16 out of 16 people found this review helpful.
It is a cleaning machine!
Date of Review: Jul 22, 2008
The Bottom Line: This is a high end machine, but it delivers. I feel good that I made a smart purchase that will stand the test of time.
KitchenAid Architect Series II Dishwasher
I elected to hold off on writing this review, as I have said in the past, I worry that I will influence someone to make a sizable purchase and not experience the positive results that I have. As of today, I have had this dishwasher in full service for one year and now I am ready to give my two cents.
I can honestly say this machine does everything the manufacturer claims. I have put this bad boy through the paces and with the exception of one incident, it has never failed. Please know this is a high-end appliance, so you would expect that it out perform a moderately priced machine. Well, in my humble opinion it does! I replaced a GE that pooped out after 7 years. It was not bad, but….it lacked a lot.
Why I picked the KitchenAid Architect II?
The sleek integrated design was what I was looking for. It has very clean lines and is inconspicuous with the custom panel I had installed. Now get this, only this model and a LG would hold my oversized dinner plates. (Please don't ask….I purchased new dinnerware and never in a million years would I have thought that they would not fit in a dishwasher. It is true, I looked a more than 2 dozen machines and only the Architect II & LG model # LDS8812 would hold my dinner plates.
I also have had a long history with KitchenAid and have always been pleased. My Mother was a huge KitchenAid fan, so as my appliances, peter out I am replacing with KitchenAid, and this dishwasher is the primary reason. Okay, on to the details, just wanted to share a little history.
About the KitchenAid Architect II
The architect II is a standard 24" tall tub built-in dishwasher
This model has a total of three racks. They are all glide racks and move in and out very smoothly. Lower, middle and cutlery rack on the top and each rack does a wonderful job. The top cutlery rack is a very nice feature for oversized BBQ tools and large spoons that normally have to put on the top rack taking up valuable space.
The middle rack is one touch to raise and lower to accommodate different size items. Can adjust with one hand so it is nice for a last moment adjustment adds an additional 3.5" of space. Also, the middle rack has secure tabs to prevent lightweight items from flying around during the wash cycle. The middle rack also has two sets of fold down tabs to secure wine glasses. I love this; if you use the tabs, it tilts the glasses so water will shed off them and prevent water spots on the bottom. The lower rack is super versatile with adjustable tines to accommodate small to oversized bake ware. The utensil rack is on the side and out of the way on the lower rack as well, with individual slots to prevent utensils for sticking together and ensuring a quality clean!
The Architect II is a tall tub. Having never had one before did not see what the big deal was, but it's HUGE. Amazing how much more you can load in this machine. It really will hold a full 14 place setting. I have done it!
The interior tub of the Architect II is all stainless steel. Looks great and also helps to reduce noise and comes with a lifetime warranty on the tub. My GE only had 5 years on the tub….
Cycles:
HEAVY DUTY - For really gross clean up! Has never failed. Even baked on cheese comes off!
NORMAL - Everyday clean up
LIGHT/CHINA - Reduces water pressure and heat for delicate china and crystal
QUICK CLEAN UP - This is AWESOME!! 20 Min and the cycles are complete. Keep in mind however, no dry cycle is activated if this cycle is selected. When doing a large meals I use this to clean up cookware and baking items prior to serving. Nice to have everything clean prior to sitting down for a meal.
RINSE ONLY - No more smells, this cycle is very efficient in rinsing dishes in-between full cycles.
Options:
PROSCRUB - This cycle will clean baked on cheese, sticky pans and are you ready for this, burned on gravy pans from caramelizing. Load the item towards the three jets and select this option and the pan will come out clean as the day you purchased it!! Really!!
HI-TEMP SCRUB - For greasy items, and baked on egg!
SANI-RINSE - The flu and cold season I always use this option. Heats the final rinse to 184 degree.
HEAT DRY / CONTROL LOCK - You can select to turn on or off the dry cycle, you save energy and it also works as the control lock for little hands helping out in the kitchen.
4 HOUR DELAY - Use this for my evening cycle as our energy costs drop after 12am - 5am. Great way to save a little.
Now, with modern open kitchen floor plans I really wanted a machine that would be quiet and I found it! According to the specs, this machine produces 52 dBA. So really, what is that? A weighted decidable (dBA), in acoustics. Okay, thanks Webster but I needed more:
Normal Breathing 10dB...
Soft whisper (at 5m) 30dB
KitchenAid Architect II Dishwasher 52 dBA
Normal Conversation 60dB
Busy Traffic 70dB
Average Factory 80dB
Niagra Falls 90dB..."
"For reference, conversational speech is about 65dB."
Now I get it; this bad boy is quiet. In my case, I cannot hear it at all and rely on either touching the handle to feel a slight vibration and or at night, I can see the soft blue lights glowing under the countertop.
Know lets talk about energy:
Estimated 36.00 annual operating costs based on electric hot water supply.
Water consumption is 1/3 of a standard dishwasher of 10 years ago.
The machine has not one but two sensors that reduce wash time or extend for that matter based on the information that is sent to the machine from these sensors. This can be a little tricky as some loads will complete in about one hour and ten min., and I have had other go well over 2 hours.
As part of the energy calculation, the owner's manual will advise you to scrape the dishes only. Do not rinse under water. The machine is far more efficient than allowing water to run continuously while loading. Takes a little use to breaking this habit, but I have and not had any problems.
Last, this model has a built in garbage disposal, so soft food items are ground up and purged with the end of each cycle. A big plus on this model also is a self-cleaning filter. Unlike models in the same price range, they require manual cleaning every month.
My final thought. Have this unit professionally installed. It has a rater unique wiring harness and if done incorrectly can short the computer out. This is NOT covered under the warranty.
I love this machine, I know what review was not in favor, but as it lacked any specifics, I cannot comment, as I like to do. In all, this expensive dishwasher really delivers and I could not be more pleased. I am covered for 5 years on the KitchenAid warranty and feel good about that. Lifetime on the stainless steel tub.
