Express cycle, it still cleans better than the Kitchenaid on its multi-hour regular cycle.

Furthermore, about once a year, the plastic parts in that hold the top basket break, and the basket comes crashing down. The good news is that you only need a Philips screwdriver, 15min of patience, and a $20 part that Kitchenaid will happily sell you. Given that the dishwasher was almost half the cost of our Miele, I can't complain too much. But if it was our main dishwasher, I'd be really frustrated and would have replaced it long ago.

So, if this purchase is just for occasional light use and if money is tighter, then buy a Kitchenaid. It's not a great appliance. But with some handholding, it does a passable job most of the time. On the other hand, if you need your appliance to actually work. Get a Miele or maybe a Bosch.

If you have hard water, make sure you get a model with a built-in water softener. It'll make a huge difference in how happy you are with your appliance. Also, if it is in the budget, get a model that opens the door at the end of the cycle. That means all your dishes are dry, but you don't need a power hungry drying cycle that warps your plastic parts.