Looking for old-school simple dishwasher

[dylanmitchell]

Looking for an old-school dishwasher that's simple, has high water use/ better cleaning, sounds like a fighter jet, and has a hard food dispenser (or self-clean filter and screen). Prefer stainless-steel interior, no detergent rinse cycle, and uses plenty of water.

Looks like the discontinued Maytag MDB8969SDM is closest to my preferences and the new Maytag MDB8979SFZ meets some of them. Bosch 800 series and Kitchen Aid look to be good options too.

For the Bosch 800 what's the sweet spot of value and quality? Any reason to pay more for a 800 Plus Series like the SHP7PT55UC? And is Kitchen Aid reliability problems enough to stay away form something like the KDTM354DSS?

Thanks

 

[toploader55]

Keep your eye on Craig's.

It's quiet lately but things do pop up.

 

[dylanmitchell]

Craig and https://www.searchtempest.com/ are great tools!

 

[dustin92]

We recently purchased a Bosch Ascenta series SHE3AR72UC (their lower end model), and while it only has a partial stainless tub (sides and top are stainless, bottom is gray plastic), and it has a somewhat manual clean filter (or I may be too picky!), it's been very good so far. It doesn't sound like a fighter jet, in fact it's extremely quiet. Actually the quietest dishwasher I've ever used. It seems to wash very well, has a nice solid feel to it, and did I mention QUIET? The longest cycle (Normal with sanitize selected) runs 2:35, but as quiet as it is, it's easy to forget it's even on. Racks do take some getting used to, it took me a couple weeks to totally come to terms with that. Upper rack can be moved up/down two positions or removed completely for extra tall items, in the lower position, dinner plates will fit in the top rack, raised, a standard baking sheet will fit in the lower rack. It has one set of foldable tines in each rack, which does help. It has a variable speed pump, so heavy wash gets higher pressure, delicate gets lower pressure, normal and auto washes somewhere in between, etc. Although it isn't an issue for us, it may be for some, Bosch does not include a heated drying cycle on any of their dishwashers, they rely on condensation on the stainless tub. Dishes seem to come out just as dry as they did with our 20 year old Maytag. This also has an added benefit though, no exposed heating element, so plastics can be loaded anywhere without fear of melting them. We did have to switch from detergent pods to powder, it was just too much detergent and was leaving glassware streaky and smeared. So far happy with the purchase. MSRP is $499.99 for white (what we got) or black, Stainless is $599.

 

[mrboilwash]

The GE GSD 2100 range is about as old school as it could possibly get these days.

Appears to have a mechanical timer, a food disposer, is noisy at 64 dBA, uses plenty of water and has a "pop up tower". A rinse only cycle is also included.
Unfortunately no stainless interior and good cleaning and reliability are more than questionable.
Once have used a similar older model of these in a beach rental and have to say I wasn`t impressed with the racking too, but it did the job and if someone is looking for simplicity in an old school way it might be a good match.[this post was last edited: 1/14/2018-04:24]

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[Chetlaham]

X2- but go for the pushbutton model, it gives you the option of running the heater through out the whole main-wash instead of part of it, and the dry time is longer to.

 

[potatochips]

How old-school is old school to you? Like 2000s? 1990s?

 

[dylanmitchell]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. Old school to me is 1990's and 2000's and definitely pre 2013 and around the Kitchen Aid Hobart years. The DOE energy standards are well intended but if dishes are not getting cleaned or I'm running a dishwasher twice that's not what I call efficient. Like a lot of people I'm looking for a unicorn a 2018 model dishwasher made to 1990's energy standards (which doesn't exist). A bit like looking for a 1996 Impala SS at the local Chevy dealer and only seeing front drive V6 Implalas... Wanting to replce a 5 or so year old builder grade Maytag that prior owner installed before we bought the place. And bonus points if it runs of mule power...

Anyone want to open a factory in Mexico manafacturing or refurbing late 1990's/ early 2000's appliances like the Speed Queen, Hobart Kitchen Aids, etc? Pretty sure Mexican equivalen of Dept of Energy Standards are more lenient.

 

[panthera]

If your going back more than 10 years

Forget Bosch and Miele in North America, their North American service sucks the big one.

General Electric's plastic tubs were and are absolutely as good as stainless steel in every relevant characteristic and better in several - you shouldn't dismiss them.

 

 

[ea56]

I bought one of these Whirlpool dishwashers about 8 months ago and I love it! It is very simple and I only use the 1 hour cycle with the heated dry option and every load is done in 80 mins flat, 60 to wash and 20 to dry. It cleans everything thoroughly and is easy to load and unload. Out of the 5 different dishwashers we’ve owned over the last 30 years this one is hands down the best. It doesn’t have a hard food disposal, but the filter works flawlessly and is easy to clean and I only clean it about once a month. No stainless steel liner, but I have no problem with the plastic liner.
Eddie

https://www.whirlpool.com/kitchen/dishwasher-and-cleaning/dishwashers/built-in-visible-front-console/p.heavy-duty-dishwasher-with-1-hour-wash-cycle.wdf130pahw.html

 

[potatochips]

My sister has the same machine as Eddie and its not too bad. It cleans well and is quiet. Not a bad choice if you wanted "new school."

BUT if you want old school, Id say chose a Whirlpool Power Clean machine. These are bountiful, parts will be around forever, and its cleaning ability is great. Plus it can hold a lot.

You wouldnt be wrong to chose a Maytag machine from that era either. Their racking is better than the power clean in my opinion, they hold more, wash just as well, but parts MAY not be around for as long as the Power Clean as the years press on as they were produced from 1992-2000 as opposed to 1985 to 2011 for the Whirlpool competitor. Plus finding the right machine takes a bit of work as there were some junk with the Maytag name on them.

 

[real1]

 I just bought an old homestead house with a KitchenAid dishwasher already here....Quiet Ultra Superba, black face, stainless liner. Wasn't working properly and so after investigating, I found some wear parts needing replacement...chiefly the bushings for the bottom wand. Ran great for awhile with those parts replaced and then made a noise like a plastic impeller rubbing on something. I took the whole center portion apart and found a nickle, some clothes lint and a hard object the shape of a pea, but larger. From what I can tell the the inner impeller that is home to the grinder/spring wasn't installed/loaded properly. It's obvious someone had been in here before me......hopefully not a repair person!

 

Anyway, put it all back together the way I think it was meant to be and it took off QUIETLY, really for the first time since I've been here.  It's always washed perfectly, just had noises. I like this dishwasher and old reviews were pretty favorable too. 90's, maybe early 20000's? I can't tell if these are original or replacement racks, but they are rust free.

 

Obviously, this machine was not well taken care of and it has endured which is my point for recommending.

 

Kevin