Everyone wants a nice home-cooked dinner, but nobody wants to do the dishes after they are done eating. For centuries, people were left with little option but to clean dishes by hand. By the mid-19th century, however, dish-cleaning horizons broadened when Joe Hoghton invented the first hand-crank mechanical dishwasher. Since then, dishwashers have reached new heights and made hand-washing a thing of the past. One of the most well-known contemporary dishwasher companies is Kitchenaid. It offers a range of luxury machines, but several factors might scare you off of buying one.

Kitchenaid dishwashers are marketed as a premium version of Whirpool’s machines. They cost a fair amount, feature a range of fancy technology and connectivity options, and come in a variety of models. When compared to other brands, however, Kitchenaid doesn’t measure up. Be it issues with long-term reliability, pricey repairs, steep learning curves, or chronic drying issues, Kitchen aid dishwashers fail to justify their high prices. Let’s explore Kitchenaid dishwashers and 8 factors that may scare you off of buying one. 

Long-Term Stamina

Kitchenaid may boast long-term stability and performance, but reviews suggest a shorter life span. Many commenters on websites such as Reddit.com say their Kitchenaid dishwasher broke down in as little as six months. Others may fare longer, but not as long as similarly priced dishwashers made by competitors.

Long-Term Stamina (Continued)

Even if your Kitchenaid dishwasher keeps chugging along for several years, any issues that spring up will probably not be covered by warranty. That’s because Kitchenaid typically offers a two-year limited warranty for its dishwasher models. Even if your machine breaks down in that time frame, the company has a list of restrictions that may prevent you from getting a free repair.

Unwieldy, Bulky Design

While its competitors offer sleek, elegant dishwasher designs, Kitchenaid versions tend to fare on the bulkier side. The company takes an industrial approach to its dishwashers, which is great for large-scale dish-cleaning efforts but substandard for family homes. Its products do not vibe well with homes that feature a streamlined, minimalist design. 

Unwieldy, Bulky Design (Continued)

It’s not just the machine’s frame that takes up a lot of space. Aspects of Kitchenaid dishwashers jut out more than those sold by competitors. Especially with Kitchenaid professional-style models, handles protrude significantly, making them suboptimal for kitchens with small dimensions.

Control Panel Issues

Consumers complain about Kitchenaid’s performance, but their biggest gripe is with the company’s control panels. It seems that many dishwasher control panels fail within a couple of years. Considering the brand’s warranty policy, there is a chance that this common issue will not be covered. This means repairs will require pay.

Control Panel Issues (Continued)

The biggest complaints about Kitchenaid dishwasher control panels involve screens that crack too easily and user interface panels that fail without extensive use. Furthermore, many owners report their dishwasher’s printed circuit boards (PCBs) get dust or water in them, rendering them inoperable.

A Pretty Penny

As the high-end wing of Whirpool, Kitchenaid offers high-quality dishwashers with professional performance capability. That said, these premium features come at a relatively prohibitive cost. Kitchenaid dishwashers may offer six different wash cycles, but the benefits end there. 

A Pretty Penny (Continued)

High-end dishwashers cost a fair amount of money regardless of brand. Even so, Kitchenaid dishwashers have a comparable price point with competitors like Bosch, the latter of which consistently ranks higher in terms of drying, reliability, and noise levels. If you’re constrained to certain a budget, Kitchenaid will not offer a good return on investment compared to other brands.

Pricey Repairs

Since Kitchenaid is the luxury version of Whirpool, its dishwashers are expensive. Considering the aforementioned issues with reliability, there’s a good chance that your dishwasher may run into issues as the years go on. Combined with the company’s limited warranty policy, these issues will require a serious investment to fix.

Pricey Repairs (Continued)

In the United States, dishwasher repair costs run from as low as $50 to as high as $600. On average, dishwasher repairs cost about $215. If you’ve already invested thousands of dollars in a machine, even a repair cost of several hundred dollars can be too much. DIY fixes are an option, but not ideal. Plus, depending on your location, sourcing parts can prove difficult and take forever.

Lackluster Drying

One of the biggest complaints from consumers involves the drying capabilities of these dishwashers. Time and again, it seems that Kitchenaid products fail when it comes to the drying part of dishwashing cycles. This suboptimal drying ability affects certain types of dishes and plastic items the most.

Lackluster Drying (Continued)

The company prides itself on superior dish-cleaning technology. This may hold true for washing capabilities, but drying is a common problem. Though models usually feature options like heated dry cycles or fan-enabled drying, they fail to do the trick. Other users report issues with drying due to energy efficiency standards. Whatever the case, this leaves dishes wet, moist, or covered in a layer of condensation.

Way Too Noisy

Another one of the common complaints with these dishwashers is just how noisy they can be. It doesn’t matter if you have a standard model or one marketed as quiet, they all seem to make a racket. When some dishwasher cycles take hours to complete, it makes a constant hum or clanking sound almost like torture. 

Way Too Noisy (Continued)

Many Kitchenaid dishwashers feature a fan that blows air out the front door. The only problem is its decibel level. If you have a dishwasher in an open-plan kitchen, expect that machinery noise to fill the room to an unpleasant degree. Other comparable models from brands like Bosch run noticeably quieter, even if the contrasting dishwashers have a similar price point. 

Steep Learning Curve

In theory, a dishwasher has a simple task: clean dirty dishes and dry them. Yet companies like Kitchenaid often jam a bunch of unnecessary features into dishwashers that detract from the simple goal of getting dishes clean in a convenient manner. These high-tech features justify a high price, but they don’t always translate to better cleaning performance.

Steep Learning Curve (Continued)

It’s hard to argue that dishwashers from 20 years ago are much different in terms of cleaning capability. Ever desperate to raise prices and signal growth, companies like Kitchenaid add tons of irrelevant features to dishwashers like precision washing, deluxe bottle jets, or smart home connectivity. If the dishwasher can’t dry dishes or run long before something breaks, there’s not much point to fancy features. You probably won’t end up using have of these cutting-edge capabilities, so why pay extra for them?

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