Thread Number: 24932
Why does everyone think KitchenAid is so great? |
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Post# 385047   10/13/2009 at 18:10 (5,280 days old) by mrcleanjeans (milwaukee wi)   |   | |
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Although no dishwashers wwere ever made as well as the Hobart KAs,it seems to me there are more powerful performers.Comments? |
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Post# 385064 , Reply# 2   10/13/2009 at 18:49 (5,280 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)   |   | |
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All of us have our our ideas of which KA is the best. I think the best is the KDS-18. It will take the chrome off a trailer hitch. That's why I love that model. No pre nothing. Cleans, Scrubs and Sparkles. The earlier models with just the HydroSweep is a great machine but racking is what it's all about.
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Post# 385075 , Reply# 3   10/13/2009 at 19:20 (5,280 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii)   |   | |
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I had a GLD4400C Ge tall tub built in I got at work for $99.It was the very best dishwasher I ever owned.I never like to pre rinse ANYTHING.All I do is scrape of any remaining residue.I would do all my stainless steel cookware,all my casseroles,all my dishes and silverware.I would use the sanitary cycle/pots and pans for EVERYTHING along with a cool dry.The cycle takes about an hour but,as soon as I open the unit,the steam from the sani rinse would billow out and the dishes would dry instantly.Everything would glissen and sparkle. I miss it a lot but don't mind using my hands in hot water with bleach.It normaly sells for around $399.
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Post# 385100 , Reply# 6   10/13/2009 at 21:04 (5,280 days old) by mrcleanjeans (milwaukee wi)   |   | |
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Why was the 18 series so revered? It IS purty and well built but that middle wash arm didn't even reach the corners. |
Post# 385107 , Reply# 7   10/13/2009 at 21:46 (5,280 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)   |   | |
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1/2 hp motor, Hydro sweep on the bottom, and as much as people say the middle "short arm" under the top rack didn't reach the cornors, I have never had bad results. The 18 also had the over head "Constant Rinse". I actually for a while swapped out the short arm for the full arm from my KDS 20 which did not have the constant rinse. I noticed no difference. Plus the cycles and water heating put this machine on top. I love my older KAs but I will only use the 18 as the work horse when I have a heavy cook night because I can random load it without any issues about spray patterns
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Post# 385108 , Reply# 8   10/13/2009 at 21:49 (5,280 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)   |   | |
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Post# 385126 , Reply# 9   10/13/2009 at 22:31 (5,280 days old) by tlee618 ()   |   | |
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Once you have used a KDS18 nothing else will ever measure up!! I just did a huge load tonight and like always everything came out not only looking clean but feeling clean as well. |
Post# 385129 , Reply# 10   10/13/2009 at 22:41 (5,280 days old) by rollermatic (cincinnati)   |   | |
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kitchenaid by hobart were the best made machines around and i have been a fan for 40 years! i have over 20 of them in my collection right now but i am partial to the older models with the single hydrosweep, the 17 and older series. they might have been late in introducing features that other brands already had in place but i still think the quality of a kitchenaid was suberb and unsurpassed! the fact that there are still so many old ones out there in use (compared to other brands) attests to the fact that they were better made and outlasted the others! i see old kitchenaids on craigs list and e bay all the time! that's how i ended up with so many myself! that 1/2 hp. gold seal motor can't be beat in my book! i have yet to find one that has a motor problem, everyone of mine still has the origional motors on it, running fine! the water seal was great on kitchenaids. both my kd-12's which were built around 1957 still have the original water seal and don't leak a drop! in fact i have only had to replace one leaking seal in all my kitchenaids, that was on a kd-19. the timers are well built, i have only run into one machine that had an inoperable timer, my first kd-12. that rapid advance timer made by singer that the kds-17 used is the best ever! i don't recall anyone else at the time (mid 70's) using a rapid advance timer but i could be wrong here. the tubs were made of quality steel and porcelain. i have not found one machine to have a badly rusted tub in any kitchenaid i have ever come across. and that includes the sump as i always pull the pump and motors off to look at this area. they had a great pump and the hydrosweep was very unique when it was introduced in the kd-15 model in 1964. it was cutting edge at the time! it's still my favorite wash arm of any dishwasher! in fact i have that one in my pond that has been turning non stop spraying water for almost 3 months now and it is running as great as the day i installed it! and it's a 35 year old hydrosweep! their double solonoid fill valve was ahead of it's time, no one else had that! the drain valves were quality made. i have never had to replace a drain valve yet, no matter how old the machine is! those forced air heaters mentioned above were also very well made, all of my machines have the original heaters and they all work! we all have our favorites here, and our opinions that's for sure! but i think the old kitchenaid by hobart dishwashers were the creme of the crop! the best ever built by anyone! the kds-17a is my all time favorite although i must say my little kd-5 top loader seems to have the most powerful cleaning action of all my machines. kitchenaid- nothing else like em then, definately not now! |
Post# 385147 , Reply# 12   10/14/2009 at 00:41 (5,280 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)   |   | |
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Post# 385199 , Reply# 14   10/14/2009 at 08:27 (5,279 days old) by lesto (Atlanta)   |   | |
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Nothing cleans like a Kitchen Aid. My old one will scrub anything off of baking dishes, etc. and do it quicker than any machine I've had. |
Post# 385237 , Reply# 15   10/14/2009 at 11:17 (5,279 days old) by jakeseacrest (Massachusetts)   |   | |
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I for one am not impressed with my KDC60A that I bought last year. Discolored stainless pots and silverware, casseroles with traces of food stuck on, and etched glasses. The only way to get a decent wash is to use Heavy Wash and to scrape really well. I previously had a Kenmore Ultra Wash and a Maytag tall tub that made my dishes sparkle. I only replaced them due to the long running times. Big mistake.
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Post# 385275 , Reply# 16   10/14/2009 at 13:53 (5,279 days old) by gyrafoam (Wytheville, VA)   |   | |
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Yup. Another sad story about the new machines. Keep an eye on your local Craigslist for an old vintage KAid and snatch it up. Many times they have hardly been used and are like new. |
Post# 385283 , Reply# 17   10/14/2009 at 14:30 (5,279 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)   |   | |
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I miss my KA 21. Easy loading and reliable washing, even though the "Quiet Scrub" badge on it wasn't deserved. I'm sure it's still performing flawlessly for the person who bought our house. I'd like to find another one when it comes time to replace the '90 Maytag I'm currently putting up with. I'm tired of the lousy rack system and keeping the tower clear, and it's just plain ugly to look at besides. Since we have a stainless KA Architect series fridge and stainless Electrolux range, my partner wants to match the eventual new dishwasher to one or the other. I'm hoping I can convince him that an older KA with stainless front panels will blend in fine. I hate the idea of a modern limp wristed dishwasher and related 2-hour cycles and still not getting clean dishes after all that time. |
Post# 385284 , Reply# 18   10/14/2009 at 14:31 (5,279 days old) by mrcleanjeans (milwaukee wi)   |   | |
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I also had a Kenmore UltraWash that cleaned CIRCLES around the portable version of the KDI-20 I now have,though the KA is just satisfactory. Built like a tank however and classy looking. |