Careful!
You might upset someone with a vintage KitchenAid, or a Kenmore UltraWash...
You can get clean dishes in high hardness. I've proven that for myself. 25 grains, no softener on our dish drawer and Finish Tablets, which actually (still) contain >30% Phosphate, according to the packaging.
Where we used to live, the Dishlex could clean stuff if we used the right cycle). The water was only very slightly hard, around 4 grains, IIRC. Soft water isn't 100% necessary for clean dishes. In really hard water areas, it will help heaps, but otherwise, one can still get good results if using the right detergents for the job. Its a well known fact powder detergents aren't as effective in hard water, even with a softener. Tablets are more suited to those conditions (Especially if you use those "Fairy" tabs in a low water machine. YIKES... Talk about suds!)
I'm not sure about you, but our machine's "Normal" cycle can out-clean the Heavy Cycle, especially with burnt on stuff. Key is a 50º Main-Wash and a 60º final rinse. Ensures stuff is soaked off. Cycle takes 74 minutes after heating delay (10 minutes is "cut" from the cycle, as our inlet temperature it at least 5-10º more than the recommended 20º).
Also, as I've stated many times, our "Delicates" cycle is great for everyday dishes. It takes just 62 minutes (perhaps less, without heating delays, though I haven't observed it "cutting" times), and is the Normal cycle, but at lower pressure, but with 3 rinses, as opposed to 2. I like using that cycle sometimes. Everything just looks that little bit better. If I run a short Rinse cycle (manually cancelled), I can even get great results from the 45 minute Fast cycle - as I've left the worst soils for the detergent, and all the loose stuff is rinsed away. Its actually 5º hotter than a normal cycle during the Main-Wash. To compensate for the 20 minute Main-Wash (as opposed to the 33 minute one on the Normal/Delicates/Heavy cycles).
By the way, I hope I don't sound to snotty saying this... I'm only debating what you are saying... Typical Sagittarius, as my co-worker would say :-)