Replacing my 3 year old Bosch D/W with something else... HELP! Im lost!

[ilovewindex]

So I own the Dishwasher Below..A 3 year old Bosch 800 series, that I got from Best Buy on clearance (NIB, had been a lost special order) for a song.

So, it still works fine... But I don't really like it and my roommates resound the same things

First (and i knew this going in) the only way it drys is with tons of Jet Dry and opening the door after its done..Even then there are still wet spots inside..... I mean i guess thats a trait of newer dishwashers, but ACKKK..

Second I always get schmutz on the top of the cups.. Puddles and schmutz... No matter what I do, no matter how I run it, i get schmutz and puddles on any cup with a rim on the bottom... It goes from a few black specks to full on yuck

Third: I have trouble adapting to the racks... We all have... I have really huge Kenmore silicone cooking spoons, spatulas and so forth. They never fit in the silverwear basket...

Fourth: My large plastic tumblers don't fit in the top rack.. EVER.. they seem to be fine in the bottom, but still

Fifth I have to use Cascade Platinum Powder with Bleach.

Sixth: Almost every load comes out with something still GROSS.. We rejoice when it actually gets everything clean

There are a few more odd things...I had such hope for it... I really did.. But im so sad..I am sure there are things i could do to fix it... But its just time to sell it for cheap and move on

So here are my options.. Now I will forwarn..Im stuck going to Sears due to my finances and I need to stay under $800, as i need a lawn mower and a tv....

 

[ilovewindex]

So IF I WASN"T Stuck to Sears, I would get the Maytag MDB7949SDM..

It has a food disposer and it is the last of the true old school tall tubs..

But Sears doesn't sell it... At all... Period

I would go for the MDB8969SDM BUT, in my weird kitchen, the Handle may stick out just too far and impede me opening my OVEN.... GRRR.. This is roughly $600 price matched

The MDB4949SDM maybe an option, but I like the better racks of the higher models and I can't for the life of me figure out what I would be giving up... This is roughly $450 price matched

My Main Question is How The Steam Works
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Then I look at Kitchen Aid:
There Bar Handle units won't fit, so I am limited too 2, the KDFE104DSS @ 700.00 and the KDFE204ESS @ 800..... The 204 has a wimpy 3rd rack IMHO, but otherwise looks nice.... I am not sure what differences there are, but nothing appears major besides a few minor racking differences...

What Scares me here is CR reliablity ratings of KA Dishwashers.. We use ours ALOT... 1 or 2 times daily and my hands are crippled from RA so having no dishwasher is a NO GO

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Kenmore and Kenmore Elite

I looked at the Kenmore Elite 1473 @ 800, it has a geared spray arm...Dunno how that helps.. Has a newer version of Turbo Zone (had a KM in 2009 with it, found it useless)... Looks very much like the Kitchen aid, just a different sprayer

Also looked at the Kenmore 13403 @700, it has a normal spray arm, and a black control panel... Looks the same otherwise...

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Bosch
I wish the newer bosch's fixed my issues...
If so, I would upgrade to the SHE68T55UC @$850.00.... But it doesn't look like racks are different and I know they still have no heater for drying

But then i see the BOSCH SGE68U55UC @ 800.... Its an ADA dishwasher, but has a salt dispenser and what looks like a different basket on the bottom and a 3rd rack..... What is this weird thing?? I like the looks of it, but would it fix my schmutz issue and at least 50% of my issues above?

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GE and GE Profile

I just saw the GE GDF570SSFSS @ $615.... I need to do more reaserch here, but this looks the best so far, outside the maytags... I've read mostly good things so far

i havemt mesured to see if the Profiles handles will fit or not, and I saw a Cafe on clearance, but IDK.. The GE above looks decent

I am not looking at Whirlpool as I feel I can get something better made with there name still behind it for the same price by going lower into the KENMORE line.. Plus it would just kill me..Ive never had good luck with whirlpool stuff and there logo and design looks like poop

So where do I go? Decision and purchase to be done by FRIDAY! Thanks for the input

 

[ilovewindex]

One Last to Add

I know Samsungs are crap, i've had a few free off the road ones and not worth my $$

BUT whats up with LG? Are they crap too? Every one at Lowes and Sears and Home Depot and such has said to aviid them like the plague....

I really like there looks and feel, but reliablity is more important

I bought my mom a GE in April 2014 (I just remembered doing this) and She's never complained once... Hmmm

 

[mark_wpduet]

My Maytag is from 2014

and it has been awesome. I think they made a few changes since I bought mine but I think they are the best older school (ish) tall tubs. A couple of times I've used the steam sanitize in mine and the amount of steam was ridiculous. I think it heats the element and just drops water droplets on it creating steam is all.

I don't have any advice to offer since you're stuck to sears. I know another forum member Andrew loves his new Total Coverage Whirlpool and he knows a LOT about dishwashers - he's obsessed with them. He has lots of videos, pics and info. I'm the opposite of you. I've had big time luck (so far) with anything Whirlpool made and I love the design of my Maytag except for the upper tiered rack.

