New Dishwasher

kav122 · 01-25-2008, 09:41 AM

I have to buy a new dishwasher, because the old one needs a new part and it is discontinued.

I would like one that cleans well, and doesn't use a lot of water, is stainless (all of my other appliances are almond, and they don't make almond anymore), and will last a long time. I don't care about all of the other tricks. I am looking at the Bosch SHE55MO2UC Model.

Does anyone have any suggestions for brands? Does anyone have a Bosch and could they tell me plusses and minuses of it. I have done quite a bit of research, and this is what I came up with, but I am open to different opinions.

Also, should I go to a scratch and dent place so I can get it cheaper, but then we would probably have to have someone install it, because we don't have a vehicle, and my husband has never done anything like that before. Or should we go to somewhere like Sears, where if we buy from them, they will bring it out, install it, and take the old one away for $159.99 (what they had listed, but I don't know if I could get them to come down off that price). Another factor is that if I throw cash at a scratch and dent place I might get an even better deal.

I don't know, what should I do?

khorrell · 02-08-2008, 10:23 AM

In our old house, I replaced the dishwasher about 2 years ago and learned a lot in the process. I can't completely defend my decision, but I ended up going with the most basic model of one of the most expensive manufacturers, Miele. I love that dishwasher and I am going to kiss it when we move back to the house. (Of course, I'm the dishwasher in this house so that might be part of it.)

I searched for reviews all over the net and I could not find a valid sounding negative argument for Miele amongst the bunch. The three most important factors for me were noise, energy and water efficiency, and product life. I then went to the Miele website and figured out that I would be perfectly happy with their lowest end machine. All said, this took about 10 hours of internet research. In addition to meeting my top three wishes, I also liked that it held a ton of dishes, was self-contained (no random insulation hanging out, and, if installed properly, has an internal protection against flooding. Reports are that it will last for 20-25 years.

I also searched and found a 15% off Home Depot coupon, which I took to my local Expo design center. They did not have the machine on the floor, but I looked at all the other dishwashers they offered. They were able to special order the machine I wanted for me.

One downside to Mieles (and I think Boschs, too) is that the require professional installation, and it has to be someone trained in those machines. However, my delivery and installation wasn't much more than you're quoting Sears; I think it was $199.

During the time I blissfully enjoyed the services of Helga (yes, we named her), she has been nearly silent, has lowered my electric bill, and uses about 1/3 the dish soap of my old machine. The european style interior layout, which is an adjustment for some, truly holds 12-14 place settings if you are just doing tableware and no cooking dishes. We have a family of 6, I cook three to four times a day, and we usually run it twice. That includes nearly every pot and pan I can cram in there.

I don't know a lot about Bosch washers, but I was pretty quickly turned of by one friend who complained that hers was loud.

If you have a small family, you might consider the drawer dishwashers. Again, expensive, but you only have to wash one drawer at a time.

Good luck - it is a lot of money, but it is probably one of the most used pieces of gear in your house. I scrimp in a lot of places, but not on my fridge, dishwasher or clothes washer.

kav122 · 02-08-2008, 10:33 AM

Thanks! I heard from someone in the industry, that when you buy the expensive brands, like Miele or Bosch, you do just as well buying the lowest tier, as the more expensive tiers. That is if you are like me or you and are looking for just basic, wash-my-dishes-without-using-20-gallons-of-water-and-last-a-couple-decades model. In the more expensive tiers of the expensive lines, you are paying for the bells and whistles--which some people like, but just confuse me.

I have settled on the Bosch, but I will look into the Miele. My husband does most of the dishes, and he said he is fine with washing them by hand right now, so we are just waiting until we find the "perfect" deal and "perfect" machine.

Thanks so much for your help!

Milehimama · 02-09-2008, 07:44 AM

I do not have a Bosch, but a couple of people I know LOVE it! And it really adds a wow factor if you are trying to sell your house. Even men get excited about a Bosch dishwasher.

