Bosch Dishwashers-I didn't get what I paid for!
Written: Jun 18 '02 (Updated Jan 26 '08)
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Pros: Good looks, quieter than other dishwashers, water savings
Cons: Expensive to install, long wash cycles, unreliable, EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR, BROKE IN 5 YEARS!
The Bottom Line: A high priced dishwasher. Performs fairly well, but broke within 5 years of minimal use. EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR!
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| ch59's Full Review: Bosch SHU53 24 in. Built-in Dishwasher |
This model is sleek, attractive and all of the buttons are flush with the unit. The inside is also stainless steel and larger than my old dishwasher. But I was disappointed to find I could not load my top rack with dinner plates as was suggested in brochures I'd seen. (My dishes are ordinary 10 ¼ size). But I later found that I used far more bowls and cups than dinner plates-and didn't miss that feature. There is plenty of room on the bottom for plates.
The racks can be flipped down, or taken out to accommodate large pots. I once tried to lower/move some of the tines of the racks and found it such a hassle, that I never used that feature again. I'm not going to spend 10 minutes re-configuring my racks just so I can put a large stockpot in my dishwasher.
I do like the rinse agent dispenser. The unique feature is a little dial that can be adjusted so you can use more/less of the rinse agent. If you find that your glasses have multi-colored streaks, or you're going through too much rinse agent, try turning the dial to a lower setting. If glasses are covered with water spots, adjust higher. This feature is perfect if you have soft water-I use the lowest setting and only need to refill my dispenser once every 2-4 months.
There are two wash arms (one under the lower rack, one under the upper rack). Since there is no heat coil to dry dishes, there isn't any worry about melting Tupperware. There is no food grinder, instead there is a two-stage filter unit comprised of a coarse and fine filter. The filter is a pain, no one should have to remove and rinse a slimy filter in such an expensive machine.
There are five cycle selections: Power Scrub Plus 91+ minutes, Scrub Wash 80 minutes, Regular Wash 91 minutes, Delicate/Econo 72 minutes, and lastly Rinse & Hold 9 minutes. I normally only use the Power Scrub Plus and the Rinse & Hold feature.
My main reason for buying this model was that I kept reading it's so quiet, you won't even know it's running... Is it this quiet? No. Don't get me wrong, this dishwasher IS quiet-especially when compared to an inexpensive dishwasher. But at no time have I had to wonder if the unit was on. The sound level will also change depending on which cycle it is on. When the unit is filling or draining water-it is actually on the loud side. I can hear a lot of noises coming from the airgap (that little plastic thing on your sink). Can I talk on the telephone while the unit is running? Sure I can, but it depends on which part of the cycle the unit is going through, and how close to the unit I am.
Does it clean dishes? Not as well as I expected. Rinsing is suggested if there are leafy veggies, or things that won't go through the filter. I normally don't have a problem when I don't rinse. I highly suggest do NOT put hard items (i.e.: sunflower seed shells) into the unit, they do not break down and can cause a clog.
For some strange reason, this dishwasher will not remove avocado residue. Any bowl or utensil that has avocado on it must be rinsed thoroughly. I also find that there are always a few utensils that have to be rewashed.
Bosch recommended using Electrosol tablets. I personally feel Electrosol tablets outperform any other dishwashing agent around. However, I have softened water-and would have to break each tablet in half. If you find that your glasses are getting etched, it's not the fault of the dishwasher, but the phosphates in the soap. I have to use a detergent with lower phosphates.
I also notice due to the stainless interior of the unit, it can take on some very unpleasant smells fairly quickly. Even with rinsing there is a strange almost fishy type of smell. I never had this problem with my plastic interior dishwasher.
I was also worried that without a heat coil to dry the dishes, I'd have wet dishes. Usually not, but definite condensation on the inside door that will cause an odor if you leave the dishes in too long.
The stainless exterior while nice to look at will show fingerprints, dribbles etc. It's just one of those things you'll have to get used to whenever you have any kind of stainless steel appliance.
I required the first service call just one month after the limited 2-year warranty expired. Bosch didn't seem too concerned about resolving my issue. It was only after a half-hour of negotiating, hell, I was pleading that they agreed to fix the unit under warranty. I had noticed that there was corrosion at the connection up front where the copper tube entered the unit. The repairman stated that it looked like two incompatible types of metal were fused together and maybe the humidity in the environment caused the corrosion? In a nutshell he wasn't sure, but it was replaced. If I hadn't found this, I could've guaranteed a flood!
Also ask your dealer about installation costs. The money I saved in rebates went back into the cost of installing the unit. The installer said the Bosch costs more to install-I didn't really pay attention to why, I just wanted the thing installed and working that day.
Would I recommend this dishwasher? NO! Would I put it on a pedestal, rave over its cleaning ability and the supposed quietness? No. And aren't those the very features that makes us want to spend upwards of $500 on a dishwasher? Sometimes when you spend a lot of money on something - you want so badly for it to meet all of your expectations and then some. Only after owning something for a while, letting the newness wear-off, can you appreciate all of it's pro's and con's. This is my feeling on the Bosch. It is pretty, it has some cool features you won't use it is quieter than other dishwashers.
But it has to be babied. It's very sensitive. Other manufacturers have given Bosch a run for their money. Their customer service is terrible when you have a problem.
UPDATE FOR 2007!
Because of recent problems, I've changed my opnion to NOT RECOMMENDED. For a dishwasher that cost $500 and only runs a few times a week, I wouldn't have expected to pay $300 to replace the main circuit board.
The repairman said the circuit board goes out quite frequently in these. The unit just stopped working, wouldn't do anything. Ever since I purchased it, I would get the symbol "2H" on the little window when the unit started. I was told this meant the unit needed to run for 2 hours because the water source wasn't warm enough. BOSCH told me this and now I find it was a bold-faced lie!
The repairman said this info is not correct, this is an error code that could mean so many things. He admitted if he replaced the board and "2H" came up again, he'd have to troubleshoot until he found the problem. Bosch techs are VERY EXPENSIVE per hour.
The guy felt bad and said "lets cross our fingers and hope 2H doesn't come up..otherwise i'd advise you take the money it costs to fix this and buy a new dishwasher. So there we stood, holding our breath...and YAY, 2H did not come up and the unit worked.
Fast forward 4 months, the unit is reading "2H" again, and my labor coverage has expired. I hate that this dishwasher is costing so much to keep. I'll never buy a Bosch again.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): $500
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ch59
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Member: Shauna
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