Kitchenaid Superba

[mitch]

Heard back from Kitchen Aid

my machine was made in July of 1988 --she just had her 24th birthday! Thanks to Steve for pointing me to this method of dating it!

This unit may go to my mother's house temporarily. Her newer KA is acting up and I may swap these dishwashers around--long enough to see what is wrong with her current KA and if I can fix it.

 

[chachp]

The cake test...

I may try the cake test.  We've all seen the ad where they dump the entire two layer cake in the machine and let it go.  That should be interesting as well.

 

[mitch]

cake test

I had forgotten about that one! I did grab a load of dirty dishes yesterday afternoon and loaded them up in the KA--one of which was a 9X13 Pyrex dish that had been used to bake a chicken casserole in. A pretty good challenge test--it came out crystal clear! I used the normal cycle and a Cascade Gel Pack. I did buy a box of Cascade powder last night at the drug store--I kept thinking what a waste with the intial wash cycle with the extra heated water--and that would be a good use of using all detergent cups. I almost added some coffee grinds in for good measure, but chickened out.

Everybody in the family thinks I have lost my mind with "that old dishwasher". I just tell them that it needed to be rescued and come to a good home . It does look a little, ahem, red-neck with the dishwasher sitting in the carport and hoses and cords all over the place. Plus, my lawn chair I sit in to observe the dishwasher working--it is almost theraputic! Guess I am going to have do something with it to get the carport back to rights though!

 

[rp2813]

"That old dishwasher"

They'll all eat those words when they see how much better and faster it cleans than a modern machine.

 

[appnut]

Cake test

Just remember, that cake test was done with a Whirlpoool PowerClean dishwasher--a machine that has the largest "capability" to handle that type of "bulk" refusse.  Actually cake crumbs (what it eventually all becomes) are very soft and disintegrate in the water fairly easily.  What would be a great test is to see how something like a lot of pasta or rice is handled.  I know my Kenmore Elite tall tub handle about 1/2 cup of cooked rtice quite well.  But it's not something I'd do on a regular basis to the machine, yet alone any machine. 

 

[chachp]

Ah, let them think you're nuts.........

My friends thought I lost my mind when I yanked out a practically new Tall Tub SS dishwasher.  It was  Kenmore Elite made by Bosch.  A very nice machine.  It was not cheap to put in but I really wanted my old Kitchenaid as my daily driver so I took out the new one and replaced it with the old.  When they see how fast the cycles are compared to the newer machines, and they see how clean the dishes are they get it.    I have an old Kitchenaid in my utility room as well.  They just shake their heads and decide it's what makes me who I am.  BTW I put the KE on Craigslist and sold it for a pretty good price so I think I did OK with that too.

 

I have been jokingly told my by friends that I need therapy for two reasons:

<ol>
<li>My dog.  She is like my child and the day she goes I will likely fall apart.  They say I should start therapy now to be prepared for the day.  I get upset just thinking about it.</li>
<li>My obsession with these old dishwashers.  They think I should have my head examined for having this hobby.  I tell them it doesn't harm anybody and keeps another old machine out of the landfill while at the same time providing me with some entertainment.  It's a win for everyone.</li>
</ol>

 

[mitch]

It has been nice having two

dishwashers! I grilled chicken breasts last night and had several nasty dishes that I had marinated the chicken in and having the KA close to the deck so I could just load those dishes into was great! I also could put the utensils in the machine as I completed steps in cooking. Of course it did fantastic!! I used some of the Cascade powder I bought for the KA.

Ralph--my brother has a dog that is up there in age and we may have to put him in therapy when the time comes!

The teasing over my old dishwasher does not bother me--the more I am teased, the more I ham it up. I had forgotten how darned fast these babies can do a load of dished too--and do a darned fine job of it!

Thanks--you guys made me smile!

 

[chachp]

Sad part is mine is only 7!

She has a long way to go we hope.

 

[combo52]

The Kitchenaid Cake Test

As Bob stated I never saw KA do this until the SS tanked WP pump 24 series machines, which used the same pump and motor as the KM Ultra-Wash and WP Power-Clean DWs. On any [ Real ] KA DWs the cake particles could clog the filter and they may or may not wash off enough to allow the cycle to finish properly.

 

On my KDSS-20 when I put the blender container and a 1/2 dozen glasses that are all covered with residue from making fruit smoothies, often the filter will completely clog during the first water circulation and the machine will not recover and the whole load will have to be rewashed. Usually I stand around and if the water action dies I just stop the DW and pull out the wash arm then remove the filter and clean it. Sometimes I even have to do this twice to get a load to finish properly.