Holy Cow! You CAN put a dirty dish in the dishwasher!
Written: Apr 12 '02
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Pros: Noise, Appearance, Ease of Use, Loading Flexibility
Cons: Cycle length, expensive replacement parts
The Bottom Line: Does what a dishwasher is supposed to do - clean dishes without a prerinse - amazing!
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| sbianchi's Full Review: Kenmore 15872 Dishwasher |
Recently, my wife and I bought our first house. We searched high and low, and finally found one that not only had all of the major repairs done in the last 5 years (new roof, hot water heater, furnace, central air, etc.) but it came with all of the appliances! They were old, but they still worked, and that was all we wanted until we could afford to remodel.
Little did I know of the "Welcome to Homeownership" curse....
You see, 5 days after we moved in, my refrigerator died. Then 2 weeks after that, the dishwasher began to leak at various times. The lady who we bought the house from kept immaculate records - our old dishwasher was a Hotpoint, and she gave us the original operating manual and wrote in it the day the thing was installed - October 13, 1978. So considering the thing was 24 years old, I guess it was time to be replaced. Besides, the thing was LOUD and avacado green, as well.
Looked at Epinions, Consumer Reports and asked many people for opinions about their units. Asked about features, and what meant the most to people. After the research, I bought the Kenmore Elite 16872. Why? Read on:
The Good Parts
DISHES COME CLEAN - I actually saved dishes that had 3-day old Hamburger Helper and Chili on them just to test this dishwasher when it got to the house. All I can say is "WOW!" The key, people, is to buy a unit that has the Ultra Wash system. This makes a HUGE difference in the quality of the wash. Upper and lower wash arms, top spray and NO TOWER, which means you can use the whole bottom rack to load dishes.
HARD FOOD DISPOSAL - The Ultra Wash units come with a hard food disposal, which chops up and disposes of the hard particles of food so you don't have to rinse your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher (which is the stupidest thing I've ever heard).
TALL TUB - this unit was designed by mounting the motor sideways under the unit, giving the interior a few extra inches (top to bottom) to work with. This makes a big difference when you want to load that huge Corelle dish or Tupperware piece that won't fit in a normal dishwasher. Also, the front of the unit does not have a two piece design - no separate door and access panel. It's one piece, top to bottom and it makes your dishwasher look nice and classy. Be forewarned, though - if you buy a tall tub design dishwasher, you will need an extra 1/2" to install the thing. Most dishwashers (and cabinets) are 34" from the floor to the counter top, but the tall tub is 34 1/2".
NOISE - this thing is quiet. With any dishwasher, the Quietguard Levels just tell you how different the insulation wrap around them is. Anything level 2 or above is pretty good. I can stand next to this thing and be on the phone with no problem.
PORCELAIN COATED RACKS - this is a very important feature. When you buy a dishwasher, run your fingernail along the racks. If they catch, the racks are not coated. Porcelain racks are much more durable, resist stains and odor better. My racks also have two rows (top and bottom) that have fold-down tines, as well as two clips to hold lids for things like children's sippy cups so they don't fly around the inside of the unit during the wash cycle, then melt on the heating unit. There's also a basket on the back of the upper rack (which is removable on this unit) to put long, sharp knives in - gets them out of harm's way. The upper rack is not height adjustable, but in my opinion you don't need that if you have the tall tub design.
CYCLES - honestly, this unit has more cycles than I need, along with a delay start. The stupidest cycle I have is the Sani-Rinse anti-bacterial cycle. It sanitizes the dishes with a really hot rinse - so you can take them out of the dishwasher with your dirty hands and put the bacteria right back on them. I have a Pots and Pans cycle, Normal cycle, China Cycle (gentle wash with lower temp dry), Quick Rinse, extra hot wash, extra hot rinse (described above), and air dry. The delay start is 2,4 or 6 hours - this unit also comes with a Cycle Lock so if you have children, they won't interrupt the wash cycle by pressing the buttons.
SILVERWARE RACKS - the racks for this unit are on the side. It also comes in 3 pieces, so you can move them around to other parts of the unit. They have fold down tops that have separators for the silverware, so every piece gets squeaky clean. You can also put items that fly around inside the baskets, close the lids and still put silverware through the top.
The Bad Parts
CYCLE TIME - holy cow, the cycles are long on this. Washing time goes from 90 min to 130 min, depending on the combination of wash and rinse cycles you use. Normal wash and dry is 90 min; Pots and Pans wash with Sani-Rinse is 130 min.
SENSOR - this unit (like most new ones) comes with a sensor to measure the amount of soil on the dishes, and the unit adjusts the wash cycle time accordingly. So, if you choose the Normal wash and have REALLY dirty dishes, it can increase the wash time to 130 min. Useless, if you ask me. Just one more thing to break - and it probably costs $100 just to replace it (couldn't find it in the online parts catalog).
CONTROL PANEL - the control panel is all electronic touch buttons. No rotary knob or switches covered by a smooth touch panel. Call me old fashioned (at 33 years old), but that's just one more thing to break - it's $105 to replace it (not including labor).
Kenmore and Whirlpool units have the best reputation for reliability among dishwashers. While not every unit will be perfect and reliable, you have a better chance with these than with a GE or Frigidaire.
If you're looking for a unit with lots of features and very good quality, this is a great unit to buy. Highly recommended.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 449
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Epinions.com ID:
sbianchi
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Location: Syracuse, NY
Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
32 Year Old Financial Advisor, Golfer and Bowler.
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