top to bottom - Miele.

Bosch's top two models that are made in Germany are high quality too, but the rest of the line is not of the same standard and their entry level big box store specials are really lacking.

I've learned recently that European DW for the most part (if not all) do not have a heated drying cycle which makes them quite energy efficient, but also knocks them off my consideration list.

I've had great luck in the past with Whirlpool Corp. manufactured DW, which means that there are about 10 different brand names you can pick from, lol. (Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Kenmore, Amana, etc.) I think that if you stick with Whirlpool or Kenmore brands (as most all of Sears DW are Whirlpool mfg.) you should have good luck without dropping major coins. I was looking through Consumer Reports July 2011 issue and the Kenmore units ranked quite high.

Of course, CR is something you either believe or not. They ranked the Miele DWs as the worst they tested...which flies in the face of comments made on this and many other sites.

I'm going to go with Kitchen Aid myself, just for its look and that it will match the KA fridge I want.

You can get better advice if you post a budget.

Not top of the line can mean $300 or $1300.

Be aware that things have changed a lot in 10 years. Whatever machine you buy will clean your dishes just fine, but........it will use much less water than ten years ago and it's cycles will all run longer....a lot longer....which means you'll be listening to whatever noises it makes longer than you may be accustomed to. Suggest asking about quiet and paying for quiet, which always costs a little more.

FWIW, I have newer WP 2600 rated at 52 dB. It's fine for our household ...... but it is a no-charge replacement for first purchase of another of their models, almost identical, that produced 59 dB which was annoying. They all look alike. You'll have to read the specs. and ask questions. For most folks' consideration, I would recommend this acceptable-to-me 52dB as the loudest to be accepted. There are plenty of machines available that are that quiet or quieter...down into the low 40's. Is there such a thing as "scary quiet"?

Get up to speed on local availability and dealer support. If your nearest Asko dealer is 100 miles away, for example, scratch that off your list.

I just purchased a Miele Dimension Plus. It replaced a high end KitchenAid which barely lasted 10 years and the last 5 years of that required several repairs. The problem is that Whirlpool puts the same mechanical parts inside their high end machines which they put in their bottom of the line contractor machines.

I can't speak to the reliability of the Miele machine since I've only had it for a few weeks, but I bought a Miele European built washer also 10 years ago, and despite heavy usage, it's never given me a lick of trouble. In both cases the build quality of the machines is very apparent and what I saw about the Kitchenaid isn't present on the Miele. The entire Miele washer is made of stainless steel. The whirlpool KA only had a stainless front and tub. The rest was plastic and painted steel which ended up rusting.

My KA started to give me trouble because of a $2 part that started to disintegrate. This resulted in a gradual reduction in cleaning power until stuff stopped getting cleaned at all. To change it out required a significant disassembly of the dishwasher. To make matters worse that part is only sold as a kit so it cost $50 to buy it. Later the bearing seal on the motor started to leak, which corroded the motor and that was it. A new motor far exceeded the worth of the unit. For anyone contemplating a purchase of one of these now, I had a unit with the powerclean module. The ones made now are not considered to be as well made. Go read the repair forums if you want more info.

On the earlier comment about the lack of electric drying, I've never liked that. You always have to worry about stuff melting on the bottom rack. The Miele dries dishes by running a small fan and it pops the door open by about 3-4 inches at the end of the cycle. It's very effective and gets everything, including plastic stuff very dry and it's not as harsh as the electric element. It's also faster.

The washer is almost silent during operation. We have to look at it to see if it is running.

IMO, you won't be disappointed by Miele

Miele-everything else is a compromise

Bosch mid line - best bang for buck

I only paid around $550 (after a $100) rebate for my $1000 retail Asko dishwasher. I love it. Incredibly quiet. If you're willing to shop around for a while, you might be surprised what you can find for a good price that will fit your budget.

Be aware that the regs regarding detergents have changed, and your results are going to depend on the detergent and rinse agent as much as the dishwasher. The consensus seems to be that Finish Quantum is very good, with variable results on the rest depending on your water, machine, and other factors. Also, you have to put in dishes with crud on them if you're using the newer enzymatic detergents because they need something to eat. From what people say here, if you don't, it can start eating (etching) your dishes. Some of the newer detergents can also leave a heavy white film if you use too much. Or something like that. You'll find plenty of info if you search the forum.

I know you said "not top of the line" but depending on how many people you have in the house and how long you plan on staying there you might want to look into Fisher and Paykel dishdrawer. I have the tall model which is great for smaller loads since it's just me on my lonesome in the house. But it does have enough capacity to do a nearly full load if needed. It is EXTREMELY quiet, so much so that I need to look at the light to see if it's still running. It is also much easier to load which depending on your age may be a factor, personally I just didn't like bending over all the time (call me lazy). Just a suggestion, all the other options posted are also very good. I had a bosch for 7 years and liked it.

