Title says it all....Whirlpool (and brandmates), GE (ditto) or Frigidaire?

One has to be very careful with builder-model dishwashers. Many from the GE-RCA-Hotpoint brandmates and some low-end Whirlpools have no soil seperator aka food particle filter.

If you have an idea of what the model numbers for the machines you have an option for, post here and we/I will be glad to let ya know!!!

You're absolutely correct, and I know the necessity of being careful about the model/innards but I'm wondering about the rental house where I'm living and what is the best one to suggest the landlord puts in if he declines to fix the (good) one that's here.

Jamie, I'll go look at some model numbers for you. Frigidaire, in my opinion, should be avoided at all cost. That Precision Wash system (alternating spray levels for top rack & bottom rack) is the pits.

For Whirlpool the ones with the Dura Wash system are ok, but the capacity sucks because of the huge amount of rack space taken up in both racks for the funneled opening in the racks for the spray columns to get where it needs to go to do its work. This is actually the DU850 model. Actually anything with a Whirlpool DU8XXX is like this. The comparable Ropers also. The DU930 is just over $300 and uses the infamous PowerClean system. I noticed at Lowes has on their web site Whirlpool DU945 for $298.

Any low-end Kenmore is made by Frigidaire except for one $329 UltraWash dishwashr, made by Whirlpool & is PowerClean system based.

GE's GSD3200 & GSD3600 are good ones. I believe Per-O-Prince's household has the portable version of either of these and they are very pleased with them.

Hotpoint, has lesser-priced version of the GE models I mentioned above, but the lesser price is because of a less powerful pump and even less of a filtering/chopping sysetm.

Hope this helps

I vote GE.
All of GE's models now have that rear passive filter and the hard food disposer and quiet motor. the prices dictate the cycles and racks.

The GE's are good, so are maytags... If you aren't going to live there then a frigidaire is ok..

Actually Frigidaire's "Precision Wash System" isn't the biggest problem with that line. It uses an ingenious floating ball in a channel to alternate the routing of the wash stream. So the full force of the pump is directed either at the top, or the bottom racks. Good for dislodging food specks (and launching light plastic across the washer).

The big problem with the Frigidaire, espe the BOL models such as would be the case with contractor models, is the unbelievably poor build quality and some design decisions. Avoid any model with a food particle filter that doesn't seat firmly in the bottom. On the model I had, the particle filter, which was about 12" diameter, was warped, and didn't seat fully on the base. So large particles of food would routinely get past it and clog the spray arms. Plus, you'd get bits of food stuck to the washed dishes. I have seen some Frigidaires with particle filters that click into place; those are probably ok.

Then there was the flimsy upper rack rails. The upper rack on my Frigidaire would routinely fall off the tracks, and with a rack full of dishes that could be very annoying. But like the others, I'd recommend a Whirlpool, Maytag, or even a GE over anything Frigidaire offers these days.

Tell your landlord the Frigidaire would be a constant source of service calls :-)

The Hotpoint model # HLD4000 is available in White,black or "Silver Metalic"(as close as you'll get to stainless steel with them.)for $299.It's almost identical to the GE "TallTub"models but about $200 less.Four wash levels,huge capacity(it comfortably holds a full service for 15.),and 100%filtration on the recirculating water sprays.It also has a hard food disposer built in(Perana)that grinds up all the food washed down off the dishes and keeps food particles from washing back onto the dishes and glassware.It's also verry quiet and gets dishes,glasses and pots and pans sparkling clean!

Yes, the Frigidaires are pretty horrible. I used to have one in my apartment. It was one of the tower wash models. They use a wash pump that I think is way too small. It was not nearly powerful enough to feed water to the spray arm AND the tower. The pressure is not nearly powerful enough to drench the cookware, let alone scrub pots and pans. The issue with the filter seating in the tub is a big big problem too.
The racking is terrible as well. They're overrated, overpriced and poor performers. There really are better machines.

Too bad Electrolux can't shake off the last vistages of WCI in some of their Frigidaire appliances.