Mt. Dishmore has been leveled

PURCHASE:
I purchased this dishwasher from Amazon.com in Apr. 05. Price was $159.99, but a 10% discount was available in that dept. on all purchases over $125, so the cost came down to $147 with free shipping. The item was shipped in it's retail box, not as a box within a box, so there were some visible scuffs and scratches on its surface. Within the box however, there seemed to be sufficient styrofoam to insulate the product from damage during shipment.

SIZE:
Be aware that although this is a countertop unit, it is by no means small. The dimensions are: 17-1/4 inches wide, 21 inches high, 19-3/4 inches deep, and I would recommend getting a tape measure and measuring it out in your space before purchasing. It's height especially makes it unlikely that you can fit it on a countertop where you have cabinets mounted to a wall above your countertop. And while not extremely heavy, it is bulky and cumbersome and you probably don't want to use it as an item that gets taken out and put away for each use.

CONSTRUCTION and DURABILITY:
It appears to be quite well made. The outside is painted steel and the inside of the dish compartment is plastic. The rack is rubber (or some plastic) coating over metal like you will find in most dishwashers. This allows you to bend pieces if you need to for specific items, although excessive fatigue will certainly cause prongs to break. The dishwasher has a top and bottom sprayer which are also made of plastic. They spin freely when the machine is not in use, which means nothing will break if something pushes against it while loading. I can't imagine anything good coming of the sprayers getting blocked during a cycle so be sure you have clearance when you load it. The hose that connects to your sink and the connector itself both appear to be good pieces of hardware. The quick connect adapter works well. The drain tube is of a lower grade plastic but I have had no problems with it and it seems to be well attached to the dishwasher.

SETUP:
Setup was a breeze and the instructions seemed to explain everything well. On some sinks you may need to unscrew a piece on the end of your faucet before the adapter can be screwed on. Remove all packaging tape and plug it in and you are ready to go. They suggest in the manual that you have water that is at least 120 degrees coming from your sink. It is further heated in the dishwasher. I had to adjust my water heater to get this temperature.

RUNNING MODES:
There are 2... Normal and Heavy. Both are explained in the manual, but in short, Heavy is just a double cycle. I have used normal almost exclusively as I elaborate about below. There is also an option for "Vented Drying." It is on by default and the manual doesn't really explain how to turn it on and off though it does discuss the feature. This is not Heated Drying like a full size dishwasher would have. Vented Drying is supposed to allow steam to be vented from the dishwasher while the interior is hot. I haven't seen a difference between vented and non-vented drying. To activate / deactivate this mode, press the Normal (or Heavy if applicable) button again while the cycle is starting (light flashing). The vented drying light will go off. Press again before the cycle begins and the option is turned back on. The normal cycle is somewhere around 30 mins long, the heavy is 50 or so.

OPERATING DETAILS:
The noise of the machine while running is substantial when compared to a modern built in dishwasher, however I find the machine to be well insulated for it's size and the noise isn't too much of a bother. Especially since it serves as a reminder of the dishes you don't have to wash! The end of cycle beep is louder than a microwave but much softer than a smoke detector. I haven't been annoyed with it as some other folks have, and it does let you know that you should turn off your sink. I have left the sink on accidentally for a few hours without the machine running... this didn't cause any issue, but I'd assume that turning off the sink is the best course of action. The water within the dishwasher gets hot! I checked the temp of the water coming out of the drain hose and it was 140 degrees. This can burn you, pets, children, etc. so make sure you've got it draining into the sink and the area is safe. If you need to add items mid-cycle, you can move the lever to the unlocked position and the cycle will pause... just add your items, close the door, and put the lever to locked and your cycle resumes.

RELIABILITY:
I've had the unit for about 2.5 months. I probably run it 2-3 times a week. The only time it didn't run... just beeped at me when I tried to start it... turned out to be my fault as I hadn't locked to the door shut. Locked the door, cycle started right up, nothing but a scare. Otherwise the machine has performed perfectly.

CLEANING QUALITY:
I've been pleased overall with the quality of the unit. The vast majority of the dishes I've washed have come out perfectly clean. However, tough dried-on food will not be washed off. I've tried the Heavy mode for these items but seen no better performance. It seems that if it is able to clean it, it will do it on Normal... if Normal can't do it, then Heavy can't either. If you soak the tough items for awhile though, you should be fine and can get them cleaned in the washer.

CAPACITY:
This little washer actually holds quite a bit. I usually have 3 or 4 dinner plates, a couple of bowls, flatware and a couple of glasses in it for a cycle. I've washed 15 or so glasses at a time before if that's easier to visualize. I can get most of my tupperware to fit, but realistically, you're not going to be putting any pots or pans in there.

OVERALL:
I love this dishwasher. Though I was tentative to buy it since a number of people seem to have had it break down on them, the luxury of not doing dishes is worth the risk in my mind. The sink stays empty, dishes stay clean, and if it breaks in a year, I would say it's worth $150 and I'd go back and buy another.

If you have question's or concerns, leave them as a comment and I'll try to make necessary adjustments to this review.