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| Auto Wash |
You might think that a new dishwasher isn’t deserving of one post, let alone two. It’s just that for me, it's been a long journey to an adequate dishwasher.
I was lazy yesterday and didn’t take pictures of the new unit. And I wasn’t
sure photos would be of general interest, but Chris requested one, so I took
some today. I suppose most every post is
better with illustrations. (I just hope Blogger will cooperate.)
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| Ready to wash |
The dealer had two Bosch units in the showroom. At $500, the one we chose, the SHEM3A/52N, was the smaller of the two and $300 less. The salesman said it would be quiet but not as quiet as its big sister, and it has fewer control options. Hmmmm. What to do? I think I would have liked the bigger tank, but I didn’t need the bells and whistles. If only one could experiment a bit before buying. When I said that I just wanted it to clean the dishes, the salesman looked at me as if to say, “Don’t they all?” No, I happen to know that they don’t, and I’m not the only one saying it.
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| Casserole and hot chocolate residue |
The dealer said that they could no longer install dishwashers because Washington law stipulates that the installer must be a licensed electrician. They would give us the name of someone, or we could use our own installer. Mike said he would install it himself.
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| Casserole needs scrubbing; residue gone |
When the unit was delivered, Mike decided to install a receptacle so that we could just plug it in. Luckily, he said, he is both an electrician and a plumber. As First Assistant, I served as flashlight holder and finder of lost screws. Installing ourselves saved money but took our time, and I guess we have the time if it saves money.
Mike observed that this unit is a better fit than the Kenmore. It’s also sturdier and has cut-to-fit insulation. The insulation on the Kenmore was just a strip of batting-like material.
Previously, a repairman advised me not to use soap pods. The salesman assured me the pods are safe. The manual says to use pods or powdered detergent. Judging from my experience, I suppose the gel leaves a residue, but I have some to use up.
According to the manual, scraping food from the dishes is all that's necessary. "Do not rinse," it says. But I found it left baked-on food. (To be fair, Bess didn't get it off either.)
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| A delicate cycle for the holiday dishes |
The salesman also advised me to use those cycles that dry the dishes. For years, I have not used the heated dry, and after running this unit the first time, I was amazed that the dishes were so hot! However, the manual says this is normal and advises allowing the dishes to cool before removing.
It is a joy – a joy, I say – to remove clean dishes from the dishwasher, even if scouring a little baked on goo is necessary. KW
6 comments:
It looks lovely! How long does it take to run through a cycle? Is it the two hours ten minutes shown? I fear I've been spoiled by Brunhilde's 45 minutes to clean. Especially on holidays when it needs to run time after time.
So happy for you!!
Yes, the cycles are 2:10 and 2:15. Delicate runs for 1:25. It has a speed cycle at 60 minutes. The repairman told me the Kenmore's one-hour wash was adequate, but it's possible he knew more about that machine's failings than he was willing to say.
Well, if I need the short wash time for some reason, I have it.
I’m a pre-rinser. We don’t run it every day, so I’ve always felt that I should rinse them so that stuff doesn’t dry on there. An ounce of prevention, I guess. I need to read our manual to see what it says about the detergent. I like gel, but I also want to comply with manufacturer recommendations.
Hallie: You mean Primo isn't a pre-wash cleaner?
I think Hallie told me that Primo is not allowed the privilege of cleaning the dishes. Oh Dear! I hope we haven't spoiled "first grand-dog."
Primo can help clean a plate from a fried egg, which seems a good arrangement since eggs are good for dogs and will stick to a plate like plaster if not cleaned promptly. Otherwise, no plates for him. Not to worry, he is still VERY spoiled!
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