Take some of your dishes with you to try in your potential dishwasher purchase. My daughter has a Bosch, but I hate the bottom rack. >>>>>>>>>>>
Great advice. Our dw died while I was in knee replacement recovery and I stupidly told dh just to go buy one, I trusted him. we knew we wanted Bosch but didn’t even think about the configuration. I LOVE the quietness but I hate how it loads on the bottom. Oh well.
We subscribe to Consumer Reports’ website (30-40 bucks per year) and find it to be worthwhile. Consulted it when purchasing our last dishwasher, changing our homeowner’s insurance carrier, daughter purchasing her first car (used), daughter financing her first car, changing husband’s life insurance coverage a few years back (plus buying life insurance in the first place, years ago), digital cameras, big-screen TV, etc, etc.
I find CU a bit frustrating, for reasons others have listed, but also because it is difficult to find user reviews on their items. When you have 5 top rated items to choose from, it sure is nice to have reader reviews to look at.
At that point, I go to Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot or Lowe’s’ web sites to look for reviews. 100+ positive reviews on Amazon helped me choose my iron far better than CU’s top choice (which tended to leak after a few months according to Amazon users).
I took both dishes (bowl, and 2 sizes of plates) and our regular glasses when we purchased a new dishwasher. Made me choose another KitchenAid instead of Bosch. I’ve been happy with all my KitchenAid appliances, but our dishwasher did catch on fire (thus the need for new one), which is apparently more common than most of us realize. There’s a class action suit about it.
Ordered new high end appliances. Dishwasher had a defective wire and the fridge had dents in the back and a panel that wasn’t screwed on well. Might have kept that if the department that handles price adjustments was open, but it wasn’t, so they both went back.
A house near us burned down due to the dishwasher. Now I am leery about running it when I sleep and I never run it when I am planning on leaving the house.
@MomCat2: “We subscribe to Consumer Reports’ website (30-40 bucks per year) and find it to be worthwhile. Consulted it when purchasing our last dishwasher, changing our homeowner’s insurance carrier, daughter purchasing her first car (used), daughter financing her first car, changing husband’s life insurance coverage a few years back (plus buying life insurance in the first place, years ago), digital cameras, big-screen TV, etc, etc.”
Just an FYI on Consumer Reports-you can read it online for free if you have a library card. Most public libraries have an agreement with CR to let you read their stuff for free. The process is complicated, so go to the library and have the librarian walk you through it unless you’re very savvy with regards to hunting through the library’s website.
Deck finishes-Sherwin Williams oil-based Superdeck. It is a bear to put it on the wood and requires a professional who knows what they’re doing, but the finish is gorgeous and it lasts and lasts. If you get a painter who tries to talk you out of it, find another painter. The good painters know how good the oil based products are. The EPA hates them, though, and is trying to scare everyone towards water based products.
I have the Bosch 800 series, which has the 3rd rack. I have no,problem with loading the lower rack. A red dot lights shows on the floor,so I know when it is running.
re: front-loading washers - do you leave the door open when not in use? That lets everything dry out and prevent it from getting smelly. I do this with my top-loading washer, it helps a lot.
We have a Subzero fridge, and had to make two expensive repairs right after it was out of warranty. A $5500 refrigerator should have a warranty longer than two years, IMO. On the plus side it is now 15 years old and we haven’t had a problem in years, knock on wood.
I leave the front door slightly open and the soap dispenser pulled out on my front loading washer when not in use. I also keep a Clorox pop-up sheet dispenser nearby and grab a sheet to clean the door seal every so often. I’ve had no problem with mold.
Friends who kept the door closed got a terrible mold problem. The smell got into all their towels and they had to throw them out. They got rid of the washer after 2 years. I’ve had the same model for 14 years now.
Yes, do leave the door open. Had a major stink when we did not. Figured out from utube how to clean it.
When kids are home I put a hanger in the door hinge so they will not close it as they walk by to the side yard.
The fourth time was the charm for us with dishwashers – we got a Bosch a couple of years ago, in significant part to the good reviews I read here on an appliance thread that was running then. I have to put my ear against it to make sure it started running, it’s so quiet.