mmcphee's Full Review: Whirlpool DU1055XTP 24 in. Built-in Dishwasher
It was love at first sight. OK, not really but I did do a little happy dance in the parking lot after purchasing our new Whirlpool Dishwasher.
The Basics
The Whirlpool DU1055XT is a midline 24” built-in dishwasher available in black, biscuit, stainless and the white that we purchased. The control panel is all electronic push buttons and can be locked to prevent accidental changes. There are 3 wash cycles pots and pans, normal and light plus a rinse only option. Additional options include a high temperature water boost and a heated dry. The dishwasher can be set for a 2, 4 or 6 hour start delay. A series of lights indicates where the dishwasher is in its cycle; washing, drying and clean. The silverware basket can be placed in two places in the bottom rack or on the door and the interior is all plastic. The Whirlpool DU1055XT dishwasher is Energy Star qualified.
Installation
This was not simply a matter of rip and replace; although the house is only 9 years old the original owner opted not to include a dishwasher in the kitchen. Fortunately the cabinet right next to the sink was sized to accommodate the addition of a dishwasher. Still, installation was a bit of a struggle.
Although our base cabinets and counter top are standard height, my husband and father had some difficulty inserting the dishwasher into the opening they had cut. The installation directions give a precise size for the opening but the dishwasher refused to slip into place. They lowered the leveling feet as low as they would all go; trimmed a little more off the face frame and finally they were able to fit the dishwasher with its soundproofing blanket into the space. Once they made it fit the rest of the plumbing and electrical connections seemed to go smoothly.
It’s So Big
Whirlpool advertises this dishwasher as having a tall tub with 3 more inches of capacity. Now that don’t tell you more than what but boy it is noticeably larger than the dishwasher I left behind. My huge stock fits easily on the bottom rack and does not at all impede the rotating arm attached to the upper rack and my 11” dinner plates stand up straight. But the extra capacity is not limited to the lower rack; the upper rack has more space as well. We have very tall drinking glasses that used to fit in only one position now I can put them anywhere and they fit. Even our dessert plates at almost 8” now fit on the top rack.
I also seem to be able to fit more in the dishwasher than ever before. My previous dishwasher had to have the silverware basket in the lower rack. Although it never bothered me it wasn’t until I had the option of putting it on the door that I realized how much space it took up. I’ve actually had to relearn how to load this new dishwasher. I was used to putting bowls on the top rack because they took up too much space in the lower rack. Now I discover I am running out of space on the upper rack before the lower one is full. Besides not having the silverware basket taking up space, the prongs are a little closer together so I can fit more plates going across in less space. Whirlpool says 14 place settings will fit, and while I haven’t tried it the count on the pong spacers makes me believe that is accurate.
Despite the closer proximately of the spacers going left to right, there is still plenty of larger spaces going to front to back. This means I can fit roasting pans and casserole dishes sideways instead of having to rest them over the prongs. The outer ends of the upper rack have a small bump running the full depth of the dishwasher, at first I found them annoying since they put items at an angle in the upper rack. Then I realized even my largest cutting board could go in the dishwasher because that small bump provides an extra inch in height, just perfect for cookie sheets and the like.
How Does it Work?
I am satisfied with its cleaning job, but I don’t think it does quite as good a job as our 8 year old Kenmore did. I occasionally find food stuck to plates. While I like that I can fit more item into the dishwasher I think having the plates so close together makes them a little harder to get clean. But the Whirlpool DU1055XT does a much better job removing burnt on messes on cookware. It doesn’t seem to do quite as good a job removing anything stuck to spatulas on the top rack, but plastic ware and glasses come out nice and clean.
Although I tested them out I generally do not use the water temperature boost or the drying cycle. I can’t say that I noticed any improvement in cleaning by using hotter water. The drying cycle seems adequate but I personally prefer not to waste the energy. I generally run the dishwasher at night and don’t empty it until the next morning and the dishes are equally dry with and without running the drying cycle.
The dishwasher is noticeable more quiet than our previous upper end Kenmore. Of course we aren’t really comparing apples to apples with that. In our previous home our dishwasher sat on two strips of plywood platform about a foot off the floor making loading much more comfortable. But the lack of a truly solid base to sit on made the dishwasher louder than most. This midline Whirlpool sits solidly on the floor, which seems to further dampen the sound and it is very quiet when running.
A Few Other Features Worth Mentioning
While looking at dishwashers I noticed that most now have electronic push button panels for all settings. I was used to a dial but I didn’t think it would matter how I made the dishwasher go so long as it went. Something the dial gave me was an indication of where the washer was in its cycle. Since the Whirlpool DU1055XT is a middle of the road model there is no digital countdown timer, something I scoffed at as unnecessary while shopping. I now realize that I miss it. I don’t pay attention to when I start the dishwasher so I have no idea when the approximately 60 minute cycle is going to be up. I’m the sort of person that sneaks items in and out of the dishwasher when I have to, but I like to know how close the machine is to turning over to its dry time when I am removing a mostly washed item or adding another dirty one.
The lock-out feature, while necessary with a toddler in the house, is a bit of an annoyance. It works by holding down the button for heated dry for a total of about 5 seconds until the lock light glows. Why is that a problem? Well for some reason using the lock resets the electronic panel to its default settings, which means the heated dry is on and I have to remember to turn it off every time. When I do not use the lock the dishwasher does remember that I don’t use the heated dry cycle. Another issue I have with the lock is if I interrupt the cycle. Closing the door does not automatically restart the dishwasher, you have to push start again. With the panel locked I have to hold the heated dry button to unlock it, press start and then lock it again. I would much prefer that a two button combination be necessary to lock the panel instantly instead of requiring a long hold and/or the cycle started again just by closing the door.
Another interesting feature is the control for rinse agent. When you remove the cap there is a dial so you can set the amount of rinse agent dispensed in each cycle from 1-6. That way you only use as much as needed to keep your dishes spot free and don’t waste extra unnecessary rinse agent. There is also a floating rinse agent level indicator right on the inside of the door. I could never tell by looking through the peep hole if I needed more rinse agent, now the bubble shows me how close I am getting to empty. The lock on the detergent compartment feels cheap. The latch barely changes position between open and closed and I also don’t get a satisfying snap when I close the door. It feels like the latch is going to break at any minute.
I am still up in the air about the silverware basket. It is narrow so to provide enough space for a decent amount of silverware it is very long, but I still don’t seem to be able to fit as much in as my old dishwasher. The design of the basket gives you two small compartments that you can close to keep small items from dancing around your dishwasher. The front of the basket also pops all the way open so you can insert silverware sideways, although why you would want to do this, I don’t know. I do use the pop open front for unloading the silverware; I just find it easier that reaching into the basket. The bottom of the basket does have a flat spot. It is supposed to stand upright on your counter – don’t rely on that, it tips over very easily.
Final Thoughts
Overall I am satisfied with my new dishwasher. I am no longer washing dishes by hand and to me, that is the most important thing. The large capacity makes me happy and allows me to overlook some of its minor inconveniences. The Whirlpool DU1055XT at $350 is a good buy for a middle of the road dishwasher.
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