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larsi_gw

Finish Quantum Powerball Dishwasher Tabs

larsi_gw
12 years ago

I just finished 72 Miele Dishwasher Tabs, and used for the first time last night Finish Quantum Powerball with Jet Dry Tabs.

WOW...they worked great, I think even better than the Miele tabs (at a fraction of the cost).

Plates, utensils, bowls, glasses were all left spotless and so shiny. The stainless cavity in my Miele La Perla II washer look polished.

If these Finish Quantum Tabs continue to work this well, I will never shell out all that $$$ for the Miele Tabs again.

Comments (38)

  • ecf1216
    12 years ago

    I've been using Cascade liquid for years, so this may be a stupid question... Do you use a whole tab? I thought I had heard somewhere that you didn't need as much detergent with the newer dishwashers.

  • larsi_gw
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I use a WHOLE tab, either with the Miele tab or the Finish Quantum Powerball tab. Both would be hard to cut, but the Finish tab would be impossible to cut.

    I asked Miele about cutting the tab, and they said while it might clean as well, the tabs are designed to work for all load sizes and all their various programs. Cutting any brand tab, according to Miele is not recommended.

    I personally do not believe in cutting the tabs! The full tabs are also good for making sure the inside of the machine is cleaned, the rubbers, seals and filters are properly de-gunked and residue free. I do not think 1/2 tabs are good for the inside workings of dishwashers!

  • asolo
    12 years ago

    Depends on water quality. With soft water, whole tab of anything would be pretty large over-dose.

    I know there have been many posters here and over at the laundry room who say dosage should be based on amount of dishes/clothes/dirt to be addressed. I have not found it so. In my experience, reducing dosages to correspond with reduced water level works best both in HE washer and new DW.

    On average, I'm using a little less than a teaspoon pre-wash and teaspoon main wash (Cascade Complete powder) in my new DW for excellent results. The box says "For best results, FILL pre-wash and main-wash compartments." That's nuts. With soft water, that would be about 4x overdose. The Finish Quantum Powerball tabs would be huge overdoses also, although I know from my neighbors they do give good results in "normally hard" water environments. Over-dosing will, indeed, give good cleaning. It will also result in fast etching in soft water in DW's and in un-rinsed residue in clothes washers.

  • kaismom
    12 years ago

    larsi
    Our water is extremely soft. I have been cutting Finish tab for years. I just break them in 1/2. 1/2 of the time, I get the red ball and the other 1/2, I don't. I think how much detergent you use has to do with the softness of the water. I am sure other people do not cut the tab in my city even though the water is soft enough. Finish does have chlorine in the formula. (They have not used phosphate ever and that is why I started to use it) For that, I am trying to switch to Method and see if it works for me.

    Where we live we are about 3 to 5 grains since our water is snow pack run-off from the mountains. There has been no time for minerals to desolve into the water.

    I tried Cascade powder for 1 box, and it did not work for me. I went back to Finish.

  • larsi_gw
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    @kaismom...

    The Finish Quantum Powerball Tabs I am using,,,there is NO way you could cut or break them in 1/2. They are in a water disolveable plastic like wrapper, and the contents look like little beads (almost a powder) with a white and blue side & the red powerball in the middle. Perhaps you use another kind of Finish Powerball?

  • larsi_gw
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Fauguy...

    You could set the Miele Rinse Aid to Setting 1, or turn it off. I currently have my Miele DW Rinse Aid set to 3, and I am using the Finish Quantum with the red ball...and my dishes actually look better than with the Miele tabs!!

  • Nunyabiz1
    12 years ago

    I use the Finish tabs also, I buy them at Costco when they have a coupon for them.
    Coupon is usually for $2.50 to $3 off of a container that has 100 tabs in it, seems like it only cost me around $10 to $11 for 100 after the coupon.
    Been while since I bought any because I bought 2 containers last time and I am maybe 1/4 of the way through the last container, probably use 2 a week sometimes 3 so 8-10 a month.
    So been more than a year since I bought any.

  • fauguy
    12 years ago

    The rinse aid dispenser on the Miele is set to 3ml by default. With this setting, I found that cups/glasses felt a bit sticky, so changed the setting to 1ml and that solved the problem. I can be set to 0, which doesn't dispense any rinse aid.

    One of my concerns is with any type of left-over smell from the detergent or rinse aid. When I first had the Miele installed last year, I had some Cascade Action Packs and Cascade Rinse Aid here that I tried, and it caused a 'chemical smell' in the dishwasher. When I changed over to the Miele Tabs and Miele Rinse Aid, I no longer got that annoying chemical smell.

  • larsi_gw
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I set my Miele La Perla rinse aid to 1, instead of 3 and have run 2 loads using the Quantum Powerballs (Finish)...and the dishes, glasses and interior of the machine looks perfect!!

