Actually, Mark's Maytag, while basically new, wouldn't be technically considered an HE dishwasher, because it's of the Voyager build, just with improvements to cycle management that help it use less water and energy than the older Voyagers do, as it was built alongside the new Whirlpool Tahoe/Resource Efficient/"whatever their codename is for it" design. I'm not even sure the new Maytag design could be considered HE, because while it is built on the Tahoe platform, the removable filter is instead an accumulator filter in the same sump area, and the motor is a smaller version of what is in the Voyager, but more powerful than the PM motor in the removable filter version, and there is no diverter valve, so the fill level is about the same as the Voyager, maybe slightly lower.
Mark - Your steam cycle is probably a bit more effective than in my Maytag, since yours is the high end stainless steel model, and the element is set into the sump. In mine, the tub is plastic so the element is raised so my steam option always filled up to that point and would sit, heating the water, and would pulse the motor every now and then. It would then dump all that water and go into the final rinse. It was basically a longer version of normal Sani Rinses.
The new Whirlpool now has the element mounted down against the bottom, so I think it helps a ton with heating water more efficiently, but the water level is also barely outside the border of the sump, so I'm sure that was the main reason for doing that in this case.
Frigilux - These are always my go-to choices for being flabbergasted, haha
