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Thread Number: 82918
/ Tag: Modern Dishwashers
Best budget Dishwasher? |
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Post# 1071521 , Reply# 2 5/9/2020 at 07:34 (1,446 days old) by Frigilux  (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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I checked out a leading consumer product testing website that many love to hate.
The highest-scoring budget dishwasher that isn’t a Bosch is the Whirlpool WDF520PADM. (Around $425 in white; $529 in stainless). Its overall score was an 81. For the sake of comparison, the highest-scoring machine (a Bosch) received an 88. A bottom-of-the-line Frigidaire was the lowest scoring dishwasher, receiving a 37. The WDF520PADM was rated Excellent in the categories of cleaning, drying and energy use. Rated Good for noise (which in CR-speak means it is by no means quiet) and Very Good for reliability. Mine gets used 1-2 times per day; no breakdowns so far. It’s a very basic machine. No adjustable racks, tines, etc. Cycles: Heavy, Normal, 1-Hour, Soak & Clean. I have the 2017 portable version of this machine and will vouch that it cleans well. The portable is quite loud, so I never use anything but the 1-hr. cycle. Tried both Heavy and Normal cycles once just to say I tried them and they both cleaned very well, but I don’t want to listen to the racket for 2-3 hours. The undercounter version will most likely be quieter. My portable does not have the Soak & Clean cycle, so can’t comment on that; nor does mine have the silverware basket in the door—although I wish it did. Let us know what you wind up getting! | ||
| Post# 1071523 , Reply# 4 5/9/2020 at 08:06 (1,446 days old) by Dustin92 (Jackson, MI) | ||
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You say your Whirlpool portable is loud- is it water spray type noise, or motor noise? I'm ok with it being loud as long as it gets the dishes clean. How does it do as far as drying? | ||
| Post# 1071539 , Reply# 5 5/9/2020 at 10:27 (1,446 days old) by seedub (South Texas Hill Country) | ||
Our 2015 budget Whirlpool, installed by my home's builder (and with all the features of the new machine described above) can be heard on the other end of the house. It is both motor and spray noise, and I have observed that the spray is louder when the machine is emptier.
But, it's still a *LOT* quieter than the early 2000s GE Nautilus we had in the flat we moved from. I have to strain to hear it in other parts of the house, and if I am engrossed in something, I forget that it's running. In my den with no wall separating it from the kitchen, I watch television with a comfortable level of volume when the dishes are being cleaned. But, being a light sleeper I can't run it when I'm sleeping on the other end of the house. It's a pleasant hum, not the growl and whine of a Nautilus or Hotpoint, and not the mechanical buzz of a FrigiLux. Much quieter during the drain portions, natch. There is no hiss or gurgle when it is filling, and we have fairly high water pressure. As to drying performance, one must be certain to use rinse aid with this machine - possibly all modern machines. Post after post from my neighbors on the subdivision's social media site and review after review at Best Buy have complained about poor drying, and it's almost all the time no rinse agent with the hard water we have here. I don't need that, as I have a mechanical softener installed. It is as all modern units, however, in that there is a slight trace of water on top-rack items - particularly plastics. My marriage partner complains about spots on the cutlery, although she is somewhat of a perfectionist. She also doesn't do the washing up; she just unpacks the machine when the load is finished. The several times that I have unpacked it, the spotting seems miniscule to me, and so faint that it's not glaringly obvious. The leftover water happens even when the heater is switched on. *But*, this is if the machine is left alone. I try to practice active drying by shaking off the plastics as the machine is draining. Well, I suppose that's the only advantage to its not being whisper quiet - I can tell when the final rinse is done. After a minimum of 10 minutes, I open the door, let the steam escape, and allow natural convection to finish them off. Using that method, there is no remaining water even on the plastic items. It is a statement of the obvious that drying is greatly improved when I use both the water heating switch and heated drying. My apologies: I forget what the temperature of the main wash and final rinse is boosted to when the water heater does its work. There is a soil sensor that operates only on the Normal cycle which - like Eugene - I rarely use. If I have even moderately heavy soiling, it adds one extra rinse after the main wash...every time. Filtering: Due to the high grade and quality of mesh used, and a complex routine the machine performs to clean itself after the main wash, I can go without cleaning the filter for months at a time. I've been using her once to twice a week for five years with no repair needed, and with no degradation in cleaning performance. A guyfriend of mine in the next street over had three service calls his first year, and it looked like Whirlpool would end up replacing it. But, he's had no problems after the last repair; none at all. This being sub-$400 when new, it goes without saying that it feels light and flimsy. But, parts, hardware, &c, are all intact after five years; e.g., nothing's fallen off/come loose/broken off, and it still has the original controller board (The "cycle's done" indicator light stopped working on *that* before the first year was up...) | ||
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Post# 1071540 , Reply# 6 5/9/2020 at 10:27 (1,446 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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Dustin- It's primarily water noise. Have to take into account that a poorly-insulated portable has no cabinetry on each side nor a back wall to help suppress noise. Mine is a noticeably less noisy if both racks are BobLoaded.