    I too HATE the chemical smell of leftover detergent or rinse aid. I will not even wash anything plastic in the dishwasher for this reason. I too only use the Miele Care Collection Rinse Aid. It is so much better than Cascade or Jet Dry!

  • rococogurl
    12 years ago

    I have 2 Miele tabs left and the new box is packed someplace. So I grabbed a box of Finish Quantum Powerball tabs today at the market -- remembering them from this thread -- as DH was rushing me through.

    When I got home and glanced at the back of the box it said proudly that they contain bleach. My recollection is that bleach not a no-no for the Miele.

    I have the older Incognito Excella.

    Do I use or return them?

  • markb
    12 years ago

    They contain an oxygen based bleach, not a chlorine based. Perfectly safe to use. And by the way, I think they are the best performing product on the market.

  • rococogurl
    12 years ago

    Plus they contain rinse aid which I have already in the dispenser. So I'm buying rinse aid twice. But the Miele tabs evidently have it as well.

    Willing to try the 12-pack to see how they do. Must say I'm not loving the smell of them in the package but let's see how they perform in my older machine.

    Appreciate the info/encouragement mark

  • alwaysfixin
    12 years ago

    Have you considered the Method Smarty Tablets? No bleach or perfumes. I wrote about them on another post. I compared the Method and the Finish Powerball in my dishwasher, and found both to clean equally well. With Method Smarty tablets there is no smell of bleach. Also, they are easy to break in half if you aren't doing a full load. The Method tablets are more expensive than Finish, but cheaper than Miele tabs. You can find the Method tablets at Target, Whole Foods, various supermarkets. Make sure to get the unscented version. If you google them, you'll see a lot of user reviews which are very positive.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Method Smarty Dish Detergent

  • rococogurl
    12 years ago

    thanks for the tip alwaysfixin. Haven't seen the Method tabs anywhere but I don't get to Target very often. Due for a run up there -- will grab a package. I like their liquid soap and the handy stainless steel wipes.

  • friedajune
    12 years ago

    Rococogurl - just a heads up if you are buying the Method Smarty at Target. At the Target near me, they don't sell it in the dishwasher detergent section for some reason. The Target near me has a section devoted just to Method products of all kinds, and that's where I can find the Method Smarty tablets. I am just telling you this in case you take your run up to Target and can't find them in the detergent section.

    I have been using the Method Smarty's in my Miele DW for a few months and am very satisfied. I also use rinse-aid separately. I typically break the Smarty tablet in half, but I know that the detergent amount should vary depending on your water hardness and how dirty your dishes are and how full your DW is.

  • kaismom
    12 years ago

    Larsi,
    I have Finish tabs that are in plastic wraps. These are the type that i have been buying for years. I don't like the kind that have desolvable 'plastic' wraps. I can't break them in 1/2. I try to use as little of detergent/chemicals as I have to.

    I have also had good luck with Method brand. I tend to buy Finish at Costco which is rather cheap. Because the box is so big and I break them 1/2, I buy the detergent only rarely!

  • fauguy
    12 years ago

    Maybe I should give these Method tabs a try in my Miele.

    I have been using the Miele brand tabs, but the newer ones that are phosphate-free seem to cause suds during the wash cycle. Check out the link below for some pictures that I took of it.

    Do the Method tabs create any suds?

    Here is a link that might be useful: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/appl/msg070057467131.html?51

  • rococogurl
    12 years ago

    I tried the first Finish quantum yesterday. I didn't notice any difference or improvement over the half-Miele old tabs but often it takes time to see.

    ak thanks for the headsup on Target. I'll check for the special Method section.

    My dw has been working much better this past week after 2 events. First, my plumber finally felt well enough to do some work for me. We retested the water hardness (19 grains -- might as well be in Phoenix) and we adjusted the house softener correctly.

    I toyed with the idea of having him replumb my older dw (Incognito 858) to bypass the softener as a last resort. But I first called Miele and had them check the dw programming to see if that would help. The tech said the softener hadn't been disabled (I thought it had) and made some changes. It seems to be working better -- no etching or white streaking left inside and the interior looked very sparkly. So now I can see which detergent works best. I'd also had good results also with the Soffix tabs -- they are expensive but I need to see how they stack up against the Quantum and Method. Will say, I've had great mileage from the 3 boxes of old Miele tabs but after reports here, don't think I'll continue with the new ones.

    Fauguy -- hope you get your problem resolved. With the right tech a new dw shouldn't be necessary. OTOH, I sure do miss my Optima (especially the Express cycle).

  • livebetter
    12 years ago

    @rococogurl, I am using a 1/2 tab of new Miele tabs in my new Optima. They work just fine. Everything clean and not suds. A lot of factors could affect it.

