Our ancient dishwasher just died (of course when I had guests for 2 weeks!!) and I need your advice on choosing our new one. I'd like any input on brands and if you have the silverware basket in the tub or on the door and your pros and cons of each!
We don't have a lot of $$ to spend, so as much as I'd like a $1000 unit, we are looking in the $300-400 range.
Thanks!
We just bought a new one about a yr. ago, it is a whirlool gold Quiet partner III(That is what is says on the front),the silvrware basket is on the front, it was about $400 and it SUCKS! We got it at Sears.
Good Luck!
Kara
Dear A...
Two years ago I had to get a new dishwasher also..
I shopped around..and I ended up purchasing the Sears .
I just love it..it has the basket on the lower rack..loads up nicely and has the higher racks for allowing larger pots and pans, a must..its all push buttons..I always use the smart wash button on mine..works wonderful.Sears also has a special appliance account you can get also which helps..and just recently the store has been advertising a lay away plan..you might want to check it out..When purchased brand new I took out the re-pair insurance..but as the years fly by the premiums go way up..so have dropped the insurance on it..Ive had no problems with it..Good Luck to you and I hope you get a new one soon.. C.
Go to Consumer Reports and check it out there. I always rely on them for anything I want to buy that is major.
Ours came with the house ... looking online briefly at Bizrate the least expensive I can find it is about 600. (GE Profile) It's a very good dishwasher, and we're really happy with it. The only thing I DON'T like about it are the digital controls. But I may be old fashioned that way. Digital controls just strike me as one more thing to break. The UPSIDE of the digital controls are being able to set it to start several hours later, as well as the screen that tells me how long it's going to be running for. The "sensing" light hits my funny bone...for all I know it could just be a light that's programed to come on at a certain time...or it could actually be "sensing" how full of particles/dishes/etc are actually in the machine. Lord knows.
That said...
We've moved 9 times in the past six years, and have had (thank god...the time before that I didn't have one...I HATE haveing to wash everything by hand) that number of different dishwashers.
Out of all of them, there's only one that really stands out:
NEVER NEVER EVER N.E.V.E.R. get a portable dishwasher. :P I could write two pages single spaced on why I hated it, when I hated it the most, how incredibly AWFUL, terrible, no good, very bad, pull your hair out frustrating that miserable machine was. I won't. Take my word for it.
An idea though: When people re-do their kitchens they typically get all new appliances. When wealthy people re-do their kitchens they typically get all new appliances...even if their "old" appliances were only a year or two old. Poke around online...there are many "recycling" "resale" "construction salvage" companies. I don't know the ones in Seattle yet (Give me time!!! You can save thousands and thousands), but they're in every city. Also Craigslist. Educate yourself with what's out there first though (looks like you already are:). A great resource, and one I wouldn't live without is www.consumerreports.org
good luck
we bought a bosch for our last house but have kitchenaid in our 'new' house. honestly they both cleaned about the same tho the bosch had a little more room inside. kitchenaid may be out of your range as well unless you get used.
another good place for reviews is amazon.
I would say the thing I like best about my new dishwasher is the controls are hidden when the door is closed.. that way none of the kids play with it :) we have a GE
Lenc
A.-
When you decide which dishwasher you want, I suggest you look at scratch and dent stores to buy it. We saved a few hundred $$ on a washer and dryer combo by going to a Sears outlet scratch and dent. They were also offering zero down no interest for 6 mo. or something like that so that can be helpful as long as you pay it off when it comes due cause interest rates on those can be a killer.
Megan
We have a Bosch that I love. It is quiet. It gets dishes clean without any pre-rinsing on my part while set at the Delicate/Econo cycle. The silverware is in the tub which is my preference. I load it until full with plates, bowls, glasses and silverware over the course of a few days-week and hand wash all the pots.
Here's a consumer review of a few models:
http://www.consumersearch.com/dishwasher-reviews
Good luck!
PS. I am also interested in the off-grid power you are generating. Is it wind if you are near the Columbia? I'm not sure what works well in Redmond, WA.
We bought ours a year ago, it's an Amana, which is made by Whirlpool...same quality, different name. I like to go to Judd and Black, they have great service and sales people and seems like the variety if broad enough to find what fits my needs and price range. The installation contractors have all been great as well (a few years ago we purchased our stove and microwave from them as well). Back to the dishwaher, it is stainless steel tub, silverware rack on the door, the upper rack is deep and so is the lower. I am amazed how much I can get into it. Everything comes out clean, I have a sanitize mode so I am sure my bottles get clean. Good luck!
I am not sure what area you live in but when I have found myself in need of a new appliance, furniture or something of that nature (like when my daughters dog broke her bed frame) and it was something that cost more than I could afford at the time I needed it I have found CraigsList to be a great help. You still have to be careful about the items you choose but when my dishwasher went out I got a used one for $50 so I could save up for what I wanted. That dishwasher is now over a year old for me and is in excellent working condition and I have decided to stick with it rather than a new one.
Good luck and stay strong
About a year ago we remodeled our kitchen and we replaced our dishwasher with a Bosch from Standard Appliance. It has the silverware basket on the lower rack, and it is stainless steel inside. It is quiet and works great!
Hi A.,
Call my brother Jon at Crossroads Appliance. He's been selling them for about 20 years. He's really low key and very great at what he does. He'll be able to tell you which one is right for you in your budget.
Have Fun,
N. B. What does off-grid mean?
NB
I prefer the silverware basket in the tub instead of the door for a couple of reasons. First, I can take the basket out of the washer, set it on the counter and unload. Second, inside the washer is a lot more difficult for my 4 1/2 year old to reach when just the door is open or I'm working on the top rack only.
Bothell Appliance on Bothell-Everett Highway near downtown Bothell is very friendly and told me they'd match competitor's prices. I bought a stove and microwave hood from them 3 years ago and was very pleased with the service and installation. Good luck with your hunt.
We just moved from the house we completely remodeled, and the thing I miss the most is our old dishwasher!! We bought a stainless Kenmore dishwasher with the silverware basket in the tub. The top rack was adjustable - you could move it up or down depending on how big the things were in the upper or lower rack, so I could even fit big mixing bowls and wine glasses on either rack. And the best part is that it only cost $400! I know that's the top of your price range, but it was so well worth it to have a good dishwasher! The home we moved into was only built in 2003 and has all matching stainless appliances, but the dishwasher doesn't work very well and I have a hard time fitting things in...
Consumer Reports keeps rating Kenmore appliances as best buys pretty much across the board. I've been thrilled with every Kenmore product I've ever purchased. Kenmore is the Sears store brand re-label... and now you can get it at Kmart, since Sears and Kmart are the same company.
Would love to talk to you more about living off-grid - you guys solar, wind, generator?
