Background you can skip
We have, or I should say HAD, a microwave hood right over our cooktop. The builders of the home had taken some shortcuts and installed the hood WAY too close to the cooktop (dangerous) and they also had not installed any ducting.
Natural result of such and environment is that the microhood died on a O/D of grease in the interior.
So we set oput to find a decent range hood alternative that would hang at the right height over the cooktop and pretty quickly found that there was NO WAY that a microhood existed that would fit. Also, we found, we could not find replacement cabinets in the same style  as the kicthen to create more room over the  cooktop to retrofit a new microhood.

Conclusion: buy another microwave that is not a hood AND find a range hood that would not exceed 7" in height so that it would not be too close to the cooktop.
Secondly, find one with enough CFM to work well for our wokking and excessive cooking.
Thridly, try and find all this WITH a recirculation option so that we would not have to try and put expensive ductwork into the home.
Forth: have it fit our stainless look kicthen decor
And lastly, get all this for under 400$.

About the ZEPHYR AK1200
We shopped and shopped and always found something amiss: either not enough CFM, no recirculation option, too expensive or a combination thereoff. 2 brands did jump out at us for reasonable prices, good CFM and nice designs with low profiles: SUMMIT and ZEPHYR.
Under 400$ it is almost impossible to find all this, mind you.
The ZEPHYR AK1200 won for us because of a couple of reasons, that we consider pros.

PROS:
) Price, price, price
0 Non-obtrusive design that cann fit into any decor.
0 All stainless outside, no plstic black panels etc as the Broans in this price range sport. the controls are in a plastic panel but under the hood.
0 Lighting with dimmers (2 step, not halogen), 2 lights, well aimed at cooktop and easily cleanable with glass covers
0 400 CFM!! For this price. Awesome
0 Large single blower/fan cage.
0 Cheap recirculation option: under 20$!! Very cheap.
0 Low sones at low speeds, does get noisy when blowing full speed but that is the price of most CFM
0 Again, can be installed ducted (3.25" by 10") or ductless
0 Easy clean dishwashed aluminum filters
0 Really low profile at 5.25". perfect for those that need under cabinet without excessive space available for larger hoods.
0 Timer feature on blower

CONS:
0 Not as silent as hoped, but as silent as it gets in this pricerange.
0 Control panel un underside of hood, easy for wifey but I have to still feel around a bit.
0 Some mighht find the design not very inspiring.
0 Fan cage is plastic
0 Little on the loud side in all 3 settings
CONCLUSION:
The ZEPHYR's offer excellent designs at perfect prices. Not excessively expensive but with features that compare to >500$ hoods. If this is too bland, look at the ZEPHYR or SUMMIT more expensive lines. They get very modern but unfortunately too high profile for us. Even the Boran's we looked at did not compare, being a low end manufacturer. This stuff is Excellent price/quality.


Admittedly, I did not purchase this item on Amazon however, I am an avid customer and thought I would take this opportunity to try and help others.  I purchased this range and so-called matching micro hood directly from Whirlpool (the manufacturer).  I have friends who work there.  Even at a very low price relative to retail, I regret the purchase and haven't even used them yet.

Further, I develop products for a living.  I am highly critical of poor design/quality and equally impressed by good design/quality.  I am outspoken in either case.  Stated simply, these products are poorly designed and made.  They are an attempt to wrap a cost saving effort in a semi upscale wrapper.  Epic fail.

Just yesterday, both the range and micro hood were professionally installed.  I was excited to get home and see the new appliances.  I was really disappointed with what I found.  Here's a short list for starters.  Remember, they are both architect series II.

  1.  The handles on the range do not match the micro hood.
  2.  The LED displays do not match.  The display in the range is way over driven and excessively bright. Looks terrible and cheap.
  3.  The cast iron grate on the right side is warped upwards in the middle nearly 1/4".  I'll be requesting a replacement from Whirlpool.
  4.  The knob for the double burner sticks out further than the others.  I requires an extra press inward but, could have easily been aligned.
  5.  There is a razor sharp edge around the oven door that will certainly cut someone if you happen to hit it while reaching to close the oven door.
  6.  The overall construction is really thin and flimsy.  I could fold the warming drawer in half with my bare hands although, I would get cut.
  7.  Even the "Kitchenaid" logo plate is a different color on the range from the micro hood.  Again, these are supposed to match.
  8.  When you turn on one burner the igniters for all 4 fire.  A nice cacophony of sound.
  9.  There is no stop for high.  So, you have to listen for the point after the igniters just shut off.  So bad.
 10.  The leveling feet (small dia chrome bolt with brown plastic molded on the bottom) are visible from the front.  Really guys?

I'm sure there is more but, I just wanted to get started.  I have no idea how the unit performs as I haven't used it yet.  All I can say is that I could not be more disappointed in the overall design and quality.  They seemingly took a cheap range and wrapped it in a thin layer of stainless.  You can see where these cover parts are attached!  It's just really cheap and cheesy.

I've read, to my surprise, that the right rear and left front burners can barely boil water.  If you look at the reviews on the Kitchenaid site, they are all glowing and do not mention this.  I will update this review on the performance of the range after some use.  But, in terms of design, quality, and value, do yourself a favor and look at other brands.  Surely, someone must do better than this.


This oven is just bad, and horrible customer support makes the experience of owning it even worse. It was the most expensive appliance I purchased when I redid my kitchen two years ago. Most expensive by a fair penny. I expected to enjoy its high end features, despite not using the oven more than a few times per month.

After the 3rd time I used the meat probe (just over a year after buying the oven), the plastic insulation split where it attaches to the probe, completely exposing the wires inside. As an electrical engineer, I have always taken care not to flex wires in ways that strain them, and this probe was no exception. It was just poorly made with no strain relief, and I suspect that material and dimensions are under-designed for their function. After a painfully long process of reaching the right person and explaining that a premium brand like Electrolux can't possibly expect a probe to fail after 3 uses, the representative finally agreed to provide a replacement rather than charging me the ridiculous amount that I have since blocked from my memory. However, they would not just ship me the probe. They insisted on having a service technician come out to inspect the broken probe and give me a replacement. I offered to send them the defective probe for them to inspect before sending the replacement, but they declined. Hence, I was forced to miss a morning of work and Electrolux was forced to pay a third party service provider to visit my home. Poor economics on both sides of the equation.

Then, yesterday, I was cleaning the oven. It's now a bit over 2 years old, and I was running the self-clean for the 2nd time ever. About 1.5 hours into the cycle, I heard a big bang. The middle pane of glass in the oven door had shattered. When I called Electrolux, the representative explained that the glass exploded because the temperature got too hot for the glass. I explained that, since Electrolux designed the self-cleaning process (and doesn't enable users to set self-clean temperatures) and since Electrolux specifies the glass used in the oven door, the problem she described sounds like a design flaw on the part of Electrolux. The outcome of a lengthy call (with a little discussion interspersed with longer times on hold), Electrolux agreed to give me the $258 piece of replacement glass at no cost, but they will not provide a new door and they will not cover the cost of the service call to have a technician disassemble the door to replace the glass.

I have gone back and done some searches on shattering glass in Electrolux ovens. This is not an uncommon phenomenon. Given the marginal increase in cost to use a more robust piece of glass inside the door, it is unconsionable that Electrolux has chosen to let even a small % of it's customers be exposed to this problem. I was cutting up pineapple with a very sharp knife when the big 'bang' occurred. I jumped, and easily could have cut myself. Beyond that, I have read about peope whose exploded glass was not contained within the door and could have caused other injury. For a product in this price range, it is absurd that the manufacturer does not spend a few more dollars (or SEK) on materials and add few more dollars (or SEK) to the price and just insure that its customers will not be exposed to this problem.

I hope to be able to get the door repaired without some of the onerous delays I've read that other people experienced, and I hope to get many more years of use from this oven. However, I do not intend to ever run the self-clean again, and certainly do not expect to ever purchase another Electroux product.

Note: I bought this from a retailer other than Amazon, but since most of my reviews are on Amazon, I am placing this one here, as well.


Update 11/17/2015 - Dropped this to a 1-star rating.  Absolutely HATE cleaning this thing.  Awful design by Whirlpool.  In order to thoroughly clean this, I end up basically taking the entire top apart.  Takes way too much time and doesn't stay very clean for long.  My wife wants to replace it now... but these are costly!

My wife and I purchased this cooktop as part an entire suite of Whirlpool Gold appliances for a kitchen remodel.  We've been using this for about 2 years now.

Pros:
- The cooktop is beautiful (when it's clean...see Cons).  It it made of quality materials and it looks like it.  The knobs are not cheap plastic...when you pull them off for cleaning you can feel the weight and how solid they are.  The grates are rock solid.
- Plenty of space for cooking many items at once.
- Fine control of the flames.  And if the flame gets blown out, it will relight itself.
- The recessed grates really give it a nice built-in appearance.  But is also the cause of one of the Cons.

