mrcleanjeans
New member
Although no dishwashers wwere ever made as well as the Hobart KAs,it seems to me there are more powerful performers.Comments?
Why does everyone think KitchenAid is so great?
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norgeway
Well-known member
OH NO!!!
Te old Hobart built Kitchenaids,kds17 and before, will blast off just about anything...and do it in 45 min or less..some like the dual wash arm models best, but I like the single arm early models best,there may be better performers out there but I havent found one,,,of course this is just my opinion, I can't see what all the fuss is about a Maytag washer..so what do I know!!!
Te old Hobart built Kitchenaids,kds17 and before, will blast off just about anything...and do it in 45 min or less..some like the dual wash arm models best, but I like the single arm early models best,there may be better performers out there but I havent found one,,,of course this is just my opinion, I can't see what all the fuss is about a Maytag washer..so what do I know!!!
toploader55
Well-known member
KitchenAid
All of us have our our ideas of which KA is the best. I think the best is the KDS-18. It will take the chrome off a trailer hitch. That's why I love that model. No pre nothing. Cleans, Scrubs and Sparkles. The earlier models with just the HydroSweep is a great machine but racking is what it's all about.
All of us have our our ideas of which KA is the best. I think the best is the KDS-18. It will take the chrome off a trailer hitch. That's why I love that model. No pre nothing. Cleans, Scrubs and Sparkles. The earlier models with just the HydroSweep is a great machine but racking is what it's all about.
laundromat
Well-known member
GE Tall Tubs
I had a GLD4400C Ge tall tub built in I got at work for $99.It was the very best dishwasher I ever owned.I never like to pre rinse ANYTHING.All I do is scrape of any remaining residue.I would do all my stainless steel cookware,all my casseroles,all my dishes and silverware.I would use the sanitary cycle/pots and pans for EVERYTHING along with a cool dry.The cycle takes about an hour but,as soon as I open the unit,the steam from the sani rinse would billow out and the dishes would dry instantly.Everything would glissen and sparkle. I miss it a lot but don't mind using my hands in hot water with bleach.It normaly sells for around $399.
I had a GLD4400C Ge tall tub built in I got at work for $99.It was the very best dishwasher I ever owned.I never like to pre rinse ANYTHING.All I do is scrape of any remaining residue.I would do all my stainless steel cookware,all my casseroles,all my dishes and silverware.I would use the sanitary cycle/pots and pans for EVERYTHING along with a cool dry.The cycle takes about an hour but,as soon as I open the unit,the steam from the sani rinse would billow out and the dishes would dry instantly.Everything would glissen and sparkle. I miss it a lot but don't mind using my hands in hot water with bleach.It normaly sells for around $399.
KitchenAids are great dishwashers. Hobart told everyone that KitchenAid dishwashers were made by the people who made dishwashers for restaurants, hospitals and other institutional operations. That's great, but the applications are not the same and much of the time, KitchenAids were not cutting edge, just like Maytag washers and dryers were not cutting edge. KitchenAid dishwashers would last almost forever in the 14 and earlier series, but they were late in adding detergent dispensers and the prewash that required a detergent dispenser. Their tanks before the 15 series were small. Yes they could blast fresh soil off dishes, but home machines are not in constant use and don't stay hot and it was not until the 15 series that you had two water changes to heat up the machine and the dishes before the main wash so that they got a good, hot wash. The other thing about commercial kitchens is that they scrap the dishes pretty thoroughly and, unless the dishwasher has a pre rinse tank, they rinse most of the food off the dishes before sending them through because it saves detergent. Commercial dishwashers also have booster heaters to keep the wash water hot and Hobart did not see fit to include an element to heat the water until way late in the game, just like the wash arm under the top rack. Whirlpool and even D&M had it for years before KitchenAid. The size of the loads and the washing ability of our Mobile Maid with the bow tie impeller was far greater than what I experienced with my beautiful 14 Superba VariCycle. They were contemporaries. And the bowls and pans that could go into the GE along with dishes could not fit in the 14 and allow room for all of the dishes we loaded into the GE. We used and loved our 15 from 67 til we sold the place in 2003. It might still be there. I love my two 18 Superbas, BUT, I have had super clean dishes and pans come out of the 1965 era Westinghouse machines with the single wash arm, spray spinner in the middle of the lower rack and the square filter. I don't think anything cleans better than my WP-built Kenmore Ultra Wash. It does not have the capacity of the 18 series KitchenAids, but it really cleans. It's a hell of a lot better dishwasher than the 21 and 22 series electronic Superbas I had with that stupid water heating and the one rinse and, unlike those machines, the upper rack rails in the Ultra Wash are not rusting, nor are they in the 18s. All the KitchenAids after they removed the constant rinse could leave, what do you call them "yibblets?" on things in the top rack. That's just not great dishwashing. It's a shame how things go to hell. It's an even greater shame that it took KitchenAid so long to produce the apotheosis that was the 18 and to produce it for such a short time before beginning the descent into energy saving insanity.
