Dishwashers

Today’s' dishwashers are a vast array of features and prices. In an article I did for "Bob Villa's American Home" I was asked to differentiate between good, better, and best models.  I would like to get more in depth here about the product and not just price.

The Good: A good dishwasher probably does not really wash the dishes very good at all. It is at best hotter water than one can put hands into but the scrubbing and rinsing action may be better achieved by hand. This type of dishwasher usually has only 1 or 2 wash arms and from 2 to 5 cycles. (Be careful of cycle numbers most are useless) This type of dishwasher is

usually priced between $199 and $349. This is what I call an apartment or rental quality dishwasher. The ones with many cycles look fancy but do no more than their inexpensive single cycle units.

The Better: A better quality dishwasher will have 140 degree or higher water temperature achieved during wash and/or rinse cycles. The water temperature is achieved by having a heater on the dishwasher heat to the selected temperature to assure proper heating.  This allows one to turn down the home water heater.  They will usually have at least 2 if not 3 wash arms with many more holes to spray water. The racks should be coated with nylon on the more expensive better models. These dishwashers will come with a variety of cycles anywhere from 4 to 10.  Sound insulation will start making an appearance here as well as more versatile racks such as folding tines and/or height adjustments. This dishwasher will clean better than one can do by hand using less water. This style will use between 5 and 10 gallons of water to do a full load on normal and less on lighter cycles. The price range here goes from $379 to $899. 

The Best: To achieve this highest ranking a dishwasher must have a temperature of 160 degrees or higher. This style of dishwasher will clean noticeably better than any dishwasher you have owned. There are a variety of cycles on the many models to choose from and these models usually have top notch sound insulation which consists of an asphaltic (bitumen) pad covered with a felt padding. The sound is remarkably quiet. This type of dishwasher will also use under 5 gallons of water and some go as low as 4 per load. There will usually be a water filter of some sort inside the dishwasher's pump to filter food particles and not let them redeposit on your plates and glasses. 

Now, many of the Better features are on these Best models also and the prices overlap. Most of the models in this category are European made.  Some of the unique features are:  Top wash only, upper cutlery trays, versatile loading for odd sized items, 110 to 170 degrees of water heating, full sound insulation, water tight pans to prevent floor damage, drawer loading in single or double units, heights of 32”-34 ½ “, and many more features. The range here is from $599 to $2000. Well what does $2000 get you, I'll let you come in and see. The European made dishwashers are taking over in big numbers. We are selling more of the European than American dishwashers in the Better and Best categories. We do have live

models on display for you to listen to. 

Use and care: You may think that if you wash the dishes and put them in the dishwasher with dishwashing soap that all should be fine.  WRONG!  Here is the recommended way to use a Better or Best quality dishwasher.  Soap:  Store bought powdered soap has a life of approximately 30 days from the day you open it.  It will react with moisture in the air.  If you find goo in the soap cup then it is time for more soap because the box has gone bad.  We suggest either Cascade or Electrasol powder in a 50 ounce box or smaller.  The tablets are great if you can find them.  They have more scrubbing power and since they are individually wrapped, have a longer storage life.  I have also tried the “gel packs” and have gotten good results too.  Liquid soap is not recommended since it does not have the enzymes and scrubbing power as powder or tablets.  The grit in the powder and tablets help remove stubborn food.  Even though the liquid lasts longer it will not achieve the cleaning ability of the afore mentioned soaps.  Rinse Agent: In the greater Bay Area we have hard water.  Without using a rinse agent there will be noticeably greater spotting on glassware and silverware as well as bad drying of other items.  Also, because of the hotter water used in the high-end dishwashers, the pores in some glassware open and collect calcium, which is commonly called etching.  Using a rinse agent like Jet Dry or Cascade rinse aid or Electrasol tabs with Jet dry Power Ball will prevent many of these issues.  How to load a Dishwasher:  Since most Better and Best dishwashers have built in water filters one does not have to pre wash dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.

In the past 20 years I have not had to rinse a dish before putting it into a dishwasher.  I suggest scraping the plate lightly and putting it in the rack with proper clearance for good rinsing action.  Use a cycle which will heat the water 140 degrees or higher.  If you do not have anything for the detergent to react with then the detergent will react with your racks, glassware, drain line, garbage disposer, and other items it was not meant to react with.

By using these guidelines I suggest, you will have fantastic results with your high-end dishwasher.