Cons:
- This is the sole reason for the 3-star rating.  This appliance is VERY difficult to clean.  And I believe the reason is due to the recessed grates.  The way this cooktop is designed, the perimeter sits relatively flush with the counter, basically the thickness of the stainless steel (...maybe 1/8 inch or so) is above the level of the counter.  Then where the grates start, it drops down about 1/2 to 3/4 inch (vertically) which allows the grates to be recessed.  While this is visually very nice it makes it very difficult to clean.  You're basically cleaning the bottom of a very shallow box.  So as you're wiping the bottom of the cooktop, there's really no easy way to get the crumbs and stuff out of the cooking area because you can't wipe them "off".  You're wiping them into a vertical wall or into a corner.  I think if Whirlpool would have made the bottom into drip trays, or at least something that could be easily removed for cleaning, then it wouldn't be a problem.  But the stainless steel bottom of the cooktop isn't removable without removing all of the burners and all the screws that hold it down.  For an appliance that gets so much use, and one that typically is a bit messy, this is poor.
- If water or liquid spill out onto the cooktop, there a good chance that the liquid can get past the seal and get to the igniters.  If that happens, the igniters will not stop clicking even if the burner is lit.  The solution is easy but time consuming.  You have to remove all the burners and remove the bottom of the cooktop.  Then find all the igniters and remove them and dry them off as well as dry the area they're in.  This happened to me once.  The igniters are in the front-right corner of the cooktop, so if you ever accidentally spill something there, wipe it up fast!

Overall it's a well constructed appliance that looks great and works well.  But it's not really well designed for quick, easy daily cleaning.  And as such I find that it looks like it's dirty more often than it looks really clean.  I'll probably take it all apart soon and give the bottom a good cleaning, but I shouldn't have to go to such extreme measures to clean an appliance. And I expect this will have to be somewhat of a regular task to keep it looking nice...maybe a few times a year.

Thanks for reading.


After moving into my new place, I decided it was time to get rid of the Danby countertop dishwasher and get a standing, 18" portable. I'd always seen the countertop model as a stopgap, because most apartments I could afford didn't have a lot of countertop, but the Danby did well for me during the time I used it.

I'd had an 18" Sears Kenmore portable about 20 years ago, and was planning on purchasing another Kenmore because I'd been quite pleased with that one.  Then I received a $500 bonus from work, in the form of an Amazon gift certificate, so I decided to give up on Sears and see what I could get through Amazon.  I found this Frigidaire, which seemed to have reasonably good reviews at other sites, and ordered it.

On first blush, it was a lot like my old Kenmore, except the upper rack had an additional, fold-down shelf for small glasses.  Once I started using it, tho, I was disabused of the hope that it would be an improvement over my old Kenmore, or even over the Danby.  Its drawbacks are:

1. It is loud.  Keep you awake at night loud.
2. The racks are so poorly designed that I can't stack bowls in the lower level unless I leave 2-3 empty 'slots' between them.  The upper rack has enough space to accommodate bowls, but not enough prongs to hold them in place so the spray can hit them properly.  Furthermore, the extra level on the upper rack is useless since even the manual warns you not to block the spray by stacking items immediately above one another.  This means that you have only one level there, rather than the 2 levels you initially anticipate.
3. The lower level design may be intentional, because the water spray is underpowered. If I stack dishes too closely, the spray doesn't reach between them, and the top half of the plate or bowl remains dirty.
4. The rack problem combined with the low pressure water spray to make it impossible to fully load the dishwasher.  I can do about 3 place settings in a load - just about the same amount I could do with the much smaller Danby.
5. The water hoses and electrical cord depend on friction to hold them in place, meaning that I have to stuff them back through a small opening into their storage space after using the unit.  Dragging the hoses & cord back out causes them to scrape against the opening, and it looks to me like that will shorten the life of the rubber/plastic coverings.  I've decided to leave the electric cord hanging out, but the water hoses need to be stored to keep them from dripping.  My old Kenmore had internal reels for these two items, making it easy to pull them out and put them back.

The one plus that the Frigidaire has over either of my two previous units is that it does have a "Hi Temp" setting, which heats the water during the cycle.  This is important since the water in the building pipes doesn't stay hot between the stages of the cycle.  The Hi Temp setting uses more energy, but does get the dishes cleaner than they were when I didn't use it.

All in all, I wouldn't purchase this product again.  I do prefer having an automatic dishwasher to doing all the dishes by hand, so when I purchase my next dishwasher, I'm going to take bowls and plates with me to test the rack design and, if it's a portable, I'll look for a better cord management mechanism.  The other problems probably can't be assessed in a showroom, so I'll just have to hope someone else writes a detailed review of the product I'm interested in before I purchase it.


We purchased this refrigerator from a local appliance store in October 2010 for $1700.
It is very large and because of the black color, I was a bit worried that it would dominate the kitchen but I'm used to it now and with my black and white tile floor and dark soapstone counters I find that it blends in nicely. So far we find that it is very quiet and efficient with a nice arrangement of customizable shelves for storage. I tend to use one crisper for vegetables and salad ingredients and the other crisper for storing tubs of miso, cream cheese, butter and so forth.
I like that the gallon storage compartments in the door have a removable grey liner that you can take out and wash individually when spills occur.
The large deli tray at the bottom of the fridge is handy but you need to open both doors to pull it out -- not a problem -- just something to be aware of. I usually store apples on one side and meat on the other side of the deli tray.
The right hand side door closes easily with just its own weight but the left hand door has the center seal strip and if you close it AFTER you close the right hand door and if you don't use just a little bit of extra force, it doesn't close all the way. I've accidentally left the door slightly open on a number of occasions. That's why the door alarm comes in handy -- it will beep to let you know that the door isn't shut properly. I wish that it beeped sooner because conceivably you could get your lunch out of the fridge and rush off to work before the door alarm activates and then your fridge would be all day with the door slightly open. This hasn't happened to us as far as I know as there is usually someone around in our household to notice the door alarm is going off.  Over time I'm sure it will become automatic for me to just close the left hand door with a bit more force. The temp low setting is also nice --- one one occasion when I had done a lot of cooking, the hot food warmed up the refrigerator and caused the temp alarm to activate. It took us a while to figure out where the alarm was coming from and once I realized what it was, I hit the Max Cool button to help restore the temperature to the proper level.
I like that the controls are in the front of the fridge and also the light bulbs are easy to change. The light is a regular appliance bulb but since it's only on when the doors are open, it doesn't matter that it's not a low energy bulb.
Our contractor hooked up the water supply to a reverse osmosis filter in our basement and I believe he bypassed the filter in the refrigerator. So far the water dispenser works fine, it is tucked away near the hinges of the left hand side door --- the ice maker in the bottom freezer also works well and we always have a big old supply of ice --- far more than we could ever use even in the summer.
The freezer drawer is very roomy but once again you need to be very mindful about shutting it--- it has a self closing mechanism but one needs to give it a generous push to ensure good closure.
I like the shiny black doors --- I've read that the surface scratches easily and so have resolved not to clutter up the doors with fridge magnets. I don't notice that the doors get particularly marked up and the few fingerprints that have shown up on it wipe off easily. One advantage of the shiny doors is that you can see your reflection in them so it makes you think twice about getting out that snack when you can see how wide your hips look!
We find there is more than enough room in the fridge for the two adults and one part time adult living in our household. I haven't really had the fridge long enough to need to clean it or for problems to develop but if I do notice any problems I will come back and update this review.


TL;DR:  Whirlpool/Maytag service is TERRIBLE.  If you buy their products - buy a backup fridge!  You'll need it!

Let me be clear on this up front - the fridge is nice, lots of space.  This is NOT at all a review of the seller (it was purchased brick and mortar store).

The service is another story.  Customer service is courteous BUT getting anything done is a HUGE pain in the rear.  My wife and I bought this fridge from Home Depot in January this year (2011).  We got it home let it sit for 24 hours before plugging it in.  One week later we noticed ice cream not being very firm, few days later everything was thawed out.

I contacted Maytag service and began the nightmare of service:

First service appointment.  Sears repair comes out to troubleshoot the fridge - tells me the compressor is bad and needs to be replaced.  The earliest they can get me in is 7 DAYS later, mind you I'm already 3 DAYS without a fridge.

Second service appointment.  Return of Sears repairman.  The compressor is replaced, dye dryer is installed (this is an important detail - it allows other techs to use a UV light to spot any leaks).  Fridge runs great, nice and cold, case closed....

Not so fast!

About 3 months go by and the same problem crops up - we start to notice in the freezer.  I contact Maytag service right away.  I explain to them the situation, I ask for a replacement fridge at this point.  They outright refuse to replace it and insist on having ANOTHER tech come out to troubleshoot the problem so they can get a "second opinion".  The service rep conferences me in with the local Direct Maytag store.  I specifically tell them to bring a UV light that the fridge has a dye dryer on it; to which I'm told "they'll make a note of it."

Third service appointment.  Direct Maytag service shows up 4 days later.  I kid you not, the tech comes ONLY WITH A MULTIMETER, no tools other than screwdriver!!!  WTF?!?!  Tells me that the compressor is bad - no kidding.  < sarcasm >I couldn't tell this by the fact my fridge was warmer than the outside air temp!< /sarcasm >  He tells me they have to send someone else with the tools to look at it!

I'm going on 4 days of having to take off work now - because they'll always be there between 8am - 5pm!

Fourth service appointment.  Direct Maytag shows up again - this time within 2 days.  Again, no UV light.  Tech says he found a leak (not sure how) in the original work that Sears did - he would like to "patch it".  He refills the fridge with coolant (05/18/11).

