Washertalk:
My aunt had a KitchenAid Superba 16 (actually a dishwasher-sink model 36) and I used to visit her when I was in kindergarten. I was fascinated with the lights and the sounds it made. I actually inherited this very house and live in it now using this same exact KitchenAid dishwasher-sink model that has been in the kitchen since 1968.
I think that is how my interest got started. I have always been very partial to the KitchenAid dishwashers made by Hobart. The new ones are junk in my opinion. I loved all that chrome on the older machines and the designs were so cool looking.
A friend of mine was having dinner at my house one time and after dinner we were loading the dishwasher - (he knew of my interest) and he said, "For you, KitchenAid dishwashers are like a status-symbol." When I was growing up, that was certainly true for me.
When I was growing up, I loved going into peoples' homes to see what brand of dishwasher they had....and if they had a KitchenAid , I thought they were really "cool!" LOL
I have always like the trim kit where you can match your cabinets. I like the custom look. But, I also like stainless steel.
My one regret was not going to Troy, Ohio to visit Hobart and taking a tour of the plant before they sold out to Whirlpool. I would have loved seeing the factory. When I was 11, I visited the Amana Corp in Amana, Iowa...and when I was 20, I took a tour through Maytag in Newton, Iowa. That was fun.
If I had to choose brands in order of preference (from the retro machines):
1. KitchenAid (any Hobart-made)
2. Maytag (WU 600) styling
3. General Electric (60's style models)