In an apartment I had years ago there was a Whirlpool dishwasher with the silverware tray in the door. It never got the cutlery clean, so I wrote off Whirlpool based just on that fact. Others I know have stated similar issues with that design.

I just recently bought a Bosch Integra 500 model SHX55m06 that cleans very well. I just used the Auto wash, it will add extra rinses if they are needed and according to the manual, uses between 1.8 and 6.7 gallons of water based on how dirty the dishes are. The tall tub is not that low, the top of the lower rack when opened is only a few inches lower than my old non tall tub In-Sink-Erator. Loading is very simple and the Bosch holds much more than the old one and is much more flexible in loading. My silverware basket splits in half and can be placed anywhere on the bottom rack.

When shopping I only looked at the European brands, Bosch, Miele and Asko. I wanted to stay under $1200 and the Bosch just happened to be on sale, so that made the choice simple, and I love the Bosch!

Cindy,

I P/U the Whirlpool GU2275XTVY @ Lowe's last mo for http://www.whirlpool.com/catalog/product.jsp?src=DISHWASHERS&cat=108&prod=1325

Hi,

New here, but came across this question and thought I'd give my advice. When we first got our home we had a frigidaire (low grade model) that quit working within the 1st year we had it. When we priced the repairs vs buying a new one, we just opted to buy new. We bought a Whirlpool and it quit twice on us. We had it for 3 yrs - twice the circuit board quit and the 2nd time we just opted to buy something better. So we did some research and came across the bosch brand. We like it because stainless steel tub and no heating elements for plastic to fall out of the baskets and melt (which happened with the whirlpool.) We have the bosch for about 4 yrs now with no problems at all. We bought the basic model at Menards and while it doesn't have all the fancy bells and whistles it is doing it's job!

I also work at a private school where each room has it's own dishwasher. We have "good" whirlpool models there that have been in the building for 3 yrs or so and are already going out. The maintenance decided to replace them with bosch dishwashers. I can't wait for the dishwasher to go out in my room so that I can get a bosch there too! ;~)

Oh and one thing we found out about the Whirlpool model we previously owned, they actually came out with a recall on that model - but it was a few years too late for us - we had already gotten rid of it and purchased the bosch.

Oh and one other thing - the reason why we went with Whirlpool was because my MIL had had hers for like 30 yrs with no problems. However, they don't make appliances to last like they used to. And that is why there are so many issues with appliances not lasting like they should. It was explained to us a few years ago that anymore appliance are a "throw" away item - and are expected to break sooner than your mom's or grandmother's did. Sad but true.

Good luck!

I never liked the idea of having a plastic tub with a heating element. My sister spent $700 on a Maytag a few years ago and now it is leaking due to the front tub flange warping. We used a heat gun to soften the plastic and reform it which almost stopped the leak. She places a towel under the door to catch the occasional drip. If you need or want heated dry, look at the KitchenAid models. I never used heated dry so the fact that the Bosch lacks it never bothered me. If you have a tighter budget, the Bosch Ascenta models start ~$550 and have a SS sides with a polypropylene base, but with no heating element, it will not warp. None of the European machines have a heating element to dry the dishes, they use a flow through water heater to heat the water. The European machines also are lacking food disposers, which means filters to clean. Cleaning the filters takes less than 2 minutes and I rarely find anything in them.

I sat down (with pen and paper) and listed all of the features I wanted, SS tub, fold able tines in racks, hidden controls to name a few. Then list all wash options you would like. I then added in my price, and chose a model that had the most of what I wanted, at the best price. If you buy from a local appliance store, see if you can talk to the repair guys, they know which models have issues and which ones are simple or complicated to repair. The guy I talked to said avoid plastic tubs and Bosch or KitchenAid seem to have the fewest call backs and problems. He also said the Fisher & Paykel DishDrawers (dd605 models)are much improved and repairs are way down from previous versions (DD603, DD601).

I just looked up the Whirlpool DU1055 on epinions, it has pretty spotty reviews. Poor interior design and flimsy construction seem to be the most common complaints. No folding tines in the baskets and tall utensils and pots block the detergent dispenser from opening. I would steer clear of the lower end Whirlpool models.

i bought a whirlpool we're using in our temporary house because it was cheap. now i know why. whirlpool and bosch cannot be compared to each other. had a bosch in our old house, never had any problems and everything was clean. whirlpool? i rarely bother anymore since i have to wash things by hand after a cycle anyway.

Go with a Miele, there are the cheaper Mieles out there.

