Looking for advice....

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GE Tall Tub

I had a GSD4400 in Florida and it was the best dishwasher for the money I ever owned. It has the temperature boost up to 160F and is very quiet. 6 levels of hot water. Powerfull enough to thoroughly clean a lasagnia caserole to a sparkling clean Pyrex glass rectangular piece.All the silverware(handels up),glassware,pots and pans(stainless steel w/ glass lids and Silverstone interiors)and dishes came out w/out any throw backs.It retailed for $399 at Homo Depot and I got it w a ding in the front panel for $99!!!I used it 4 years and never had any issues at all.I use Finish and Jet Dry.Cool dry option takes up to 50% off the running cost.Easy to randomly load and unload.Plastics may go in either rack AS LONG AS YOU DO NOT USE THE HEATED DRY OPTION
 
Wow - thanks for all the great comments!

I'll try to address them all:

xraytech: That is an excellent suggestion, I actually am considering it. The one we inherited from my MIL's estate is black, but the main panel of the unit is reversable - black on one side, white on the other. I had a member of another collector group I belong to suggest that I could either paint the white side of the plastic panel, or replace it with a sheet of thin birch plywood stained to match my cabinets (or some other veneer that would fit in the channel). While this idea would work in theory, I would like to exhaust my options before I make a final decision to alter cabinetry. Also, in using this machine I am stuck with the very 1990's all black control panel. It may sound fussy, but I am really hoping to marry aesthetics and functionality. I need to find out what brand/model of dishwasher that is so I can make an even more informed decision (its in storage right now).

yogitunes: That's genius! I thought about a microwave/hood combo in the past, but I never thought about mounting a cabinet or shelves above it! Sometimes it's the simple answers that allude me. That's actually a very nice microwave, but I hate where its located! So hard to get in that corner and use it. Unfortunately, there is no other logical place for it to be.

I've thought about a counter-top unit, but I don't know if that would be enough when I really get to entertaining. I'd like something that can handle at least some of the pots and pans too, if possible.

turquoisedude: oooh! A Turquoise Kitchenaid sounds like just the ticket! I saw a beautiful chrome Kitchenaid at an estate sale once - it was a built in and not for sale. I wish I'd been a member of this group then - I would have taken a picture! It was in this great older house that hadn't been updated since the owners bought it sometime after WWII. I've been dreaming about that dishwasher ever since I saw it. Sorry I can't give you more info than that about it. I think it had a window in the front, but I could be wrong about that - its been a while since I saw it, but I would know it if I saw it again! I remember it was a Kitchenaid because the name was written across the front panel of the unit in beautiful script - it really struck me what a beautiful machine it was!

I guess that's what I'm wishing for, and will probably never find.

Reversajet: well - okay - you got me. Can you tell I've never owned a dishwasher before? My "formal" dishes I use when I entertain are stoneware dishes from the 50's. They say "dishwasher safe" on the back. When they were new, they were not a fancy set at all. The '40's crystal does come out - and you're right, it would be handwashed.

When I was a kid my brother and I were the dishwashers :) I would like my first dishwasher owning experience to be a good one - which is why I have come to you all - the experts. Hubby has always had a dishwasher growing up, and it is driving him buggy that we don't have one.

Is it possible to get funky, fun, vintage, and good performance? Or am I being unreasonable?

Maytagbear: Thanks for the compliment! It's small, but that makes it very effiecient - I can move quickly from one surface to another when I'm cooking and economize my movement. You can see why I want a dishwasher that will look "right" in its new environment. I take it this is a new unit you are referring to?

everythingold: Thanks for the offer of the radarange - I don't know if I could give up my modern microwave, though. I love the "sensor reheat" button - works like a charm and never overcooks - doesn't matter if you're warming up soup, baking potatoes, or steaming frozen veggies. We bought it 8 years ago, and I've gotten a lot of milage out of it. The LCD screen has dimmed over time, but it still runs strong! Oh, it thaws meat perfectly too!

Of course I've just jinxed myself - in that case I may come whimpering to you begging for a Radarange :)

Do you have any vintage dishwashers that might meet my wants/needs? It would give me an excuse to go west and visit some friends I have in Grand Rapids.

Goatfarmer: Thanks! I appreciate it! What does the Magic Chef look like?

laundromat: GE tall tub, eh? That performance is definately what I'm talking about!

Thanks again for all of your helpful comments - I am definately soaking it all in, please keep the ideas coming! I have had a lot of questions answered, and have generated a few new ones. I'm a novice at large appliance - specifically with dishwashers (I've never loaded one in my life!), so I'm not always sure when you mention a unit if it is vintage or not. Again, I would prefer vintage if possible for style - but am willing to sacrifice vintage if I'm just not going to get good performance.

Thanks!

-Sherri
 
Be reasonable... See it my way!

Just in good fun but truthfully now, would you sacrifice a double-wide cutlery drawer and 4 cubic feet of storage for a machine that'll be holding 4 days of dishware before washing when, with a little shop class carpentry you can have something with a warranty and energy savings that you'll actually look forward to using and that has more cycle flexibility and quietness? Forget the countertop units, they all end up in the trash or goodwill for a reason. You need it to be plumbed to the sink. If there's clearance enough for that floor vent, the writing's on the wall. And if you have a few bucks left over, hang a top cabinet next to the window in place of the painting and it's case closed. Now you go girl!

