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lizzie6_gw

Help Bosch dishwasher looks awful!

lizzie6
11 years ago

Hi has anyone had a new Bosch dishwasher installed in a new kitchen and had large gaps on either sides? It does not sit snug next to the cabinets. Has a black decorative strip, and sticks out like a sore thumb in my new kitchen. My contractor said he would look at it, but I am hoping someone has some ideas...

Thanks! Love the rest of my kitchen, this just looks bad...

Comments (21)

  • suzanne_sl
    11 years ago

    Picture, please?

  • coco4444
    11 years ago

    Does yours look like this? I don't mind mine, although in this pick it still had to be raised a titch...

  • lizzie6
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    It does look like above, I did take a pic with my iPad, how can I post? Sorry, kind of new with commenting. Very good at browsing! Lol

  • Mistman
    11 years ago

    Mine has a white strip.....maybe you can get a different color?

  • windycitylindy
    11 years ago

    Bosch, Miele, and Asko are not actually 24" wide. Instead they're something like 400 mm or about 23 and a bit. If your dishwasher spot was sized for a non-European dishwasher, there will be a bit of a gap. I think people often get a strip of filler wood to match their cabinetry rather than using the black gap filler.

  • joaniepoanie
    11 years ago

    Mine has a 1/2" gap on either side, but honestly I didn't even notice it until I read the OP. I have natural maple cabs and the DW is SS so you just see SS from the side, but you do see the gap if you are looking at the DW head on. I don't think it looks bad....

  • Rudebekia
    11 years ago

    I put in a Bosch last year and despaired about the gap--for about 1 day. Then I forgot about it until this thread. It looks just fine! The gap is too small for a filler.

  • lwerner
    11 years ago

    Mine has a 3/8" or so gap on either side. I haven't noticed it in years, since shortly after I installed the thing. My 55 year old cabinets are pretty ugly, so the rubber thingy is more attractive than the cabinets. :-) I probably need to do something about that before I sell the place next year.

    Having that extra room on each side was handy when I was installing the dishwasher. I could shove the thing into the opening without bumping either side, then nudge it around a bit until it was all lined up.

    BTW, I know there are some Bosch bashers here, but my ~10 year old Bosch dishwasher has been wonderful. That may be partly because I'm comparing it to the vintage 1956 dishwasher it replaced, which was more of a dish rinser. (Built like a tank, though.) But the Bosch does a great job of washing my dishes without me having to pre-rinse them. Dishes are fairly dry at the end too, even though it doesn't have a heated drying phase. The only real down side is that the cycle time is really long, but that's the price for using less water.

    I also have Bosch washer and dryer I bought after being so pleased with the dishwasher. Also very good, also long cycle times.

    Laura

  • denali2007
    11 years ago

    Just had our kitchen redone and used the same Bosch dishwasher. Gaps on either side here too. I hate it. Good to know other people have the same problem, I thought it was a bad install job

  • dilly_ny
    11 years ago

    I have an Asko DW and although it is not fully installed yet (wood door needs to be attached and unit needs to be mounted), my cabinet maker put a small filler piece on each side and I am hoping it will look perfect. The trim is adhered to the cabinets on each side. I was annoyed that my plumber took one piece off, but I plan to put it back on.

    Good Luck!

  • live_wire_oak
    11 years ago

    Have your cabinet installer install scribe molding (SM) on the cabinet to the side of the DW. It's a thin molding designed to disguise gaps where the cabinets meet the walls and he should already have a bit of it in scrap on hand. It's not a big deal to correct, and it SHOULD be corrected as the issue is not merely a cosmetic one. Any gap between a DW and the adjacent cabinetry can allow sound from the motor and pumps at the rear to escape outward into the room. I've had installers adhere a thin foam product the the adjacent cabinet that was hidden by the scribe molding and that also helps with the quietness issue.

  • rococogurl
    11 years ago

    As usual, live wire got it right. My Miele was installed in a mis-measured cabinet --24" vs 23-5/8" (other dinos here might remember that particular cabinet saga but it was long, long ago). When we ordered extra custom trim pieces to correct other really bad issues I forgot about that strip. Next time there's a carpenter in the house, I'll have one put in and just paint it out.

    But, as a result, the Miele is much less quiet than it should be. It's certainly not noisy but when we got it right in our apartment it was even better.

  • lee676
    11 years ago

    Why not just push the cabinet(s) on either side closer to the DW? And if necessary, put a color-matched vertical filler strip at the end of the cabinet run where it meets the wall? (if the cabinets end in open space, enjoy the larger walk-through opening).

    Although it would make sense that non-US dishwashers are 60cm (23") instead of 24" wide, if you actually compare the dimension specifications, you'll find they're all about the same. Only the front-to-rear depth is substantially different on most European (but not Korean) brand dishwashers.

  • _sophiewheeler
    11 years ago

    If you leave less than a 24" space, you'll never be able to fit any future American sized DW into the hole. You may be set on only purchasing Euro DW's, but you also may want the versatility of having the space for other choices. Any future owners would be mightily PO'd if they had to rearrange cabinetry to be able to fit in their new Kitchenaid rather than just remove a bit of molding.

  • mjsee
    11 years ago

    It looks as though your cabinets are painted white... if it REALLY bothers you (after you've lived with it for awhile) could you tack some sort of shoe molding or filler strip in place? As someone who has lived with a tiny wall oven (18" x 18" x 15" interior dimensions)for 15 years because the PO's were "making it fit"...I would recommend NOT squinching the cabs together. Even if it is never a problem for you...you don't want to be "THAT" Previous Owner. At least--I never want to be "THAT" Previous Owner. ;^)

  • lala girl
    11 years ago

    We had this problem too and our contractor did just what live_wire_oak suggested and it fixed the problem totally.

  • lee676
    11 years ago

    If you leave less than a 24" space, you'll never be able to fit any future American sized DW

    The way things are going, there won't be many US-made dishwashers by then anyway. Some GE dishwashers are made in China now and have European dimensions.

  • rocketmomkd
    11 years ago

    Thanks live wire for that tip! We are about to install our cabinets/Bosch dishwasher and I didn't realise there is a gap with Bosch. We already have scribe for other areas of the kitchen. I hope we have enough to install it at the dishwasher too!

  • will47
    11 years ago

    The install manual mentions "side strips", which from what I can tell are intended to fill that gap. I'm about to get a Bosch too - wondering if anyone with an Ascenta can confirm that they come with some kind of strip to fill that small gap.

  • rocketmomkd
    11 years ago

    will- we have the Ascenta and the side strips are pre-installed on the dishwasher. They are black rubber and they will fill the gap, but they are recessed from the front of the dishwasher. They are actually behing the door. Basically, they fill the gap and keep the sound behind them, but you will still see a gap unless you use some type of scribe or other filler.