Kathryn · 02-09-2008, 08:15 AM

We've got a Meile that I'm pretty happy with (it's 8-10 years old, I estimate, and we got it for free!). I know people that have Bosch's also, and are very happy with them. They're both great products, but my gut sense is that you may get a little more for your money with a low end Bosch than a low-end Meile.

I would consider doing the scratch and dent (even if it means renting a van to pick it up and haul away the old one) and taking the time to figure out how to install it yourself. It does require shutting off the water, turning off the electrical circuit and connecting wires and hoses, but seriously--knowing how to do simple wiring like a light fixture or dishwasher should be in the skill set of every frugal homeowner! When you consider that you may own 4 or more dishwashers over the course of your lifetime, learning how to do it yourself is not just saving you $150-200, but $600-800.

FM-SMSPLC · 02-25-2008, 09:06 AM

I have an Asko. It is supposed to be super-smart and learn exactly how you want your dishes washed. Unfortunately, it has never washed the dishes well. If I don't HANDWASH everything before putting it in the dishwasher, the dishes come out with bits of food glued to them. Call me silly, but I believe a dishwasher should take the place of handwashing, so I'm really disappointed in the machine. I would not choose it again.

I did call the Asko hotline, and they told me NOT to even rinse anything before putting it in the dishwasher, since it somehow makes the machine perform worse. I also tried to reset the machine according to their instructions. Nothing has worked and not rinsing before loading produces only dishes with caked-on food.

I don't have much experience with other brands, but I seem to recall that our older, basic, no-frills washing machine did a much better job than this one.

rolltimer · 02-25-2008, 01:22 PM

Beware of Maytag, now owned by Whirlpool. Google "recall Maytag dishwasher" and you'll have hours of entertaining reads on poor customer service, inadequate replacement fixes, fire issues with wiring problems, houses burning down, and inability of authorized repairmen to properly install parts. Loads of fun.

purplefdu · 02-26-2008, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rolltimer

Beware of Maytag, now owned by Whirlpool. Google "recall Maytag dishwasher" and you'll have hours of entertaining reads on poor customer service, inadequate replacement fixes, fire issues with wiring problems, houses burning down, and inability of authorized repairmen to properly install parts. Loads of fun.

something to add to my boredom list for random google searches.

The people I used to babysit for in NJ (the wicked nice section, where the Hummer was the equivalent of a soccer mom van) had a Miele, although their best friends had a Bosch which leads me to think either is pretty dang good. Both washed excellently the times I had to use them for the dinner dishes, but I have no clue what level model they owned (they probably didn't either).

I know our fridge is from a scratch and dent and cost 1/4 what its worth. Its a Kenmore (according to the missing brand tag) and cost next to nothing. You can rent a truck from Home Depot for $20/hr I believe and Uhaul does the same. Also think about using Craigslist to find someone to schlep your dishwasher back and forth or even put it in. There are plenty of licensed people who do side work for extra cash.

redsoxmaniac · 03-05-2008, 07:16 AM

I bought a Bosch because I was convinced it was the be all end all of dishwashers. I fell in love with the stainless (at the time stainless wasn't quite the range it is now) I bought it because it was quiet and was supposed to be fantastic. I found it was a pain in the neck to clean out the filters where little chunks of food themselves. If I wasn't meticulous about this...the pieces would backwash onto the dishes. I had to have it repaired several times once for a broken rack and once for an electronic problem. The rack wasn't cheap nor was the electronic problem. I just felt that the dishes often were not clean and the glasses didn't have that clarity after awhile. I constantly had to descale the machine because of hard water and I just felt it was high maintenance. Something that was supposed to be top of the line became a pain in the butt.

Meanwhile I had built a cottage elsewhere that I thought would be seasonable, though through life's circumstance has been my home for the last two years full time and so the dishwasher has gotten a good workout. I have a Frigidaire Gallery series dishwasher that has stood the test of time 7 years and really cleans the dishes. I like the racks, it is durable and is QUIET. The later models of the Gallery issues had an electronic issue.