Come yesterday (06/06/11) the fridge is warm again.  I called Maytag AGAIN.  Spoke with someone who told me they can't authorize a replacement fridge until they talk to Direct Maytag (who called them and spoke with them on the last repair in May - while I stood there).

Be warned... Maytag was a acquired by Whirlpool!

I would recommend staying away from any of the following companies.. they all use the same parts and service teams:

Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and Gladiator

I can imagine that the service would be right on par with this nightmare!


Does one or more of your heating burner/elements not heat up unless you jiggle it just right?
If so, then you might want to consider replacing the receptacle, and maybe the burner too.

Pull out the burner and look at the ends where they go into the receptacle. If they aren't nice and smooth, then you probably want to replace the burner AND the receptacle. (Especially if the ends look rough and partly melted.)

It is super simple to replace the burner on an electric range. Just pull out the old one and plug the new one back in. These may not be exactly the same as the original ones, but they work fine.

What about the receptacle, is that easy too?

Yes, it's an easy job. The receptacle kits are $5-$10 here on Amazon.
Let's walk through how to replace a receptacle and get your stove working like new.

Pull out the stove.
++++ Unplug it from the wall. ++++
 Optional: Clean 20 years of crumbs and forgotten toys...)
Take off the burners and drip trays.
Lift up the range and you can see the old receptacles.
Note that the wires go toward the temperature knobs for each burner.
  (On your stove, this may be toward the back or toward the front.)
Use the screwdriver to remove any access panel(s) so you can follow the wires.
Put the screws in a bowl so you don't lose them.
Now you can see where the wires have push-connects near the temperature knobs.

Now that you've seen the whole project, you can start to replace the receptacles one at a time.
See how the old receptacles are held on by a screw on the bracket?
Unscrew the one you are going to replace.
Now use the same screw to put the new bracket on. (The receptacle kit comes with new brackets, so you might as well use them.)

Now look at the old receptacle hanging down.
++++ Double check to make sure you unplugged the stove, and that none of the curious children has plugged it back in... ++++
Use wire cutters (or even kitchen scissors) to cut the old wires away from the old receptacle.
Pull/fish those wires out toward the knobs, but leave them connected at the knobs for now.

Now look at the receptacle kit. The receptacle and the wires are probably separate when you get them, but the wires simply push into the back of the receptacle with a click. It might take a bit of force to push them in, but they will go in if they are aligned correctly.

Snap the new, wired receptacle into the new bracket that you've installed on the stove.
Put the new wires where the old ones went, following the same path.
You want any extra wire to be behind the panel, not under your stovetop.
Unplug the old wires and plug the new ones in where they were. (It doesn't matter which wire goes to which connector.)
  Optional: You can coil up the extra wire and use tape/rubber band/zip-tie to keep it neat.

  Tip: If this is the last receptacle replacement, you can spiral-wrap the wires around the rest of the wires to keep them neat. That way you won't be tempted to use zip ties or tape under your stove top.

Re-assemble the access panels, drip trays etc...  You'll probably have to spread the new bracket apart a bit to get the burner into the new receptacle, and use a bit more force than you are used to with the old set up. It's new and tight.

Now you can plug the stove back in, and slide it back into place.

Test it.
Does it work? Of course it does!
Congratulations! You just saved yourself $$$ you would have spent on an appliance repair man!


I have a 7 year old Samsung 33" bottom freezer, french door refrigerator, model Samsung RF217ACPN.  This gist of this post is to tell you that you need to swap out three (3) parts total if you are experiencing ice build up in the back of your Samsung Refrigerator possibly along with water in or under the lower drawers.  As I understand it, nearly all the Samsung refrigerators built in the last decade use the same cooling and defrost mechanism.  Some models do not have a manual defrost mode, and you will need to unplug the refrigerator to actually melt the ice build up.

About a year ago, the vegetable crisper drawers began to fill with water.  This indicated a drain freezing problem which necessitates the thawing and replacement of an improved drain heater extension part "SAMSUNG CLIP DRAIN EVAPORATOR REFOEM Original Part: DA61-06796A (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008KFG9NO)"  This has a longer drain extension that takes heat from the heating element and extends it into the drain hole to prevent icing.  Samsung realized their original clip was deficient and released this improved retrofit.  This is not a question of if it will happen to you, it is a question of WHEN.

I noticed that the rear of the refrigerator also began to show ice from some of the holes.  Normally a 48 hour defrost takes care of it but eventually it would build up to the point that the spinning fan starts to hit it.  This icing indicates a problem with your defrost system.  This item is the "Samsung Thermo Bimetal - Prote Part # Da47-00243K (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ICO2H6)" is one of two thermo sensors that you should replace.  This black wire sensor senses the high temperature heating conditions of the heating element and stop it before it melts your fridge.  This bimetal sensor is a more likely culprit to go bad as the resistance degrades as it ages with heat cycles eventually preventing your heating element from heating to any useful level to actually melt the frost on the coils.  The black sensor may need to be spliced into the existing wiring, so be prepared if your model requires simple wire splicing.  Yes the black high temp sensor does go bad, but there is another sensor that also goes bad that you should replace at this same time.  The item "Samsung DA32-00006S Refrigerator Defrost Sensor (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KGPERM)" is the second of two thermostat sensors for the defrost system.  The other yellow cord sensor senses the low temperature frost conditions on the coils.  You should move the yellow defrost sensor from the tube on the right to the more central tube on the left.  This helps with sensing the ice that grows from the middle outwards.  You should replace BOTH defrost sensors as a pair to ensure that you don't revisit the problem in a month.

One last tip is for you to extend the front floor riser pegs and lift the front wheels off the ground.  This will ensure that the defrost liquid drains properly towards the rear.  Not all kitchen floors are level and if it is slanted forward even a little bit, the water can leak out the front vents and frost over after the defrost cycle.

So far, I have been frost free and the crisper drawers are dry for months.  Don't just replace this one part, you need to replace three parts in total.  All the components are relatively inexpensive.  Good luck in fixing your poorly designed and defective Samsung refrigerator.  I wanted to share this so that others will not have to go through the months-long nightmare of addressing this issue piece by piece.


I have a 7 year old Samsung 33" bottom freezer, french door refrigerator, model Samsung RF217ACPN.  This gist of this post is to tell you that you need to swap out three (3) parts total if you are experiencing ice build up in the back of your Samsung Refrigerator possible along with water in or under the lower drawers.  As I understand it, nearly all the Samsung refrigerators built in the last decade use the same cooling and defrost mechanism.  Some models do not have a manual defrost mode, and you will need to unplug the refrigerator to actually melt the ice build up.

About a year ago, the vegetable crisper drawers began to fill with water.  This indicated a drain freezing problem which necessitates the thawing and replacement of an improved drain heater extension part "SAMSUNG CLIP DRAIN EVAPORATOR REFOEM Original Part: DA61-06796A (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008KFG9NO)"  This has a longer drain extension that takes heat from the heating element and extends it into the drain hole to prevent icing.  Samsung realized their original clip was deficient and released this improved retrofit.  This is not a question of if it will happen to you, it is a question of WHEN.

I noticed that the rear of the refrigerator also began to show ice from some of the holes.  Normally a 48 hour defrost takes care of it but eventually it would build up to the point that the spinning fan starts to hit it.  This icing indicates a problem with your defrost system.  This item "Samsung DA32-00006S Refrigerator Defrost Sensor (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KGPERM)" is one of two thermostat sensors for the defrost system.  This yellow cord sensor senses the low temperature frost conditions on the coils.  You should move the yellow defrost sensor from the tube on the right to the more central tube on the left.  This helps with sensing the ice that grows from the middle outwards.  Yes the yellow low temp sensor does go bad, but there is another sensor that also goes bad that you should replace.  You should also get the "Samsung Thermo Bimetal - Prote Part # Da47-00243K (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ICO2H6)".  The black wire sensor senses the high temperature heating conditions of the heating element and stop it before it melts your fridge.  This bimetal sensor is a more likely culprit to go bad as the resistance degrades as it ages with heat cycles eventually preventing your heating element from heating to any useful level to actually melt the frost on the coils.  You should replace BOTH defrost sensors as a pair to ensure that you don't revisit the problem in a month.  The black sensor may need to be spliced into the existing wiring, so be prepared if your model requires simple wire splicing.

One last tip is for you to extend the front floor riser pegs and lift the front wheels off the ground.  This will ensure that the defrost liquid drains properly towards the rear.  Not all kitchen floors are level and if it is slanted forward even a little bit, the water can leak out the front vents and frost over after the defrost cycle.

So far, I have been frost free and the crisper drawers are dry for months.  Don't just replace this one part, you need to replace three parts in total.  All the components are relatively inexpensive.  Good luck in fixing your poorly designed and defective Samsung refrigerator.  I wanted to share this so that others will not have to go through the months-long nightmare of addressing this issue piece by piece.


This review is for Gardus RLE202 LintEater 10-Piece Rotary Dryer Vent Cleaning System

Weve been paying $75 per visit for the service guy from the appliance store to come every 4-5 months and clean the flexible duct thats routed in a less than optimal manner due to location and a variety of road blocks from the dryer to the outside wall.

We knew the time was coming for a cleaning when clothes didn't dry very well and right near the end when it REALLY needed cleaning, there would actually be water on the floor under the dryer.