5-25-2009-21-54-6--reversajet.jpg
 
Okay, my memory is very faulty....

I remember I saw cool chrome Kitchenaid dishwasher once at an estate sale, but I think my memory has over-romanticized it, because I can't find an image of what I am looking for. I am learning a lot searching old threads on the subject though - I think I am learning that KA is definately the way to go!

-Sherri (still keeping my options open)
 
What a beautiful machine!

Kitchenaid KD 12 - got it. Filed away for future reference. That washing action makes my poor dishpan hands tremble with desire. And no, I can't take Madge's advice - I'm allergic to Palmolive :)

I finally got off my tukus and measured my cabinet. Yep, it's too small for a standard sized unit - my cabinet is only 22 inches wide x 22 inches deep. For the right machine I could cut the opening of the cabinet to fit, but as my sink faces an outside wall, there's not much I can do about the depth.

Oh well, I'm told some of the greats are available as portables too. Really seems like Kitchenaid may be the way to go....

I've been checking out older threads, and I really like the looks of the KDS 18. I even saw a thread (#5415) where FilterFlo painted his turquoise, and it looks great! I wonder how that spray enamel paint job is holding up....

Is the KDS 18 a fairly common machine? Or am I dreaming again? Available as a portable?

-Sherri
 
Many would agree on this site that the KDS-18 is one of the best dishwashers ever made. It would look really good in your kitchen too! They did make portables in that model also. They are not the easiest thing to find though... I was not too big on the 18" style dishwasher to the right of the sink... Blocking doorways is never a good idea. You might even have some fire code issues with that. Over the stove hood style microwave was a great recommendation. Do it! :)
Photo is from Threat 22466 KDS-18

5-26-2009-02-12-27--Spankomatic.jpg
 
Oooooooooooo! (I didn't know how to spell the inflection

<drool> Love, love, LOVE the turquoise exterior with the pink interior! I would definately do some major cabinet renovation for something that cool! Now we're talking!

GE Princess - got it - filed away for future reference!

The room on the other side of the doorway is used as a sitting room right now, but frankly, no one sits in it too often :) For some reason my new kitty (I affectionately call her Pure Evil for reasons I will not get into now) likes to use the orange shag rug as a toilet. So, we usually keep it shut up, as you see in the pics. Sort of a waste of space. Hubby and I have been considering pulling up the carpet in there and converting the room into a combination pantry/sewing room. My Ironrite already lives in there :) If we do this, it is possible we could put the dishwasher on the other side of that wall. Again - I've never had a dishwasher before - is that too far from the sink (it would be about 3 feet away)?

Also, there is another doorway into that room. Even if a dishwasher did block the doorway, you wouldn't be trapped in there. But I agree - it's not an optimal solution. Probably why the previous owners never installed one.

I'm going to an estate sale next weekend - maybe I'll get lucky.

-Sherri
 
Sherri,
Check out thread 22045. That is where I got the photo for GE Princess. The Kitchenaid KDS-18 is the better machine made in the late 70's. The GE is not bad but much older made in the late 50's early 60's..... I think you would be much happier having the dishwasher right next to the sink on the left side. This would prevent a trail of water going from your sink to the dishwasher 3 feet away in the next room. Slip/fall prevention. Blocking the entry way to the other room would be ok. I just would not block the door to the basement/back area in any way. Keeping fire exits CLEAR is a must in any home.

Good luck on the estate sale next weekend. Keep us posted...
Jim
 
Absolutely, Jim

I agree about placement - I wouldn't want to place it on the right of the sink. As it is that door touches the sink cabinet when open. Gotta love bungalos ;) I keep telling hubby we need a bigger house. I love this one and would like to keep it as a gallery/studio and buy a bigger one (a mid-century construction) on a larger plot of land to live on.

But, that's after grad school - can't afford such luxuries now :)

What do you think of the GE Potscrubber? Goatfarmer has graciously offered to send pictures of one he might be able to part with. I like that its a portable for sure!

So much to learn!

-Sherri
 
Would a portable machine work better?

That seemed to be the way most people went in the neighborhood where I grew up. The houses were a mid-50's development with 'deluxe' homes on one side of the street and 'standard' ones on the other. The deluxe ones, not all of 'em, had Youngstown kitchens dishwasher-sinks. The rest of the houses had weird plumbing and door issues, so most folks bought mobile dishwashers and rolled 'em out of the way when not in use. At one point, we had a narrow top-loader (a Viking, a store-brand made by Westinghouse) that we could actually roll under the counter top when not in use... At least two neighbors had GE mobile-maids that they did this with (and they fit even better than ours 'cause there was no rear control panel). Sorry to ramble, but GE mobile maids do turn up from time to time and they have the pink interior like the Princess.
 