  • rococogurl
    12 years ago

    livebetter - good to know and true. Now that I've made some adjustments to the dw and will be using it all the time I need to see what works best. Want to be done with etching and filming issues forever.

  • fauguy
    12 years ago

    Since my Miele Diamante dishwasher started working again today after having it unplugged since Friday,
    I decided to purchase and try the Method Smarty detergent tabs.

    Here is what half of a Method tab looks like
    after it is the wash cycle for 10 minutes:

    I then drained the unit, ran two rinses so it would be cleared out.
    Then I used a full tab, and this is what it looks like after 10 minutes:

    So there is more visible coloration to the water when using a full Method tab,
    but there are no suds, unlike the newer Miele tabs (see the other pictures shown in this thread).

    After dinner tonight, I ran the dishwasher in the regular Normal cycle and used half of a Method tab.
    I checked it mid-cycle, no suds, and items were looking clean.
    After it was all done with the wash, rinse, and drying, I inspected the items, and everything looked clean.
    In fact, everything looked as clean as when I would use the Miele tabs....except no suds during the wash cycle.

    I'll continue to use this bag of 20 Method tabs and see if they keep working well.
    If they do, then I'll buy more and not use the Miele tabs any longer.

  • segesta
    12 years ago

    Just found this thread. I'd had nothing but trouble with Cascade Complete and my new Miele. Dishes just weren't getting clean.

    Though adding Lemi Shine helped a lot with the Cascade, I found that the Finish Quantum tabs are excellent, especially if I crank down the Miele's rinse agent dosage to 1 or 0. No Lemi Shine needed.

    For what it's worth!

  • cupofkindness
    12 years ago

    Just last night, before reading this thread, I broke my regular Finish tablet into two and cut the red ball in half. This cleaned my very full load comletely-my dishes and glasses were spotless!

  • pps7
    12 years ago

    I wanted to thank everyone for posting this thread. I was regretting my choice of miele dishwasher until I read this thread and tried the finish tabs. Wonderful!!!! Everything is shiny and clean. The biggest difference is in the glasses. No more yucky white film on my glasses.

  • mojavean
    12 years ago

    I also wish to thank Larsi and all of the other contributors to this thread. We have two dishwashers, one at our house and one in an apartment in a distant city we have been traveling to for business. I first tried the Finish powerball tabs at our apartment and now I have been using the Finish Quantum in our Bosch at home. I am delighted with the results of both. They both clean better than the Cascade Action Packs we were using.

  • larsi_gw
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Glad they work for all of you too. Right now I am using Somat 10 tabs that my family brought from Germany...but when I am done with the 3 boxes they gave me, I am going right back to the Quantum Powerball tabs. For the price, and ease of finding..they are awesome!! :)

  • buffalotina
    12 years ago

    Does anyone have any experience/data regarding the Finish Quantum Powerball, which I gather contains bleach, VS the regular Finish Powerball tabs? I am finishing up my Miele tabs, never to be purchased again because I do agree that the Finish or the Method seem to give just as good a result and for much less money and ease of purchase. I have not tried the Finish Quantum, being put off by the bleach ingredient. If anyone has compared the two in Miele it would be great to hear about it.

    Thanks!

    Tina

  • fauguy
    12 years ago

    I'm now on my 3rd bag of the Method Smarty Tabs.
    Even though I've been satisfied with them, as they clean as well as the Miele Tabs (without suds),
    I'm thinking about giving the Quantum Powerball a try just to see.
    What I'd like to know from people that have used the Quantum Powerball
    is if they leave a chemical smell in the dishwasher and on the cups & glasses?
    Last year when I tried the Cascade Action Packs, I had to
    stop using them because of the strong chemical smell.

  • rococogurl
    12 years ago

    I'm into my second package of the Quantum and like them. They do have bleach and I have a septic system so I'm not using them daily. The one nice thing is that they took out some coffee stains in my older Burleigh latte cups. Those had been in the microwave and had some crazing on the bottom. They do a great job on pots and pans. Really excellent. There's a slight smell and I'm super sensitive but it's ok.

    Thanks again to the poster who tipped me on this (sorry I can't recall who that was).

    I'm nearing the end of the first bag of Method tabs and they work well, too. Finished up the Somat which are great but don't make sense due to price.

    I've got nearly a full box (last one) of the old Miele tabs and find myself reaching for the other two instead. No cutting, not that it's a big deal.

    Method and the Quantum are easier to get. Haven't compared price.

    Bottom line, I feel the Quantum and Method as good, if not a bit better than the older Miele tabs but that's just a progress report. I haven't gone through the second bag of Method yet nor have I used the Quantum exclusively over a long time. Right now, I'll be switching off and using the 1/2 Mieles for lighter loads. I see no need to try the new Mieles.

