Input on Miele Dishwashers

[xraytech]

Well guys, in my mind I'm highly considering a kitchen remodel. I'm not sure which way I'll go as I have 2 options. First is the less expensive choice, is buying cabinets from
A friend who is remodeling as the cabinet is same style as my wood ones are and replacing mywl worn metal cabinets, and adding a built-in dishwasher which would be a vintage KitchenAid.

My second option would be to go for a complete brand new custom made kitchen with cabinet to place my microwave below counter level, and a built in dishwasher. If I go this route I'm thinking I should go for a new dishwasher and I'm thinking Miele since I'm quite thrifty but believe in buying the best.

I'd be considering 2 models one being the G 5605 SCi Futura Dimension Series Dishwasher, the other being the G 5915 SCi Diamond Series Dishwasher since they both have front controls and come in white.

What are your opinions on these models, does anyone have a Miele that can share their thoughts.
Also does anyone know what the price point on a Miele dishwasher would be?

 

[frigilux]

Calling Malcolm; come in, Malcolm...

 

[nmassman44]

As many know, I have a Miele LaPerla dishwasher. Absolutely love that dishwasher. I have had it since 2008 and had one repair to it and Miele took care of it last year. They stand behind what they build. The dishwasher needed a new wash pump and they "goodwilled" the parts. I had to pay for the labor which was a flat fee. I would definittely buy another Miele dishwasher in a heartbeat if I had to.
This dishwasher at the time was the top of the line machine. It has the glass control panel and scrolling feature of Navitronics. It does everything but load the dishes and unload. The dishwasher is very quiet in operation. It also alternates wash arms. It will run the middle arm first then the top and bottom together. If you choose a machine that has a built in water softener, which I do recommend since it helps with the new phosphate free detergents and makes it easier for them to work properly. The dishwasher will let me know what it needs and will nag me until I give her what she needs to do the job correctly like rinse aid, and salt. It also monitors water temps coming into the dishwasher, water hardness and adjusts the softener accordingly, water levels for optimum performance, and using the Sensor Cycle can add or delete a rinse or extend the wash cycle. It also gives me the option for a soak cycle with Pots and Pans, Intensive/Heavy. Pots and Pans cycle is the most powerful and with the VarioPressure pump, it will clean the chrome off a truck hitch and it will heat the water to 172F. The water heater is in the wash pump and it surrounds the wash pump impeller. Water temp rise is very quick since the heater is about 1000 watts or so.
Drying is very good with this machine as well. It uses a fan to blow over the duct on the side that pulls the moist air in at the top and condenses the moisture out of the air and returns it back to the tank. Rinse aid is needed for drying to work properly. The only thing that it has issues with drying is plastics. If I leave a load sit overnight and unload in the morning, the plastics will be dry. But I often unload when the dishwasher is done and I dont mind wiping.
Depending on the model you choose, I think you will be happy with the quality of the machine. If you get a model with the silverware tray third level , it does take a week to get used to but after that it will make sense. I group spoons, forks, knives together. It does take some time to do that but unloading is very quick since they are all organized and ready for the drawer when clean.
Loading the racks, depending on the model, these hold a ton of dishes. The only thing I would advise you is that if your plates are chunky or odd shaped , you might have issues with loading. The spacing is tighter on the racks and you will notice that right off. American machines have wider spaces between tines. Plus the racks will look smaller, but dont let that fool you into thinking it wont hold much. Once you go Miele, you dont go back.

 

[logixx]

Reviewed.com quite liked one if the new Miele dishwashers:

Luxury Appliances Reviews, Features, and Deals - Reviewed

High-end and luxury appliance reviews from the top brands. Including ranges, wall ovens, dishwashers, and cooktops. Design ideas and inspiration for your kitchen and home.

luxuryhome.reviewed.com

 

[rp2813]

Sam --

My Miele is about ten years old.  I it came from the ReStore and produces the most sparkling clean dishes and glassware of any dishwasher I've ever owned.

 

Yes, it takes a lot longer than an old school dishwasher, but it's infinitely quieter during operation and that was an additional selling point for me.

 

Be prepared for sticker shock.  It may make you think twice about buying brand new.

 

[aamassther]

I have the LPerla II, I concur with all stated above. Best cleaning dishwasher I've ever used. The II added the auto open feature for the door after the cycle is complete. It really helps with drying. I can unload quite soon after the cycle completes and everything is dry. The Diamond has this feature and I believe the Dimension does now also. The North American TOL Miele no longer offer auto water softener adjustment, beginning with the two, though it's very easy to adjust.
I've noticed that the new 6000 series are available in Canada, so likely appearing in the US soon. If you wait you may be able to get a floor sample of the 5000 series for much cheaper. I was able to save about 900$ as I purchased mine when the Diamond was just introduced.

 

[labboy]

Miele in White...

