12 months after install, I'm extremely happy
Written: Jan 20 '05 (Updated Feb 14 '05)
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Pros: Convenience, style, effective washing, quiet, flexible, on and convenience, convenience, convenience.
Cons: None. Zero.
The Bottom Line: Can I say enough good things? Stylish, convenient, quiet, and they do their job perfectly.
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| shuze's Full Review: Fisher and Paykel DD-602 24 in. Built-in Dishwashe... |
I've read some of the reviews about people not liking these, and I can't understand their dissatisfaction.....
We installed a pair of these (over/under) in conjunction with a remodel 12 months ago. Our other appliances in this remodel: Thermador 48" (6 burner plus grille), GE Monogram built-in (SubZero-style compressor on top; freezer on bottom), and Franke sinks.
The Fisher Paykel's have been a pure joy. We are only a couple -- no kids -- so maybe they don't work for larger families. But for us, the real joy is the ability to alternate the units. If the top drawer is still full from last evening's dishes, you can stick your cereal bowl or coffee cup in the bottom one without having to take the time to empty the top one. It keeps the sink empty all the time, and lets you do dishes when *you* want.
They load nicely, and the designers didn't try to over-engineer the inserts so that you can only do dishes the way they designed.
They are wonderfully quiet, though we're coming from an overly-noisy and cheap-o Maytag, so I don't put much stock in my comment here, because I have such bad experience to compare with.
I have had no service issues; it has run flawlessly. We had a good contractor, though, and though he had not seen these before, he was meticulous in installation, and maybe this helps.
We *do* run the dishwashers on Fast setting just to be more energy efficient. This is in addition to using the Economy setting. So sometimes the things that have a little rim or cup in them will still have some water in them when the load is done. But we don't mind that; we just keep a fancy decorative dish towel above the washer, and set the one or two things that are wet on it for a few minutes to dry. And despite these two settings, the dishes still come out clean.
Plus, they're gorgeous, and a real conversation piece.
I will either need to have FP Dishdrawers forever in my future -- or two dishwashers (if I'm lucky enough to have a house big enough.) I love the concept, it works well in execution, and I'm a very happy customer.
********** (Update: 14 Feb 05) **********
I've had a couple of requests for an update, specifically asking about features. Let me add more about that topic.
There are actually very few features -- and this is one of the things I like about the units. I'll divide features into four areas: cycle style, front panel, interior design, and soap/rinse.
Cycle style. There are 5 wash sequences: Heavy, Normal, Fast, Delicate, and Rinse. As mentioned above, I typically use Fast. This is because "Normal" is 115 minutes long. (Fast is (I think) 50 minutes.) I think these long run times are why the dishes come out so clean, and why it can be so quiet -- it simply doesn't blast the dishes with 1,000 PSI water. Instead, it more gently bathes the dishes so long in hot water that eventually everything falls off. I have never felt that the Fast cycle has left things unclean on a day-to-day basis. I only use "normal" when I think I have heavy soil; I've never used Heavy, Delicate, or Rinse. (By the way - we've put pretty delicate things in, and had no negative things happen -- other than a couple of human-caused chips on loading/unloading.)
In addition to the sequence, there is an "ECO" setting adjacent to the cycle setting, that is selected independently. I don't really know exactly what it does; we leave it on all the time just because we think we're somehow being environmentally-more-friendly by doing so. I *suspect* it uses less electricity for heating at the end, which may contribut to some of the water. (See above and next.)
As I said above, the combination of Fast/Eco sometimes leaves water in depressions (e.g. upside-down coffee cups, plastic tubs that have turned over in the wash, etc.)
Note: These cycle controls are all *inside* the drawer, on a small panel on the front top edge of drawer.
Front panel. This couldn't be simpler. The only button that is really ever used (for all practical purposes) is the Start/Stop button. There are Power and Lock buttons, but I'd bet I've never used them other than to see what they might do. If I need to open the drawer mid-cycle, I just push Start/Stop and it stops washing and allows the drawer to be opened. (There is some kind of servo that locks the drawer when it is running so you can't open inadvertently.)
By the way -- the little blue backlit LCD is gorgeous when the washer is running. Beautiful industrial design. There is also a cute little sequence of 4 beeps when you open the drawer. It is very understated, very cute, and makes you smile when you open it.
In re: the stainless steel, if you haven't had a stainless appliance before, just know that they do show a bit more finger/handprint smudges than enamelled colors. There is one secret to stainless: Baby oil! Clean the smudges, and when you do your big kitchen clean every couple of weeks, take a soft cloth and wipe your stainless with baby oil. It keeps the fingerprints down, and you can wipe it again and again for a couple of weeks until you clean again. It's a *crucial* secret to owning stainless.... ;-)
Interior design. There are really only three divisions.
1) Silverware basket. Typical upright style, with about 8 individual compartments (so things stay pretty well standing up.) There is a gizmo for holding knives separately within the basket; we don't use it. (It can be flipped out of the way.)
2) Main compartment. One side is optimally designed for glassware, and there is a *very* nice way that the stems are held (for up to 6 stemware glasses.) The other side is for plates, etc. Mostly things seem to lay out well when filling.
3) Tool shelves. Sitting high in the drawer along each side is a little flip-down shelf (actually 2 per side, running 1/2 distance front/back). This is designed to hold things like soup scoops, spatulas, tongs, etc. I find this to be a *very* helpful feature. (Note: little notches in the side of these shelves are what hold the stems of stemware - see above.)
Soap/Rinse. The only real thing I find a little tricky is filling the dispensers. The dispenser is about 1/3 the way down the inside of the front of the drawer. Sometimes, when you have a big box of detergent, and the drawer is fully loaded, you have to aim the pour from about 5-6" away and hope your aim is good. After a bit of practice, this isn't much of an issue. (Note: this machine ONLY handles powder detergent; you cannot use liquid detergents.)
Rinse. Be *SURE* you use a rinsing agent (e.g. Cascade rinsing fluid) with this unit. It makes a *big* difference in whether your dishes come out spotty or not. It uses the fluid very sparingly; you can buy a bottle from the store and it'll last a year or more. The machine also turns on a pretty blue LED when it needs more of the fluid, and you fill it right next to the detergent dispenser. Not hard, and very much worth the effort of doing, and as I said, it makes a big difference.
Hope all these help!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1100
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Epinions.com ID:
shuze
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Reviews written: 2
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