 

[appnut]

I have the Kenmore Elite 14833--new model released last August.  Installed the week of Thanksgiving.  It has the motorized wash arm and I CAN tell it makes a difference.  The top rack adjustment mechanism is a 1-handed bar that makes it easy to adjust.  Has the self-cleaning filter and I "babied" it initially because I wasn't sure how well it would deal with soil.  Now I "BobLoad" when I need to.  The updated TurboZone Reach.  SmartDry Plus--options are air dry; the default heated dry that's about an hour and "Plus" is about 1.5 hours dry.  Then a little fan runs for another hour after the cycle finishes to remove additional moisture.  It's extremely rare I have any concave mug bottoms with moisture in them.  And the disposable Gladware type of plastics are just about as dry as you can expect with these thin material storage containers.  The cycles I use the most are SmartWash; Normal; and Pots & Pans with high-temp wash or Sani Rinse options.  I use either the default dry or the "Plus" dry, just depends upon what's in there.  I had my doubts with the alternating wash level design, but it's really surprised and impressed me. 

 

[vacerator]

Poor drying

is the most profound Bosch complaint. Try running it at night and by morning, your dishes should be dry.
The 800 series is a much better machine than the b.o.l. Assentia series with the annealed stainless interior.
Be glad you don't have one. After 3 or 4 years, the detergent dispenser doesn't work. by year 5, the board fails. It's only a $400 machine.

 

[ilovewindex]

The GE GDF570SSFSS looks very promising so far.... I like the fact of where the silverware baskets are and the food disposer as well (if its worth anything)

I just havent seen or felt one in Person

Appnut: I looked at that Kenmore in the store next to the other one.. Im glad to know that arm works well... Has it been reliable?

Bosch offered an olive branch to help fix mine, but im so over it.. I want clean and dry dishesh.. And yes I sit down stairs every night and catch up on my computer over its 2.5 hour cycle and then open the door and go to bed... Its a ritual

 

[appnut]

Jeff, yes it's been reliable.  I will caution about GE dishwashers--they may claim they have a food disposer, if they did, why do they have to have a filter?  It's very deceiving from my experience with a couple.  Food that I used to put in my GSD1200, couldn't get through to be chewed up.  with my Kenmore, that wasn't a problem by the end of the cycle, no trace.  A former member in Orlando had a GE TT and he was regularly cleaning out the sump with food debris. 

 

[ilovewindex]

Thats true... The GE seems very middle of the road with everything and seems like a good option

The Maytag seems nice too, but i hate not being able to get the high end one with the higher rack

I wish there where more choices outside of Whirlpool

 

[johnb300m]

GE and WP

The GE machines are pretty good.
And they DO indeed have a little blade that spins on the main pump impeller.
But you're all right. It's all but pointless for them to say it's there.
It's behind the filter and as long as it's working correctly, food will never make it to the blades.
However my GE Profile with soft water and lowly "plain" Cascade pacs seems to be working very well.
Corners in the top rack are a trouble area. But the bottle jets are fantastic, and the reversing X lower arm really scrubs the heck out of anything not too burned on.

However yes, Andrew's Whirlpool with the TotalCoverage wash arm has been a stellar performer. It seems to impress many of us here pretty much on a weekly basis. LOL!
Definitely another consideration.

However I do agree. WP's current badging is pretty lame and Kmart classy

 

[jp10558]

I have a Bosch 800 series with the third rack. I got it to replace a Bosch 500 series a mouse decided to live and die in and kill the electronics.

The 3rd rack is like power windows in a car - I can't use a dishwasher without it now. It means NO silverware basket needed so you have the full bottom rack for pots or plates or whatever.

Now my 800 series looks nothing like yours internally so I can't really speak to why you have the issues you do, but compared to the GE we had before the first Bosch, both cleaned 100x better. I've actually never seen any other dishwasher cleans as well as a Bosch, and the people who have bought Bosch's on my recommendation also agree that they are quieter and clean much better than any other they've ever used. They also tend to be as reliable and any dishwasher available.

The only issue I've had is that yes it doesn't heat dry the dishes. It's no different to me than getting dishes out of the sink. I shake them off for a second and put them away and they dry in my cupboards. I guess that may be a big deal to some, but in my day to day it makes 0 difference. I also almost never get anything left in the water on top of a cup so maybe your machine is defective somehow?

I will also say that I've stopped shopping at Sears because they don't carry the high end I want now, and they've been spiralling out of business in my area, so I don't trust their ability to service or warranty items in the mid term.

 

[ilovewindex]

For us, this GE is better.. The Bosch was quieter, better built and felt nicer, but the racking stunk, the yack on the glasses and the no drying thing killed me.. Oh and i forgot how nice it was to have a dishwasher that didn't BEEP loudly every 15 minutes until you opened it

Its a shame too,because i had really high hopes for that bosch and still do wish it had worked out

 

[ilovewindex]

BTW Sears was just fine this time, they actually had the dishwasher i wanted in stock for next day delivery or pickup at the logistics center

 

[jp10558]

I swear it sounds like the variation in BOSCH even in the 800 series is so much that you can't really compare. Ours only beeps, quietly such that you could miss it, 5 times in a row when done, and it then turns off the red LED that shines on the floor. It never beeps again. So weird they are THAT different.