KitchenAid KD-11 Owner's Manual

[swestoyz]

Hey Gang -

I spent some down time up in the Cities this weekend, and brought home a new gem. I'll get to it later but first wanted to share this killer KD-11 owner's manual.

Dishwasher owner's manuals don't usually surface nearly as often as washing machine manuals do, especially for a machine that was made almost 55 years ago! What is most fun is spotting the differences between the 11 and 12 series.

Front Cover - featuring a KD-11 with an Antique Copper finish with a 3-C mixer on the counter.

Enjoy!

 

[swestoyz]

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[swestoyz]

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[swestoyz]

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[swestoyz]

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[swestoyz]

I thought this page was fascinating! Never knew the upper rack was adjustable, along with the detergent dispenser being the door surface!

 

[swestoyz]

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[swestoyz]

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[swestoyz]

Load it, latch it, leave it - LOVE IT!

Anyone spy the timer dial differences from this page?

 

[swestoyz]

Notice the permanent overflow was for gravity drain machines only? I wonder why.....

 

[swestoyz]

It has always bothered me when the model is holding the exact manual that you are reading - in her hands!

 

[swestoyz]

... choice of stainless steel, white or antique copper front

Didn't Jon Charles install his KDS-14 at counter height?

 

[swestoyz]

...all designed for better living

There we have it! Certainly is a fun read, knowing that one of the underlying tones is to teach someone the fundamentals of using a dishwasher. What a time that would have been!

Ben

BTW - Robert, I've got this in a .pdf format that is nice and crispy to read. Let me know if you'd like a copy to post in the Owner's Manual section.

 

[rollermatic]

now that is a classic

operational manual! i love the way it explains how the dishwasher operates, all the way down to the rpm of the spray arm!

i don't have a kd-11 but i have 2 kd-12's and just got a kd-14. i use my one kd-12 almost every day. it might not hold as much as my kdss-17a, also under the sink but with one 5 min wash and 2 quick rinses it is so quick i sometimes do severals loads a day in it!

these machines are nothing short of wonderful and that manual you posted is too! i copied every word and pic!

thanks!

 

[appnut]

THANK YOU!!! (signed, manual Bob)

 

[appnut]

Was the 12 the first KA to do the purge before the ash fill or did the 11 do that also?

 

[rollermatic]

i just learned something new

from your manual posted above! i never knew i could adjust my upper rack for 2 different settings! i just did it! that manual really helped me with my kd-12, 50 plus years after it was intended to be used!

appnut, that's a good question about the purge feature too. i am curious also. both my 12's do it. i have not fired up the 14 yet so i don't know what it's cycle entails.

 

[appnut]

Peter, I'm sure your 14 will do the purge too. Friends had a new KDI15 and it purged too before the first fill.

 

[mickeyd]

Notice the permanent overflow was for gravity drain machines

You'd think gravity would be less prone to failure than a pump ;-> Not necessarily!

Gotta love these early no-nonsense machines. No pre-this or pre-that, just Blast, boil & bake. You could be done in 10 minutes, if you needed them fast and didn't care about drying. 5+1+1+drains+fills. Well, maybe 15.

"...brought home a new gem. I'll get to it later..." Speaking of teaching, are you teaching us patience, or just teasing the devil out of us? I can't wait!!!

Thank you Ben, for this beautiful, big, electric book.

 

[bajaespuma]

Thank you for scanning and posting! I love the layouts of these vintage brochures and manuals, everyone just seems so damn happy!

 

[douglasdc6]

Wow !!!! What a great company !!!!!!!

Also noticed the classic styling of the stand mixer hasn`t changed a bit & shouldn`t

 

[turquoisedude]

So neat!

I love vintage appliance manuals! Thanks for sharing this one, Ben!! Really makes me want to get a KA or three... LOL

 

[rollermatic]

i found that odd also about

the "permanent overflow" being for gravity machines only. one of my kd-12's is gravity drained, the other has the pump drain. both have the permanent overflow tube in the tub. both work.

the drain pump runs at all time the motor does, anytime water gets to the drain pump, whether thru the overflow tube or the drain valve opening it will be pumped out.

maybe this overflow tube was only installed in the tub of gravity models on the kd-11's. but by the time the 12's came along it was there on both.

 

[tomturbomatic]

If you have a 14C, with the door that looks like the 11 and 12, it will do the warm-up purge feature. If your 14 is an Imperial or Superba, the pre-wash or rinse takes the place of the purge as it also does in the later models. The sad thing about the models that do not have the purge is that the initial fill loses so much heat to the cast iron pump, wash arm, dishes and the tank that the wash is not really a hot wash. Hobart's experience in the industrial and commercial kitchens worked against their home machines. In commercial and industrial kitchens, their larger machines had booster heaters, either electric, steam or gas, to maintain the water temperature while the small one rack undercounter machines were run frequently enough during meals that the machine stayed hot and usually had a 180F water supply at least for the rinse for sanitation purposes. The home machine had neither a water heating element nor repeated use to take advantage of the heated machine parts after the first load, in most cases.

I think Robert said that the 180F wash water in his YT cooled to something like 135F by the end of the wash which is not horrible, but the KA is not starting with 180F water. I think the book said you should have water at 150F. Granted this is 2.3 gallons instead of the smaller amount used to fill the YT, but the temperature still drops a lot.

 

[austinado16]

Fantastic Manual!

We found our KD-12 still being used in a home in OH. That was probably back in '99? It's been our only dishwasher and it gets used daily. It has the mesh basket as a soap dispenser.

 

[jetcone]

Cool manual Ben

I did install my KDS-14 at counter height and LOVE it there!

I still haven't worked out how to adjust the upper rack yet!

Thanks for posting.

Jon