alchemysa said:
But you still havent told us! What brand is it Pat. I need a new dishwasher.
It is the best Kenmore available. It is in stainless steel. The controls are barely visible (unobtrusive but handy) at the top of the door.
I mounted mine on a raised platform rather than on the floor. It is very comfortable to use. It is much much easier to reach the bottom for loading and unloading than if it were mounted on the floor. I can touch my toes but prefer not needing to just to handle stuff in the dishwasher.
I mounted the dishwasher in an island with a large sink. The island is bi-level. The sink being mounted at the lower level with the faucet, spray, and soap dispenser and the upper level blocking the view of the sink from the dining room and living room portions of the great room.
The dishwasher is mounted 8 inches above the floor which makes it oh so very much more convenient. I was prepared to add acoustical treatment around the unit if needed but much of the time when it is running you can't hear it unless you are close, there is no other sound, or you are straining to pick it out. It does not interfere with music or TV or conversation with guests.
It really does do a very good job virtually all the time with little or no pre-washing. I do tend to hold items to get more of a load rather than running it after every meal. Often it will be run only once a day with twice a day sometimes and virtually NEVER more than twice. I tend to let a little water stand in bowls that have been used to make batter or whatever so it doesn't dry hard while waiting. Likewise skillets and such. I do not pre-scrub anything and often do not clean much of anything off plates including spaghetti sauce or worse. It does the standard two washes with multiple rinses so it just isn't necessary. I do use the drying enhancer liquid in the automatic dispenser so crystal ware doesn't come out spotted. We do moderate out detergent quantity in line with the maker's suggestions as too much of the powerful detergent will cloud the crystal over time.
There may be better machines. I know for a fact there are more expensive ones. I do not personally know of a better machine to recommend. If you read back issues of Consumers Reports at the library or whatever you can get good reliable information. Frequently their scientifically measured performance tests show the most expensive (often imported) brands are not the best performers.
Of course, your mileage may vary.
Pat