I had to use some vacation days or lose them and was recently at home for the first time when he came. I watched the process and thought, *I* should be doing this if thats all it is!

I did my research, LintEater is pretty clearly the way to go and made my purchase. Youve got to love Amazon Prime!

Like with ANY product, you have weigh the number of positive reviews against the handful of bad ones. The bad reviews are likely from people who are mechanically challenged or didn't read the manual or watch YouTube videos to get an idea of how the process works.

The pictures of the twisted rod? Someone had one of more of these: Speed too high, clutch too high or didn't use a clutched drill at all, pushed against an impassable bend or obstruction on the vent pipe.

Disconnected or broke in the vent pipe? The rods cant come apart if you run the drill ONLY clockwise. Thats simple physics they simply cant come apart IF you use clockwise ONLY. The brush head broke or stripped out is going to be like the twisted rod; speed too high, clutch too high or didn't use a clutched drill at all, pushed against an impassable bend or obstruction on the vent pipe.

- CLOCKWISE ONLY for both going into and back out of the vent tube!

- My cordless drill is a Ridgid model R82005 3/8. The clutch goes from 0 to 16.5. It has a switch marked 1 & 2 for overall speed. I set the clutch to FOUR and the speed to ONE. You're not drilling holes or driving screws... you're not going as hard and fast as you can. Slow and easy wins this particular race.

- I put red Loctite thread locker on the threads attaching the rotary brush head to the rod AND to the set screw.

- As I added each section, I tightened them against each other with a pair of pliers on each section. THEN, I wrapped electrical tape a couple times around the joined sections. This is all just common sense insurance against disaster.

- The female ends of the rod that go into the drill chuck aren't knurled, but I had no problem with them spinning in the chuck. Slow speed and minimal torque are probably why this was not an issue.

NOTE: I didn't think Id need the extra rod extensions, but I do and came back to order them. To get this done for now, I had to do half from inside the house and half from outside.

- INSIDE the house, vent pipe disconnected from the dryer, I used the vent insert in the vent pipe end with a Ridgid 6HP shop vac and the cleaning tool rod through the provided hole in the insert. This worked fantastically well; I had to clean the vac filter a couple times due to all the lint.

- OUTSIDE the house, I didn't bother with the vacuum, figuring the birds would get whatever lint they found or the elements would just break it down pretty quickly. Turn the dryer ON to blow out the loosened lint as you clean the pipe, wear googles or something to keep the lint dust out of your eyes and off you go!


I didn't really need a freezer.  I just wanted to see if sunlight could really be turned into ice.  My friend talked me into getting some solar panels from Harbor Freight and I wasn't excited about using them to run lights or radios or some other pedestrian thing.  Part of the attraction of solar is that if the power goes out you still have some electricity.  We don't lose power very often in central Florida, but we did have a hurricane a few years ago that actually put the grid down for several days, not just several hours.  It was then that I realized the most precious thing when you lose the grid is cooling, not heating.  Anyone who does camping likely has enough equipment and fuel to cook food for days with what you normally have on hand.  The rub is cooling and losing all the food in the fridge.  The milk, the eggs.  Ice was the first thing that sold out in our grocery stores and it didn't get replenished.  Thus, I thought a freezer would be an awesome thing to have in an emergency.  You could make your own ice and have lots of frozen food of every variety.  Mostly though, I just thought it would be cool beyond belief to run a freezer off solar panels.  There aren't many choices out there, so I ordered this Sunzdanzer.  5.8 cubic feet is plenty of room.  I have run this thing for a couple of years now, and I am impressed.  You can expect temperatures to be stable at about 6 degrees Fahrenheit.  That's cold enough to freeze anything but ice cream.  I think ice cream prefers to be about 0 degrees, so ice cream in this unit will unfortunately be a little too soft.  But everything else is great.  Popsicles, Lean Cuisines, steak, fish, bread, frozen vegetables all are frozen hard and stay that way.  Plus, this unit is extremely quiet.  When it is running, the most you can hear is a faint trickling of water sound.  Never a motor sound.  The engineering is very impressive.  One more caveat about the temperature.  My results are based on the freezer being indoors with normal indoor temps.  If you have this unit out in the garage with super hot temps (like my garage) I have no idea what the freezer would be capable of, but it would be tougher on the unit.  The unit came very well packaged and was delivered by an 18 wheeler tractor trailer from New Mexico.  It wasn't very heavy either.  The unit runs only off 12 volt or 24 volt, so it is totally engineered for solar which is great.  I will offer a couple of nit picks, but don't take them to heart, they are small things really.  First, there are three baskets that can lay just inside the top of the unit giving you the ability to compartmentalize a bit.  You end up with an arrangement like a box of chocolates -- you can remove the top layer of items by removing the baskets and get to the bottom layer of food pretty quickly.  What I didn't like was the little handle brackets that  hang onto the top ledge of the freezer interior -- the brackets slip out of position and collapse making you reset them.  That is chronic but just an annoyance.  The other is the light bulb inside.  It is a 24 v bulb and is rather dim when used with 12 v.  And you can't find a 12 v. bulb like this anywhere - even the manufacturer doesn't have them.  The resulting interior light is enough, but only barely.  Overall, though I am very impressed with this freezer and recommend it to you.


Don't...
buy a Bosch induction cooktop until Bosch explains the conditions that cause the cooktop to automatically shut off at some arbitrary time during use.  This applies to the 500-series, 800-series and Flexinduction models.  I discovered this can happen while reading manuals during my web research on induction cooktops.

Here are the respective web pages and page numbers advising of this stipulation in each model's "Use and Care" manual:

500-series:
http://i.sears.com/s/d/pdf/mp-tc/spinpdf/spin_prod_975580612
(page 14)

800-series:
http://i.sears.com/s/d/pdf/mp-tc/spinpdf/spin_prod_975587312
(page 16)

Flexinduction:
http://www.goedekers.com/assets/PDF/Bosch/bosch-nitp666suc-use-and-care-manual.pdf
(page 15)

I called Bosch Customer Support 5 times over a two-week period and each time talked to a different rep including a Support Supervisor on my last call.  I asked for an explanation about the specific circumstances under which the cooktop would shut off.  I cited several examples of cooking situations where one would not want the cooktop to "just turn off" on its own.  On my last 4 conversations with Bosch support reps, I was told they would research the issue and "get back to me with an answer".

Well, they didn't get back to me, and I still don't have an answer.  The support people don't know, and further, they told me they don't communicate with Bosch engineering (who certainly would know the answer).  How strange is that?  But I was copied on an email from a Bosch Senior Support Representative to "an unknown at Bosch".  The email contained the following exact wording from one of the manuals:
"Automatic time limitation:
If the element is used for prolonged periods of time without changes in the settings being made, the automatic time limitation function is triggered. The element stops heating. "F8" and the residual heat indicator "H/h" flash alternately in the display. The indicator goes out when any symbol is pressed. The element can now be reset. When the automatic time limitation is activated depends on the selected heat level (from 1 to 10 hours)."

The email also briefly revealed that "a customer" (me) wanted to know the conditions that can cause the cooktop to shut off, but didn't offer any relevant explanations.  Whatsoever!  I was told by a couple of support reps that the cooktop turns off for "safety reasons" but no other details were offered.  Safety reasons?  Really?  Does that mean the cooktops are nearing a dangerous state?  Are these Bosch cooktops the only cooktops ever made that turn off  "for safety reasons"  Maybe, but if so, I'm not aware of any others.

I hope I am not alone in thinking Bosch needs to inform prospective customers exactly what conditions can trigger these (expensive) cooktops to shut off?  Or better yet, just make a cooktop that doesn't arbitrarily turn off.

Bottom line is, buy one of these Bosch cooktops only if you are willing to risk it automatically turning off sometime between "1 and 10 hours".  Or, if you'd be content to just stand watch over it for 4-5 hours to be sure it stays on while you're cooking a corned-beef.

Bosch engineers take notice!


I've been using my Bosch Vision 500 washer/dryer combo for about six months and am very favorably impressed. I have them stacked vertically with the pull-out laundry shelf in between the two units.  The Bosch Vision is different from other machines I've owned in the past in terms of cycle selection, temperatures and options so it does pay to familiarize yourself with the manual before use but it's not difficult to get up to speed in 15 or 20 minutes of reading.

I do agree with one reviewer who said the handwash cycle isn't great for removing stains or deep cleaning. It is a very short cycle designed to keep delicate clothes in top condition and at this it succeeds, just don't expect deep cleaning power. I've found I can safely wash all my handwash woolens on the cold/cottons cycle with excellent results - both in terms of effective cleaning and also being gentle in terms of not causing stretching or piling of delicate fabrics. I do generally run most cycles with an extra rinse but this machine cleans with incredibly small amounts of water, even with the additional rinse the total water consumption is very low.

