apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

That door that take up so much space when loading and unloading has to go. Also the racks never make sense for the items you have; dishes don't quite fit, pots rarely fit, but fork tines do fit through the basket causing the arm not to spin. In addition I have yet to own one that doesn't gather gunk in the bottom front of the tub where the door gasket closes against the tub. Oh and if they really actually cleaned things the first time, that would be great. Funny after all that I can't live without one!

I'd like a dishwasher that is silent, has fully adjustable and removeable shelves. In addition, I have many very long handled utensils that are too tall for a standard utensil holder (either on the door or in a bottom shelf utensil basket. I'd like a space that can be adapted from the top shelf to hold them so they won't drop down during cleaning. I want more color options. I want to have a clean/dirty toggle button so I can know right away if the dishes inside are clean or dirty. That's all, for now.

I agree with the other posters, especially the point about the door taking up too much space.

I'd love more room in the dishwasher! My husband and I seem to fill it up with one meal; I can't imagine what would happen if we had children!

I love my diswasher, but it beeps and beeps. I wish -- similar to a dryer -- there was a straightforward way to switch the beeping alert on or off depending on what I'm up to. I like that some of the Bosh models just flash a red light on the floor instead of beeping.

Well, I'm sure you've already thought about this but you should really do a user study because what we think we want as users does not always correspond with what we actually want. For example no one said that we needed to have a space for bowls but we might nonetheless need one (or perhaps not?).

What I think I want is different kinds of racks. For example, my loads after a dinner party are pretty plate heavy, in contrast to my every day usage which is more bowl, glasses and mugs heavy. So why not have racks that you can swap in and out depending on the type of load. Or perhaps, if you've seen the simple human dishrack design, perhaps you can swap in different parts of the rack depending on what you need to wash.

Well, I'm sure you've already thought about this but you should really do a user study because what we think we want as users does not always correspond with what we actually want. For example no one said that we needed to have a space for bowls but we might nonetheless need one (or perhaps not?).

What I think I want is different kinds of racks. For example, my loads after a dinner party are pretty plate heavy, in contrast to my every day usage which is more bowl, glasses and mugs heavy. So why not have racks that you can swap in and out depending on the type of load. Or perhaps, if you've seen the simple human dishrack design, perhaps you can swap in different parts of the rack depending on what you need to wash.

I agree with amanda. A refrigerator door style opening (even a double door) would be the best thing ever. By all means, she should design appliances. =)

Also, perhaps it would be cool to have two standard sized racks with one rack beside it that is the height of the other two racks combined. That way, you have a very tall area for handles and such. Or, much like many fridges today, maybe adjustable racks would be a good idea.

I would also like to see a clean/dirty indicator of some sort (as suggested above) and that they should require less bending over. Perhaps even at counter-level.

Maybe a good thing to do would be to create smaller, individual stacking units so a person could increase the capacity as needed when the family grows and such.

The problem with making the doors swing sideways instead of downwards is that liquids and foodstuffs would drip down onto your floor!

The swing-down door is there to catch that kind of yuckiness.

I'd like the dividers on the racks to be foldable. I'm the type of person that shoves every last pot and bowl I can into my cheapo apt. dishwasher.

To eliminate bending over -
How about a bottom rack that can be pulled out and then raised to counter level for loading?

i think having extra racks would be a problem in terms of where to store the ones that are not in use. adjustable racks seems to make more sense.

I'm looking for space efficiency above all.

I especially like the idea of modular stacking units, tho I have no idea how that would actually work.

My biggest frustration is lightweight plastic cups (which, with a small child in the house, take up at least 1/3 of the typical dishwasher load). It's like this intense spacial puzzle to get the cups fit in just tightly enough that they won't flip over. But my dishwasher is very old, so maybe this problem has been addressed in the designs of the early 21st century - I wouldn't know.

Verily has a good point about the door catching stuff, I think a split door might work though, the bottom opening down and the top opening to the side. I have a very small kitchen, and I have to unload the dishwasher to the counter, and then close it in order to reach the cabinets to put the dishes away. Or perhaps a single door that opens down, but folds in half so it doesn't stick out so far?

I would love to see a design where one does not have to bend over to get the dishes. Maybe styled like a refidgerator with a door that has a side hinge and slide-out shelves with door compartments?

I second JUICE's suggestions about configurable racks. And perhaps a guide to show users how to place dishes to get an optimum clean for all of the different pieces in a dishwasher.

