Well here goes what is certainly going to be a wild ride...

[ultralux88]

So a friend out in MO is supposed to be getting a steam cycle Thermador from another friend, but it’s currently in storage with yet another mutual friend of ours, complicated, yes? But anyway, the friend in need of a good dishwasher, I’m going to give him a Whirlpool Power clean, or maybe a powerclean based Kitchenaid, both are common and inexpensive to find, and take the Thermador. I told him it takes a special kind of glutton for punishment to own a Waste King Thermador, and he wants a good reliable dishwasher with a disposal in it. And so I shall venture into the world of Thermadoria, and brave the perils it holds... I need to do some repairs to it and will have to locations parts I’m sure. This makes my anxiety perk up a bit, but I’m sure I’ll manage somehow. More on this once it actually happens...!

 

[rp2813]

"I wish I could quit you"

It's amazing how these steam Thermadors retain their sense of intrigue regardless of their reputation for poor results. 

 

This will indeed be an exercise in masochism, but the machines are so pretty that they have a way of making you think you can live with them.  Just snapping the door shut is enough to hook you.

 

Do provide us with regular progress reports.  I'll risk a PTSD relapse.  I swear there's a curse that every last one of these machines carries with it.

 

[askolover]

I remember seeing ads for those dishwashers in Southern Accents and Architectural Digest magazines.  I've never seen one in person though.

 

[vacerator]

I looked into getting one,

back in the day, for my new house. The first question the salesman asked me was if it were going to be on an outside wall. If so, he didn't recommend it. Something about condensation from the hot steam. So, I opted for a Maytag reverse rack portable with the nice butcher block top, to supposedly build in later.

 

[ultralux88]

It'll be a while, the machine is a 10 hour drive away, so it'll be my next trip later this year. But as soon as I have anything to post I will. I'm just excited to play with it! I've never been one to walk away from such a challenge...

 

[rp2813]

One thing I will say about these machines:  They are superb at drying.  Rarely if ever did I have to wipe out coffee mug bottoms.  That was convenient, but the pleasure was marred by the fact that the machine wasn't equally as good at washing.  And of course you don't want the machine anywhere near a TV or a location where you enjoy quiet conversation.

 

Ever since owning the Thermador, no dishwasher I've had could match its thorough drying -- not even the Miele that I'd been using for the past few years.  That all changed with the "new" Miele I got at the ReStore recently.  It has the feature that pops the door open at the end of the drying cycle.  Cup bottoms are dry the next morning when I grab one for my coffee.  I think I've found my ideal dishwasher.

 

I'll happily forget about all things Thermador for the next few months until you're able to start a new thread on it.  You can search for a good therapist in the meantime.

 

[ultralux88]

I’ve enough here to know it’ll never be my primary use dishwasher, but I think it’ll be a fun one to hopefully preserve for the future while enjoying it. I’m really excited to see the steam cycle, which it seems is the cycle that cleans best in these, with the normal cycle being very average.