marks@yogi.DEC (10/28/85)
When we renovated our kitchen five years ago, I did all kinds of research and determined Maytag was the best dishwasher. We got the most basic model (about $350 US at the time) and installed it. We had nothing but trouble with it (lonely Maytag repairman notwithstanding), starting with the wiring which we were told was poorly designed and had to be replaced within 3 months of installation, to the timer, to the clutch, to every moving part, finally to the motor, which was going to cost at least $170 to fix and so we scrapped the thing. Other than that, the machine worked beautifully when it was working, nary a spot on a glass. We replaced our Maytag with a Kitchenaid. This time we got the second to the bottom of the line (I liked it because for $20 we got a fully adjustable upper rack). We have been using this for approximately 4 months. It cost about $429, a little over your price range, but we use our dishwasher very heavily, having a family of me, my husband, and 5 teenagers. I am delighted (so far) with the Kitchenaid. I am told they take a licking and keep on ticking by many friends who have them. Thus far, we have had no problems. The dishwashing capabilities are excellent. We try to rinse our dishes before stacking them, but the kids are often lazy about this and the dishes still come out spotlessly clean. My mother has had nothing but Hotpoint dishwashers. Although they are less expensive to purchase, they tend not to do as good a job as the Kitchenaid. She is happy with her Hotpoint, but she lives alone and uses the machine about once every two days. If your usage is going to be light, the Hotpoint is probably a good choice. My mother finds, however, that she has to clean the dishes thoroughly before stacking them, because it has some trouble with baked on substances like egg, cheese, etc. Hope this has helped a little. Good luck with your dishwasher! R.M.