In case you are ever tempted...

[marrymeflyfree]

...to purchase a ridiculously expensive dishwasher, I suggest saving your cash for something better. Like really good food to dirty your dishes with.

We are renovating the kitchen, and found some great deals on appliances at Best Buy. One of those deals was a really sweet looking dishwasher for about $500. A little pricey for a dishwasher imo, but it was what we were looking for, yadda yadda.

During the installation, we mentioned that we were to be putting in granite counters in the next few weeks. "Uh oh," said installer dude. Our pretty dishwasher would not work with any sort of solid surface counter. After a few other problems in the store, we were given an offer we couldn't refuse: a brand new $1200 dishwasher for our original $500 price. Quite a coup since we'd also managed to get a sweet range and hood for half price as well.

Anyway, I was skeptical. In my mind, any dishwasher worth paying that much dough for should make dinner and set the table as well. It has lots of neat attachments on the inside for stemware and knives (two items I handwash as a rule, anyway), and the dishes do come out clean. And it is eerily quiet. But I'm not convinced it is worth more than we actually paid.

[MarleysGh0st]

I don't know about $1200 dishwashers, but Nina's new Norwegian cap is darling!

A gift from the Old Country?

[marrymeflyfree]

I don't know about $1200 dishwashers, but Nina's new Norwegian cap is darling!

A gift from the Old Country?

Adorable, isn't it? A family friend of NN's knitted it, another cap, two sweaters, a dress, and 4 mittens for her. We just got them in the mail a few days ago, and I am still speechless at the woman's talents. They're all gorgeous and perfect, and fit beautifully. We're taking Nina to Norway on Monday...she'll have some Scandi cred showing up with the sweaters and Norwegian passport.

[gsabc]

You've gotta wonder about the store markup if they can offer a discount like that, even as a make-good.

What were you supposed to do with the first one, use the top of it as your counter? We had a portable once that had a butcher block top, but that came off when we installed it in our renovated kitchen.

The new one also takes much longer to run, correct? That's the trade-off for the quietness and lower water usage. It's the same deal with those low-water-usage washing machines. BD got one, and it takes at least twice as long to run a load than the older machines.

Was one of the "other problems" with the store getting them to take back the one you bought in the first place? One of the reasons we go to a local store for appliances. Good products, good prices, good delivery, good service.

[SportsFan68]

I've had a $50 dishwasher (well-used -- I was the third owner), a $250 dishwasher, and a $500 dishwasher.

I say spend the extra cash up to the $500. I wouldn't find the $700 in extras worth it, but I will definitely spend the extra $250 next time.

[marrymeflyfree]

You've gotta wonder about the store markup if they can offer a discount like that, even as a make-good.

We wondered that, too. The saleswoman said that we got all three items below cost, so who knows. The range was an open item, returned to the store because it didn't fit in the kitchen it was originally purchased for. The dishwasher had been a floor model for one day, so she 'open itemed' it for us. The hood was the last one in stock of a model they were no longer carrying, so they just wanted to get rid of it I guess.

What were you supposed to do with the first one, use the top of it as your counter?

The first one had top-mounted brackets that were welded to the machine and couldn't be moved. The installer said that they can't be mounted to granite without some rigging that he would not trust if it were in his own home. The new one is side-mounted. The installer said that this is a glitch since solid-surface counters are so popular now...that dishwasher manufacturers need to get with the program on it. The bigger problem is that this info is not routinely included in the specs, so there's no way to know what type of mounting it has without opening up the box or asking someone who knows that brand.

The new one also takes much longer to run, correct? That's the trade-off for the quietness and lower water usage. It's the same deal with those low-water-usage washing machines. BD got one, and it takes at least twice as long to run a load than the older machines.

Probably...I generally only run it at night, so I'm not totally sure. But it did seem like a long cycle when I ran it the first time during the day, now that you mention it.

Was one of the "other problems" with the store getting them to take back the one you bought in the first place? One of the reasons we go to a local store for appliances. Good products, good prices, good delivery, good service.

No, they were actually pretty good about that. The installer left the first one with us when he left since he had not delivered it...when the second installer came with the second dishwasher, he took the first one away. The other problems were that the replacement dishwasher we'd originally negotiated was not in stock after they said it was, and the confusion over whether or not the replacement would work with both granite counters and ceramic tile floors. Basically the appliance person was lacking a lot of pertinent info; surprising to us as we've always had very good experiences with Best Buy. But it's all sorted out now...and hopefully they'll still feel badly about the flubs when we go looking for a new fridge, too!

[5LD]

I bought cheap first time around, expensive second time and mid range third time. Mid range is by far the best.

Cheap was loud.

Expensive broke down a lot and was quiet at first but then got much louder and everytime I opened the door is squeaked. Ugh.

New one is a Bosch and I absolutely adore the thing. It does take a long time but it's so quite and does a good job at getting stuff clean!

[gsabc]

Thanks for the response, mmff. Nice timing on all the purchases. And that issue with the mounting brackets must bite a lot of unsuspecting buyers and installers.

Good luck with the rest of the renovation and enjoy your new kitchen! Our family Thanksgiving this year is off the normal sequence of locations, because an aunt wants to show off her new kitchen to the rest of us.

[tanstaafl2]

Never mind. I see it was previously answered!

During the installation, we mentioned that we were to be putting in granite counters in the next few weeks. "Uh oh," said installer dude. Our pretty dishwasher would not work with any sort of solid surface counter.

No doubt I am missing something but aren't all counter surfaces solid...

Was it a weight issue? Can't figure out why any dishwasher would be affected by the counter surface. Not like they are weight bearing.

Could you clarify my confusion? Not like I plan to do any kitchen remodeling soon but it just struck me as odd.

Thanks!

[Here's Fanny!]

During the installation, we mentioned that we were to be putting in granite counters in the next few weeks. "Uh oh," said installer dude. Our pretty dishwasher would not work with any sort of solid surface counter.

No doubt I am missing something but aren't all counter surfaces solid...

Was it a weight issue? Can't figure out why any dishwasher would be affected by the counter surface. Not like they are weight bearing.

Could you clarify my confusion? Not like I plan to do any kitchen remodeling soon but it just struck me as odd.

Thanks!

Not that I know anything, but I think by 'solid' it means material that can't be drilled to attach brackets or anything. Like with a wood or formica, you'd just take the old screwdriver and mount that puppy. With stone, there's a good chance of cracking or at the very least not having a tight seat.