I work for a kitchen design firm, here are some of the complaints/ideas we hear most often:
Many of my clients dont want to know their dishwasher is even there, so they always want something silent that integrates well with the surrounding cabinetry.
Dishwasher drawers are nice. They don't open out so far as a regular dishwasher, so there isn't an issue with blocking walkway space. I've seen them in single or double drawer models. They're nice because you can wash a smaller load in one drawer if you don't always have enough dishes to fill a regular dishwasher.
Interchangeable/removable racks are a nice idea too. You can change the racks depending on what you're washing - pots & pans, glasses, dinnerware, etc.
I always have a problem with putting knives in the dishwasher. They slide around too much laying down on the top rack. But I usually scratch myself on them if I leave them in the utensil tray.
Hope that helps you out! We're always looking for that perfect dishwasher here!

I always hated loading & unloading from the dishwasher until we built a new house and had the dishwasher raised. It's the thing everyone comments on when visiting and I enjoy it daily. The tall tubs really make it necessary, but many ask what to do with the space underneath? I like juice's entire list and like JenPDX, I really want to see some diagram in the user manual on how to load the thing! I can't believe no one does that! I chose my kitchenaid because I could lower the top rack low enough to load dinner plates in the top as well as the bottom, but bowls never seem to fit right, no matter where I put them. Oh well, one day maybe I'll get a miele!

I second the comment on light plastic cups and containers. I hate when they flip over during the wash cycle, and it doesn't get washed.

As a regular chopstick user, I would like a place to put my chopsticks in the dishwasher. Most utensil holders are too wide--so they would fall through. I try to put them horizontally across the top rack, but it only holds so many.

i find that those stupid spines in the rack that hold your dishes in place are never the right size. i wish they were removable/adjustable pegs so you can space plates more closely or remove them to accommodate something weird-sized. i also wish the racks were height-adjustable, like in your oven.

i would love a third rack, like a shelf, that slid under the top rack, for knives and large spoons/tongs. it would only need 1" pegs to hold the items in place.

i guess that's all, unless you can rig one to put my dishes away, too! :)

seems like most of the times that i open the dishwasher it is to place one spoon in the rack or one fork - like whenever i feed the pets
but to do that i have to open the door all the way and bend over
it would be nice to have a little catch area on the top shelf at the front to put
the onesie / twosie silverware
if you're cleaning up after a big meal then open the dishwasher all the way and put everything in the main silverware rack

1) no bending down to use it (should be counter height so you can go straight from sink to dishwasher to unloading in cabinets)
2) no door sticking out into the room (and bumping your shins on)
3) it should also do laundry
4) I saw Vincent Price once - on a talk-show - steam-cook an entire meal in a dish washer (he just loaded in the covered food and set the dishwasher in it's full cycle)!

Firstly, the handling of utensils and small items needs to be addressed. Currently, small items like measuring cups, trivets, saucers, scoops, and so on easily fall through the wire racks. Perhaps a sectioned dishwasher would be handy. Here's what I'm thinking:

Utensils are sent to a vertical square chamber in the back corner of the dishwasher. They're loaded from the top into a removable 'cage'. This allows the water to penetrate from all sides while still ensuring that the contents don't slip through to the bottom of the dishwasher. The bottom of this cage should *not* be plastic, so as to accommodate knives and other sharp materials that would otherwise damage plastic.

Flatware storage would be great if stored in a recessed basket along the door of the dishwasher, however, the problem comes when the hinged door is pulled downward and the forks come spilling out. Maybe the best way to address that problem would be a snap-closed top - but only if the utensils cage is also implemented; otherwise taller utensils would normally be placed in the flatware basket, and the 'lid' wouldn't be able to close over the basket.

Plates are usually accommodated for with slanted, uniformly-spaced racks. Larger plates don't get the support they need, while smaller plates don't need nearly the space and support they're afforded. I suggest an adjustable-width and height plate rack system that would 'snap' locked when closing the racks. This would prevent the plates from movement while the machine is operating, thereby reducing the occurrance of chips, nicks, and scratches.

Likewise, glasses are always a problem. They tip, they clank against each other, they're etched by the water, and generally suffer a lot of abuse during the dishwashing process. I propose something similar to a safety bar, like we use at amusement parks. The glass is 'seated' into its rack, then a rubberized bar could squeeze around the glass, holding it securely in place.