I suggest just do your homework and see what the consumers have to say. I also had a friend with a Bosch who had a different model but similar issues. More expensive isn't always better. I'd also talk to someone in appliances since many company's make machines or the main components for other companies and it is worth knowing this when your making decisions and comparison shopping. Good luck with your purchase.

01-25-2008, 09:41 AM	#1
kav122 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 510 Reputation: (238)	New Dishwasher I have to buy a new dishwasher, because the old one needs a new part and it is discontinued. I would like one that cleans well, and doesn't use a lot of water, is stainless (all of my other appliances are almond, and they don't make almond anymore), and will last a long time. I don't care about all of the other tricks. I am looking at the Bosch SHE55MO2UC Model. Does anyone have any suggestions for brands? Does anyone have a Bosch and could they tell me plusses and minuses of it. I have done quite a bit of research, and this is what I came up with, but I am open to different opinions. Also, should I go to a scratch and dent place so I can get it cheaper, but then we would probably have to have someone install it, because we don't have a vehicle, and my husband has never done anything like that before. Or should we go to somewhere like Sears, where if we buy from them, they will bring it out, install it, and take the old one away for $159.99 (what they had listed, but I don't know if I could get them to come down off that price). Another factor is that if I throw cash at a scratch and dent place I might get an even better deal. I don't know, what should I do?

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02-08-2008, 10:23 AM	#2
khorrell Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 439 Reputation: (60)	In our old house, I replaced the dishwasher about 2 years ago and learned a lot in the process. I can't completely defend my decision, but I ended up going with the most basic model of one of the most expensive manufacturers, Miele. I love that dishwasher and I am going to kiss it when we move back to the house. (Of course, I'm the dishwasher in this house so that might be part of it.) I searched for reviews all over the net and I could not find a valid sounding negative argument for Miele amongst the bunch. The three most important factors for me were noise, energy and water efficiency, and product life. I then went to the Miele website and figured out that I would be perfectly happy with their lowest end machine. All said, this took about 10 hours of internet research. In addition to meeting my top three wishes, I also liked that it held a ton of dishes, was self-contained (no random insulation hanging out, and, if installed properly, has an internal protection against flooding. Reports are that it will last for 20-25 years. I also searched and found a 15% off Home Depot coupon, which I took to my local Expo design center. They did not have the machine on the floor, but I looked at all the other dishwashers they offered. They were able to special order the machine I wanted for me. One downside to Mieles (and I think Boschs, too) is that the require professional installation, and it has to be someone trained in those machines. However, my delivery and installation wasn't much more than you're quoting Sears; I think it was $199. During the time I blissfully enjoyed the services of Helga (yes, we named her), she has been nearly silent, has lowered my electric bill, and uses about 1/3 the dish soap of my old machine. The european style interior layout, which is an adjustment for some, truly holds 12-14 place settings if you are just doing tableware and no cooking dishes. We have a family of 6, I cook three to four times a day, and we usually run it twice. That includes nearly every pot and pan I can cram in there. I don't know a lot about Bosch washers, but I was pretty quickly turned of by one friend who complained that hers was loud. If you have a small family, you might consider the drawer dishwashers. Again, expensive, but you only have to wash one drawer at a time. Good luck - it is a lot of money, but it is probably one of the most used pieces of gear in your house. I scrimp in a lot of places, but not on my fridge, dishwasher or clothes washer.

02-08-2008, 10:33 AM	#3
kav122 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 510 Reputation: (238)	Thanks! I heard from someone in the industry, that when you buy the expensive brands, like Miele or Bosch, you do just as well buying the lowest tier, as the more expensive tiers. That is if you are like me or you and are looking for just basic, wash-my-dishes-without-using-20-gallons-of-water-and-last-a-couple-decades model. In the more expensive tiers of the expensive lines, you are paying for the bells and whistles--which some people like, but just confuse me. I have settled on the Bosch, but I will look into the Miele. My husband does most of the dishes, and he said he is fine with washing them by hand right now, so we are just waiting until we find the "perfect" deal and "perfect" machine. Thanks so much for your help!

