POD 4/16/2017

[brucelucenta]

Hotpoint had a front load dishwasher early in the game. You know GE had the drawer pull out unit until the early 60's. I know the front load machine was much easier to load and unload, which probably helped Hotpoint sales until all other companies had a front load machine. The impeller machines were just awkward to load and how well they cleaned the top rack depended on how it was loaded on the bottom rack. They were good at getting grease off of your dishes, since they could use hotter water than your hands could withstand. It was like many of the pre spray arm dishwashers, marginal at best for actually cleaning your dishes.

 

[turquoisedude]

Hotpoint certainly did lead the way as far as front-load dishwashers went. I have an ad from a 1936 magazine showing a Hotpoint front-load machine!

 

I've used a few impeller-wash machines and while loading them can be a challenge, they can still do a good overall job of cleaning.  I was surprised at the suggested loading instructions I found in the user booklet for the '56 MobileMaid.  GE suggested that you could really cram stuff in there!

Heavy, baked-on soils are more than they can handle, I admit, but most regular dish loads come out of the machine fine.  

I think overall performance of an impeller machine depends on the machine's cycle too.  My 'daily driver' 56 GE pull-out in Ogden has a pre-wash, pre-rinse, main wash and three rinses and it does fine. The '65 Kenmore 600 Roto-Rack uses similar cycling but the thing really does not clean plates well at all.  The old Westinghouse-designed Viking I grew up with had a wash-rinse-wash with 3 final rinses and it did fine using an impeller also.