Shelves should be adjustable and should allow for versatility in the type of wash. For example, some loads will be cookware-heavy and would need significant allowances for larger items, such as a pasta pot. The same is true when baking sheets, cutting boards, mixing bowls, and serving trays are washed. The ability to remove the top rack or to perhaps insert a rack that would allow for items to be 'wedged' into slots along the sides would make for a more versatile, indispensable machine.

As for conveniences, I'd like a reservoir system that would allow me to add a bottle of detergent at a time and have the dishwasher automatically dispense the required amount as needed, with an alert for then the supply was running low. I'd like to be able to adjust the temperature of the water used to wash the load and, as needed, add 'supplements' to the wash. (i.e. I have some items, such as my antibacterial cutting boards, that I'd prefer to have washed in tepid water with some bleach added. Additionally, I'd perfer a warm-but-not-hot temperature for some plastics, but would like some extreme temperatures for disinfecting sponges). Noise is obviously a big factor, so any reduction is a plus. Wheels tend to slide off their track frequently, and I'm of the mindset that a hydraulics system wherein the racks rise to meet the loader would help with comfort and loading, especially if one is making frequent use of the back of the dishwasher.

I haven't read all the comments, so forgive me if there is a repeat, but I'll plunge right in.

I'd love the larger sections to have hardware that can allow the sections to perhaps swing out and up to raise up the sections. Some sort of folding hardware that is often found on pop up shelves that hold a mixer, which then folds down into a cabinet.

The baskets should also be adjustable in height up and down. So, large pots can be put in one section and short objects be put on another shorter section, for example.

silverware should have multiple ways of being positioned, either at the top like Miele, or in other types of baskets that are sold separately and could be positioned in different sections of the DW.

There should be better, perhaps dual stick things to hold glasses in a much better way. Wine glasses should be some sort of angular dual stick ramp that the wine glass can be slanted downward within.

Quick thoughts, good subject!!

My dream dishwasher is so quiet I don't know it's on, it has racks that pull out and then lift UP so I don't have to bend over to load or unload (read on: not that I'll be doing that work), it fits under my sink so I don't have to lose more cabinetry in order to install it, and it comes with my own personal George Clooney who loads and unloads it...

I'd love a dishwasher that rinses from the top, too. It seems like all my bowls and mugs get icky pieces of rice stuck on them.

I also wish there were a more efficient way to clean plates. I've given up on putting my plates with deep lips in the dishwasher since I have to re-wash them, anyway.

I have an older Kitchenaid Superba dishwasher which I have been happy with for years. I believe it was the last of the company's production before it was sold several years ago by the Hobart Corporation (a commercial restaurant equipment manufacturer) to Whirlpool (a U.S. appliance manufacturer) and the company changed the Superba design. The dishwasher exhibits few if any of the complaints listed here, such as pre-rinse of dishes, food deposits, and inability to scrub burned or baked food from pots and pans. The machine regularly scours baked on food residue from pots, pans and baking dishes.

If I could improve an already wonderful machine however, I would like it to have a lower basket that could be easily pulled out and up to kitchen counter height. Similar to the way a stand mixer platform is pulled up to counter height from an undercounter storage cabinet.

The machine's features include, built-in food waste disposer, upper rack which can be adjusted up, down or on an angle, adjustable tines on the upper rack, a tiny item basket in the silverware basket, upper rack spray arm with guard to prevent blockage of the arm by large items in the lower rack, preheating of wash water to 200 degrees F., 10 cycle selections, energy saver dry setting, quiet operation but not as quiet as a Bosch, and replaceable front door panels. The machine consumes 7 gallons of water per usage, which at the time I purchased it, was very efficient.

In comparision to some current model machines this one is sturdily built into a heavy steel frame with a porcelain enameled steel wash cabinet. The machine weighs probably over 100 pounds. By comparison, the GE dishwasher that my machine replaced had a light metal frame and a plastic wash cabinet.

It's quite annoying having to open my dishwasher to find my child's sippy cup turned over and filled with water. Same goes with my measuring cups. Another annoyance would include having to turn the volume up on my tv while the dishwasher is on. Let alone dreading to even talk on the telephone while it's running. My dishwasher is not terribly loud, but utterly not quiet enough. I too experience having to lay my spatulas and such down horizontally because they are too tall to sit in the utensil bin. My dishwasher only beeps twice after the dishes are done, but i'd rather turn off that feature completely. I also have a clean/dirty indicator but it's not very efficient because the indicator doesn't reset itself unless I completely open then immediately close the dishwasher.