I purchased a KA in 2009 and am happy with it, but I agree with everyone that the Mieles are MUCH better made. However, they didn't fit my average load - I have a lot of very odd-sized dishes and a lot of extra-large cookware.

I think the sales guy was rather surprised when I showed up with a boxful of dishes, extra-large baking sheets and oversized pots! When he tried to give his usual spiel about flatware trays I just waved him off. What I cared about was flexible loading and rack height, and the KA has been a total champ in allowing me to put in extremely mixed loads.

The KA works great now that the fourth serviceperson discovered the second serviceperson wired the d&&n soap dispenser unit backwards! plus I discovered Finish Quantum detergent thanks to this forum - but sooner or later, it will die, Whirlpool doesn't make many good products these days.

When it does, I'll go with Miele. I understand the new Mieles just introduced this year have a better tine system for more flexible loading of the kind of loads I run.

jkom51 you are too cute for bringing your dishes to the store to try them out, lol. If only we would all do that we wouldn't have that unhappy surprise to find out that a machine we chose does not work well for our needs. Wish I could have seen that!!! You go girl!

We are remodeling and will probably go with bosch, but we've had a middle of the road whirlpool for 7 years (which replaced a 6 year old GE)without a lick of trouble. Noise level wasn't even in my radar back then and it is louder than I'd like so this time around we are looking at decibels around 45.

I replaced a 10 year old KA with a Miele Optima a few months ago.

At first I thought I'd made a mistake. It was difficult to load and things just didn't seem to be as clean as I thought they would be.

I added softening salt and got a system down for loading and now I am VERY pleased. Once I got the swing of loading it, I realized it holds much more than I thought.

I am constantly amazed at how shiny everything is coming out. I love the cutlery rack - each piece clean and gleaming. That never happened in the KA.

I use either Miele tabs of BioVert tabs, softening salt and no rinse aid.

Our family room backs to our kitchen and my husband would have to turn up the tv when the KA was running. Now we don't even hear it - heaven.

>>I love the cutlery rack - each piece clean and gleaming. That never happened in the KA. >>

Interesting. I've never had any issues with flatware in the KA. It does clean better on the bottom rack than on the top rack, however, especially if I'm using (the last of) my Cascade gel instead of the Finish tablets.

@jkom51, there were always little issues with the cutlery. I mean, they weren't filthy or anything but I'm pretty fussy and there would always be some spots.

Occasionally a knife would still be a little dirty (if I used it for cream cheese in the am). I've had a few tiny things with the Miele but for the most part very shiny. I used to wipe each piece of cutlery coming out of the KA (with a tea towel) but now almost every piece can go straight in the drawer.

My mom has an inexpensive Kenmore (I believe made by the same as KA) and it worked much better than my KA did.

We installed our 47dB Bosch dishwasher 16 years ago. It has given us one little scare, but it turned out that there was mineral buildup from hard water. We cleaned it and replaced a couple of rack rollers that had worn out and not a hiccup since. Our new home will no doubt have another Bosch.

There have been anecdotes here stating that the newer low to mid-level Bosch's are not as good as they used to be, though the high end ones are still made in Germany. Some of the Kenmore Elite models are rebadged high-end Bosch models. You can tell by checking the internal layouts.

We splurged on a very quiet, higher end Bosch 11 years ago (if I remember correctly it was $800) and it's been wonderful. I only run it about twice a week, and always on the econo/delicate setting to save water/energy - I do rinse my dishes since I don't run it everyday, but I only have to use 1 level teaspoon of powdered detergent to end up with sparkling clean dishes. We live in a small house so the noise level was very important to me - it's a very soft "swoosh, swoosh" noise that I rarely notice. It has had only one problem - a defect in the circuit board about 5 years ago that the repairman told me was a common problem for that particular model of Bosch. (It was an inexpensive fix.) He also told me he recommends Bosch to all of his friends and family since in his experience they so rarely require service.

I have a Bosch bought THROUGH Lowes, but not stocked in the lowes store. It cost me about $900. It is similar but not identical to the one in the attached link.

Yes, it was made in USA - as are a lot of Bosch dishwashers that are sold in Europe, too.

I have no doubt that Miele are better, and I did want one - but at double the price, that was, wow, just too much.

Your mileage may vary. My observation about Big Box stores is: do not necessarily buy what they stock but they can order for you. In that case, DO take advantage of things like free delivery and removal. Not to mention often times 'six months same as cash'

Nate

Here is a link that might be useful: Bosch DW

There are some really great full-sized dishwashers on Amazon.com. This website has it narrowed down pretty well.

Here is a link that might be useful: Frugal 5