I'm amazed at how little detergent is necessary to achieve a bright, fresh appearance and feel to all my clothes. The manual warns about using too much detergent and I think other users either do not read the manual or don't understand how little is needed for optimal cleaning. I use Method liquid detergent which says four pumps is for one load. I've experimented with different amounts of detergent and learned that most small to moderate sized loads of normal soiling get super clean with only one pump of detergent. For more heavily soiled loads with oils, greases, sweat and other contaminants that break down the detergent I've found two pumps provides better (excellent) results. I might use three or four pumps but only for large loads of clothes worn by a deep fry cook or mechanics overalls full of oil residues. And at 4.4 cubic ft. you can do some rally large loads. I washed a load of really absorbent thick white cotton bath towels that completely filled the drum using two pumps of Method detergent and one ounce or regular bleach and they came out smelling fresh, looking bright and super soft and fluffy. What really impressed me though was how solid the machine felt/sounded when agitating and spinning such a large and heavy load. Smooth and as close to silent as one could hope for - the sound barely changes from small to huge loads and I've the machines have never shaken or vibrated regardless of load size.

I don't understand the problem some have reported with mold. The only precaution I've taken is to leave the washer door slightly ajar for one day after I've done laundry (then I close it if I want) and there has been nothing but fresh, clean smells. I can't say that about my first front-load laundry pair (Maytag Neptune). They molded within the first month or so and the smell never went away even after I had the redesigned seal installed. And the Neptune never got my clothes completely clean. The Bosch manual says too much detergent can cause mold and I think this is the likely culprit for those who have reported a moldy smell from the Bosch. Only use a small amount of detergent, less than you think will work. You will save a lot on detergent costs and have clothes that are cleaner and fresher than ever. This is a difficult concept to come to terms with for people who are accustomed to water-guzzling top loaders.


If you buy any Vent-a-hood with this terrible Magic Lung system you will be shocked the first time you have to clean it. You're probably used to removing a mesh or screen to clean your hood, right? Maybe even disposing of one and replacing it with a clean one? Well, forget all that because you are going to be dealing with the most difficult household task you can possibly imagine.

First, you'll remove a large metal shield that will be covered with grease/oil on the inside and drip it over to your sink so you can soak at least part of it in ammonia and hot water. You'll discover then that you should have covered all your counters, floor and cooktop with towels or something.

Next, you'll have to undo slimy "suitcase latches" on either side of this really heavy metal box that goes over the blower wheels. It will be drenched in grease/oil even if you, like me, try never to fry or saute food in the house. It will not fit in a double sink so now you can carry it dripping to your laundry room and put it in a big/deep sink and run gallons of boiling water. Pour in the ammonia and let it soak while you proceed to:

Step three: the impossible removal of the blower wheels using a 1/8" hex wrench threaded through one of the fins of the wheels. It will not turn, so slip across your tile to the garage and get a heavy duty pair of pliers and try to use that for leverage. No luck. Try again. No luck. Try again. Fail. Now, you'll have to figure out how to clean the thing in place while you lean over your cooktop (and I needed a stepladder), bumping your head on the hood surround and trying to work paper towels on a butter knife through the fins which are concave and curved away from you and very closely spaced together while it is dripping ammonia on you and everything else... Forget it! After 45 mins you'll give up and leave some of the grease there. Go back and get the heavy box and realize that all the ammonia did was turn the grease white, so now you have to clean it with paper towels and more ammonia, gassing yourself in the process, cutting your fingers on the raw metal edges, running to get small utensils to work your towels into the little crevices and completely messing up your laundry area and the sink.

Rinse this metal box and drag it dripping to the kitchen where you have to hoist it up and over the blower wheels and somehow manage to hold it there while you use one hand to find, connect and close each suitcase latch. Whew! Now get the shield out of the kitchen sink and clean it with paper towels and put it on, trying to make the screw holes match up so you can screw it down.

I have built 6 custom homes and totally remodeled 3 others and have never, ever hated an appliance or other product as much as I detest this one. Yes, it appears to have a strong updraft (carrying all those little oil beads into the ghastly magic lung) and yes it is a little quieter than a jet engine, and YES it was very expensive, but it is a horrible, horrible torture device to clean and maintain. You should do it every few months but you will hate it so much you'll be lucky to get it done once a year, making the job even worse.

Maybe restaurant kitchens can hire people do things like this (strong, tall people) but the average homeowner should not have to completely disassemble (or try to disassemble) gigantic parts just to clean their stove hood. This should not be a residential product.

Buy any magic lung Vent-a-hood at your own risk. You've been warned.


I purchased the Maytag MHW7000XW/MGD7000XW washer gas dryer pair for my mother. Her aging 18+ year old and well used Kenmore top loader washer and gas dryer had given very good service but it was reaching the end of its useful life. We have always had good luck with appliances barring the Kenmore name. Mothers 20+ year old uneven and erratic oven had ruined its last meal over the holidays so she asked me to find her a new one. I found the Kenmore gas convention that net her and my criteria. So far she has had it for 2 months now it works very well. Mother is a technophobe and doesn't like buttons but to get the features she wanted that is what she had to get. It works extremely well. I have gotten a few tech support calls but she is getting used to it. So while we were in the store getting the new stove purchase written up I was wondering around looking at the other appliances washer/dryers and dishwashers. Having replaced her at the time 15+ year old fridge 2 years ago the washer promo displays energy and water savings claim caught me eye. Mother is on private well and septic. I did my research not a lot out on this model yet but the little was positive. I downloaded the PDF of the manuals and liked what I saw. Mother has had it for almost a month now and it works very well. I spend most of my days off at my parents so I do my laundry there most of the time. It has buttons so more tech support but not as confusing as the oven. I made a little cheat
sheet for her. Lot of settings that you will only use rarely but nice to have options. The fresh hold feature uses a fan and periodically rotates the load to keep it from getting that musty smell is nice. When I get there after work its usually late. I eat dinner throw a load in and go to bed. So far we are using 3/4 to 1/2 less soap, oxiclean and softener etc savings there. It uses much less water and the clothes come out much cleaner than the old top loader useing much less soap. The pedestals are a must unless you are very short or going for a European style under counter install. the 7000 series has a few improvements over the cheaper 6000 series the oxiclean/color safe bleach compartment drum light in washer a few extra options. The washer is much quieter and the max extract gets out so much water that drying is about half the time over the old equipment. The old large capacity washer could only handle a max of 7 pairs of blue jeans at a time this washer has taken 10 pair in stride. Wash times are longer than the old top loader and the time remaining is only a random guess. My parents have pets cats and dogs. The dog tuns the end of the bed spread black in no time and it came clean. The allergen/steam sanitize feature is a plus with pets around.

UPDATE: Its been over a year and works very well Gets clothes cleaner than the old top loader with less soap & oyx does take longer and the remaining time display lies. But it adapts the cycle as it goes uses far less water the dryer gets clothes dry faster than the old one partly a function of the washers max extract feature. The steam option is nice but rarely used the dryers static reduce is nice in the winter. My mother really likes the pedestals the raised height is much easier on her back and my father has even successfully used them.


I have a stacked LG washer/dryer on tile on my first floor. The vibration during the washer spin cycle transfers to the floor and walls of my entire home  in fact it transfers all the way up to the second floor, making the window in my master bedroom rattle loudly in its frame. Aside from this annoyance, I worry that it can also cause damage to the studs and floor joists of my home. So, I've been researching and working on a solution for about the past year.

First, I bought the Vibrafix rubber feet sold on Amazon. If you're on this page, you've probably already seen it  it has a lot of positive reviews. The Vibrafix feet reduced the vibration upstairs slightly, but the window still rattled audibly.

Second, I re-leveled the washer. The machine was technically already level, but I figured the vibration might be reduced if I improved the leveling further. I didn't notice much of a change after leveling.

Third, I bought this Rubber-Cal Anti-Vibration Washing Machine Mat. I really wanted it to work  it had a handful of 100% positive reviews, including one which described a stacked washer/dryer on tile just like mine. At first I was hesitant since it was so expensive ($93 for a rubber mat??), but I figured that it was a small price to pay to protect my home and that perhaps it was made of a better, more durable material than other rubber mats.

The pros of this mat are that it is made of heavy duty rubber that won't shed. It is very dense and heavy, and it will probably last a very long time. The mat was not as elastic as I expected (I can barely cause any depression when I pinch it between thumb and index finger), but its weight made me hopeful  I thought that the high mass alone might absorb and dissipate most of the vibration. There is a strong "new tire" odor, but I followed the advice of other reviewrs and was able to eliminate it by letting the mat sit outside for about 6 hours.

I cut the mat to size using a measuring tape, metal straight edge, chalk and a box cutter/utility knife. Like another reviewer noted, scissors will not do the job. You need to slice the mat along the same line (against a straight edge) over and over again, in layers, until the knife finally breaks through to the other side. If you use this technique, your cut will be perfectly clean and straight.

Getting the mat under the stacked washer/dryer was a bit of a pain. You can't just fold the mat, tilt the machine to one side, slide the folded mat under the raised legs, and then tilt the other way to unfold. The mat is so thick that it doesn't fold flat enough to fit under a tilted machine. You really need a dolly or some serious human lifting power, depending on the space your washer/dryer is in.

I just did my first wash load on the new mat and was utterly disappointed. Somehow, the mat has made the spin cycle vibration worse. I'm not sure how this is physically possible, but the ears and eyes don't lie  after all of the expense, cutting and lifting, my upstairs master bedroom window actually vibrates worse now. And the railing on my stairs has now started vibrating with the spin cycle.