I've used a lot of different kinds, and have a nice collection of them.
The single most important feature of the KAids to me is the fan-forced drying cycle.
The second feature is that it doesn't matter how I load one-----everything always comes out clean, AND I can easily invert a VERY large stock-pot onto the bottom rack----a feat I am unable to do with the early (DD) Maytag.
My folks had an old KAid but I wasn't allowed to use it so I never paid it much mind. Then they did a major kitchen remodel about 1965 and whatever model number that Superba was, was a great dishwasher. That poor thing hardly rested, and when my parents were away I had some hellacious parties----I stuffed that thing full every which-a-way and everything always came out clean. (It only had one spray-arm).
I have Four of different vintages now and my daily-driver is the KDP-20 "Patrician".
I LOVE old KAids.
The single most important feature of the KAids to me is the fan-forced drying cycle.
The second feature is that it doesn't matter how I load one-----everything always comes out clean, AND I can easily invert a VERY large stock-pot onto the bottom rack----a feat I am unable to do with the early (DD) Maytag.
My folks had an old KAid but I wasn't allowed to use it so I never paid it much mind. Then they did a major kitchen remodel about 1965 and whatever model number that Superba was, was a great dishwasher. That poor thing hardly rested, and when my parents were away I had some hellacious parties----I stuffed that thing full every which-a-way and everything always came out clean. (It only had one spray-arm).
I have Four of different vintages now and my daily-driver is the KDP-20 "Patrician".
I LOVE old KAids.
mrcleanjeans
New member
Why was the 18 series so revered? It IS purty and well built but that middle wash arm didn't even reach the corners.
toploader55
Well-known member
The 18
1/2 hp motor, Hydro sweep on the bottom, and as much as people say the middle "short arm" under the top rack didn't reach the cornors, I have never had bad results. The 18 also had the over head "Constant Rinse". I actually for a while swapped out the short arm for the full arm from my KDS 20 which did not have the constant rinse. I noticed no difference. Plus the cycles and water heating put this machine on top. I love my older KAs but I will only use the 18 as the work horse when I have a heavy cook night because I can random load it without any issues about spray patterns
1/2 hp motor, Hydro sweep on the bottom, and as much as people say the middle "short arm" under the top rack didn't reach the cornors, I have never had bad results. The 18 also had the over head "Constant Rinse". I actually for a while swapped out the short arm for the full arm from my KDS 20 which did not have the constant rinse. I noticed no difference. Plus the cycles and water heating put this machine on top. I love my older KAs but I will only use the 18 as the work horse when I have a heavy cook night because I can random load it without any issues about spray patterns
toploader55
Well-known member
Constant Rinse
It was a poor design and fragile. I could never figure out why the designers never improved on that. Instead they just eliminated it. That was Stupid.
It was a poor design and fragile. I could never figure out why the designers never improved on that. Instead they just eliminated it. That was Stupid.
rollermatic
Well-known member
i definately think
kitchenaid by hobart were the best made machines around and i have been a fan for 40 years! i have over 20 of them in my collection right now but i am partial to the older models with the single hydrosweep, the 17 and older series.
they might have been late in introducing features that other brands already had in place but i still think the quality of a kitchenaid was suberb and unsurpassed!
the fact that there are still so many old ones out there in use (compared to other brands) attests to the fact that they were better made and outlasted the others! i see old kitchenaids on craigs list and e bay all the time! that's how i ended up with so many myself!
that 1/2 hp. gold seal motor can't be beat in my book! i have yet to find one that has a motor problem, everyone of mine still has the origional motors on it, running fine!
the water seal was great on kitchenaids. both my kd-12's which were built around 1957 still have the original water seal and don't leak a drop! in fact i have only had to replace one leaking seal in all my kitchenaids, that was on a kd-19.
