CU's Very First Dishwasher Issue - 1952

[Unimatic1140]

Here is the November 1952 issue of Consumer Reports, which was the first time they ever reported on dishwashers. Interesting who they rated number one, and as usual, I disagree with their top spot. Nonetheless, it’s fascinating to see their findings when automatic dishwashers were brand new. In fact, I’ve owned 5 of the 8 dishwashers they rated installed and used my kitchen over the years (for at least one or more years per machine), and while I found most performed satisfactorily, some were better than others.

On another interesting note, they also rated coffee makers in this same issue!

Link:
CU November 1952

 

[combo52]

Consumer reports first dishwasher report

Based on my experiences and talking with many people who owned these early dishwasher models, I would say they were spot on in their ratings, even though the KitchenAid was a much better built machine. It’s lack of a water heater and the overhead filling and purging that the hot point did to rinse a little bits off the top of things you can see how the hot point was a slightly better performer than the KitchenAid.

As usual, of course they didn’t try to do mixed loads. They just did plates and glasses and silverware. If you’d started putting pans and things in the KitchenAid probably would’ve done a little better.

The dishwasher is in the fair group that James GE and Sears Kenmore were inferior machines for performance, and after seeing the Youngstown operate that John Charles had it was just miserable.

We used to see a lot of people with the James the early Kenmore and the Youngstown just give up using the machines as soon as they broke, whereas the hot points and KitchenAid people continue to try to repair Into the 70s. The GE is also lasted a little longer in this timeframe but again they were pretty miserable. I never saw people but dirty dishes in those brands, they mostly just used them to sanitize and dry things.

John L

 

[Unimatic1140]

Consumer reports first dishwasher report

Based on my experiences and talking with many people who owned these early dishwasher models, I would say they were spot on in their ratings, even though the KitchenAid was a much better built machine. It’s lack of a water heater and the overhead filling and purging that the hot point did to rinse a little bits off the top of things you can see how the hot point was a slightly better performer than the KitchenAid.

As usual, of course they didn’t try to do mixed loads. They just did plates and glasses and silverware. If you’d started putting pans and things in the KitchenAid probably would’ve done a little better.

The dishwasher is in the fair group that James GE and Sears Kenmore were inferior machines for performance, and after seeing the Youngstown operate that John Charles had it was just miserable.

We used to see a lot of people with the James the early Kenmore and the Youngstown just give up using the machines as soon as they broke, whereas the hot points and KitchenAid people continue to try to repair Into the 70s. The GE is also lasted a little longer in this timeframe but again they were pretty miserable. I never saw people but dirty dishes in those brands, they mostly just used them to sanitize and dry things.

John L

That’s the key, John real life uses mixed loads. I had both the KD-12 KitchenAid and the 1953 Hotpoint installed in the kitchen at the same time for over two years and found the KitchenAid had fewer rejects (where something didn’t come clean). The KA was better with pots and pans. The Hotpoint, however, did a very good job and I was overall very happy with it, but in my opinion, the KA was better for daily use.

 

[combo52]

Hi Robert, I would agree of the two dishwashers. I’d much rather have the KitchenAid loading was easier too because the two racks were independent.

The kitchenaid also proved to be far more durable than the Hotpoint because it was based on a commercial machine. Also, your KD 12 worked a little better than the KD 10 as it had a warm-up purge that the 10 lacked.

John L

 

[tomturbomatic]

Wow, Robert! Thank you. This takes me back to reading these in bound volumes in the stacks. I noticed in the report on the Wolksvagen that the 1952 Dodge had a Gyromatic transmission. That has echoes of Gyrafoam washing action powered by the Gyrator. Gyroscopes were hot toys for boys in the 50s and early 60s.

The report on coffeemakers was cool. Friends had Coffeemasters. My first electric vacuum model was a 1948 Cory. They were never rated as highly as the Coffeemasters.

 

[gansky1]

This a great issue, lots to read. I wonder if reading the ratings in the early-days of dishwashers would have discouraged potential buyers from investing in these. Growing up, there were more than a few older dishwashers that were never used, I'm sure most would have gladly had the money spent on them back.

I love the mileage stats on the cars, did not expect the 30+ MPG.

