Finally, Bosch have released their new generation of dishwashers on the American market they have been out in Europe for some months.
The most interesting innovation is probably the cutlery drawer. Here is the feature list for their top model  IÂll comment on it later. And... be ready for a surprise I'll tell you about towards the end of the post - you'll love it!
Appearance
* Stainless Steel TallTub
* 6 Wash Cyles and 5 Options
Quietness
* Virtually Silent: 40 dBA
* Quietest Dishwasher in the U.S.
* Two Pumps Minimize Noise & Vibration
* Solid Base Contains Sound & Prevents Leaks
Efficiency
* 180 kwh/yr - Energy Star®
* Most Efficient Dishwasher in the U.S.
* EcoAction Option Reduces Energy Usage by up to 25%
* EcoSense Reduces Energy Usage by up to 20%
* Half Load Option for Small Loads
* Flow-Through Water HeaterÂ
* Triple Filtration System
Safety
* AquaStop® Plus 4-Part Leak Protection Works 24/7
* PerfectDoor Keeps Dishwasher Door at Angle You Want
* Sanitize Option eliminates bacteria and enhances drying results
* SaniDry Hygienic Condensation Drying
* Concealed Heating Element - No Melting of Plastics
Capacity
* 15 Place Setting Capacity
* VarioFlex Plus Racks for the Most Flexible Loading
* 3rd Rack for Additional Loading Capacity
* RackMatic® Plus - Upper Rack adjusts to 3 Different Loading Levels
* Extra Tall Item Sprinkler Cleans Items 22" Tall
Convenience
* Multi-Function Full Text LCD Display
* 24 h Delay Start Timer
Performance
* Water Softener Ensures Perfect Cleaning Results
* ActiveTab Tray Optimizes Detergent Dissolving
* OptiDry® for Spotless Drying Results
* Variable Spray Pressure
* Load Size Sensor Automates Wash Cycle
On Quietness: yes, 40 dB is pretty much as low as it gets  even the Miele LaPerla is, technically, a little louder at 41 dB.
On Efficiency: I do have to say Bosch dishwashers use very little water. Here in Germany, they use even less and still do a brilliant job. The Half-Load Option is really nice: you can load dishes anywhere you want and this option will cut down on water consumption and also time. I even used it to wash a full load of lightly soiled dishes using only 2.4 gallons of water. EcoAction reduces the water temp and extends the cycle a little. The flow-through water heater is now built into the wash pump, which, according to Bosch, makes for faster water heating. The new filter is only a triple step system  compared to the old four step one. However, they have changed the micro filter: it now looks like a HEPA filter known from vacuum cleaners. This new system can filter more water than the old one due to the increased surface area (like a HEPA filter).
On Safety: I guess we all know about the AquaStop leak protection. One thing I especially like about it is that Bosch is so confident about it, they guarantee to cover any damage to your home should the system ever fail  nice!
However, the best is yet to come: SaniDry! Now, I have looked up the exploded view / parts diagram for these models and it seems Bosch have finally introduced their patented heat exchanger to the US market. Our Bosch/Siemens dishwashers over here have had this for many years and IÂm excited to see it being sold in the US. Here is what it is: the heat exchanger is a plastic reservoir, mounted to the left outside of the dishwasher tub. When you turn the dishwasher on, this reservoir fills with fresh water. Once full, the water is emptied into the dishwasherÂs tub and recirculated. Towards the end of the prewash, the heat exchanger again fills with fresh water. What now happens is that the hot water, spraying around inside the tub, heats up the water stored in the reservoir. After about five minutes of this heat exchanging process, the water from inside the tub is drained and replaced by the preheated water from the heat exchanger. The advantages are: less energy and time needed to heat water for the next step (i.e. main wash), no temperature shock on fine dishes and glasses because the water is preheated and, at the same time, the water inside the tub is cooled (as heat is absorbed by the cold water in the heat exchanger).
The heat exchanger also fills towards the end of the main wash and interim rinse, which means every step in the cycle begins with preheated water.
During the drying cycle, the reservoir first remains empty. Once about half of the cycle is over, the reservoir begins to fill with cold water: this is the condensation-drying step. What happens is that the wall of the dishwasher tub is cooled, causing the steam to condense. The droplets are drained away at the end of the cycle. Note: as you can imagine, this system really benefits from a cold-water hook-up. However, because of the little amount of water uses and the preheating, cycle times should not be excessively longer.
On Capacity: yes, the Miele patent has finally expired and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon putting cutlery drawers on their dishwashers. The Bosch varioDrawer is not dividable or hight-adjustable. However, it is V-shaped so that you can put taller items to the left and right sections of the upper basket and small cups etc. in the middle section of the drawer. They also finally changed the upper rack layout to the European design, which, I think, is a vast improvement  never understood why Bosch used this stupid upper rack design in the US. One thing to mention: there is no third spray arm  instead, they upgraded the top nozzle. It is bigger and has its own water feed, so that is has more power than before to wash the cutlery drawer. Still think a real spray arm would have been the better solution.
On Performance: as you may have noticed from the list above, their TOL machines also have a water softener. These, contrary to the ones by Miele, are not self-adjusting, though. You have to set them yourself. The Tab Tray is a nice invention as it prevents tabs from falling (and becoming stuck) in between plates. Nevertheless, I still prefer powdered detergent  the Miele brand, actually. OptiDry automatically increases the final rinse temperature and lengthens the drying cycle should the rinse aid dispenser be empty. Variable Spray Pressure is a nice feature but only works automatically on the Auto cycles  not user-selectable like on some LG dishwashers. There is also an Extra Wash feature, which, if it works like Intensive Zone in Europe, washes the lower rack at a higher temperature and with more pressure  for pots and pans. Sanitize is also available.
On a personal note: we have a (Euro) Siemens at home and it is the best dishwasher I have ever used  even better than my grandmaÂs Miele. Even if you stack items everything comes out just clean and perfect. Bosch/Siemens dishwashers also constantly receive great reviews from our consumer magazine.
Now for the big invention Bosch/Siemens brought to the dishwasher market a few months ago: real heated drying with zeolith minerals! This is an amazing system  already award-winning and patented.
How it works: underneath the dishwasherÂs tub, there is a container filled with artificial zeolith. These minerals have the ability to transform hot, moisture-laden air into dry and even hotter air. During the drying cycle, a fan blows the steamy air from the drying cycle through the minerals. These than gradually absorb the moisture and further heat up the air, which is than blown into the tub to dry the dishes. Interestingly, the outlet resembles the one found on vintage KitchenAid dishwashers, where a hair dryer-like mechanism dried the dishes. The hot air is then once again forced through the minerals  this cycle continues until the drying step is over. The zeolith minerals are regenerated during the wash cycle: a little heater underneath the mineralÂs reservoir heats them up and dries them. Steam is released into the tub, which helps to heat up the wash water. By the way, there is no mentioning of a steam wash or similar. I had thought Bosch/Siemens might use the byproduct of the regeneration process (steam) and advertise it as a new steam wash feature  but apparently not.
As I said, Zeolith Drying is new to the German market and it might take a while before it is, hopefully, launched in the US. Our consumer magazine tested one of these new Zeolith dishwashers and found it to dry plastics better than any other dishwasher.
Finally, here are the video clips I have uploaded to my YouTube account, which show some of the different features. Note: they are in German so what you need to do is click on "More Info" on the right-hand side of the video  this will give you an English translation.
The activeWater system
ActiveTab Tray
VarioFlex Plus Racks and varioDrawer
Extra Wash
{{gwi:1444786}}
{{gwi:1444787}}
Greetings from Germany, Alex
mrtimewise