KitchenAid Superba Selectra 22 Dishwasher

[andrewinorlando]

This GE is about 4 years old now. Bought at the Sears outlet store in June, 2004 to replace a 1997 model GE Quiet Power II with the crappy center wash tower.

 

[andrewinorlando]

While the GE is not quite as solidly built as the KitchenAid, I have to say it's put together pretty well. The frame and the door are both solid and sturdy, and the racks are of excellent quality, and slide easily. I'm not crazy about the wheels on the lower rack - they don't stay attached well under heavy loads (cast iron pots, you know!!). And, most importantly, they don't rust and come apart. And it's very quiet.

 

[gadgetgary]

Andrew

TYVM~!

 

[andrewinorlando]

You are most welcome!

 

[DADoES]

Looks like the GE that was in my house (per the 2004 build date), which I swapped to the buyers of my previous house when I moved the F&P along. They didn't want my KA Superba, which I had put back in place as a stop-gap until I could get the GE out.

 

[johnb300m]

I love GE's new direct feed dishwashers. They work very well.

Though..

I'm extremely nervous from reports of shoddy electronics now, and the now very serious rumor that they're going to sell off the whole appliance division.

 

[maytagbear]

Cast iron in the dishwasher??????????

Oh no, unless it's enameled cast iron (Le Crueset, and similar).

Please say it isn't so.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[jeffg]

Personally I'd never do it, but my mom did as long as I can remember and it never caused a problem. Obviously I'm talking about well-seasoned cast iron.

 

[andrewinorlando]

Oh no, unless it's enameled cast iron (Le Crueset, and s

Yes, it's LeCrueset, but I've also put the grill pan in there too...never a problem. Just season it when it comes out. The grill pan still looks great! The dishwasher is only moderately effective cleaning the cast iron grill pan...it still needs a hand job when it comes out.

The nice thing about the GE, I think, is that when I've gone online looking for parts for it, they are not expensive. The electronic control for it shown on repairclinic.com is only $78. The motor, pump, drain pump, etc., are all very easy to work on, you just have to remove the dishwasher to do so. I had the whole machine apart within 20 minutes. No special tools required...just some small wrenches.

 

[stevet]

It is what it is!

Andrew, I still can't understand the single rinse on that 22. I had the regular KDS22 that I left in the NY house and it had 2 rinses in all the cycles. It wasn't a Selectra and we never had a problem with the drying results either. Because the 18 had the 3 rinses, I decided to take that with us to Florida.

Do you always turn off the heated water and how do the dishes and plastics dry if you use the Sani Cycle?

I still have your 21 waiting in the garage!

Anyway, we are comparing machines that have at least a decade of technology between their inceptions and I am sure back when the 22 was new it was a standout machine. Don't forget how nearly everything that followed the 21 series emulated the cleaning system it had. Must have been a suerlative design for that to happen. I often wonder what would have been if Hobart still had control of the Kitchenaid Division.

While there are lots of great machines out there now, I think if we accept the vintage machines for what they did when they were conceived and built then we can accept some of their shortcomings. I love the tall tubs for their versatility and definitely for their lack of noise,one of these days, I think that new Kitchenaid in my garage will become my daily driver.

 

[andrewinorlando]

Steve - it is just the one rinse..3 minutes, I think, same as the Superba 22 Architect Series I had years ago. I always use heated dry on it, and it dries okay, just not plastics. It also leaves the tops of many of the items on the upper rack wet, especially cups, something the GE does not do. But honestly, I had the exact same complaint about the 22 Superba as I have about this one.

I will bet you that the 21 does a somewhat better job because it has a longer cycle than the Superba does, and a longer, heated main wash to boot. I was surprised myself, because I really expected the KA to outperform the GE, but to start with, there really wasn't anything the GE didn't do well...it just isn't as pretty as the KA!!

Now last night, I tried Finish in the KA. It did a somewhat noticeably better job than enzyme detergents do. I'm going to keep using it and see what happens. It was a pretty dirty load, pots, pans, baking stuff...all came out fine on Soak and Scrub with Finish....just one pot had some residue that wiped off. But really, there is no excuse for peanut butter not coming completely off....something the GE does even on its Speed Cycle. Since my dog loves peanut butter, it's what I use to give her her medication every day, so I have lots of utensils that are PB coated.

I still love the machine for its classic vintage yet modern style, and utter durability. As someone who cooks a lot, and entertains often, it's sometimes difficult to overlook its shortcomings when the GE is sitting in the garage, very capable of overcoming all of them.

I would be really curious to see how the new KA you have in the box in the garage stacks up the the 18 you have in the kitchen now. That would be an interesting test!!

 

[DADoES]

My KUDS220T4 has a single final rinse. Preceded by a pump recirculation/purge.

 

[andrewinorlando]

The Selectra does two purges...one before the final rinse, and one after the first wash on the Normal cycle, or the second wash on Soak and Scrub.

 

[DADoES]

Yes, same.

 

[river_realtor]

I stick the porcelin enamal grill grates in the top rack of my ge natluis and it does just fine.. They come out quite clean

 

[andrewinorlando]

I have started using Finish in the KitchenAid, instead of the enzyme based detergents like Cascade or WalMart's GV, like I used to use in the GE Tall Tub. So far, it seems to be working noticeably better. The shorter wash times just don't seem to give the detergents enough time to do its thing. And with the KitchenAid (Superbas, anyway), it is not a "gradual" heating of water to 140 degrees. The machine stops, heats, then dispenses detergent and washes. So the detergent really doesn't have sufficient time to work as it does in the GE with its longer, heated wash periods. I tried it on pots and pans, and there was a noticeable cleaning difference.

 

[appnut]

Andrew, Greg pretty much only uses (or used to use) either Soak'n'Scrub or Sani-Cycle on his KDS18.

 

[andrewinorlando]

I find that I use that one the most, too. But with Finish, I tried just a load of dirty dishes and glasses and some plastics on Light, and it did just fine. Maybe that will do the trick?

 

[lasvegasrox]

We have a kitchenaid !!!!

My parents just bought this house and it has 2 supurba selectras kuda23sb even the instructions are still with them.pretty cool looking tho kinda has chalky buildup on one but the other looks like it has never ben used

 

[lasvegasrox]

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