I just went through the issue of what colors are available from Miele. Although it appears that white is an option from the pictures on their website, in reality it is not the case. They have very few models available prefinished in white.

I also really wanted the two models you listed but also had to have white. Those models require a custom front panel. A call to Miele, a visit to two local dealers and two emails to Miele confirmed that they do not offer a white custom panel. They said I would need to find a cabinet maker to have a white one fitted.

There are only two models they have that come in white. One is Crystal G5225 in White. I really wanted a third rack and a water softener and have it in white and could not find it with Miele. (I really tried.)

I ended up going with a Bosch as they had a model which came in white with a third rack and a water softener (Model SHE7PT52UC). I have been very happy so far.

I would have chosen a Miele but decided not to because of limited color selection and not having the model in white with a third rack and the water softerner. I figured if I was going to spend that much I would get exactly what I wanted.

Bob

 

[logixx]

"I've noticed that the new 6000 series are available in Canada, so likely appearing in the US soon."

According to reviewed.com, they're supposed to go on sale on May 4th.

 

[mrb627]

Miele Excella

I have a Miele Excella that has been the quietest DW I have owned.
Although, I'm not sure I would spend in excess of $2200 for it again.
I probably would, but not without looking at everything else first. When I bought this, I was coming out of a bad Bosch experience and only a Miele would satisfy me at the time. It does on occasion fail to clean casserole dishes, but no DW I have owned performed perfectly every time.

Malcolm

 

[behzad]

this is just my idea

Hey,
If I were you, I would buy a Miele Classic dishwasher, but if you can find one inside your state. It's quiet, easy to use, clean design for casual life, I really like it cause you pay for what you really need.

It' German-made
Introduced with front-control panel in both black and white finish,
It's not magical DW, cause you must clean the filters manually, not everyday just a couple of time in month. By the way it has great quality, high end one . you'll be surprising how quiet the Miele DW is.

Hope you find the right one
BJ

 

[countryguy]

I have always wanted a Miele dishwasher so when they were on sale last April, I bought one on the spur of the moment at a savings of $400. See the link for the thread. I couldn't be happier with it. It is more towards the BOL model but it does have the cutlery tray and 5 cycles which is adequate for my use. It does not have the water softener but my water is soft so that is not an issue. I've noticed that if I run the dishwasher overnight that not everything is dry the next morning. If I open the door slightly as soon as the cycle finishes then all non plastics will dry completely but some plastic will still be wet after the dishes have cooled down.

Gary

Miele Dishwasher

Yesterday when I brought up this site and before I logged on I saw the advertising banner for Miele dishwashers indicating that a sale was currently going on. I've always wanted a Miele but they were way more than I could justify for a dishwasher. I checked out the Miele site and found that...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[jerrod6]

I have the LaPerla like nmassman44 has. I bought it in 2006 and its had one repair early in it's life. It was a part named the water path that almost never goes bad. The labor and part was covered under warranty. Before this I had a G885 for 10 years - no repairs at all. I replaced it only because I was installing a new kitchen.

I agree with the information from Reviewed.com in that the DW cleans what ever you throw at it. Sometimes it seems like some of the extra cycles are not necessary, but what I did was to monitor how each cycle worked. From this I found that I can get a very good clean for normal to moderately dirty dishes from a cycle using a wash and two rinses and lasting 1 hour 32 minutes. It doesn't work for all but it works for many of mine. I also found that the sensor cycle will varying the main wash temperature and time. On my unit the main wash can last from 18 minutes to 1 hour 12 minutes depending on the soil. The machine will also vary the time of the prewash if the the dishes are not dirty and will also skip the water change between the pre wash and main wash in addition to adding additional rinses if needed.

I noted that the review in review.com mentioned that the DW used more water and electric than others. In my opinion THIS IS NOT A BAD THING considering how todays DW operate like lawn sprinklers. - This machine acts as close as the old style DW as you can get using little water, but having a strong pump., and it is not afraid to heat the water either.

Best thing to do is not automatically dismiss the higher cost models if they have more cycles, because like I said there are advantages to them but it takes a bit to understand how they are different from the Normal cycles, and once you know you can make the machine work for you. As far as I know there are no cycles lasting 3 or 4 hours....at least not on mine. Now...the machine can be connected to cold water and in my case my incoming hot water temperature is about 90F in the winter, so during this time the cycle times increase because the DW is heating the water to the correct temp and without any type of heater timeout stuff going on.

If I have to get another DW it will be a Miele.

 

[xraytech]

Thank you all for the input on the dishwashers, after looking at the G 4225 SC Futura Classic I see that its a model that has what I need, my biggest thing is that it comes in white and has a Rinse and Hold Cycle. I'm not sure about the cutlery tray but it seems like something I would grow to like

 

[henene4]

Miele was really ahead on a lot of things.
They had the pattent on the third rack until early this decade.
They had a pattent on the AutoOpen feature until not long ago.
They have one of the most advanced Sensor-cycles on the market. They have a efficent, yet powerfull drying system that is AFAIK the only sensor based drying system on the market.
And in the end: They are Miele for a reason. They are not perfect, but simply better.