02-09-2008, 07:44 AM	#4
Milehimama Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 116 Reputation: (13)	I do not have a Bosch, but a couple of people I know LOVE it! And it really adds a wow factor if you are trying to sell your house. Even men get excited about a Bosch dishwasher.

02-09-2008, 08:15 AM	#5
Kathryn Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 108 Reputation: (17)	We've got a Meile that I'm pretty happy with (it's 8-10 years old, I estimate, and we got it for free!). I know people that have Bosch's also, and are very happy with them. They're both great products, but my gut sense is that you may get a little more for your money with a low end Bosch than a low-end Meile. I would consider doing the scratch and dent (even if it means renting a van to pick it up and haul away the old one) and taking the time to figure out how to install it yourself. It does require shutting off the water, turning off the electrical circuit and connecting wires and hoses, but seriously--knowing how to do simple wiring like a light fixture or dishwasher should be in the skill set of every frugal homeowner! When you consider that you may own 4 or more dishwashers over the course of your lifetime, learning how to do it yourself is not just saving you $150-200, but $600-800.

02-25-2008, 09:06 AM	#6
FM-SMSPLC Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 6 Reputation: (10)	I have an Asko. It is supposed to be super-smart and learn exactly how you want your dishes washed. Unfortunately, it has never washed the dishes well. If I don't HANDWASH everything before putting it in the dishwasher, the dishes come out with bits of food glued to them. Call me silly, but I believe a dishwasher should take the place of handwashing, so I'm really disappointed in the machine. I would not choose it again. I did call the Asko hotline, and they told me NOT to even rinse anything before putting it in the dishwasher, since it somehow makes the machine perform worse. I also tried to reset the machine according to their instructions. Nothing has worked and not rinsing before loading produces only dishes with caked-on food. I don't have much experience with other brands, but I seem to recall that our older, basic, no-frills washing machine did a much better job than this one.

02-25-2008, 01:22 PM	#7
rolltimer Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Alabama Posts: 132 Reputation: (24)	Beware of Maytag, now owned by Whirlpool. Google "recall Maytag dishwasher" and you'll have hours of entertaining reads on poor customer service, inadequate replacement fixes, fire issues with wiring problems, houses burning down, and inability of authorized repairmen to properly install parts. Loads of fun.

03-05-2008, 07:16 AM	#9
redsoxmaniac Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 104 Reputation: (13)	I bought a Bosch because I was convinced it was the be all end all of dishwashers. I fell in love with the stainless (at the time stainless wasn't quite the range it is now) I bought it because it was quiet and was supposed to be fantastic. I found it was a pain in the neck to clean out the filters where little chunks of food themselves. If I wasn't meticulous about this...the pieces would backwash onto the dishes. I had to have it repaired several times once for a broken rack and once for an electronic problem. The rack wasn't cheap nor was the electronic problem. I just felt that the dishes often were not clean and the glasses didn't have that clarity after awhile. I constantly had to descale the machine because of hard water and I just felt it was high maintenance. Something that was supposed to be top of the line became a pain in the butt. Meanwhile I had built a cottage elsewhere that I thought would be seasonable, though through life's circumstance has been my home for the last two years full time and so the dishwasher has gotten a good workout. I have a Frigidaire Gallery series dishwasher that has stood the test of time 7 years and really cleans the dishes. I like the racks, it is durable and is QUIET. The later models of the Gallery issues had an electronic issue. I suggest just do your homework and see what the consumers have to say. I also had a friend with a Bosch who had a different model but similar issues. More expensive isn't always better. I'd also talk to someone in appliances since many company's make machines or the main components for other companies and it is worth knowing this when your making decisions and comparison shopping. Good luck with your purchase.