Maybe not a Bob Load But!

[kenmoreguy64]

Peter -

I hate to say this, but my experience with a dishwasher nearly identical to yours is if you've done all that and still have issues, then I'd get a new dishwasher. I bought a new Kenmore in April and it will be installed finally next week.

I really dislike my GE. It was the worst come-down (mine is a PDW7800) I've ever experienced in an appliance. Before the TT I had a Potscrubber 1200 for ten years, which I loved. MY TT does some of the same stuff your machine did, but the 1200 never did any of that. My problem is not so much stuck on leafy food, but with stuck-on remants in my cookware (especially my Revereware skillet from something as simple as a Hamburger Helper) that was always mirror-clean in the 1200. The only difference was the two machines. Same detergent, same items, same water source.

About the only thing I approve of in the GE TT is the turbidity sensor. If it doesn't sense overly filthy water (mine never is) or a lot of detergent (which fools the sensor) then it goes directly into main wash without pre-washing, and I like that because all the detergent I put in gets mixed into the main wash water and heated to full temperature. I like the water savings.

I may be going WAY downline in that I am replacing my TT with a Kenmore version of the recently discontinued Whirlpool PowerClean model. It's been boxed and sitting in the garage since April. If like the new machine better, I'll be happy regardless of how fancy the TT is. I would just like to have something that I like as much as the 1200.

Gordon[this post was last edited: 6/4/2010-16:16]

 

[retropia]

Kenmore 13442

Gordon, if this is the model you purchased, I think you will be satisfied with its cleaning ability. We've been using ours now for about two months.

At first I wasn't completely happy with the way it cleaned casserole dishes and broiler pans, but then I realized my dishwasher detergent was now mysteriously phosphate-free. Once I added phosphates, it's cleaned as well as the old Kenmore.

It doesn't dry quite as well as the old one, particularly plastics. I guess this is due to using less electricity. I'm going to try using the JetDry TurboDry rinse aid, to see if that improves the drying.

It's a little noisier than the old one, but it is a less-expensive model with less soundproofing materials. We don't find the sound objectionable.

The only other thing to note is that it doesn't load as well as the old one, but this is relatively easy to fix. For the bottom rack, they used the same one you'd find in a Whirlpool (where the cutlery basket is in the door), but they used a Kenmore cutlery basket that fits inside the rack. So, the bump-out in front, that we had on the lower rack of our old Kenmore, is missing.

That extra 2" or 2-1/2" of rack space really makes a difference in how many dishes you can load. I found a NOS rack in the older style that someone on Craigslist sold for $25, so I'll be using that one instead of what came with the new Kenmore.

I will add that I didn't have good results, using the old Kenmore, with cleaning off burned-on food in the bottom of a stainless steel pot or frying pan. (We've since switched to nonstick cookware.) It may be that there isn't anything that will perform that task as well as your old GE Potscrubber.

Let us know if the new Kenmore passes your Revereware skillet cleaning test.

 

[lotsosudz]

I have a GE 1200 that usually gets everything clean the first time. However I bought a box of the "new Finish Powder", and now I have glassware that looks like hell, and silverware that ends up having to go the second time around. I say your problem is Finish. I am going to try the Cascade, as I never had this problem before. I must assume it's the detergent.
David

 

[mrcleanjeans]

I'd be finished with Finish. I found even the phosphated Quantum was detestable. Phosphated Cascade in all forms is FAR superior.

 

[rp2813]

Cascade With Phosphates

I just cleaned out my favorite ACE Hardware yesterday. They still had four of the smaller size boxes of Cascade/Dawn powder. It wasn't cheap, but it's also no longer going to be available.

I was just at Walgreens. They have many boxes of the larger size of the same stuff but currently are asking $5.99 each. I'll wait until they are dumb enough to put it on sale. I don't think much of it moves at that price.

Kelly, I have to ask. How did that glass baking dish on the lower rack of the Superba do? Even my Thermador has trouble with that sort of thing, especially if not angled toward the spray.

I agree with you about reasons to run the machine. We go through glasses and flatware, and I'm tired of washing flatware by hand. So I go out of my way to use real plates for everything now. We used to use paper plates. Even for a slice of toast, I put it on a plate. That way when we run out of glasses and flatware, there's usually enough in the machine to justify running it. Particularly if I add in the glass coffee carafe and basket assembly--I get a night off from washing all of those components by hand.

Ralph

 

[sudsmaster]

It may not be a Bob Load, but,

It just might be a Bob Butt Load...

LOL

 

[mixfinder]

French Baker

When I put baking pans on the dishwasher they're completely on their to get clean. I try to mind full of not placing tall items like dinner plates in the way and I'm almost always lucky. Since living here, I have had 2 older style with Hydrosweep wash action, 2 newer Kitchenpools, 2 GE tall tubs, one more feature laden the other and now a Maytag. The Kitchenpools didn't impress and the other were all good cleaners. Of them all the GE Profile tall tub is the best machine. I find a good one and use it for a while. If something better or more interesting comes along I move the predeseccor to another unit in the building. Here's a picture of the cheaper model.