The lower end model is what in my opinion has everything one needs: AutoOpen, a variable speed pump, nice flexible racking (including the loved&#92hated multi zone in the lower basket and the upper basket that you actually can slant), the sensor drying and a water softner.
If you really plan on getting everything optimized to the best you can in terms of cycle efficency, user friendlyness and performance, the better one is more "elegant" about it. Every option Miele puts onto anything is there for a reason. If you are not looking into knowing everything, the lower will do just fine. If you want to use everything a DW today can usefully offer, go TOL.

 

[michael]

Miele dishwasher

My personal experience with my Miele dishwasher is disappointing.When I had a kitchen refurb 3 years ago, I replaced my Miele washing machine with a new one (5964) which is a fantastic machine-cannot fault it in any way.
I replaced my Bosch dishwasher with a Miele G5500, which is middle of the range. I find the cutlery draw a pain, takes ages to load and restricts what you can put in the upper basket.
Unless you rinse everything thoroughly, it doesn't really clean very well and takes so looooong to do a wash! I use fairy platinum tablets and salt and rinse aid but I think both my previous bosch machines did a much better job in half the time....just my opinion!

 

[henene4]

Try not washing beforehand and use the sensor cycle. If you still get bad results, look up the "adapt sensor wash" option. If still, try changing to a single detergent, not a combi product.

 

[combo52]

Miele DWs

Hi Sam, I would probably skip a Miele DW, They are well made and quiet and can work very well if everything is in proper working order, but every customer we have with one has had at least one EXPENSIVE problem if they have had them for more than a 1/2 dozen years or so. And unless you are going to repair it yourself be prepared to spend $500-$1000 on any serious repair. Even here in the Nations Capital there does not seem to be a good service provider for Miele appliances other than the factory service. One of my customers the other week was complaining about having to wait over three weeks with a completely broken machine with a family of 5 for the first service appointment. She was also told if they could not fix it on the first trip she would be charged another $149 for the 2nd trip plus any parts and labor.

 

Since I was at this customers fixing her WP dryer and she wanted me to check out the MDW I agreed, we could only get it to fill and drain, it appeared to have a problem with the main motor and pump. And indeed when Miele showed up a few weeks later they told her it needed a new P&M, installed estimate $800 + the $149 SC. We installed a new KA DW for about $900 three days later.

 

I have been unable to find any hard proof of the reliability of Miele DWs and certainly all brands of DWs do require repairs if you keep them any length of time, but my best guess is they are not as reliable as the better us brands, GE, KA, WP and WP built KMs and even if they were as good as these other brands it still would not be worth the hassle for most DW owners.

 

I do agree with Ralph, if you want to try a Miele get one at a resale place like Habit For Humanity, I lot of well off folks get rid of high end appliances and wright them off and as a result you often see Miele, Subzero, Thermador etc donated and for sale cheap.

 

[nmassman44]

For starters with Miele Factory Service...I called Miele and they sent out a guy to fix my dishwasher right away. I did not have to wait 3 weeks for service. Plus when I told the guy on the phone what the fault code was, he knew it was the wash pump and even though it was out of warranty, they good willed the parts since they said that the pump should have lasted longer than that. If I had to pay for the part it would have been a whopping $650 and I also needed the feed tubes for the middle and upper wash arms. They good willed those as well. Miele also charged me once for the service fee and they came out three times. I asked the tech the first time and he told me that they will only charge me the service fee once the repair is complete and not charge me for every trip out. If this was a Whirlpool product, which I have experience with and with A&E service where they charge $150 each trip out to tell me I have defective fridge, but thats another story.
The other thing is that Miele would rather have you use the factory service since they have the tools to get the job done correctly. Not some Joe Shmo repair guy that has no clue what they are doing. Or worse, make it look like they know what they are doing or saying , but they dont.

 

[countryguy]

I like having the cutlery tray. It takes a little getting used to but once you are, it really does not take much longer to load. And while it may take a little longer to load the cutlery, unloading it is much quicker. I load like cutlery pieces in the same section i.e. knives in 1 section, dinner forks in another, dessert forks another, etc. Since none of the cutlery pieces touch each other, I find they get cleaned better. There is also a large enough space between the tray and upper wash arm that I can load smaller measuring cups, measuring spoons, etc. on the tray. As for cleaning, everything I have put in it has come out clean - I don't prerinse and sometimes the dishwasher is not run for 3-4 days. I had a casserole dish with baked on crud from scalloped potatoes which sat for 2 days and it came out spotless.

Gary