How to buy a dishwasher?

I need to buy a new dishwasher.  I have no experience with this whatsoever as all of the ones I have had before came with the houses they were in.  Is there something that makes one dishwasher better than another? Are some brands to be avoided?  Are there features that one must have?

Any help would be appreciated.

When I was shopping for a mattress, I subscribed to Consumer Reports online for one month. I found the information therein extremely helpful. It only cost me one month's subscription fee (I don't recall how much it was). Be aware that you have to call them to cancel after you're done. They don't hassle you at all when you call to cancel.

Automatic drying feature. A friend bought a house that had one that was a European version that for some reason didn’t dry automatically. She woke up every morning to wet but clean dishes. Yuck. 

Check with your local library.  They may have hard copies of current/back issues and/or an on line subscription to Consumer Reports. Maplewood has both.    

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

When I was shopping for a mattress, I subscribed to Consumer Reports online for one month. I found the information therein extremely helpful. It only cost me one month's subscription fee (I don't recall how much it was). Be aware that you have to call them to cancel after you're done. They don't hassle you at all when you call to cancel.

i do exactly this any time I need to shop an appliance. I beleive the monthly cost is $6.95. Well worth it.

A couple of years ago, our old loud dishwasher broke. In getting a new one, I picked one that was rated as super quiet by Consumer Reports. 

And it is super quiet. However, it just doesn't get the dishes clean unless I rinse them in the sink first. I think someone once said that the new dishwashers seem to "gently spit water at the dishes".

sprout said:

A couple of years ago, our old loud dishwasher broke. In getting a new one, I picked one that was rated as super quiet by Consumer Reports. 

And it is super quiet. However, it just doesn't get the dishes clean unless I rinse them in the sink first. I think someone once said that the new dishwashers seem to "gently spit water at the dishes".

Would a pre-soak option help? I wonder if dishwashers have them. I certainly love the one in my washing machine. 

When our last dishwasher died, the (independent) repairman who pointed out to me the hole in the bottom of it (we couldn't figure out why there was water in the basement below it - so clearly we're not too smart) told me: go buy a Bosch, you won't need another dishwasher as long as you own the house. So, I went to the Sears Appliance outlet in the Essex Green, and bought the cheapest Bosch that matched my other appliances. Around $500. Still works great, but was purchased only about a year ago.

ElizMcCord said:

sprout said:

A couple of years ago, our old loud dishwasher broke. In getting a new one, I picked one that was rated as super quiet by Consumer Reports. 

And it is super quiet. However, it just doesn't get the dishes clean unless I rinse them in the sink first. I think someone once said that the new dishwashers seem to "gently spit water at the dishes".

Would a pre-soak option help? I wonder if dishwashers have them. I certainly love the one in my washing machine. 

Ours has an extra "steam" option. It didn't help much.

I like the reviews at The Wirecutter (nee The Sweethome).

Here are reviews last updated in September.

At a minimum look for a sturdy stainless interior.

We bought a Bosch from Sears, too. When people come to visit us, they are always amazed that we just scrape the food off the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. They always come out clean. It holds a lot, too. We're very happy with it. 

Bosch. Have had them in various places we’ve lived. As mentioned above, they actually recommend (at least our model), not to rinse, just scrape and put in dishwasher. 99.9% of time dishes come out perfect, and save water too

Following this thread as I will probably be in the market soon.

Re where to buy, I am partial to Paul’s in Newark. They are a family-run business with great prices and helpful staff. Shop but don’t purchase on their website (https://www.paulshomeappliances.com) as you can get better prices by phone or in person. (When I asked why, they told me that the manufacturers restrict how low they can advertise.) 

Bought GE profile appliances in 2009.  3 of 4 have had issues.  Junk.  Would not ever buy again.  Consumer reports is the way to go.  KitchenAid, Kenmore, and Bosch get top marks in CR.

My not-good-at-washing dishwasher is also GE (although I think it had decent marks in CR at the time -- it was in 2012).

Frankly I think it is all a bit of a crap shoot. There is a reason that you are able to use many of the repair components across different brands, -because so many of them are made almost exactly the same inside.

I bought a dishwasher from Colonial Appliances in New Providence. A mid-level Bosch. Extremely happy with it, especially the third top flat rack. It's true that European models have a different drying element (it's internal) so you have to use the "Sanitize" feature to get the heated dry option. Only complaint is that the cycle is long, but that seems to be the theme with most modern, quiet, water-saving dishwashers.

I would highly recommend Colonial, my parents have used them for years. They will match the lowest advertised prices from any of the big box retailers, but you get excellent customer service while you're shopping. They also partner with solid installers as well.

Strong caution against Home Depot. I had to get their installers back THREE times before the dishwasher was attached to the counter, level and properly sealed. 

j_r said:

I like the reviews at The Wirecutter (nee The Sweethome).


Here are reviews last updated in September.

At a minimum look for a sturdy stainless interior.

I should knock on wood. That article says that dishwashers typically last 10 years. I've had my stainless interior Kitchen Aid since 1995 and it's still good at washing dishes...

Our Bosch gets dishes clean....but after a couple years the drain pump clogged 2-3 times which involved going under the sink to drain the line with the wet vac each time :-(  

seems like it must be a fairly common problem as there were several YouTube vids about it and how common the clogs are...Luckily fixing them is not too tough...That said we now pre-rinse our dishes to avoid having to unclog the pump.

Learn from our mistake and do not buy a Samsung appliance.  We bought all new matching Samsung appliances for our kitchen when remodeling just 5 years ago and have either repaired or replaced every appliance since then.

My trusty appliance repair guy (Larry of Astre) is only certified for American brands, so I tend to stick with them.  I expect that foreign brands are probably more expensive to service and I don't have an established relationship with whoever I would need to call for that.  I usually ask Larry's opinion when considering a new appliance purchase.  I do also consult CR but it can be frustrating because the model numbers change so quickly that you often can't find the same ones that they tested by the time you are shopping.  It does help in identifying trends for particular brands and also with questions to ask when shopping

@Klinker - I just PMed you

Following, so please post update if you can.

ElizMcCord said:

Automatic drying feature. A friend bought a house that had one that was a European version that for some reason didn’t dry automatically. She woke up every morning to wet but clean dishes. Yuck. 

Funny you should say that. We have a control on our dishwasher that allows us to bypass the heat drying segment. We'd rather not use fossil fuels and run up our bill for something that we can do in the air for free. Europeans tend not to want to pay for electric heat. I just open the door when the machine is done, and I can empty it a few minutes later. The dishes do get clean and then they dry off.

We recently bought a Bosch dishwasher - from Carl's, I think - and very much appreciate how quiet it is.

As far as pre rinsing dishes goes, I have always done that since I never really thought of the dishwasher as a garbage disposal.  And somethings like egg yolk and some cheese will bake onto dishes in a dishwasher.  What a dishwasher does do well is to get rid of oil and grease films.

sprout said:

A couple of years ago, our old loud dishwasher broke. In getting a new one, I picked one that was rated as super quiet by Consumer Reports. 

And it is super quiet. However, it just doesn't get the dishes clean unless I rinse them in the sink first. I think someone once said that the new dishwashers seem to "gently spit water at the dishes".

What what a shame, Consumer Reports was free the last couple of weeks while they did some updating. If only I had seen this thread sooner.

We bought a Bosch dishwasher because of consumer reports and it has been great. The only problem is once in a blue moon when it's really cold for a long time something will freeze and it won't run. It's on an outside wall, old house, no insulation. Not a big problem at all. It's so quiet I have to put my ear against the door to make sure that it is actually running.