Thread Number: 49415
Kitchenaid KDS 20-21? |
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Post# 714756 , Reply# 2   11/12/2013 at 01:09 (3,789 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)   |   | |
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That's probably a series 21 - 23 Superba. They're all good performers, but let me save the naysayers the trouble and warn you that these models only offer a single final rinse. If you want more than one rinse at the end, you'll need to look for a 20 series or older. The buttons on the 20 series are fatter and more rounded.
The series 23 machines have the Whirlpool Power Module system which is widely considered to be better than the Hobart design.
In-Sink-Erator put their badge on KA dishwashers from the period you're interested in. If you see an ISE badged machine, it would be worth a look. The only thing the TOL ISE lacks is the sanitizing cycle found on KA's Superbas.
There should be more color panels behind the black ones. Probably white, almond, and harvest gold. Stainless steel panels turn up on eBay once in a while, and Sears Parts may still carry them but their going rate is about $100 for a set.
Unlike your nearly silent Miele, you'll be able to hear everything a KitchenAid is doing as it goes through its cycles. |
Post# 714800 , Reply# 3   11/12/2013 at 05:22 (3,789 days old) by chachp (North Little Rock, AR)   |   | |
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In my past two homes I had TOL Bosch dishwashers. Both cleaned very, very well and supposedly used less water and were very quiet. In fact, both had a light that shined on the floor to warn you they were running.
I took out the Bosch in this house a few years back and sold it on Craigslist in favor of an older Kitchen Aid. I hated these long cycles. I started with a KDS-17A which did not have a wash arm under the upper rack. Great performer, loved the sounds, very fast but you had to be careful how you loaded it or the top rack could get blocked. I removed that one for a KDS-21 which looked like the one you have pictured here. Washes really well, is a little quieter, and has the wash arm for the upper rack. However, it always bothered me there was no second full rinse. The dishes were clean but almost seemed to have a film on them or something. Maybe that was the Rinse Aid. I don’t really know. I recently got my hands on a KDS-20. In my opinion this machine is kind of the best of all worlds. The cycles are fast compared to my Bosch, has the upper wash arm, has all the great sounds and has the full second rinse. This thing is a tank and cleans very well. So, bottom line is many folks here have their own opinions and they sometimes vary widely and sometimes they don't. My opinion is look for a 18, 19 or 20 series machine if you want an older Kitchen Aid and I don't think you'll go wrong. Some here prefer the 18 over the 20 but I have no experience with that model so I can't comment. Hope this helps. |
Post# 714821 , Reply# 5   11/12/2013 at 08:17 (3,789 days old) by Sngencarelli (Pennsylvania)   |   | |
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Wow... You guys are awesome. I never thought I'd have so many responses by this morning! Thanks for all of the information and advice. I'll probably go the a look at this unit and I'll also keep my eyes out for anything else that might come up. Thanks again! Scott |
Post# 714824 , Reply# 6   11/12/2013 at 08:55 (3,789 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)   |   | |
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Post# 714830 , Reply# 7   11/12/2013 at 09:57 (3,789 days old) by chachp (North Little Rock, AR)   |   | |
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I think Steve summed it up well on these 21 and 22 machines. I actually had the Wash Arm Support issue on my 21 and he helped me with a replacement. That made a huge difference in performance.
We've all talked the one rinse to death and mine also has the issue with the deteriorating vinyl on the upper rack. I think the general consensus is that these machine suffer from that because of the single rinse. My 21 is still a good performer. I never tried to remove the flow restrictor on mine because my water pressure is close to 100PSI and I just didn't want to depend on that float thingie to always stop the water from flowing in. |