When did the "good" Kitchen aid dishwashers stop being made?

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I bought a new KA dishwasher in 1990 and it's still going strong. On the surface (well, inside the tub and out) it still looks like the Hobart made models. There might be some Whirlpool components to it underneath, but it works as well 17 years later as it did when it was new.
 
Kitchen aid dishwashers

As long as they were being made by Hobart they were durable machines built like tanks. My mother had one for 25 years.
Peter
 
I would love to get my hands on a Hobart made Kitchenaid--particularly a top load. But wouldn't pass up the chance at any Hobart made. They sure were built like tanks. and they hardly ever, if ever, broke down. Most people that I knew that had the Hobart Kitchenaids said they never had a repair but one day it just died.
 
Somebody posted a KA ad from appx 1990 here recently and the claim that the KA can outlast a kitchen was still true then even after Whirlpool took over. I haven't even bothered to look at a new dishwasher since my 1990 KA has yet to give me a reason to, so I don't know what sort of damage Whirlpool has inflicted on the KA badge at this point. If they've done what they did to Maytag, it can't be good.

I think if you get a KA that still has the old tried and true Hobart system even if they were made after the Whirlpool takeover, you'll be fine. Anything with a different lower wash arm design than the trademark KA 4-sided one would be suspect and probably not the indestructible machine that KA was known for.
 
A KitchenAid by any other name...!

I have a KDC21-D (4 cycles Pots/Pans, Normal, Light/China and Rinse/Hold )that I would be willing to sell to my neighbor there in the south of Florida. In Palm Coast here(exit 289 on I-95). It is in excellent condition and has white or black panels with the chrome trim on them. You can also customize them to match your cabinets or other color or stainless panels as well.
It works very well but how many machines can I have in my Garage?
Let me know and I will take some pictures of it for you or anyone else who might be interested.
 
My mom's KDS-23 is Whirlpool made, but with the Hobart design, from 1993. It heats the first wash, and cleans as well as my older Hobart KD's. And it's super quiet.
Bobby in Boston
 
What did Whirlpool do to Kitchenaid?

Hey gang--

Anyone know what exactly Whirlpoo did to KA now that its been awhile? Is it still all junk or did they leave KA alone pretty much?
 
I tried a KA in 2000, when building a house.
No.

It looked good, but it was not KA. Just looking on the outside you could see that it was like whirlpool mol. It was not the quietest.

I took it back.

Lets all lower our heads for a moment in silence in remembrance of Kitchen-aid and the joy that they brought to many a persons life. May it rest in peace. I'm seeing a flag resembling the American flag flying at half staff. complete with harvest gold and avacodo strips and coffee colored stars on an almond back drop.
 
Whirlpool and Microsoft

Seems like Whirlpool is out to take over the world... ala Microsoft perhaps? Is ANYBODY in appliance world still doing there own thing, not owned by Whirlpool? Who are they and is there stuff worthwhile?
 
Once again.. A Kitchenaid by any other name than Hobart

Is nothing but a fancied up Whirlpool Product. Starting with the 23 series, they came with a whirlpool pump assy which while it does a good job of cleaning, I think the Hobart Designed pump assy from the 21 and 22 series had it beat as it does anything else currently on the market.
The 23 series seemed to also get lower quality racks as evidenced by all the machines sitting on curbs and the backs of appliance stores which all seem to have rusted out racks and pretty thin tanks which flexed easily and let the porcelain chip away.

Basically any machine from the 24 series was a total whirlpool machine but from what every sears tech tells me, if you can find a tall tub of any whirlpool design out there with the old vertical pump, it will outlast the new machines with the horizontal pumps. Seems to do a better job of cleaning too. I happen to have a whirlpool as a spare roght now in my garage which is the pot and pans washer and overflow washer from our KDS18 in the house and it DOES do a good job of cleaning as long as yoou select a long enough cycle and use Cascade powder detergents. That has the vertical pump and it gets the water up there to that upper rack arm and really pounds the top of the machine with some serious water pressure.

When you think about the whole picture, it would be economically advantageous to WP to eliminate the KA production in favor of one production line and just rebadging machines with Kitchenaid Logos like they do with the Kenmores. Fewer plants, fewer employees more economy of scale.
Hasnt the same already happened to the Maytag lines?
 
2000 KA DW not bad IMHO

We have a 2000 MOL KitchenAid DW that you can tell is basically a Whirlpool underneath. It has a stainless steel tub and the four spray arms on the bottom that look similar to the old KAs. We bought it when we built our house, and at the time it seemed like a pretty good compromise compared to the pricier European brands. At least the MOL model has the extra sound insulation package and is pretty quiet.

While it can't hold a candle in build quality to my Aunt's 1990 TOL KA Superba (still Hobart style), I can't complain about its' performance and reliability.

Andrew S.
 
Stevet:

If your post was referring to me, then all I can do is laugh at this point. After just purchasing the whirlpool top loader from GregM and My Bosch in the Kitchen, my partner would have a fight If I turn around and buy yet another dishwasher. I should have also stated in my post that It would have to be portable. However, Maybe you should post some pics of it--just in case.

MachineHead:

My Bosch is doing a great job and it's not a whirlpool design. Extreamly quiet and thrifty with water. Gleaming dishes when the cycle is complete. Yes, it does take nearly 2hrs for it to complete the normal cycle, and all full cycles include sanitize. However, I do agree with what Toggleswitch said in another post about energy savings. If I turn down my hot water heater to the now recommended 120, yes that does save energy. But if when I run my dishwasher it runs for 2 hrs to complete a cycle the consist of purge, wash, rinse, rinse, dry. then didn't I just use up the energy I just saved at the hot water heater??? I know that they can now make electric motors that use less electric, but 2 hrs??? how much are we really truely saving here?
 
Depends on exactly how much energy the dishwasher pulls ... but I'd say there's still savings.

My DishDrawer's pump motor is about 60 watts. That's 75 to 91 times less energy than a 4500- to 5500-watt electric water heater. Of course the pump motor isn't the only thing involved.
 
Edison Electric

For a short time, Edison Electric bought the Hobart dishwasher division of Kitchen Aid. They had the good sense to keep the Hobart design in the dishwasher and kept manufacturing dishwashers under the Kitchen Aid brand. They also manufactured the Kitchen Aid design under their own home appliance name, In-Sink-Erator. That's the dishwasher I have and it's 20 years old. It's never missed a beat.

AND I have a choice of 4 colors anytime I want them -- just change the panels out -- white, black, almond, harvest gold.

It's been a great dishwasher -- Kitchen Aid through and through.

Jerry Gay
 
Edison or Emerson?

Jerry,

When I remodeled my kitchen 17 years ago I installed an Emerson instant hot water dispenser at the sink. Its on/off valve assembly failed several years ago and I found the same unit badged as In-sink-erator to replace it. Are Edison and Emerson the same company?
 

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