An Architect of Dishwashers. KitchenAid

KitchenAid’s Classic Console K Series dishwashers are designated the Architect Series II. Consumers have the option of models in black KUDK03ITBL, biscuit KUDK03ITBT, black on stainless KUDK03ITBS or white KUDK03ITWH. The cleaning features of this dishwasher include a four blade food disposer that promises to eliminate prerinsing. The keypad controls are fully visible at the top of the unit which has a recessed handle on the door.

The owner’s manual is the same for models: KUDC03FT, KUDC03IT, KUDK03FT, KUDK03CT, KUDL03IT, KUDX03FT. The manual occasionally stipulates different function procedures for specific models. The vast majority of operations are performed the same way.
The KUDK03IT of this review was purchased as a replacement for a builder’s grade GE dishwasher with dial controls. The expectations were that the new KitchenAid would outperform the old GE, an appliance so loud that one could not carry on a phone conversation in the same room while it ran through its cycles.

Features

4-blade food disposer
4 stainless steel wash arms
Whisper Quiet® sound insulation system (54 dBA)
Optimum wash sensor adjusts the wash cycle to specific water conditions
Welded tall tub with commercial grade stainless steel interior
Dedicated drying element (We admire and appreciate its dedication)
4 cycles / 5 cycle options
2 fold down rows with four sure hold light item clips in upper rack
fold down row with two-position tines in lower rack
extra large silverware basket with molded handle and one cover
100% usable Durakote™ nylon-coated racks with cushion-tip™ tines
Energy Star qualified
4 hour delay option

Numbers
14 place setting capacity (for skilled loaders)
54 dBA This bears repeating. The Whisper Quiet feature is impressive.
Depth 24 7/8 “
Height 33 7/8”
Width 23 7/8”

15 or 20 ampere, 120 volts, 60 Hertz. Use copper wire only.

Estimated 334 KW or $29 dollars a year to use this model. Similar models of all brands range between 194 and 531KW.

Washing Dishes

Most could use this appliance without even opening the owner’s manual since the procedures are straightforward. The manufacturer recommends using a rinse aid for food drying. Each filling should last from 1-3 months. The rinse aid does make a difference though not as dramatically as we had anticipated.

Scrape food soil and hard items from dishes.
Properly load the dishwasher being sure tall items don’t interfere with the wash arm.
Add detergent.
Run hot water at the kitchen sink until it’s HOT. Forgetting to do this could result in an undissolved detergent tablet.
Select wash cycle and drying options.

The four, cycle choices are heavy duty, normal, light/china, and rinse only.

The High Temp Scrub option adds heat, water and wash time for especially soiled dishes.
Sani Rinse raises the water temperature in the final rinse to 155 degrees. The Heavy Duty cycle automatically uses this option.
The Heat Dry option gives excellent drying results and can add a little heat to the kitchen. It feels good on a cold morning.
Control Lock disables the control buttons. We’ve never used it and probably never will.

A separate set of buttons offers these options: sani rinse, Hi-Temp scrub, Heat dry, 4 hour delay
Press the start button.

Likes

The most impressive feature of this machine is the incredible quietness of operation. At times during the cycle the dishwasher is barely audible. Before it’s installed one can see a sheath of what looks like rubber around the cabinet body. A moisture barrier above the machine serves as additional sound insulation and below the machine a sound pad is installed.

The controls are easy to use and self-explanatory. The flush control buttons make cleaning the control panel a simple task.

The bright blue LED lights signaling function or cycle in progress are attractive and mesmerizing, a treat for the easily entertained.

The fold-down tines are great for loading larger items for which the tines are an intrusion. The clips are nice for keeping delicate glassware or plastic lids anchored. It’s convenient having these options.

The stainless steel interior is attractive and requires little attention.

The light silver color of the rack coating is attractive and seems durable.

The two racks slide in and out easily and the door opens smoothly.

The add a dish feature is handy though that’s mostly standard fare these days.

The food disposer will grind up and flush away food particles.

Dishes are cleaned well even at the light setting, and the heat dry function works very well. Although the owner’s manual says that heat drying only costs “pennies”, we usually let the dishes air-dry.
With the normal cycle a heavily soiled dish sometimes emerge with a little residue remaining. Being penny pinchers, we’re usually too cheap to use the longer, hotter, heavy-duty cycle.

The KitchenAid is an attractive appliance.

Quibbles

This thing takes forever to clean a load of dishes, over an hour on the normal cycle. Mrs. Spudman usually runs ours in the evening, and I empty it in the morning. Maybe we’re just impatient because long cycles are standard for other dishwashers as well.

The four hour delay is supposed to be a money saving feature for washing dishes in the wee hours when rates are lower. Our utility no longer offers a significant rate reduction for off hours. Other models have two, four, and eight hour delays. We probably would never use any of them.

The KitchenAid’s cleaning power is not tremendously superior to the old appliance. It’s much, much quieter though.

The soap dispenser door latch does not instill confidence in its longevity. It feels flimsy and cheap. Hopefully I’m wrong about this one.

On some models indicator lights tell you in which cycle the appliance is engaged, be it fill, rinse, wash, soak, etc. This one just lets the user know that’s it’s on or drying, and when done clean or sanitized. In the air-dry mode only the Washing indicator lights.

One year “limited” warranty. Five year limited warranty on some components.
Limited lifetime warranty on stainless steel tub and inner door.

The top rack isn’t adjustable.


Last

The Heavy Duty and Hi-Temp Scrub choices use more water and more energy to heat the water while adding time to the cycles. We almost always rinse off the dishes before putting them into the dishwasher and use the Normal or Light cycles though some say we’re not really saving energy by doing so.

We like the KitchenAid dishwasher. It’s much quieter than the replaced GE and quieter than the new Whirlpool bought for our previous house. Our dishwasher needs are minimal so it serves us well with extra features we’ll seldom if ever use. Others may want to move up the food chain for even more fancy dishwasher tricks. For less money one could buy a similarly featured Whirlpool, though I’m not sure it would match the quiet operation of the KitchenAid. Though KitchenAid is a brand owned by Whirlpool, the Whirlpool appliances have a better repair history according to Consumer Reports.
For 800 dollars more we could have purchased the top of the line KitchenAid dishwasher with five cycles, six options, hidden controls, and 48 decibel Whisper Quiet Ultima. Cheaper models in other lines were also options. We’re satisfied with the lower end KitchenAid.

And For What It’s Worth
In a 2007 report ConsumerReports rated the very similar KitchenAid KUDK03CT in the upper tier of models tested, receiving an overall score of 76. The scores of the tested models ranged from 83 to 48. The cycle time (washing and drying) for this model is 130 minutes. If you want a particular item cleaned in a hurry, you’d best wash it the old fashioned way, by hand.

Thanks for reading this review.