I've had it only a week, but it has definitely put in time-and-a-half with overtime! So far, so good. The Normal cycle takes care of most loads. The household water heater is set at 140 degrees, so I shave time off moderately-soiled loads by foregoing water temp boost. Pyrex/Corning baking dishes don't appear to need the muscle of the Heavy cycle, either. The Normal cycle clocks in at 1:15 if you don't choose the Boost Temp. (1:51 with Boost Temp; 2:35 with Sanitize Temp). Add nearly an hour to all those times if you choose Power Dry---which I never do.
The Heavy cycle takes care of heavily-soiled/baked on soils in loads of stainless steel pots and pans.
The 30-minute Express cycle is great for loads of bowls, utensils, and pans used for food prep. It's nice to get those loads out of the way quickly, without precarious, Dr. Seuss-like stacks piling up on the countertop. Haven't used the 49-minute Light cycle, yet.
I still miss the third (upper) rack for silverware & utensils, but am getting used to a traditional flatware basket.
I'm using the Bottle Wash feature for the first time at this very moment. We'll see how it takes care of dried-on pancake batter in narrow-necked bud vases. It's a feature that won't get much use, but I had to try it at least once.
The machine is
so quiet; even the fill is nearly silent. I spend many hours in the kitchen on weekends, and listening to a dishwasher drone on and on all day gets tiresome. No problems with that, anymore.
Operational quirks:
It has an odd protocol for draining. Don't know if it's related to a soil-sensor---although I have yet to use the AutoSense cycle---or if there's another reason, but it drains for 2 seconds, pauses for 1 second, drains for 2 seconds, pauses for 1 second, then drains for 5 seconds and pauses for about 12 seconds. Then it drains for 2 seconds, pauses for one, finishes draining, and begins to refill. I haven't noticed if it does this on all the drains or just the first one.
Prewash Option-- I can see why the manual recommends using detergent pacs. This is what occurs after the first fill when you add the Prewash option to a cycle: It alternates spraying water between the lower and upper racks every 5 seconds for a couple of minutes, then drains and refills. The first dose of gel or powder would be wasted. Haven't paid attention to what happens after that, but the Prewash adds about 30 minutes to a cycle. There is a more traditional (but brief) first wash if you don't choose the Prewash option.
One downside of its hushed operation is that you really need to sit down in front of it and pay attention to what's happening if you're curious about how it operates. I have not done that, yet. I notice the first few minutes of the cycle, and then don't think about it again until the Clean light comes on.
Manual-Clean Filters--- The ultra-fine filter (pictured in a post above) gets soiled more readily when using the Express cycle several times, consecutively; and I have confessed to being lax in the dish-scraping department. I suppose the machine doesn't run long enough to allow the filter to clean itself off, to a degree. It's so easy to remove and give a quick rinse under the faucet that it doesn't bother me at all.
The 2-watt fan continues to run for at least an hour after the Clean light signals the end of cycle. The fan shuts off and doesn't turn back on once you open the door. Haven't used the Power Dry option, so don't know if it behaves similarly in that instance.
I give the machine two thumbs up at this point, but it's still very early in the game.
[this post was last edited: 12/27/2013-16:33]
