ᐅ New Kitchen – Dishwasher from Ikea or Another Manufacturer?

We have a model from the IQ500 series. I usually only use either the Eco program or the Quick program. However, I valued a cutlery drawer, an adjustable upper rack (because of the large pasta plates and tall pots), and an end-time projection on the floor. The same model was also available with Wi-Fi connectivity, but I didn’t really need that.

After trying various models from Siemens, Electrolux, and some Polish brand in rental apartments, we have been using the affordable Miele Active G4203 for about six months now. Its design fits well with our 1950s kitchen – it might look a bit odd in some modern kitchens, but:

- I haven’t seen any other dishwasher in this price range with a hot water connection
- Height-adjustable upper rack – very practical for casserole dishes and pots
- Cutlery drawer (depending on the model) provides extra space for everything else and makes unloading three times faster
- So far, excellent cleaning performance

- Unfortunately, no short wash/quick program (the auto cycle takes about 2 hours)

According to the salesperson at the appliance store, other brands/manufacturers typically design their dishwashers for about 7 years of use, while Miele’s are rated for 15-20 years. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know, but it wasn’t more expensive than a comparable Bosch/Siemens/Bauknecht-type model.

Doesn’t every GSP have an adjustable upper rack? Even our cheap Beko had that.

Where I really struggle with our Bosch is the coffee pots. There’s only one row on the top left where they fit properly. They would also fit on the right side, but the non-adjustable second level gets in the way there. With the Beko, you could move that up and down.

We specifically decided against the cutlery drawer. That might work in extra-tall dishwashers, but in a standard one it takes up too much height. You can also quickly remove the cutlery basket if, for example, two people want to unload the dishwasher together.

Cutlery drawers are fiddly and take up height. We’ve seen this with relatives and definitely don’t want it.

Musketier schrieb:
You can also quickly remove the cutlery basket, for example, if two people want to unload the dishwasher together

A cutlery drawer has the advantage, especially with high-quality cutlery, that it avoids small scratches for a much longer time.

I would never want to go without it again. It’s also practical for smaller plastic containers. Normally, these tupperware items like to slide around and end up full of water. Our drawer can be slightly folded down on one side.

Alex85 schrieb:
Cutlery drawers are fiddly and reduce height. We’ve seen them in relatives’ homes and definitely don’t want one.

We find it much more practical since the cutlery basket took up a lot of space, and not all pots would fit inside.

Alex85 schrieb:
Cutlery drawers are fiddly and take up vertical space. We’ve seen this with relatives and definitely don’t want it.

Loading cutlery drawers takes a bit longer, but unloading is faster (if the dishwasher is near the cutlery cabinet). To compensate for the lost height, you can use an XL dishwasher, which gives you roughly the same upper rack height as before with a cutlery basket. Plus, you get more space in the lower rack.