    What I can say is my 8 y.o. Excella is doing a great job. It's not my beloved Optima with Express but 0 issues is always a blessing.

  • fauguy
    12 years ago

    A few days ago I purchased a 10-pack of the Finish Quantum just to try them out,
    as I still have about a half bag of the Method.

    The first thing I did with the Quantum was to try it in my
    Miele Diamante empty, just to see if it created a lot of suds
    (like the newer Miele Tabs do) or if there is a chemical smell.

    After I heard the detergent door open, I waited about 5 minutes and opened the unit. There was a small amount of
    suds, but not nearly as much as the Miele Tabs, but still
    more suds than using the Method half-tab.

    Here's a pic of the Quantum after 5 minutes:

    Closed it back up, waited about 20 minutes later, opened
    it and the suds were gone. There was a very small smell,
    but not nearly as strong as the Cascade Compete.

    Later that night when the unit was full, I tried the Quantum with it and I turned off the automatic liquid rinse aid dispenser.
    Five minutes after the detergent door
    opened, I checked it and there was some suds, but a few
    minutes later they were gone.
    The next morning I checked it, and everything was clean, but a couple plastic cups still had a bit of moisture on the inside, and all tupperware item were wet.

    The next night I used the Quantum again, but turned back on
    the rinse aid dispenser to setting 1, which is what I had
    it set to with the Method and Miele tabs.
    The next morning I noticed that plastics were dry (like it
    use to be) and Tupperware was less wet, but still slightly damp.

    Overall, in using the Quantum tabs over the past few days,
    I've noticed that everything does appear a bit cleaner, as
    some cups/glasses/mugs that had some coffee/tea stains are
    now gone. Also, everything is more shinny. But this pack of
    10 tabs was $3, so 30-ceents a tab, which I think is pricy, and they can't be cut in half since it's all powder inside.
    I'll have to check how much the 45-tab box was at the store
    or if it's cheaper to buy it on-line. The Method is 20 for $6, which is also 30-cents a tab, but since I cut those in-half, I get 40 loads at 15-cents each.

  • colin3
    12 years ago

    After two months I continue to be very impressed by how much cleaning a 1/2 Method Smarty tab does. That's my standard detergent now, with the Finish Qs in reserve for exceptionally dirty loads.

  • jakkom
    12 years ago

    From a tip from this forum, I asked a friend who has a Costco membership (we dropped ours years ago) to buy the Finish tabs for us. A box of 100 was $16.34 with tax. They definitely work better than the Cascade gel, which became almost useless after going phosphate-free.

  • sprtphntc7a
    12 years ago

    i am using the finish power ball tabs, not quantum, and i think they work just as well as the quantum. BJ's only carries the power ball and u get 90 tabs for about $15.00 and they give u coupons, so its a no brainer for me.

    did try the quantum and thought they cleaned just as well, but can only get powerball in large quantity, so i'm going with them.

    no costco near me.

  • fauguy
    12 years ago

    I finished up my 10-pack of the Finish Quantum and was pretty pleased with the results. I then used up the remainder of the Method Smarty tabs I had, and could tell that even though they did clean "very good", it was still not as good as when using the Quantum.

    I went on their web site and printed off a $1 coupon and went to Wal-Mart (where I got the 10-pack from). Before the largest they had was a 45-pack for $11, but now there is a Mega 60-pack for only $13. So with my $1 off coupon, than comes to 20 cents per pack (wash). That's not bad, as Amazon sells the 45-pack for $12.55 (28 cents per pack), while they are ripping people off with the Mega 60-pack for $24 (40 cents per pack). So at $13 for the 60-pack at Wal-Mart is the best price.

  • dixiedarlin10
    12 years ago

    fauguy........does that translate to Florida Atlantic University? If so, check out your local Publix grocery store. They frequently have Finish products at buy 1 get 1 free sale prices.

    Right now, you can get 50 Quantum or 64 Powerball tablets for $6.99 before the $1 off coupon available at the store shelf dispenser.

  • fauguy
    12 years ago

    Do you mean that Publix is selling 50 Finish Quantum for $6.99 and you get 50 more free with buy-1-get-1, or is that two 25-packs equaling 50 total?

    Florida Atlantic University in Boca.

  • fauguy
    12 years ago

    I've now been using the Quantum Finish for three weeks straight and have noticed that several of my plastic cups are starting to discolor. It's looks like the color on them is being faded to white. I've also noticed that the underbottom of a few pans have started to looked eat-away in a few spots. I'm thinking it must be the Finish Quantum that is doing this, as everything was fine when using the Method Smarty for a few months. Since I still have a half box of the Quantum, I'm going to return them back to Walmart and get the Method Smarty again.