Buy a Kenmore
Written: Mar 04 '03
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Pros: Gets dishes clean.
Cons: Slanted upper rack, terrible silverware basket.
The Bottom Line: Ok for the price, but some issues with loading and silverware basket.
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| doctorjohn's Full Review: Whirlpool DU920QWD 24 in. Built-in Dishwasher |
Over the years I have come to know more about dishwashers than I ever wanted to. Every time we moved or an appliance failed it was the dishwasher we were dealing with. We now have a top of the line Whirlpool which has some good points and some bad.
The controls are flat which makes them very easy to clean and see. Everything gets clean on the lower rack if I use the pots and pans cycle with the power scour option. So nothing needs scraped or soaked before loading.
But, dishes loaded on the top rack won't come clean if there is baked on food - even though there is an upper wash arm. My GE and Kitchen Aid could get anything on the upper rack clean. The upper rack also doesn't adjust (I think the newest Whirlpool models do adjust). But on mine, the upper rack is slanted and that means that you can load even standard side plates on the right side of the lower rack. And you can't load tall glasses on the upper left side.
The wash arm and assembly for the upper rack also catch on tall items loaded on the bottom rack. You don't know that until you try to pull out the upper rack while the lower is loaded and in. You hear the plastic catch on the items, then its too late. You have to put the upper wash hose back in the bracket and push the upper rack in before the bottom rack.
It isn't too noisy. But the 'Quiet Partner V' makes as much noise as my 1979 Kitchen Aid. The sensor never activates. Even with the dirtiest dishes, the Accusense system never detects it. Set the 'power scour' option manually.
The silverware basket is the biggest joke. Water can only get to the door (or rack hung) basket from the front, not the bottom, sides or back. When completely full silverware, it doesn't get clean. I have never had that with any other dishwasher.
Don't be fooled into thinking that you get more room because the silverware basket is in the door. If you look at the Kenmore made by Whirlpool, the bottom rack protrudes into the door cavity, using the same space. The Whirlpool silverware basket also won't stand up by itself, making it hard to load outside of the dishwasher. If it's in the dishwasher you have to keep rolling in the bottom rack to load dividers that go to the bottom. The silverware falls in and goes sideways.
If I were buying a new dishwasher I would get a Kenmore that was made by Whirlpool. They will tell you at Sears who makes which model. The silverware basket is much better on the Kenmore - water can get to it from every angle. The GE and Maytags I had were not reliable. The Kitchen Aids not great - and really, really expensive to fix. They are made by Whirlpool, so save your money. I really like the new tall tubs for the room and they should eliminate the problem of items hitting the upper wash arm.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 600
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Epinions.com ID:
doctorjohn
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Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 0 members
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