Well... It was time. I was so tired of standing over the sink, and *gasp* washing dishes by hand, that I marched into Lowes this afternoon, and got a Bosch Ascenta. After Four Whole Hours...

I finally got it installed. Apparently, the Bosch uses a different water inlet connection, than our previous Kenmore.. so, it was pretty hard to install. 

Anyhow, initial impressions. The Racks seem really cruddy. 

I really am not trying to be critical of Bosch, but these racks don't hold anything. Well, they do hold dishes, but, they simply hold nowhere near an american model of the same price range. 

The Upside however is, this thing is really, really, really silent. I mean, really quiet. I thought our Ultrawash was quiet, but this is a whole other level of quiet. I really like that. Not that I had to shout in the Kitchen before, but, I really do like the quietness. 

I also.. really like this whole flow-through heater thing. I mean, our hot water heater, is really, really far away.. and despite how much priming I do.. there's always residual water in the line that's really cold.. and nothing would get it to, burning your face steaming hot. 

This Bosch solves that problem quickly. I mean, the water steam, from opening the door really does hurt. And, I'm simply in love with that. 

I really don't think we will save anything noticeable on the water or electricity bill. I mean, the old Whirlpool Ultrawash, was pretty damn efficient with water to begin with. But.. I do really like the fact that the water gets to a higher degree of "hotness" if that's a word. 

Anyhow.. I promised Pics to Dustin. So here they are :) 

It's still running the first load.. I'll upload more pics, when it's actually done washing. Hopefully, Soon, lol :)

Is it has that "new car" or leather cleaner scent. I actually don't mind the scent at all, I think it's kinda pleasant, I just don't understand why it's there. Is it the stainless steel tub, or is it a component in the machine that gives off the scent? :) 

... or is it a component in the machine that gives off the scent?

Sounds to me like the people of Finish paid them more to endorse their detergent than the people of Cascade.

For the record my Stainless steel Kitchenaid came with a sample of Cascade, and a sticker on the door recommending Cascade for best results.

Can't see where they could get by voiding a warranty over a detergent usage.  Me thinks P&G would file suit just as fast as the people of Penzoil did when Ford Motor company said they would void coverage if you used their oil.  I ran that Mercury 460 145,000 miles on Penz with no problems.

And was told, they had never heard of the Gel causing damage of any sort.. although the lady said, overtime, with continued use of a Chlorinated product, if your dishwashers door seal is made of rubber, it may deteriorate or wear out a little faster than normal. 

If I do have any damage, I can file a claim with the company, and they'll reimburse me, which is quite comforting. 

I understand Finish is probably paying Bosch big bucks, but still.. I somewhat wonder if theres any truth to there "No Gel" claim. 

Allen. My Bosch doesn't have any "cold wash" or "reduced temperature" options. It does do, two pre-rinses with completely non-heated water, before going into the main wash stage, which heats the water up to 160*. I personally haven't noticed the dishes looking any less clean, from the reduced Enzyme activity, in fact, I think the dishes actually look a little bit cleaner.

I'm still experimenting with the use of those Powerball Tabs. So Far, No Damage whatsoever. I'll definitely keep an eye on that though, and post if the results change. They do seem to do a somewhat noticeable better job cleaning, than the Phosphate Free Cascade Complete pacs. I still need to try them up against phosphate laden Cascade, and compare. 

I personally don't mind, not using Chlorine or Bleach based Detergent. Honestly, I had mostly gotten into that habit, because it kept the tub on my last machine, cleaner (*plastic tub*). It is however, very nice to know, that your manuals do state it's safe. 

It really doesn't state much in my manual, just to consider using Powder Detergent, instead of Tablets, and tablespoon for most loads. When I called Bosch and asked for their recommendation for Soft Water, they said use Finish Quantum tabs, and turn up the rinse aid, instead of down.. so, probably not the best advice :P 

I did do one load with Great Value dishwasher Powder, and the tub simply sparkled. I'd even say, it looked cleaner than the one I did with the Cascade Platinum tabs. And, it's so much more economical. Of Course, I did have rinse aid, in, which, probably helps quite a bit. 

I still need to pull out that Cascade Complete with Phosphate in it. I bet, it'll do wonderfully :)