I plan on troubleshooting and experimenting further, but it's hard to articulate here just how disappointed I am. I took a risk on a product that had few reviews and I paid the price. I've lost about $90 on a sub-par product that I can't return because I've already cut it up. In fact, unlike other anti-vibration mats on Amazon that are pre-cut to the footprint of a typical American washer/dryer, the strange, large size of this mat makes me wonder if the seller designed it this way in order to prevent returns.


I bought this freezer last summer and it started acting up before the warranty ran out. Called the home improvement store that I bought it from and they stated that I needed to "Call the manufacturer". Turns out HAIER also manufactures Holiday. Called them and told them what happened and they did not dispute the claim whatsoever, This was May 15th, 2013. You would think it would be settled by now (July 5th, 2013), right? Wrong!! (If you knew me, you would know that I have been on the phone with these folks constantly and this is a summary of the "best" of the interactions I have had. And these conversations were initiated by my phone calls, they only called me if I demanded an update; otherwise, they just left me hanging and wondering.) Between "We are looking for a repairman in your area"-apparently there are none and "We are still looking for a repairman"-apparently there still are none to "We can't find a repairman so we are sending it up to account executives to see what they want to do with it"- insert crickets chirping here because for 2 WEEKS they had no answer on what they were going to do! Well, they come back with "We can't find a repairman so we are going to replace it"-cool right? Not cool-first I am told that it is summer (no duh!!) and they are busy replacing ACs under warranty and that is more important than my freezer, yes the chick on the phone actually told me that! Then they finally decide they don't have anymore freezers like mine in the warehouse. So throughout this whole process, I told them over and over "Just send me a check and I will go to the store and buy the one on the floor there." So then they decide they are going to wait and see if one "shows up" on their inventory. I assume they were trying to round one up from who knows where. Finally, they decide to replace it with a comparable model, if I accept that substitution, which I did a week ago and guess what? I got a call (that I requested) from the latest account handler, there has been a different one for every one of these interactions! And she stated that she sent my approval up last week with no answer from the person who can authorize the shipment of the new freezer. Still not authorized. So I calmly and clearly told the latest girl on the phone that no slam on her and I appreciated what she had done but it was no longer a case of IF I was giving HAIER a bad review ANYWHERE I can (Better Business Bureau, Facebook, Word of Mouth, etc) but was now a case of just HOW bad it was going to be and if they had just mailed me a check like I suggested OVER A MONTH AGO, I would have nothing but good things to say about them instead of all of this bad. She calls me back in 2 minutes-2 MINUTES, and it has been authorized and that was Wednesday and it HAS NOT SHIPPED, but latest word is we will have it by July 12 (update, delivery date changed to July 16th). Yea, right I will believe it when I see it in my yard. MORAL of this story-Don't buy HAIER or Holiday freezers, ACs, etc unless you have plenty of time and patience to give away!


I found this product on Amazon but ended up having to buy it direct through Global appliances/Rangehoodstore.com because I wanted the chimney cut to a custom length of 20" due to a short ceiling.  When placing the order, I requested that they send everything that was needed for a ductless installation since this is part of a remodel and there's no way to duct this hood without significant cost. They told me I had everything I'd need. I researched ductless installations and watched installation videos so I'd be prepared.  When I got the hood, I realized they didn't send me an air deflector to direct the hot, humid air out of the grilles in the top of the chimney.  I checked their installation manual and, sure enough, the manual stated that I should use the air deflector to direct the air out of the grilles in the chimney. So, I emailed them to say I was missing parts. They claimed I didn't need that part.  Every installation video and manual (including theirs) that I looked at for ductless hoods use an air deflector to make sure the hot, humid air goes out the grilles and not up into the ceiling.  I quickly realized why they didn't tell me to purchase the deflector - when they cut the chimney down to 20", they did so in a way that put the grilles below the blower so there would be no way to use the air deflector to push the air out of the grilles.  I contacted them and explained that I was very concerned that hot, humid air would be going right up into our floor joists (your ceiling will have a hole in it when you install a hood - the hole is for the wiring to come down and for a support system to be installed to hold the weight of the hood).  I've read on numerous sites that no one should ever vent the air from a kitchen hood up into the floor joists or attic.  If the air is greasy (if we forget to change the carbon filter soon enough) it could be a fire hazard.  Humid air in the floor joists could lead to mold, etc.  I asked to exchange the chimney for one with the grilles at the top like in the drawing they show here on Amazon so I could use the air deflector shown in the installation manual. By the way, the installation manual stated that if the directions for air exhaust were not followed, the company would not be responsible for any damage so I really wanted to follow the installation instructions so as not to void my warranty.  They, initially, agreed then emailed me at the last minute to say I'd be fine as is.  I haven't heard from them since.  So, basically, they left us with a hood that does NOT look like the drawing you see here on Amazon that has the grilles on the top so the air deflector can push the air out.  So, beware if you need this hood custom cut. I asked them if NT Air knew they were telling buyers to ignore the installation instructions and let air go up into their ceilings.  They assured me (insert laughter here) the hot air would not go up into our ceiling but sink down to the grills and I'd have no warranty worries.  The moral of the story is, once they have your money, they'd don't seem to care how well the product will work for you.  So, if you need the chimney height modified, buy elsewhere.


Our house was built late 90s with GE profile appliances. Being conscious about environment, we follow a rule of not replacing an appliance until it is broken. Recently, our dishwasher went broken with very bad noise coming out of motor.  The problem is we have an opening of 33" and the dishwasher is about 3/8" dropped below the floor.  So, even though there is enough height inside, it is impossible to put most dishwashers (over 33") in without opening the counter. We looked at all the models of GE, Maytag, LG, Samsung, etc etc and couldn't find anything that has adjustable an height. Eventually, a sales person at Sears quietly told us we should look at Miele in another store.  This turns out to be a great idea.  Miele European model can adjust from 32" to 34" with almost same capacity like their US model. It is a lot more expensive but we figure one of these days we need to remodel our kitchen and we want to buy something that we can keep in the future kitchen. It is very nice that we didn't have to wait for long time to get an EU model.  The installer came in and was able to cut the old GE out and installed a new Miele.  Here is what we have seen:

1. Miele allows installer to raise the front two supports easily and the entire machine is raised at the same time.  This let the installer make a perfect fit to our space. Smart engineering!
2. Their front panel is hard to put on without a professional help because it comes in as a separate piece so that customers can customize it to whatever they like.  Great designs but there are many small things you have to take care properly.  Our installer is certified Miele dealer.  They had no issues.

We have used the dishwasher for a few weeks.

1. Absolutely easy to use and dishes come out very very clean.  Grease and dry good come out great. It definitely has more washing power than our old GE.  No comparison.
2. Very quiet.  The only sound coming out is when it flushing water.  Even that is a lot less noisy than our old GE.  It doesn't seem like it flushes as much as GE. The motor sound is very low and very pleasing to hear (if you try hard to actually hear it).
3. It doesn't have a heat coil like GE did.  We like it a lot.  It uses less power and it doesn't burn plastics if they are at lower part of the DW.  Also, less risk for getting burned. Dishes come out 95% dry.  if you simply leave everything there for another hour or something, it becomes almost 100% dry. We like this.  We usually start the DW before going to bed. In the morning, everything is dry anyway.
4. It doesn't use the overflow thing that our old GE used. For my old GE, there were a few times that water came out of the overflow to our wood floor when drainage was slow in the kitchen.  Miele doesn't use this.  It detects when slow drain is detected and just stop.  This is smart!  We noticed may new appliances still use overflow.

Because we used the certified Miele installer from the dealer, they gave us one extra year warranty plus the original one year.

Very expensive (2-3 times more $ than we originally wanted to spend) but we are very happy to have it.  In fact, we may go with other Miele appliances since their "simple elegant style" is a better fit for us than a more aggressive "I am expensive" Viking type of appliances.


I have a cheap second refrigerator in my garage; it's branded "Costco by Whirlpool" and built in 1999 in Mexico.
Recently the refrigerator compartment wasn't cooling... spoiled milk was the first clue. This was in spite of the fact that the freezer compartment was fine.
I knew that if the compressor was bad it probably wouldn't be worth repairing this old fridge BUT it probably was OK since the freezer was working. Given the age of the refrigerator I was reluctant to call out a repairman when the meter is at $75-100 when they first show up. So I Googled "Whirlpool refrigerator not cooling" to see if I could get any hint as to whether or not it was liable to be a big problem.

MUCH to my surprise I found a lot of really useful information including several very helpful UTube tutorials. These videos provided trouble-shooting tips and detailed disassembly instructions.... once I opened up the freezer compartment (not at all difficult) it was clear from the hidden ice buildup that the defrost cycle wasn't working and that the ice was blocking cold air from the refrigerator compartment.

Several of these videos pointed to the automatic defrost system as the likely culprit and specifically to the bi-metal defrost thermostat.  This thermostat is a simple on-off switch designed to keep the defrost heater from getting too warm and defrosting the food in the freezer compartment.  One video even showed a test procedure to verify whether the defrost thermostat was faulty (involves a multi-meter and a glass of ice water, but a AA battery and a flashlight bulb would have worked). Sure enough it looked bad (and failed the test) so I went to the local supply houses to find one. They had generics in stock but those lack the clip-on feature. The delay for the clip-on part was four days and the cost was $35.... I could have gotten it just as fast and much cheaper through Amazon Whirlpool 2321799 Defrost Bimetal for Refrigerator. The only "skill" required to install the thermostat was stripping the wires and applying wire nuts and electricians' tape (see UTube if you want detailed how-to help with that).

