Bosch Works as Promised

After my high-rated Maytag stopped working (after 8 yrs, the control panel stopped functioning), I did my research and checked Consumer Reports and spoke to friends and family. Bosch was not always considered a reliable brand. Back in the late 90's, their quality control was lacking and a completely new redesign has elevated their repair ranking to the top of the charts. Bosch has always been known for making extremely quiet dishwashers, and now they are dependable too.

I have a friend who owned a Bosch back in the 90's and after it broke a half-dozen times in the first year, he had it sent back. My brother has owned one for 5 years and swears by it, never having a single problem with his.

Consumer Reports recently rated the model below this one as a Best Buy. They cite the SHE33M02UC as a low-cost option that's quiet, cleans well and comes with a stainless steel tub. The model I purchased, that I am reviewing here, is the SHE43M02UC, which is essentialy the same dishwasher with some extras the 33 doesn't have. There is a countdown timer on the front panel, so you know how long before the cycle is complete. There are a couple extra wash cycle options and an adjustable upper rack to make loading a bit more flexible. Not only do the tines flip up or down on the top rack, but the entire top rack can be raised or lowered to accomodate larger items that may be loaded into the lower rack.

This dishwasher has a fully loadable lower rack with no "tower" spray stalk in the middle rack that would reduce space for dishes. There is no vent hole for steam to escape (which can be potentially dangerous to small children standing nearby). The moisture and steam from the drying cycle is collected and flushed down the drain pipe. This does however reduce the dryness level of the tub when a cycle is finished, as there remains a bit of moisture (not bone dry) when you open the door after a load is complete. Bosch suggests opening the door a quarter of the way to let the moisture escape at the end of a cycle. The doors on Bosch dishwashers are designed to stay open at an angle also to reduce the chance that the door will just fall open suddenly if you let go as you open it, a nice quality feature.

The Bosch appears very well constucted, with a handsome but minimal appearance (think Swiss-German design). The fact that a stainless tub is standard on a model in this price range is unusual. A stainless steel tub is better than a plastic tub for 3 reasons:

1. Stainless tubs do not stain like plastic ones do (tomatoes and tomato sauce turn plastic pink).
2. Stainless tubs get hotter and therefore help to decrease dry times, reducing enegy usage.
3. A stainless steel tub just looks better than a plastic one!

I can safely say this Bosch dishwasher cleans extremely well on moderately soiled dishes, but I have not tested the limits on how well it can clean heavily soiled ones. This model does not have a self-cleaning filter, so you must remove the filter by hand periodically and rinse it out. This is a very simple process, and the filter can be removed with just a quarter turn by hand (takes just a second).
In some ways this is a better system than a self-cleaning filter that can get clogged and then requires a tedious effort and removal of several screws, as was the case with my old Maytag.

There are a few features that are lacking on this Bosch model. First, there is no Rinse and Hold feature that most dishwashers have so that you can keep stains from hardening on dishes while they wait for the next wash cycle. The workaround for this is to just hit the "Quick Wash" button without loading detergent. 30 mins later, you have rinsed dishes. Another feature that is missed is adjustable tines on the lower rack. This makes loading certain items (especially large pots) a little trickier.

There is no doubt this is an efficient dishwasher. The Energy Usage tag that came with the machine estimates yearly energy use to run the dishwasher at only $29. It is also a water miser, so much so that there is no Energy Saver mode on this model. Any mode you use is essentially as energy efficient as you can get.

The detergent receptacle is also smaller than my old Maytag. In addition, Bosch recommends that you only fill it half-way for normal loads. This is another great money saving feature of the Bosch, as I am now using half the dishwasher detergent that I used to.

A rinse agent (like Jet-Dry) is mandatory with this model. Because of the way the moisture is removed from the machine without the use of a vent, it is essential that the rinse agent receptacle always be maintained at the proper level. Thankfully, there is an indicator on the front panel that lights up when the level gets too low.