Dishwashers - a boring one!

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So, we've had a few dishwashers in our time. Always cheap ones and they've always after about 18months - 2 years started leaving detergent bits in the cups and glasses and no amount of cleaning the machine, rinse aid and salt etc has got them back to working properly. What I (well, DH actually!) wants to know - does this happen to every one or s it because we buy cheap machines?

Second question - if you have a dishwasher you like, please recommend it to me! We're getting a new kitchen so time for new appliances.

Thanks - from my DH as well.

My Bosch Logixx is at least 6 years old and still doing ok. Every so often you need to clean out the filters and take the arms off to clean them out too.

Cheapo basic Indesit here eight years old was under £300.
Still rinses and washes perfectly but the plastic handle is broken. by hulk hands DS

Buy a Miele.

When we moved into this house twenty one years ago the washing machine and dishwasher died within days of each other, you can imagine how delighted we were.

Anyway we bought Miele for both and have never had a moments trouble.

Our Siemens is 14 years old and as good as the day we bought it.

No of course it doesn't happen to everyone. Two years from a kitchen appliance is ridiculous. You don't need to pay Miele prices either unless you want to.

Our current dishwasher was the cheapest available Bosch that could be delivered within a day or two when our previous dishwasher suddenly died. It was about £250 and is now about 5-6 years old.

Our previous dishwasher was a mid price mid range one that lasted 13 years. We don't treat them particularly well either and they do the job perfectly fine.

Nothing is rinsed and I put all sorts of 'other' things in there (oven door glass, kitchen bin, etc). I do a rinse and clean wash once in a blue moon (literally a handful of times a year) and never rinse the arms and filters otherwise. However, we do always use the 'normal' programme, never quick rinse or eco wash and have very soft water and I do think hard water kills off dishwashers (and washing machines too).

Miele, you should get a good 10 years out of it.

My Miele is 23 years old, survived a house move and still works perfectly. I can do a full load or top shelves only (it has a cutlery shelf right at the top) and have loads of different programmes, most of which take around an hour, but the lower temperature and economy ones are a little shorter. Can highly recommend.
If I were to replace, I would get the same again, but updated with a residual time display and the ability to defer the start (but these are not essential and would just be me wanting a couple of bells and whistles).

Do you run cleaning cycles on it? Clean out the filters regularly etc?

Do you live in a hard water area, you might have to descale it?

2 years sounds like failure of maintenence rather than failure of the device.

Do you run cleaning cycles on it? Clean out the filters regularly etc?

Yes we do. Every couple of months. Filters cleaned more regularly. We use branded detergent and add salt and rinse aid.

Soft water area.

They don't stop working. It just leaves grainy bits of detergent on the cups and glasses (and occasionally the bowls). As though it's not rinsing properly.

We've had 3 dishwashers, 3 different brands and all 3 have done it. We continue to use them after they start doing it, just stop washing glasses in them.

What detergent do you use? Our 12 year old £500 Bosch is fed Finish Quantum (well under 20p per tab in larger bags/on sale) and never has problems. We tried cheaper ones and got worse results.

I also use finish tabs (bought on offer, never full price) and don't get this issue. Are you using proper cycles rather than short ones?

Siemens - not as expensive as Miele but very similar quality. We have had two in the 23 years we have lived in this house. Both have cleaned constantly well, have been utterly reliable, and had no leaks. Good going considering we live in a very hard water area.

Will be buying a new one later this year when we refit our kitchen.

What detergent do you use?

Usually mix up between finish quantum and fairy. But usually finish.

Are you using proper cycles rather than short ones?

Yes

And thanks for the recommendations.

Miele machines are worth the cash. Our house had all Miele white goods when we bought it 11 years ago.

We absolutely cane them all and have had to replace them, but the first lot lasted about ten years and we're now into about year six of the new lot.