New dishwasher : Maytag or Bosch

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Whoops---I forgot that the CR page is for subscribers only. Sorry, kids.

They rated the ASKO excellent in energy efficiency, cleaning ability and noise.
The machine costs a mere $1600.

Asko (according to CR member responses) is more repair-prone than most other brands (except for Fisher & Paykel).
 
The Bosch experience

I have a lower end Bosch dishwasher that came with the house. It only has 2 cycles. Regular wash and rinse hold. The racks are basic and are terrible for loading. Not enough tines on the upper rack. No wine glass holder. No large utensil holder. For table silverware I prefer a long silverware rack in the front of the lower rack. I'm not fond of the box kind. The biggest downside is it take 2 hours for the regular cycle. Yes,2 hours. The water temp at the kitchen sink is 140 degrees and I always run hot water at the kitchensink first before starting the dishwasher. You have to be a patient person to own this dishwasher. On the upside it does clean the dishes well and is very quiet. I liked my Kitchenaid and Kenmore much better. The Kitchenaid was just as quiet,cleaned just as good,and was much more versitile in loading.
 
GE

Got go with the GE. I have an upper MOL and love it. My bottom rack can be completely flat, useful when I put the vegetable crispers from the fridge in there. The top rack is very adjustable too, can be adjusted up or down on either side, most dividers can be set down too for a flat surface. It cleans whatever I throw at it, it is very rare to find anything that might need rewashing. I have a lot of flexibility with the cycles plus all the options I need. I choose the model I did because it had a poly tub. I think they are quieter, retain heat better and basically I like a white interior in my dishwasher not a dark metal one (put some lights in a stainless tub and you might get me to try one...).

I've had pretty good luck with GE models, the previous one I had was a bit short lived, but it was close to BOL. Previous units lasted quite a long time. I tried several other brands, returned them all.
 
Thanks for your opinions. I forgot about the GE models. I read some bad reviews in the past on epinions.com. I do like their racks. The only thing that I do not like about it was the flatware basket. It does not have a tall backside, like Kenmore or KitchenAid, so I thought that when you push the lower rack back in the machine, knives would scratch the side wall of the tub. I do like their deep upper rack, which is similar in shape to the Maytag one.
I also noticed that some Bosch don't have many tines in the upper rack, leaving me wondering about glasses and cups rolling around.
Some of you told me to keep the Kenmore, which is working well. But you know, I would love to have a new dishwasher, with a stainless tub. Money is not an issue. I live in an upscale house, and people expect it. A lot of my friends have fancy dishwashers, and they come here and say What the hell is this? Kenmore?? And the vinyl racks are starting to get on my nerves. I am always afraid to stain the tub with red wine, or spaghetti sauce.

Thanks.
 
Kenmore is not a mid-end brand. Have you seen the new Kenmore Elite Ultra Wash HE dishwasher? The dishwasher has hidden controls and is stainless steel inside and out. The only thing on the front that says "This is a dishwasher." are 3 indicator lights for wash, dry and clean. The Ultra Wash HE is a newer version of the UltraWash which uses less water and energy. The machine also has the unique Smart Wash cycle which senses the dirt level of your dishes and the water temp and adjusts the wash time to save energy. It also has the Kenmore TurboZone feature to clean your grimeiest cookwear.It has a 1/2 load feature to use only the top rack. The only bad thing I see about it is the potentially long cycle time. The Sears/Kenmore websites say the Quick Wash cycle is 60 minutes long.

 
That's a pretty pathetic reason to get rid of a very good dishwasher. If you do get rid of this dishwasher, I bet there's gotta be a few people on this site who would love your old dishwasher. It's based on Whirlpool's tried & true PowerClean system--something that's not marketed much anymore and it was a winner of a design. I can tell you, just about naything you buy today won't be as reliable as your old machine. the GE machines are very good performers and hold a holt. I love my new Kenmore Elite (next to top of the line) which I got last May.
 
GE

The one thing i like about GE is that they are still a brand that can get a filthy load clean in less than 2 hours.
Our GE TT can do a normal wash with medium soil in just over an hour, including dry time.
 
GE speed cycle

MY GE TT has a "Speed Cycle", get average dirty dishes clean in about 35 minutes. I'm not quite sure how it differs from the "China " cycle that runs about the same length of time.
 
Intensive Programmes and High temperatures

Hi all, I hope you are enjoying the season.

I'm in the same position as Serge and want a new dishwasher. I was looking at the Bosch as their trays are very well organised, however, they seem to concentrate all their programmes on Quick and Economy which I don't use, unless you want to buy the very expensive machines, which we can't afford at present.

Do very Hot and Intensive programmes really make a difference, or do you think the standard normal wash is enough?

Many thanks

Rob
 
Hot & Intensive Programmes

I have a Bosch that will be about 4 years old now. It has three automatic sensor programmes for the delicate, normal and intensive programmes.

I have found through experience with various machines over the course of the past twenty years, that a fully loaded machine requires the intensive programme at 65-70deg C.

The normal cycle in my Bosch is:
cold prerinse, then if water is clear of debris, use it for mainwash; one cool rinse; heated final rinse; drying. The mainwash temperature is usually 50-60deg C. as the sensors calibrate it 'on the fly'.

The intensive cycle is:
heated prerinse (keeping it for hot mainwash if it is suitably clear); two warm/cool rinses; final hot rinse; drying. Mainwash temp is somewhere about 60-70 deg C., again done 'on the fly'.

When I say fully loaded, I mean pots and pans, and crockery, cutlery, glassware, serving spoons, cafetiere, etc.

If you rinse everything before placing in the machine, a basic machine would probably do you.

However, if you merely scrape, I would suggest the intensive programme equipped machine.

In saying that, basic machines seem to have a better range of programmes now; including an intensive 70deg prog.
 
With my Miele, I find that the Normal 50-60deg Auto program will clean 95% of loads without an issue. It gives a cold Prewash - Reuses the water for the main wash if clear, 1 or 2 cold rinses depending on soil level and then a 65deg Final rinse. If I have a days worth of crockery with a few saucepans and a frypan this cycle always works fine.

The only time I use the pots and pans cycle is if the dishwasher is loaded with greasy baking pans with food encrusted. I use the Pots and pans cycle in that instance as it gives a warm pre-wash (I've had it add two additional ones) 75deg Main wash, 2 cold rinses and a 75degC final rinse.
This cycle also adds 30 minutes to the wash, so the entire cycle takes about 2.35 (With 2 extra pre washes it took 3.08 :) )
 

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