The water pressure from bottom and top wash arms is strong and both racks wash at the same time; no alternating between racks. Having said that, I've had several dishwashers with alternate rack washing, TOLs from Frigidaire (2002), LG (2008) and GE (2013), that cleaned superbly--especially the LG and GE. The Frigidaire didn't do as well with really crusty pots & pans.
Drying: I never use the heated dry option, so can't speak to that. I move the portable back to its resting place in my kitchen and pop the door open and inch or two for flash drying. However, manufacturers stung by user criticisms about poor drying have made improvements in the past year or so. The fact that CR gave the 520 an excellent rating for drying means it must do well in that department.
Filters: I have never lifted out the flat screen portion of the filter. A simple twist to the left unlocks the cylindrical-shaped filter. I clean it using the sprayer on the kitchen faucet about once every two weeks. Takes only a few seconds. This post was last edited 05/09/2020 at 15:31 | ||
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Post# 1071581 , Reply# 7 5/9/2020 at 13:58 (1,446 days old) by littlegreeny (Milwaukee, WI) |
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Whirlpool WDT730PAHZ
I purchased the Whirlpool WDT730PAHZ about 6 weeks ago. I got it on sale at BB for $399. It's a a step up from the WDF520PADM recommended by Frigilux. It has a stainless interior door, nylon racks and a fan to assist with drying. It's relatively quiet at 51 db and does an exceptional job cleaning. Won't have a problem with tub showing stains as it's a very dark gray plastic. I've tried all the cycles and my favorite is the sensor cycle with the high temp wash and heated dry options enabled which takes 2:20hr to complete. Rinse aid is a must and I open it up to flash dry. Only items that are wet are plastics which I shake off. What I don't like is the racks are squeaky, especially immediately after the cycle ends and the door creaks a little. You can tell there was some cost cutting but it seems to be a solid machine overall, especially if you buy it on sale. Plus it's beautiful and modern on the outside.
If you really want to go bare bones, check out the IKEA Renlig. It's similar to Frigilux's DW but has a 5 year warranty and is only $379 everyday. It was rated a "best buy" by that before mentioned consumer magazine. Costco has the previous generation Maytag dws on sale through May 10th for $499. Full stainless interior/exterior, nylon racks, 47db. CLICK HERE TO GO TO littlegreeny's LINK | ||
| Post# 1071674 , Reply# 9 5/9/2020 at 19:10 (1,445 days old) by Dustin92 (Jackson, MI) | ||
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What about the GE GDF510PGMWW? Listed on Best Buy for $414.99, I see it has heated dry and "dry boost" but says nothing of cleaning ability.. | ||
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Post# 1071685 , Reply# 10 5/9/2020 at 19:56 (1,445 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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Checked at you-know-where for that GE model. Here's their take on it.
Overall Score: 69 Reliability: Good (translation: not great) Owner Satisfaction: Fair (translation: many are not happy with it) Washing: Very Good Drying: Good (translation: meh) Energy Use: Excellent Noise: Good
Most GE's were in the bottom half of the rankings. Whirlpool had better reliability and customer satisfaction. | ||
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Post# 1071714 , Reply# 11 5/9/2020 at 23:09 (1,445 days old) by littlegreeny (Milwaukee, WI) |
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| Post# 1071753 , Reply# 12 5/10/2020 at 09:02 (1,445 days old) by Dustin92 (Jackson, MI) | ||
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What about the Amana ADB1400AGW? Seems to be pretty much the same as the Whirlpool models, although without the silverware tray in the door. I could probably live with that over the difference in price.. | ||
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Post# 1071756 , Reply# 13 5/10/2020 at 10:00 (1,445 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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They tested the Amana 1500 ($525) which is one model up from the 1400.
Went to Amana’s site; the 1400 looks a lot like my Whirlpool portable. Same cycles; same silverware basket; same wash arms and filters.
Testing site notes long Normal cycle (140 minutes).
Overall Score: 57 Reliability: Good Owner Satisfaction: Poor Washing: Excellent Drying: Fair Energy Use: Excellent Noise: Good This post was last edited 05/10/2020 at 12:29 | ||
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Post# 1071769 , Reply# 14 5/10/2020 at 12:18 (1,445 days old) by littlegreeny (Milwaukee, WI) |
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IKEA is better value than Amana | ||
| Post# 1071811 , Reply# 16 5/10/2020 at 15:43 (1,445 days old) by Dustin92 (Jackson, MI) | ||
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Also the Ikea version of the WDT520 isn't available in white, and the Ikea version of the WDF130/330 is out of stock. | ||
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Post# 1071849 , Reply# 17 5/10/2020 at 18:47 (1,444 days old) by henene4 (Heidenheim a.d. Brenz (Germany)) |
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The equivalent to the 330 should be the LAGAN at 269$, though a bit louder AND only standard warranty being the entry line. Wanna take a gamble? Samsungs entry offering is only 450$, has a third level and is only 50dB. | ||
| Post# 1071852 , Reply# 18 5/10/2020 at 19:00 (1,444 days old) by Dustin92 (Jackson, MI) | ||
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Nope don't want a Samsung.. We have a Samsung dryer and I don't particularly care for it, plus it's already had 2 repairs in 3 years. | ||
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Post# 1071855 , Reply# 19 5/10/2020 at 19:14 (1,444 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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WDF 330: This one received the same overall score and ratings my 2017 portable did. Controls, interior are identical. If I recall correctly, it was noted the machine did not dry plastics well.