Thank you all for replying. Seems most of you prefer the Bosch line. Noise is a factor for us. Have any of you experienced the Bosches becoming more noisy over the years? Does cleaning out the drain make it less noisy? My friend bought a low end Bosch last March and she said it has become more noisy. She cleans hers about once a week.

I suppose you are right: expecting a new Whirlpool to do as good of a job as the new ones is probably not going to happen. Cindy

I have heard of some dishwashers getting louder over time, but usually it is so gradually that you do not notice. It is not like it is going to gain 20dB over time, maybe like 4-6dB over 10 years.

Bosch has 3 models lines if dishwashers, Ascenta, Evolution, and Integra. I listed them from the lowest to highest. In each line there are 3 series, 300, 500, and 800, again lowest to highest. The Evolution line is the most popular, and are what most seem rave about. The Integra line is the quietest, relatively speaking, as most Bosch models are quieter than the competition.

Miele also makes great dishwashers, but they start over $1000 and go to ~$2300. Asko has some lower models around $800, but I think they have had some leak problems recently.

I am not saying all Whirlpool models are bad, just stay away from plastic tub models and go with their SS tub models. But those cost about the same as a nice Bosch, so decide if you need heated dry, and if you do, I would take a good look at some KitchenAid models, most people here like them a lot and they seem better built than most "American" dishwashers.

I think the heated drying is the most likely culprit, but the high temps of sanitize cycles may not help either. The repair guy I talked to just seemed to think it was the exposed heating element warping the plastic. The Fixitnow.com site had many ideas on how to heat and reshape the plastic tubs, so I think it is a fairly common problem.

I don't know if it's entirely clear in the above discussions but KitchenAid is actually made by Whirlpool.

I would definitely recommend a stainless steel tub. Besides the potential warping issues with plastic tubs, discoloration will not be a concern.

On your tall tub question, we have a Whirlpool-built Kenmore Elite dishwasher with a tall tub and we've had no problems with loading and unloading it. The additional interior volume is definitely a plus.

On the reliability questions I would also check out the latest Consumer Reports subscriber based reliability scores. And also search the internet for owner reports of the particular models you're considering.

You might want to test fit some dishes in each model before making a final decision. When I was trying to decide between the Kenmore Elite and a Bosch, I test fit some dishes in both models it became apparent that the tub in the Kenmore was much larger.

Best of luck with whatever you choose! :)

Yup, the KitchenAid dishwashers are made by Whirlpool. I found the KA models I looked at (Architect Series II T line) was much better than the Whirlpool models. The doors are much sturdier, the racks are nicer and have better glides, all stainless interiors. On the KA machines they just feel like solid, sturdy machines.

I would have bought the KA (KUDT03STBL) if the Bosch was not on sale, as they both had the same non sale price.

The KitchenAid Models are much more repair prone according to the survey through CU than Whirlpool models. I have a couple of neighbors that both bought new KA machines at Lowes within a few weeks of each other about 4 years ago and they both have had problems already.

We never let our dishes go through the dry cycle now. Usually just unlock the door and they air dry--we can deselect any drying option for air dry. I'm not sure what that means in respect to the American vs. European models, but I do like that option.

Also consumer report evaluated kitchen appliances in Aug. 2008. The top Bosch is SHE33MO(2)US for about $540.00. Above it are 3 Kenmores and the Whirlpool (DU1055XT) that I listed above.

In terms of repair history, Whirlpool, Miele, Bosh and Hotpoint are all equal with a 9 and best and Kitchenaid is much lower with a 13. I know these are all relative. It was a 2007 report of 112,000 readers responses.

For those of you with Bosches, how often do you think it is necessary to clean out the filter? I rinse if there is lots of food on the plates, etc. (never cutlery), but certainly not too much time is spent on this.

Thanks again. Cindy

For the dry cycles, European machines have no heating element, so everything air/drip drys. Most American designed machines (Bosch are German designed but built in the USA) have a heating element to assist drying, which can usually be turned off.

As for the filter, I check mine every few weeks and usually nothing is in there. I usually find like twist ties and pieces of plastic caught in the filter. I was concerned too about having to clean this filter but it really is a non issue. I scrape but do not rinse my dishes and everything comes out spotless.

I'm with lacombe

Go for one of the lower end Miele DW's. If nothing else, Miele has OUTSTANDING customer support and there products are built to last. Like your MIL, you should still have your Miele DW in 30 yrs time. Can't be said for most of the other brands out there.