the timers are well built, i have only run into one machine that had an inoperable timer, my first kd-12. that rapid advance timer made by singer that the kds-17 used is the best ever! i don't recall anyone else at the time (mid 70's) using a rapid advance timer but i could be wrong here.
the tubs were made of quality steel and porcelain. i have not found one machine to have a badly rusted tub in any kitchenaid i have ever come across. and that includes the sump as i always pull the pump and motors off to look at this area.
they had a great pump and the hydrosweep was very unique when it was introduced in the kd-15 model in 1964. it was cutting edge at the time! it's still my favorite wash arm of any dishwasher!
in fact i have that one in my pond that has been turning non stop spraying water for almost 3 months now and it is running as great as the day i installed it! and it's a 35 year old hydrosweep!
their double solonoid fill valve was ahead of it's time, no one else had that!
the drain valves were quality made. i have never had to replace a drain valve yet, no matter how old the machine is!
those forced air heaters mentioned above were also very well made, all of my machines have the original heaters and they all work!
we all have our favorites here, and our opinions that's for sure! but i think the old kitchenaid by hobart dishwashers were the creme of the crop! the best ever built by anyone! the kds-17a is my all time favorite although i must say my little kd-5 top loader seems to have the most powerful cleaning action of all my machines.
kitchenaid- nothing else like em then, definately not now!
kitchenaid by hobart were the best made machines around and i have been a fan for 40 years! i have over 20 of them in my collection right now but i am partial to the older models with the single hydrosweep, the 17 and older series.
they might have been late in introducing features that other brands already had in place but i still think the quality of a kitchenaid was suberb and unsurpassed!
the fact that there are still so many old ones out there in use (compared to other brands) attests to the fact that they were better made and outlasted the others! i see old kitchenaids on craigs list and e bay all the time! that's how i ended up with so many myself!
that 1/2 hp. gold seal motor can't be beat in my book! i have yet to find one that has a motor problem, everyone of mine still has the origional motors on it, running fine!
the water seal was great on kitchenaids. both my kd-12's which were built around 1957 still have the original water seal and don't leak a drop! in fact i have only had to replace one leaking seal in all my kitchenaids, that was on a kd-19.
the timers are well built, i have only run into one machine that had an inoperable timer, my first kd-12. that rapid advance timer made by singer that the kds-17 used is the best ever! i don't recall anyone else at the time (mid 70's) using a rapid advance timer but i could be wrong here.
the tubs were made of quality steel and porcelain. i have not found one machine to have a badly rusted tub in any kitchenaid i have ever come across. and that includes the sump as i always pull the pump and motors off to look at this area.
they had a great pump and the hydrosweep was very unique when it was introduced in the kd-15 model in 1964. it was cutting edge at the time! it's still my favorite wash arm of any dishwasher!
in fact i have that one in my pond that has been turning non stop spraying water for almost 3 months now and it is running as great as the day i installed it! and it's a 35 year old hydrosweep!
their double solonoid fill valve was ahead of it's time, no one else had that!
the drain valves were quality made. i have never had to replace a drain valve yet, no matter how old the machine is!
those forced air heaters mentioned above were also very well made, all of my machines have the original heaters and they all work!
we all have our favorites here, and our opinions that's for sure! but i think the old kitchenaid by hobart dishwashers were the creme of the crop! the best ever built by anyone! the kds-17a is my all time favorite although i must say my little kd-5 top loader seems to have the most powerful cleaning action of all my machines.
kitchenaid- nothing else like em then, definately not now!
bugsyjones
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2009
- Messages
- 581
As some may or may not know....
I bought my first Hobart-made KitchenAid Custom 21. It's a late model. Whirlpool took over not long after. I decided to get it out of sheer build quality. We've had two new dishwashers that weren't worth their salt. Plastic and cheap. LONG LONG wash cycles. Poor cleaning. The GE Nautilus had a very long cycle. 1 hour and 30 mins. Even then, it didn't clean very well. The pump motor eventually went on it. Then we had a Frigidaire. Though performance was slightly better than the GE, it was still poor quality. Dishes coming out still dirty, etc.