For what it’s worth: Using the 1-hour cycle with approximately 145 degree softened incoming water, Member’s Mark Ultimate Clean Pacs (Sam’s Club), and no heat dry, it cleans well. Drying performance on dishes/silverware is acceptable; plastics always very wet.
I’m tempted to use the Normal Cycle with Hi Temp and Heated Dry options tomorrow just to see how it does using the settings most people would use. Did one load with those settings once when I first got the machine, but don’t remember if drying was improved.
Overall Score: 70 Reliability: Very Good Customer Satisfaction: Good Washing: Very Good Drying: Good Energy Use: Excellent Noise: Good Normal Cycle: 110 minutes This post was last edited 05/10/2020 at 20:48 | ||
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Post# 1071879 , Reply# 21 5/10/2020 at 21:08 (1,444 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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I scrape excess food off dishes with a rubber spatula; no pre-rinsing. I take a quick swipe with a stainless steel/mesh scrubber to cooked on/burned on foods on pots/pans—only because I use the 1-hour cycle. The one time I used the Heavy cycle it cleaned untouched cookware very well.
All of my dishes are diner-style/Buffalo china and they fit well. My glasses don’t fit particularly well in the upper rack, so I load them angled a bit over a couple of tines. There’s always a learning curve for loading whenever a person changes dishwashers.
I’ve always had softened water which makes the job easier for the dishwasher; hope things go well with your hard water.
Top-rated dishwasher detergents in the latest test: Member’s Mark Ultimate Clean (Sam’s Club) (overall score 92) Cascade Platinum With Dawn (91) Cascade Platinum + Oxi (91) | ||
| Post# 1071914 , Reply# 23 5/11/2020 at 03:56 (1,444 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY) | ||
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Post# 1071916 , Reply# 24 5/11/2020 at 05:01 (1,444 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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They put the results of the latest test online a few days ago. Member’s Mark was always near the top of the ranking, but they must have reformulated because the pacs now have little blue-colored granules mixed in. Ordered two containers of them from Sam’s Club (I’m a member) on Friday at $9.98 for 105 pacs. The SHOP button at CR takes you to a vendor on Amazon that’s selling them for $29.99 per container—so don’t shop for them on Amazon.
An overall score difference of 1 point doesn’t mean much, but at 10 cents apiece they’re a real bargain. I’ve used them for years. The two Cascade Platinum variants listed above are 34 cents apiece.
No problem with excess foaming in the Whirlpool. | ||
| Post# 1071919 , Reply# 25 5/11/2020 at 06:12 (1,444 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod) | ||
We have pretty hard water here on the Cape. I’ve always been a powder person forever. Until one day when I got the BJ flyer there were two coupons. One was for their house brand Berkeley and Jensen and the other one was for a Cascade Pure.
I have to say the Cascade Pure or the BJ’s pod clean absolutely incredible. Most of the time I don’t even pre-scrub pots and pans and they do come out clean which is amazing to me. I use one pod in the covered compartment and throw one or 2 teaspoons of boil out and put the prewash and first rinse. No foaming and no cavitation.
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Post# 1071948 , Reply# 26 5/11/2020 at 11:02 (1,444 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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 I used Cascade Plaatinum since it came out and continued with the new Kenmore elite bought in 2015. Have very hard water. Never really took out coffee & tea stains in mugs and many times left sludge/yibblets at the front of the bottom of the tub. Once I began using Bubble Bandit, both of those issues went away. | ||
| Post# 1072001 , Reply# 27 5/11/2020 at 17:48 (1,443 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY) | ||
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Ya | ||
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Post# 1072102 , Reply# 28 5/12/2020 at 09:38 (1,443 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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| Post# 1072221 , Reply# 30 5/12/2020 at 22:41 (1,442 days old) by seedub (South Texas Hill Country) | ||
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Queue @ THD | ||
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Post# 1072393 , Reply# 32 5/13/2020 at 21:15 (1,441 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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Post# 1072396 , Reply# 33 5/13/2020 at 21:39 (1,441 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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2010 Kenmore Ultra-Wash DW That flickering light might be a control panel membrane failing, the LED itself usually does not fail that way, you should check the cost and availability of a new control panel before you go to too much trouble moving and installing this otherwise great DW.
Not Wearing A mask in public, I am disappointed that you think so little of your Mother and others as to not take this simple safety precaution in public, This pandemic is just getting started, I truly hope your Mother and you survive it.
John L. | ||
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