Owned 4 Years-Do not waste your money

Many reviewers posting here who have a positive impression have probably owned the machine a short time. I also had a positive impression when I first got it. But over the last four years that has changed.

The machine has a thick black insulating material on the outside of the case which started coming loose in Post-it Note sized chunks 6 months after we bought it. The pieces either fall on the floor or get into the machine and disintegrate during the wash cycle. This covers your dishes with black granules the size of sand and the consistency of Asphalt. I have had to wash many of our glasses and dishes in mineral spirits to get it off.
Only to have it happen again a few months later.

The machine also seems to have very poor quality components. It looks good on the outside but the inside comes from China. The previous Poster was right about that.

The machine is wearing out and falling apart. It is no longer quiet and the sprayer jets no longer turn freely. This is after only four years of use.

It is not due to the water by the way- instead the bushings are all made of  low quality plastic that wears out quickly.


It does clean well but what many do not realize is that is a pretty easy thing for manufacturers to do.
How well a dishwasher cleans is determined mainly by the temperature of the water and the length of the wash cycle. Those who say it doesn’t clean probably have their water heaters turned down and are using a “quickie” cycle.  

If the water is hot enough and the wash cycle long enough- any dishwasher will clean dishes. That is the reason many comment on the fact that it cleans but it takes it a long time to do it.

Kitchenaid used to be a high quality machine that would look good and last for years. Unfortunately, after Whirlpool bought them that all changed. There is now no difference between the components in a Kitchenaid and a cheap Whirlpool machine. 

I bought the machine because of the “Kitchenaid” name but that no longer means anything. The company “Kitchenaid” and its adherence to quality went out of business years ago. The machine is nothing more than a Whirpool with a Kitcheaid label on it.  And worse every major component used in its manufacture is a low quality Chinese import.

To put it bluntly- you are buying a Chinese dishwasher with a fancy door and the Kitcheaid name. And that’s about it.

But all the major American manufacturers are doing the same thing so Kitchenaid (Whirlpool) are not unique in that respect.

Probably the best machine out there that approaches the quality Kitchenaid used to be is the Bosch. But they are only the best of what we have left to choose from.

I have owned four of these machines in various incarnations since 1987 ( it is essentially a Sears Ultrawash also made by Whirlpool)  and it is obvious the quality has now been cut to nothing in the last ten years.

The older machines were identical to this one with the exception of a few aesthetic changes. However the quality and durability of this last machine is terrible compared to the others. But the older machines were not made with Chinese components either.

The older machines lasted for years with no problems and the only reason I kept buying new ones is because we moved and left the old ones behind.

I am afraid the Kitchenaid name just doesn’t mean anything anymore. The company that made great appliances went out of business years ago and the name that Whirlpool bought is all that is left.


There is something more disturbing than the fact I spent over $600.00 for a cheap Chinese import which is falling apart. It seems there is nothing left in this country that is well made and worth the money. Even our “American Brands” are nothing more than relabeled Chinese junk.
No wonder this country is in so much trouble.