While I was in there I noticed the fan motor was wobbly and somewhat sticky and thus seemed likely to fail soon. The fan motor is $65 from my local suppliers so I ordered this guy from Amazon. It was easy to install with my newly-found expertise at removing the freezer parts and fit perfectly... probably a 15-minute chore to replace.  It works without wobbling and is very quiet and smooth turning. Everything good except my worrying.
Why worrying? The vendor delivered the part to UPS within 24 hours of my order but the UPS tracking system said it was going to take 16 DAYS to get here.... from CA to WA!! I kept checking and the UPS system kept reporting 16 days. It actually showed up in 5 days (three working days, which is normal UPS Ground from California), so it was all about faulty UPS reporting not any actual service problem.  But if you were waiting for it to repair your main refrigerator it sure could cause some stress.


I want to be fair and update this.  I phoned the Avanti customer service line and I have to say, I have never had a better, easier experience than the one with the Avanti representatives.  The call took less than 10 minutes, and I had a service call phoned in and ready to go.  Within the week my machine was looked at, and repaired, by a local authorized service person - thanks Pete.  The issue with the machine was as a result of my floor being uneven - because of the uneven floor I was told I needed to put in less weight or even the machine's distribution.  Further, the clanging sound was due to a loose metal button which had come off of a pair of jeans.

I have since run 3 loads of laundry and have not had a single issue.

I want to therefore go on record as saying, this machine, and the company which puts it out and stands behind it, is excellent and I cannot recommend it enough.

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I wrote the below in May, but since then I have suffered the reality that good things do NOT always come in small packages.  My machine has stopped operating as during the cycle it continually resets itself - further - it sounds as if something inside has broken free (like a screw of some kind).  I have tried to contact the retailer I bought it from but to no avail - I am NEVER goign to order anythign big from anyone besides Amazon again.

I will update this after I have resolved the issue (one way or another) but in the meantime - wish me luck - I think I'm going to need it!

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I have always rented apartments in New York, and as any renter can tell you, laundry day at the laundromat is a nightmare.  Typical trips to the laundromat require a commitment of up to 4 hours, where you fight for machines, stand by waiting for dryers, try to drown out the sound of screaming children and blaring radios, while praying that the person who used the machine before you practice good hygeine.  As bad as all of that is, add to it the thread of someone stealing your clothes when your back is turned, folding even your most private of delicates in public view and worst of all - the looming threat of bed bugs.  Finally, one day, I decided I could live like this no lnoger.

The Avanti 21" Portable Machine has saved me from the nightmare.

I was at first sceptical that this small machine, designed for apartment type living, would ever be able to give to me clothes clean enough, or loads big enough, to make me happy ... but I am happy to admit that I was wrong.

The Avanti 21" is a powerful machine that allows the user to customize the number of rinse cycles, the length of the spin cycle, and the length of washing.  It has preprogrammed settings for delicates through heavy soil - although I find that the normal cycle is ideal for my laundry needs.  Although a small machine it can handle a large load fitting 3 pairs of men's jeans, 4 t-shirts, a number of socks and undergarments and a couple of towels.  My boyfriend and I have been quite comfortalbe doing one load a week of clothing, and another with towels and the miscellaneous oops forgot this items.  I have washed my comforter and had it come out clean, smelling fresh and pretty well spun.

I give the Avanti my very first 5 star rating, and cannot recommend it enough.


I wish there was any other place to vent my frustrations about Thermador and their substandard products in an effort reach a broader audience.  Their customer service department has no desire to help and their owners manuals do not provide the right specifications for maintenance and repair.

I purchased a 36" 6-burner range in October 2014 and when they installed the range it was not working. The install crew could not diagnose the problem and I had to wait for a service technician - he was 2 weeks out.  He came to the house and diagnosed the problem as a shorted "main board."  It took 4 weeks for the part to come in and we were without an oven that entire time.

After the main board was replaced we continued to have problems.  The service tech was sent out several time and the main board replaced every time.  We had problems with the oven not heating, the whole unit not powering on, gas burner valves that would not activate, and sparking modules that wouldn't work.  All these issues were at different times on the same unit. Finally after a year of issues with our range they replaced the unit with an entirely new unit and it's been the same issues all over again.

The latest and greatest is an issue with the light bulbs.  Apparently you have to replace both at the same time, regardless of which bulb is burnt out because they are apparently wired in series.  I checked my owners manual and it said to buy 10w, 12 volt G4 base halogen lights.  No one in the city of Austin, TX sells these bulbs.  The only place I could go is Amazon or Thermador.  I refused to pay their obscene prices for the bulbs and delivery so I ordered on Amazon.

The bulbs I ordered had specification listing the exact size of the bulb and pins which was listed as the standards for G4 bulbs.  The product was highly rated and so I purchased a 20-pack.  (The factory bulbs have only ever lasted a month at best and were changed whenever they would come out to replace the main board, so I figured I should order a large pack.)  The bulbs I received were the correct size according to G4 bulb specifications but would not fit in the oven.

I called Thermador and they said they would not help me since I did not buy the bulbs from Thermador.  I was transferred to a supervisor who was super rude.  He would ask me a question and cut me off before I could answer.  I told him (without profanity) to quit interrupting me and he said he would hang up on me if I talked back to him again so I was forced to deal with his incessant interruptions.

I have never been treated so rude by any customer service rep, let alone a supervisor.  The entire 2-year experience has been a nightmare and I wish they would just come and take the range back.  What's worse is that I encouraged my brother, when he built his new home, and my parents, in their new home, to install Thermador ranges.  BOTH have been replaced because of the same issues.  Their experience with Thermador service has been no better and they have decided to let the appliance retailer we purchased the ranges from deal with the customer service department because they are so intolerable.

Thermador does make a great product when it is working but those moments are short-lived and the joy of cooking with Thermador is fleeting.  Beware if you are purchasing a Thermador and I would suggest that you look elsewhere and avoid the frustrations of owning any of their overpriced appliances.


ORDERING
So we finally got this in our kitchen after a battle with shipping.  I won't downgrade the item because of the service, but let's just say I ordered the item on September 14, 2014 with an expected arrival date between then and September 23, 2014.  Even though the item showed in stock after ordering I received an email from the company HCost stating it was backordered.  Long story short I got $100 off of the item for our troubles and received the Double Oven October 16, 2014.  (Also, the company would not take the packing material with them even though it states that they will.)

INSTALLATION
We have laminate flooring so we weren't worried about scratches, but if you have wood I would be very careful as the item is very heavy.  The instructions were written well enough and I was able to wire the Oven myself.  One thing to pay attention to is that on some sites the electrical stated for this item ranges from 15 Amp to 50 Amp and 110 Volt to 240 Volt.  Once I received the instructions it had both 110/240 30 Amp listed.  The mistake we made was that our electrical and propane were on the wrong sides.  We couldn't really fix that now, so we made do with some longer lines.

LP Conversion was a breeze although the propane company initially said it had to be done by a certified plumber so i had one come over and watched what he did.  If you can screw in a light bulb you can do the conversion, the oven comes with everything you need.  What the plumber didn't or wouldn't do was adjust the burners on low so that they were actually low.  So after he left the instructions state turn the burner on to low and pull knob and adjust screw.  No pictures so I Was flying by the seat of my pants on this one.  The problem was I started with the center burner.  One screw is pretty impossible to turn down as the valve or whatever displaces the head of the flat head only allowing you to do a quarter turn.  I spent an hour trying to ge it to work before I gave up.  There is another screw in this one that turns the simmer down to actual simmer, this one and the other burners were a breeze to adjust.  The handles were extremely difficult to pull of and I kept thinking i was going to break them.  I saw in another post that they said the handles were cheap, the outside is plastic, but where the valve meets the handle was metal for me.

Double Oven
We have used both sides of the oven and find that pre heating the small one takes longer than I would have expected, but the light does eventually come off.  We have not had any issues with baking as of yet.  There are a multitude of programs that the ovens can do, but all we have used is bake and convection bake so far.  I am sure I will pull out the book and see what the others are for.

Cons
You can't see the clock or the knobs without stepping back and bending over because of the overhang on the burners.  Also, my wife has a problem with while using the burners up top she will be stirring or something and will inevitably push the handles of the burners in causing them to tick -tick because it is trying to start.  Not a big deal just don't lean into the oven.

This is a small list for now - but if you want a sharp looking stove without killing the bank then this is your choice.

I have had the oven for a short period, so if antything else comes up I will update the posting.