 

[phillymatt53]

Here is the November 1952 issue of Consumer Reports, which was the first time they ever reported on dishwashers. Interesting who they rated number one, and as usual, I disagree with their top spot. Nonetheless, it’s fascinating to see their findings when automatic dishwashers were brand new. In fact, I’ve owned 5 of the 8 dishwashers they rated installed and used my kitchen over the years (for at least one or more years per machine), and while I found most performed satisfactorily, some were better than others.

On another interesting note, they also rated coffee makers in this same issue!

Link:
CU November 1952

I saved that just now for reading later, thanks.
I wasn't born yet, not until March 1953, so it'll entertain me to see what was going on while I was still in mom's womb.

 

[jamiel]

Hi Robert, I would agree of the two dishwashers. I’d much rather have the KitchenAid loading was easier too because the two racks were independent.

The kitchenaid also proved to be far more durable than the Hotpoint because it was based on a commercial machine. Also, your KD 12 worked a little better than the KD 10 as it had a warm-up purge that the 10 lacked.

John L

you still see a very few of this vintage KA out in the wild....particularly in our inner-ring suburban area

 

[dtodd]

Consumer reports first dishwasher report

Based on my experiences and talking with many people who owned these early dishwasher models, I would say they were spot on in their ratings, even though the KitchenAid was a much better built machine. It’s lack of a water heater and the overhead filling and purging that the hot point did to rinse a little bits off the top of things you can see how the hot point was a slightly better performer than the KitchenAid.

As usual, of course they didn’t try to do mixed loads. They just did plates and glasses and silverware. If you’d started putting pans and things in the KitchenAid probably would’ve done a little better.

The dishwasher is in the fair group that James GE and Sears Kenmore were inferior machines for performance, and after seeing the Youngstown operate that John Charles had it was just miserable.

We used to see a lot of people with the James the early Kenmore and the Youngstown just give up using the machines as soon as they broke, whereas the hot points and KitchenAid people continue to try to repair Into the 70s. The GE is also lasted a little longer in this timeframe but again they were pretty miserable. I never saw people but dirty dishes in those brands, they mostly just used them to sanitize and dry things.

John L

It seems like KitchenAid waited a long time to decide the upper rack really needed its own wash arm. As a kid we had a KD-15 series that was hard to load but later updated to KD-20 and it was much easier to load lots of stuff in both racks and things get clean without pre-rinsing.

 

[appnut]

My angst with 1-arm wonder KA DWs

 

[phillymatt53]

It seems like KitchenAid waited a long time to decide the upper rack really needed its own wash arm. As a kid we had a KD-15 series that was hard to load but later updated to KD-20 and it was much easier to load lots of stuff in both racks and things get clean without pre-rinsing.

Sometimes, I'll put pot lids on the top rack, and I can hear them ringing as the spray hits them

 

[Unimatic1140]

Okay here's another dishwashing treat the 1965 Consumer Reports Dishwasher issue. SCANDELOUS as you won't believe which machine in 1965 took the #1 SPOT!

CU Nov 1965

 

[combo52]

I remember this report well I would call it completely accurate, consumer reports did not rate on construction quality or on repair records so the Westinghouse whirlpool and KitchenAid dishwasher were about equal performance they all worked very well.

A family friend of ours bought the Westinghouse dishwasher based on the top rating and the fact that she liked the local Westinghouse dealer in Wooster, Ohio. The dishwasher only lasted four years before water to destroyed the motor, she called her local. Westinghouse dealer sold her another Westinghouse because she say $32 not having to buy another set of front panel and again in about four years with the dishwasher failed to get she bought a third. Westinghouse dishwasher.

She has three Westinghouse dishwashers in a little over 12 years with the same set of front panel all three, lol

Around 1980. I went out to visit them and I installed a new whirlpool dishwasher that dishwasher was still going strong with maybe one repair twila died at 100 years of age.

I feel it would be fairly easy for consumer reports engineers, to evaluate the construction and build quality of the things they test. It is obvious to me that the KitchenAid dishwashers were superior and construction quality, and would likely last longer than any other dishwasher built at that time, even the whirlpool dishwasher where you are now this trouble sent us to Westinghouse were not as reliable as a KitchenAid dishwasher at this time.

It’s just like today if you were evaluating front load washers it’s clear that the Speed Queen front loader is so much better built than anything else on the market because it’s a commercial machine and it’s not only likely to last longer but be easier to repair because it’s designed for easy repairs Because people often own many of them and they want to keep them running as long as possible.

John L