Bosch Dishwasher SHE44C02UC Evolution 500 Series- A Must for Energy Conscious Consumers
Written: Dec 12 '07
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Pros: energy efficiency, quiet operation, excellent performance
Cons: rinse aid is a must, no child lock
The Bottom Line: I recommend this dishwasher based on energy efficiency. It's the ultimate!
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| gardengnome's Full Review: Bosch SHE44C02UC / SHE44C06UC / SHE44C07UC 24 in. ... |
We moved into our newly purchased and hopefully the last house the end of June. There was an old, high end for it's day dishwasher that had not worked for years and had a rusted out bottom. We found out the day we signed the papers which really didn't matter as the house was bought for location. Now this was a bonus for me as I had wanted to replace the dishwasher (Kenmore) at our old house but it was in good working order so had no excuse. Still that did not stop me from researching dishwashers. There was no doubt in my mind that the next dishwasher purchase would be a Bosch.
What I wanted: I do a lot of canning (about 1,000 jars/year) and I do a lot of cooking. For that reason the primary consideration I had for a dishwasher purchase was energy efficiency! It was imparative that the dishwasher be EnergyStar qualified. Not only are energy rates increasing we can no longer afford the environmental effects of high energy consumers. I knew I wanted stainless steel interior and white exterior. I wanted a dishwasher that didn't have a lot of extra cycles that I knew would not get used but could be one more thing to break down. Performance was a must.
What I bought: I ended up with the Bosch SHE4402UC dishwasher with white exterior. I did not actually purchase the dishwasher myself. Our kids (more than 2 less than 10) gifted us with the dishwasher for our anniversary and helped us install it.
Why: I had decided that I wanted a Bosch. One of my kids has a Bosch and is quite pleased with it. I had a chance to check it out and really liked what I saw. The kids had decided on this large purchase as a gift so based on that model bought the next model up although there is little difference. The purchase was based on energy efficiency. The Bosch name and performance were major influencing factors.
The Dishwasher: The Bosch dishwasher SHE44C02UC Evolution 500 Series is a built-in under the cabinet model. The exterior of the dishwasher is very sleek and modern looking without a lot of buttons and extras. It has a very clean look to it. There is a push ON/OFF button on the left of the control panel at the top. In the middle is the Bosch logo and under that is a small chrome finish arch to grasp for opening. On the right is a small (about 1-inch square),lighted LED cycle countdown panel followed by four cycle buttons (power scrub plus, regular wash, quick wash, rise and hold) with lighted LED indicators. At the very right side there are two lighted LED indicator lights, one above the other for refill rinse agent and sanitized. The door is an auto close with nothing to push or pull.
The interior is stainless steel tall tub. The adjustable racks are coated in a steel grey colour. There is no food grinder which makes for both energy efficiency and quieter operation. There are two food strainers that need to be cleaned out occasionally but if you scrape your plates this is only minimal. There are flip prongs on the upper rack so you can fit larger items and there are flip down wine glass holders.
Energy Efficiency: This dishwasher is EnergyStar qualified. There is a SensoTronic system that senses how dirty your dishes are and adjusts the washing time based on that. The dishwasher has a flow through water heating system. There is no heating coil to dry the dishes meaning extra energy savings and no more melted plastics on the bottom rack. Dishes are dried using condensation heat (OptiDry) so you are not paying to dry dishes! All of these make this dishwasher and extremely energy efficient machine.
The EnergyStar rating indicated that this machine will cost $20 per year based when using natural gas water heater and averaging 4 loads per week. It uses 12 kW which is .012 kWh. I did the calculations myself based on our energy costs. Per load this machine costs me 0.0017 cents in electricity. I couldn't effectively calculate the natural gas use. However, during the non-heating season our gas bill hovers at $30 per month (half is service charges) running a gas hot water heater, gas dryer, gas fireplace (occasionally) and gas grill so this dishwasher cannot be using much in the way of natural gas. Our water is 72 cents per cubic meter. At 7 gallons per load our cost is 0.0013 cents. The machine uses dishwasher detergent preferably powdered which works out for me at 3 cents per load and rinse agent at 5 cents. Overall the cost to run the machine is very inexpensive.
Installation: I read the reviews before we got this dishwasher and installation problems came up a few times. Ours was a DIY installation with the help of our kids. The installation instructions were detailed. We encountered no problems at all. The dishwasher fit perfectly into the existing space. Plumbing was quite easy.
Performance: Ok so for the nitty gritty. This machine has been hyped up to be very quiet. It is quieter than many models because there is no food grinder and because of the insulation. However, don't expect it to be whisper quiet. The level of quietness will depend on installation. Ours is installed on a cement base in a ceramic tiled kitchen (lower level of the house) that opens onto our family room. The hard surface allows the noise to echo a bit. We can easily carry on a normal conversation in the kitchen when the dishwasher is running and we don't have to turn up the television volume either. I like to run the dishwasher at night before we go to bed. The noise is minimal given the house is very quiet then. Given the location the noise does not affect the upper level of the house.
The dishwasher is easy to load. It will hold a 12 piece dinnerware setting. Removing the top rack will allow for large stock pots or larger items to be washed. As mentioned I do a lot of larger scale cooking especially when canning. I have not used the this feature. Once loaded add the desired amount of powdered detergent into the dispensing cup. Slide the cover into place. Make sure there is rinse agent in the dispenser. This machine really needs it! Shut the door. Press the ON/OFF button and the LED setting will appear under timing as well as the last setting. Choose the setting then walk away.
I'm really pleased with this machine's performance. I like that it gives me exactly the cycles I use with no fancy settings I know I won't use. It's as quiet as a dishwasher can get. It does a wonderful job of cleaning the dishes. It's extremely energy efficient. The stainless steel interior means no more unsightly stains from tomato products as well. What's not to love?
What I don't like: There is no child lock which for us is not an issue unless grandbaby is home. So far that hasn't been a problem. However, the ON/OFF button could easily be pushed accidently. I like the LED features but would like to see them on some type of timer so they turn off after a certain period of time. When running the dishwasher at night the LED display will remain on until morning when I turn it off. I know LEDs use very, very little electricity but off is still using less. This machine is quite frugal in terms of detergent usage but demands rinse agent. It's a must have! This raises the cost per load. I like that there is a visual LED display to indicate when to add more rinse agent as this is not something you see on a lot of machines but makes a huge difference on cleaning. Plastics do need drying but that is a norm with many dishwashers and that may change with a new rinse agent on the market.
The bottom line: I could not be more pleased with this kitchen appliance. It is the ultimate in a dishwasher!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 700
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Epinions.com ID:
gardengnome
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Location: Ontario, Canada
Reviews written: 84
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
I love nature, cooking, and canning. I want quality in the products I use.
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