The difference in the KitchenAid is easy to see. The build quality is far superior. An ALL METAL tub and door, Porcelain-lined, The metal four arm hydrosweep sprayer, and an upper rack sprayer eliminating the need for 'allowing space' for the wash tower in the middle. The Custom 21 has a big, powerful motor on it. Compared to the puny ones on the previous new models I've had. It's also pretty easy on the eyes too!
The one and only complaint I have is that it leaves some detergent in the main wash cup. Is there some way of fixing this problem?
From now on, I will only get Hobart-made KitchenAid dishwashers for MY kitchen. Seeing is believing.
~Tim
I bought my first Hobart-made KitchenAid Custom 21. It's a late model. Whirlpool took over not long after. I decided to get it out of sheer build quality. We've had two new dishwashers that weren't worth their salt. Plastic and cheap. LONG LONG wash cycles. Poor cleaning. The GE Nautilus had a very long cycle. 1 hour and 30 mins. Even then, it didn't clean very well. The pump motor eventually went on it. Then we had a Frigidaire. Though performance was slightly better than the GE, it was still poor quality. Dishes coming out still dirty, etc.
The difference in the KitchenAid is easy to see. The build quality is far superior. An ALL METAL tub and door, Porcelain-lined, The metal four arm hydrosweep sprayer, and an upper rack sprayer eliminating the need for 'allowing space' for the wash tower in the middle. The Custom 21 has a big, powerful motor on it. Compared to the puny ones on the previous new models I've had. It's also pretty easy on the eyes too!
The one and only complaint I have is that it leaves some detergent in the main wash cup. Is there some way of fixing this problem?
From now on, I will only get Hobart-made KitchenAid dishwashers for MY kitchen. Seeing is believing.
~Tim
I've had too many dishwashers in my kitchen, from KitchenAid to modern domestic and foreign made junk. I always go back to the KitchenAid. Squeaky clean, the first time. Every time.
whitekingd
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2008
- Messages
- 484
I got my KDS-14P from my best friend who had bought it brand new. The salesman told her it would last her lifetime. She only used it for 8 or 9 years before it was put into storage. She gave it to me in 1996, so it sat idle for around 20 years or so. I only had to replace the detergent solenoid, and a 20 cent washer. It's been in daily use now for 13 years and I couldn't be happier. My friend is now 72 years old, I'm 44, and the way this machine performs it may last MY lifetime!! That's why I like Kitchen Aid dishwashers.
jakeseacrest
Well-known member
I for one am not impressed with my KDC60A that I bought last year. Discolored stainless pots and silverware, casseroles with traces of food stuck on, and etched glasses. The only way to get a decent wash is to use Heavy Wash and to scrape really well. I previously had a Kenmore Ultra Wash and a Maytag tall tub that made my dishes sparkle. I only replaced them due to the long running times. Big mistake.
Yup. Another sad story about the new machines.
Keep an eye on your local Craigslist for an old vintage KAid and snatch it up. Many times they have hardly been used and are like new.
Keep an eye on your local Craigslist for an old vintage KAid and snatch it up. Many times they have hardly been used and are like new.
I miss my KA 21. Easy loading and reliable washing, even though the "Quiet Scrub" badge on it wasn't deserved. I'm sure it's still performing flawlessly for the person who bought our house.
I'd like to find another one when it comes time to replace the '90 Maytag I'm currently putting up with. I'm tired of the lousy rack system and keeping the tower clear, and it's just plain ugly to look at besides.
Since we have a stainless KA Architect series fridge and stainless Electrolux range, my partner wants to match the eventual new dishwasher to one or the other. I'm hoping I can convince him that an older KA with stainless front panels will blend in fine. I hate the idea of a modern limp wristed dishwasher and related 2-hour cycles and still not getting clean dishes after all that time.
I'd like to find another one when it comes time to replace the '90 Maytag I'm currently putting up with. I'm tired of the lousy rack system and keeping the tower clear, and it's just plain ugly to look at besides.
Since we have a stainless KA Architect series fridge and stainless Electrolux range, my partner wants to match the eventual new dishwasher to one or the other. I'm hoping I can convince him that an older KA with stainless front panels will blend in fine. I hate the idea of a modern limp wristed dishwasher and related 2-hour cycles and still not getting clean dishes after all that time.
mrcleanjeans
New member
I also had a Kenmore UltraWash that cleaned CIRCLES around the portable version of the KDI-20 I now have,though the KA is just satisfactory. Built like a tank however and classy looking.
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