Mixer. just go get yourself some Krylon spray paint and you can have ny color you want,lol. no, just keep looking, you may be surprised at what you find for you taste. Actually, I get out my automotive spray paint rig and custom paint washers, dryers, fridges etc. to meet my customers wants needs and desires but it is alot of trouble therefore those guys pay me well for my efforts on those custom colors. It works for me , maybe it with will work for you gal.you remind me of my deceased Mother when you speak of those mixers. she had a really cool Kitchenaid stand up mixer that she used daily in her catering biz. she loved it and it amazed me at the ease of how it made her jobs cruise right along. Do you get into those automatic breadmakers? she used to make the most awsome sunflower seed bread that I can taste to this day .Gone for 9 years she is, but that smell of her cooking lingers on babes.
 
A GE Mobile Maid sounds like a good option because they are quite compact, I had one but Soberleaf (Pete) just grabbed it from me. I'm sure there are other members who have one. They are good dishwashers too. matt
 
Portables

Yeah, Turquoisedude, I'm thinking a portable may be the way to go. Then I don't have to sacrifice precious storage space (I gotta put all those mixer attachments somewhere!) I've looked through some of the past threads, but I can't seem to find a picture of a mobile-maid - can anyone help me out?

Don't think I haven't thought of the ol' can of spray paint, kenmoreforever! We have a body shop here in town that does custom work - maybe I should get a flame paint job on it? Yeah - I have a breadmaker. When I got my first apartment in the early 90's my father decided I needed one of every kitchen gadget available at the time. He bought me my first microwave (I still have it btw - works great. I keep it in my studio. He also bought me my first hand mixer (a Sunbeam), my first food processor (a mini one), and a bread machine. I still have and use them all. He wouldn't buy me a blender, though. He knew my friends and I would just make daiquiri's in them. Kill joy. I haven't used the breadmaker in a while - but it does make the yummiest bread! Maybe I'll get some yeast and surprise hubby tonight. He'll wonder what I'm buttering him up for - sometimes its fun to keep him guessing ;)

I didn't have a stand mixer either. I mentioned in an earlier post that I grew up real poor, so kitchen gadgets were low on the priority list. I didn't have a stand mixer until I moved in here, and I started buying them when I was looking for the "perfect" mixer for my house. I found my "perfect" mixer all right. The problem is she called all of her sisters and told them what a nice place her home was and to stop on by sometime. They still keep showing up at my door :)

My hubby's patience won't allow that to happen with large appliances though. Neither will the physical limitations of my home. That's why I'm trying to be careful and select the "right" dishwasher for my first.

I admit - I was kinda glad when I measured my cabinets and found out they wouldn't fit his mother's old dishwasher. That means I HAVE to shop for a funky cool one. Aw shucks!

-Sherri
 
Reversajet,

How did I miss that wonderful photoshopped image? I must have skimmed past it several times thinking it was my original!

Hey, at least I'm cute - I always have that going for me when smart fails!

Unfortunately, look what happens to the back door clearance - it already doesn't open all the way as it comes in contact with the corner of the counter. Now, how am I supposed to carry the laundry downstairs with that little bit of clearance you are giving me? Plus, my garage is 12 feet from the back door - this is my main entrance/exit. In the middle of the semester when I am mired down in hastily written undergrad research papers and poorly thought out midterms I am not going to be able to wrestle my rolling laptop bag out that doorway.

The cabinet next to the window is a first-rate idea, though - and that is a cute looking dishwasher.... I'm hearing the siren song of factory warranty.....must resist....stay focused on vintage.....

Actually, all options are open - not married to new or vintage at this time :)

-Sherri
 
Kitchenaid.

I would consider Kitchenaid because they tend to be the most robust and clean best (they were high-end machines when new and can still beat the competition). They did make portables, and they do show up from time to time. Unfortunately, the portable models by the late 1970s were often the Custom model (bottom of the line). They are still a hurricane in a box but lack some of the nicer bells and whistles of the TOL Supurba series.

All a portable front loading Kitchenaid is is a regular built in Kitchenaid in a box on wheels with space to store the hoses and a cord on a retractable reel. If you are so inclined, it is possible to take a built in and make it a portable by making a suitable box on wheels for it. The originals were metal with butcher block tops but if weight is of little concern to you, I guess you could make a wooden box, maybe with some nice reproduction Boomerang Formica on the top.

Kitchenaid Kitchenaid Kitchenaid,
Dave
 
If you went with an 18" built in to the right of the simk, to still be able to use the door to your basement, you could always just replace your conventional door to a pocket door. so you dont loose storage space, can have a built in, still have full use of the door and gain a few inches of counter space.
 
No room for a pocket door...

Immediately to the left of the doorjamb is the exterior wall, and to the right is about 6 inches of wall, and then refrigerator. And forget about collapsable doors like the one going into the sitting room. I use that door for animal traffic control (keep the dog away from kitty's food and the extra crunchy treats in the litter box), and he can foil a collapsable door.

I like the idea of building a box for a built-in if need be. My husband tells me all the time that I'm very "butch" :) I think he means I'm handy to have around the house.

I put up a request on my local freecycle too - I'm sure something will come up!

-Sherri
 

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