Miele - definitely.

Unlike with a lot of other brands, the lower level Mieles are the same chasis ect as the higher level ones. As you moove up you get a water softener, you get more flexible and adjustable racks, additional insulation on the top, and more wash programs like "cheese" and the top top has an automatic door opener and closer. More features. With Bosch you are getting different construction (plastic pans) different heaters, pumps ect as well as the creature comforts of racks and programs.

Re: hubby's rational, what did he think was flimsier? The racks, control buttons, ???? Miele has excellent build quality. Still a family run company, with KA you get Whirlpool's massive operation behind you which isn't a plus.

There are drawbacks to Miele and euro dw's in general - you should read the threads around here before you leap in, but I'll give you a condensed version.

Rack spacing is closer together to allow more dishes, but it can be a problem if you have thick clay type dishware. You also have to get with the program and load it in an orderly manner for best results. Can;t throw stuff in willy nilly plied up on each other. Some don't like a machine especially a relatively expensive one like these having so many procedures to follow.

You must use rinse aid, and even then plastic lids and sippy cups that pool water will not completely dry. You can place plastic anywhere though.

The silverware tray is love hate- most love -it even if it takes a bit of getting used to for them. Patent ran out a few years back and lots copy it now after years of officially bad mouthing it.

They can be sensitive to water and soap combos. If you have hard water - get a model with a softener and they tend not to like gel soaps or eco friendly kinds.

I have the Inspira--didn't need the built-in softener or a cheese cycle :-). So far (I have been using it almost every day for 6 weeks) I love it. Works well, love the silverware tray. I have Fiestaware and still feel like I can fit A LOT in there--in fact, more than my old KA because in the Miele I can put things closer together and they still get clean, whereas in my old DW things needed "space" or they stayed dirty.

That said, I did look at the new KAs for my remodel since they had such good reviews, and might have gone with one; for us, it came down to a style choice. We got a panel-ready model for inset cabinets, and the KA just wouldn't sit flush with the surrounding cabinets and the Miele did.

Good luck!

If your hubby thinks its flimsy, maybe you should ask him to lift one up. Pretty damn heavy dishwasher. :)

I think when he said flimsy he was referring to the racks. I didn't see it myself, I was at work.

I think we're going with the Kitchenaid. If we get the Miele we would lose $300 in rebates from Kitchenaid, pay an extra $100 for the Miele itself and another $250 for installation. I can buy a lot of floor tile for that.

Most likely, either choice is a good one. I went with the KichenAid KUDE70 model -- because I ordered in July, the current model 70 may be slightly different -- also mainly for its lower cost (vs. a Miele).

Basically, I'm happy with my KA -- its very quiet, and it cleans very well. On the other hand, it does stick out a bit from the line of cabinetry; the Miele would be more flush. Some people care about this.

Another minor issue: Because the KA's door handle is set relatively low from the top of the door, when you try to close an open door (after filling or emptying), your hand touches the stainless steel door's "wall" rather than its handle. So the top of the door shows fingerprints above the handle. I mention this mainly because it annoys me (some), and because this didn't occur to me until after I got the DW. Its just something you may want to consider, is all...

There are also some installation differences between these units. I have an Optima and not a recent KitchenAid, but my understanding is that the KA is designed for a 24-inch width, and I can assert that the Miele units are designed for a slightly narrower width. Because the side seals need to be against something, the Miele unit should have a filler strip installed if the width is too wide.

Also, rumor has it that US dishwashers require more than 24 inches of depth for built-in models. I built my counter area deep enough that either continent's units would fit, but a tight 24 inches of depth might limit the types of US dishwashers that could be made flush with the cabinet fronts without digging into the wall.

kas

GwenyP, can you reiterate how it came to be that you are limited in dishwasher selection because of the floor tile being installed around the dishwasher opening ? I didn't see why. And, I cannot figure out why.

I would look at Fagor, Blomberg and especially LG dishwashers, in addition to the Euro competitors to Miele (Asko and Bosch Thermador).

david- DW's and other appliances typically need 34 1/2" of ht. to install in. If you old kitchen had this and had say sheet flooring and then you renovated and added 1/4" backer board + thinset + 1/2" tile then you are less than 34" and the DW won't fit under the counter now. Or, it fits but you couldn't get it in and out because of the tile in front of the opening. Sometimes the case can be xtreme and you need a really short DW and only a few Euro models will work because they cater to a small segment of Euro kitchen manuf that use 6-8" tall toekicks which then require shorter DW's.

Bet my shirt LG won't work and even if it did their DW has a questionable track record as well as being new. Bosch doesn't have a suitable model in the U.S. , and T'dor is just rebadgerd Bosch. Asko has at least one and is at teh top of the op's budget.