 

[peteski50]

RE: Dishload and comments!

-Did you use detergent with phosphates or without?
I don't know if the detergent contains phosphates or not the quantum is the better one.

-Is your GE dishwasher the kind that has a filter to collect food bits, and you're supposed to clean the filter? Is that what the perforated screen is in the photo titled "The sump of dishwasher"?
Yes the performated screen is the filter and I don't have to clean it - it does have a disposer in the back. I really cant complain I did load the machine with more debris than usual. And only the one plate was missed. The stove parts were in real bad shape so I can't hold that against the machine or the detergent.

Over all I am happy with the GE. I origionally had a portable Whirlpool portable power clean that I was going to install when I re did the kitchen almost 9 years ago. I departed with it like a fool for a Kenmore tall tub (really sucked) to make a long story short. Than I exchanged it for the GE and it's a good DW but I was a fool to let the power clean go and I should have installed it when I remodeled the kitchen. I also didn't mind the silverware in the door either like a lot of people don't care for. To me the whirlpool power clean and hobart kitchenaid's were by far the best dishwashers made. But I am satisified with the GE tall tub. I can't knock it for missing 1 plate and like I said I can't knock it for missing the stove grates. (should have Cookware cycle) - Not bad for a normal wash.
A few people here spoke about the GE 1200 and yes that was a real excellent dishwasher. I remember in the 80's it was rated top performance above kitchenaid and maytag. Would have been nice at that time if GE had keep the desigh from the potscrubber2 with the 2 wash arms but went back to the tower which I wasn't crazy about, but anyway it was a great dishwasher.

Thanks for all your input
Lets see some more loads and discussions
Peter

 

[favorit]

re : tablets and upright casseroles

Peter,
the prewash is not long enough to dissolve a tablet. To give you a clue if you run a DW on the quick/30 mins cycle with a tablet you'll find it not totally dissolved at the end of the programme.

About that small casserole with the handle, I'm pretty sure no dishwasher can clean it if it is loaded that way. Try this : use it to boil some milk, then load it in that very way. No matter of cookware cycle, water jets can't reach the inside and you'll have milk rings/residues inside. I guess the proper way to load pots and deep bowls is Kelly/Mixfinder's one.

As for that range part not sparkling clean .... these are *dishwashers*, we can't expect the same result as a professional *potwasher* that uses also plastic clumps or sand added to water in order to scrub

BTW here some people have issues with that red power ball that doesn't dissolve properly and clogs machines

What about the price of the quantum vs powerball ??
Here the quantum is darn dear ...

 

[peteski50]

tablets and upright casseroles

Favorit
BTW - The way my dishwasher works is when I hit the prewash button I get at least 3 prerinses and the 3rd one is heated with a phase called hotstart which that alone provides 14 minutes of heated water circulation. So I am quite sure the 1st tablet is disolved before the main wash.
And for that small pot that you refer to with the little handle it was lightly soiled that is why I loaded it that way otherwise I would have loaded it face down more correctly. Some things you can get away with when lightly soiled.
I paid about $4.00 more for the quantum.
Peter

 

[andrewinorlando]

The nice thing about the GE TT dishwashers is that dishes or bowls can be placed sideways on the top rack and they will clean just fine from the spray from the third wash arm as it sprays a significant volume of water down and sideways. I loaded mine that way all the time to save space, and even heavily soiled items will clean fine. There are no dead spots on the top rack, a rarity for most dishwashers. The first wash on any of its cycles is long enough to dissolve any tablet, with or without heat since this machine uses a good bit of water to wash, though I never found the need for much detergent anyway since I have softer water. The pre-wash cycle adds heat and a 16 minute first wash, plenty of time for anything to dissolve, and with an almost 1000 watt heater, the heating happens very quickly. GE probably has one of the most flexible loading schemes of any tall tub dishwasher. It's also one of the few machines that never leaves grit on glasses and cups unless you completely block its upper wash arm. The one thing mine would not clean were the stove grates/drip pans...that I needed to use oven cleaner or brillo to clean, since those messes were usually burned on. I don't know, I thought it was a good cleaner, quiet, easy to load, flexible with many options to play with, and I'm reeeeeeeeally sorry I sold it.

 

[peteski50]

GE TT

I pretty much feel the same way Andrew. For a tall tub it's a good dishwasher.
Peter

 

[andrewinorlando]

I would definitely buy another one.....

 

[mixfinder]

Baking Pans

This is the second load after a dinner party saturday night. Oddly loaded and not claiming to be a Bob load its a test of pan washing for Ralph. You see a mixed top load and on the bottom rack are three baking dishes.

 

[mixfinder]

Bottom of the Pile

The Corning Ware and the Red baker have 45 degree angles where the sides meet the bottom. The oval baker is rounded.

 

[mixfinder]

Cascade with Dawn

In the pocket.

 

[mixfinder]

I'll Have the Usual

Normal Cycle with heated dry, no boost.

 

[mixfinder]

...and Snowball

The hard edges pans were not cleaning evenly so I turned them over half way through the wash. The oval baker cleaned perfectly.