You don’t appreciate something until you have to do without it, especially if it’s your dishwasher.

That’s what I learned while my kitchen underwent a complete, floor-to-ceiling remodeling. Fortunately, my diligent remodelers completed the job in just five weeks, but still – washing dishes in my bathroom sink and bathtub got to be a chore! (Ever go to take a shower at 6 a.m. and step on a forgotten, dirty frying pan)?

But back to my new kitchen. While planning the remodeling project I did much research and comparison of different dishwashers. My neighbors were pleased with the Whirlpool DU920 they had bought a year earlier, so my first visit was to my local Brand Source appliance dealer, who had both the DU920 and the similar, value-priced Estate by Whirlpool TUD6700 displayed side-by-side.

At the time, the only significant difference was that the DU920 had an in-the-door silverware basket whereas the TUD6700 locates it in the lower rack. This reduces capacity slightly, yet it eliminates the minor annoyance of having silverware rattle each time you open or close the door. The DU series also came with a twenty-year warranty on the tub instead of Estate’s ten-year policy. Otherwise, the two machines seemed equally attractive and the Estate’s $297 price tag saved almost $90 compared with the DU920.

Capacity is something of an issue with this dishwasher. Although the interior dimensions are similar to competing machines, the placement of the lower rack’s tines doesn’t allow much flexibility. Plates and saucers fit easily enough, but finding places for soup bowls and sauce dishes can be a chore. Large mixing bowls and pots and pans present even more of a challenge.

The upper rack has similar geometric problems. At first glance, there’s plenty of room for cups and mugs, yet getting such items to fit between the tines takes some finagling.

The TUD6700 offers a choice of four wash cycles: Light, Normal, Heavy and Pots & Pans. The Normal and Heavy cycles also offer the option of a High Temp Wash; when selected, that button preheats incoming water to 140 degrees (F). The Pots & Pans cycle, by default, includes preheated water. There is also a short Rinse & Hold setting for dishes that will have to stand until the next wash. Finally, you can choose between heated drying (the default selection) and an Air Dry option.

These choices work well, for the most part. The Light Wash cycle suffices for nearly all loads. Using house temperature water for both wash and rinse, it takes just under an hour (including dry time). For dirtier dishes, I choose the Normal setting. It uses preheated water for the final rinse and takes about an hour and fifteen minutes. The High Temp Wash option lengthens the cycle by an additional fifteen minutes and makes little improvement, in my experience.

I’ve used the Heavy Wash or Pots and Pans cycles only a few times, because I rarely have many super-dirty dishes. I think you’d have to have something tough, such as baked-on casserole dishes, to justify the ten to twenty minutes these cycles add to the Normal wash time. (Hotter household water shortens the cycle times).

Whirlpool claims that pre-rinsing is unnecessary, and most of the time that’s true. Plates coated with an egg, flour and breadcrumb mixture do pose a challenge for this machine, so it’s best to rinse them in the sink (or with the Rinse & Hold cycle). Mixing bowls with day-old pancake batter come out perfectly clean without pre-rinsing, as do plates with dried-on gravy or pasta sauce.

Low noise levels rank high on most people’s list of dishwasher priorities, this buyer being no exception. A thick, sound insulating blanket installs around the top and sides of the unit, and it muffles noise effectively. You could have a phone conversation in the same room with this machine, although you would probably want to move elsewhere. Silent it’s not, but it makes a pleasant (if noticeable) companion while you work nearby.

I would have expected this new dishwasher to dry dishes better than my previous one. Unfortunately, glassware on the upper rack comes through the heated drying cycle with a small amount of water trapped on top and items in the silverware basket also end up with many water droplets clinging to them. The Normal Wash, with its hotter final rinse, seems to cause less of this problem than the Light Wash cycle. Whirlpool recommends using a rinse agent to improve drying. I haven’t tried it, but I suppose it can’t hurt.

The most glaring weakness of this model is its control panel. You first select a cycle from a row of four small, membrane-covered push buttons. Then you select (or de-select) the High Temp and/or Air Dry options from a similar group. Finally, you turn the machine on by twisting the timer dial to a position that corresponds to what you selected with the buttons. Even with the well-written owner’s manual in hand, it seemed awkward at first. Adding to the unfriendliness are the labels – small gray letters on a white background – and the tiny red indicators above each of the cycle and option buttons. They’re recessed so far into the panel that they’re nearly invisible.

Choose the Estate TUD6700 if you’re a single homeowner, empty nester or anyone else with light to moderate dishwashing needs and few large or unusually shaped utensils. Gourmet-oriented cooks and families with intensive daily dishwashing requirements should probably look at machines with more flexible interiors and easier-to-use controls. The 6700 handles my dishes well and I’ve learned to live with its quirks, so I guess you could say that I’m pleased with my choice. And I’m so happy to not have to wash dishes in the bathroom any more!


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 297