Just bought and installed this Bosch dishwasher. I discounted the handful of negative reviews on Amazon and checked the reviews on Consumersearch.com (best DW overall), ABT (there were 26 reviews with average of 4.2 stars out of 5) and Sears (55 reviews with 3.5 out of 5; and both Sears and ABT were $100 less than Amazon.) So far, very happy with product and performance but will update this review if things change. Dishes get clean. Glasses are crystal clear. Period. With our last DW, we had to wash first, then put in the DW. To test the new Bosch, dried on food dishes put in without prewash, come out clean (although baked on pizza on a pizza sheet did not "wash" off in DW). Dishes come out dry, excepting the occasional plastic, Tupperware type product. As the physicists can explain, plastic just doesn't conduct heat very well, so won't dry as well as metal and china. It is very, very quiet, but not "silent" as others have reported. When running, the sound is subtle enough in the background that I know it's running, but we are happy with how quiet it is and can have a comfortable conversation in the kitchen when the DW is running. The most noise comes from the water being discharged into the garbage disposal, not from the DW itself. We like the flatware trays and don't really have any complaints with the rack designs. Another reviewer complained about the racks coming off the rollers. It hasn't been an issue for us, but again goes to design quality where DW no longer have attached racks that pull out, instead using rolling racks that rolling on the open DW door. Also, if the DW is not installed level and properly anchored, there will be operational problems and problems with the racks not coming out correctly/squarely and the racks rubbing the sides/gaskets. Others complain about it not drying, not cleaning, not rinsing or smells. We have had NO similar, negative experiences, but again, improper installation will give rise to some of these issues.

Cons: As noted by others, build quality isn't the way DW used to be made. Plastic, plastic and more plastic. Twenty years ago, I was a lot younger and stronger,  and DWs were so heavy I could not lift one by myself. Now I'm a lot older and I can lift this Bosch by myself with no effort. And when did they stop making DW 24" deep? If the DW was 24" deep instead of 20", it would hold a lot more dishes/pots. I guess that went the way of 1/2 gallons of ice cream. If Bosch spent another dollar or two they could affix the sound insulation with adhesive so that it stays in place during the installation process, but this is a very small thing. Plastic feet are probably a good thing to reduce sound transmission through the floor.

How long it runs without problems, unknown yet.

Update: 1/26/15. Thus far, absolutely no problems and still love it. Still almost silent operation and still gets dishes clean (however, you must not neglect to add the dishwashing aid solution when the indicator light comes on. For reasons I don't understand, without the rinse aid, dishes aren't as clean.) Would definitely buy again.

Update: 1/16/17 Four years later and still love it! No issues.


UPDATE: I have downgraded my rating to one star. The reason is it leaves soap film on the dishes. We first noticed this when filling a just cleaned glass with water. Bubbles formed around the glass at the water line. At first we thought that it was air in the water but then we noticed that when we tipped the glass there was a soapy film. We were using the Bosch recommended products including the Finish rinse. We thought maybe the Finish rinse was leaving the soapy film so we let it run out and didn't refill the rinse container. We let it operate without rinse for about 30 days to make sure all the rinse was gone. The problem persisted. We then tried white vinegar which is recommended as a substitute rinse aid by many users. This did not help. The only way we have found to get rid of the soapy film is to run a complete wash cycle using no detergent. They then come out clean with not soapy film. I don't know what the health consequences may be from ingesting what apparently is dirty soapy rinse water left on the dishes but we have chosen to double wash.

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I bought this to replace an aging GE. Our house has an open floor plan design and the dishwasher is located about 7' feet away on the opposite side of bar from where we sit to watch TV. We always had to crank up the volume when running the dishwasher so we were looking for a quite one. The salesman said we would be able to stand next to it while it was running and not hear it. That is an exaggeration but the Bosch is definitely quiet and we don't have to crank up the volume on the TV when it's running. It also cleans well and unlike some other reviewers I've not had a problem with wet dishes except for plastic dishes and containers and it's no worse drying those than our old machine. I do use the recommended Jet rinse so I don't know how well it would dry without it.

Now for the negative stuff. I knew going in that the capacity would be smaller than our old dishwasher but I didn't think it would be as small as it was. It seems to have about half the capacity of our old dishwasher however I'm sure it's larger than that. It handles plates very well as well as typical drinking glasses. However it has a hard time with larger mugs, over sized pots and pans, long utensils like spatulas and long handled spoons or any other large dish, bowl, or container. With just two of us I used to be able to wash dishes once every couple of days. Now it's pretty much every day and I find I'm washing more things by hand because their large or unusual shape doesn't allow them to fit in the dishwasher along with a days worth of regular dishes.

I can't comment about the lack of a built in disposer. I've checked the filter several times and it has always been empty but I don't put anything in the dishwasher that has any large pieces of hard food attached.

I honestly don't know it I would purchase it again. I might look for a large capacity American made dishwasher that has good reviews for being quiet as well as cleaning dishes. My research turned up a couple but they were several hundred dollars more than the Bosch. Considering the price I hope it lasts longer than the GE it replaced and until such time as it does fail I'll just do dishes a little more often.

I probably wouldn't recommend this dishwasher to a family with children at least not without fully explaining it's limitations in terms of capacity.


We've had this dishwasher installed for about a year and a half now.  I did extensive research before settling on this model.  The only thing I occasionally wish it had was a short cycle for parties or when I'm just running lightly soiled or dusty dishes from my pot rack...the short cycle is available on the next tier up of Bosch models at a higher price point.

The tines are spaced pretty close on certain parts of both racks, but I have thick-ish pottery dishes that come clean even when placed in the narrow tines.  I must admit that it took a bit of time to work out the best configurations for my dishes, and I found a few tricks months into owning it (there are a few tine rows that fold down and make some larger dishes possible to wash).

The cycles are rather long (120-140 minutes), but this model is designed to be very energy efficient, and drying time is factored into those times.  Yes, I will have water standing in the recesses at the bottom of overturned cups when the cycle is finished, but when the cycle timer beeps, the dishes are too hot to handle for more than a few seconds.  I've also learned to pull the bottom rack out and jiggle the top rack to spill out the hot water caught in the bottoms of glasses.  From what I understand, the drying cycle does not use forced air, but rather uses the loss of heat in the stainless tub to draw condensation from the air and dishes inside.

This machine comes with some of the features of the next tier of Bosch's dishwashers, like the convertible silverware rack, flip-tines, and the RackMatic adjustable upper rack.  The top rack is super-easy to adjust up or down even when full of dishes, and when it is in the upper position, the clearance in the lower rack is enough to clear a larger cookie sheet.  I have loaded this machine to the gills and rarely have a dish not come clean...usually only burnt-on gunk needs to be hand-scrubbed.  I found a comparison table somewhere on Bosch's website that lists all of the models and their features.  Also, being a German company, they have comprehensive photos/diagrams in the manual that outline dish placement to get the full 14 place-settings stuffed inside.

And it's so quiet!  It kind of sounds like a gentle rain is falling outside--even when I'm standing next to it, I sometimes have to look for the LED indicator to make sure it's running!

I also like that the controls are hidden when the door is closed, giving it a sleek look under the counter.  If I need to add a dish shortly after the cycle has started, or to check the time remaining on the cycle, I pop the door slightly so that the water stops spraying, then open the door...all water will drip into the interior.  Speaking of water, Bosch's have a leak proof basin under the tub which will catch the full water capacity of a wash cycle in the event of a leak, thereby saving your flooring from a flood in the event of a failed seal.

I can't really knock this dishwasher for anything.  Still in love with saving all of those hours in front of the sink doing dishes!!  I even fearlessly hosted Thanksgiving after installing this!  You can search for the great price (690 pre-tax delivered!) I got on this posted somewhere on Gardenweb...I believe the promotions I used are still run periodically.  Trust me, I did the homework.  This will be the best bang for your buck and last you for years longer than the cheapo $300-400 dishwashers at the big-box stores.


We bought this Kitchenaid dishwasher 11 months ago and it suddenly started to leak from the bottom.  Quite a bit of water got into the sub-flooring before we realized what was happening.  Some damage was done to the downstairs ceiling (water stains, soft spots, etc.)  Water also got into one of the light sockets and the bulb started sparking so we shut off the power to the area due to fire concerns.  Later, we noticed some water had seeped onto a shelving unit doing some damage to the items stored there.

After we shut off the water and power to the damaged areas, I removed the kick plate from the bottom of the Kitchenaid and had a look with a flashlight.  There was no leakage coming from the install points (water supply and drainage hoses) which told me this was not an installation problem.  However, I noticed squeeze type pressure clamps on two of the dishwasher's connection hoses.  These are not the types of clamps (in my opinion) that should be used where water is involved.  I would use quality clamps where the pressure could be set with a screwdriver.  I also noticed a part of the dishwasher (motor or pump I thought) sitting on the floor apparently detached.  It looks like this dishwasher may have some design flaws but clearly there have been some cheap parts used in its construction.  I was quite shocked.

Whirlpool was very supportive and apologetic on the phone but said we would still have to wait 2 weeks for service.  Because of our concerns about the poor build quality of this unit, we've decided to take the next 2 weeks while waiting for service (and doing dishes the old fashioned way) to look for a better machine.

Our biggest question right now is once the dishwasher is "fixed", will we be able to trust it?  What if it leaks again and we aren't home?  Being able to sleep at night is more important than the $1,000 or so we spent so we will consider this (and the cost to repair the damage to our home) the cost of tuition to learn about Whirlpool / Kitchenaid.  A lesson learned, albeit an expensive one.

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Update - the service technician finally showed up today.  Here is his report - "11/27/13 11:30: RN there 27 WED, 11:07 to 11:25, Checked over unit.found clamp came off the motor and wet the motor shorting motor and control.ordered parts from marcone., ordrd 1 w10328224 (sump and motor assy) and 1 w10473198 (control), saved tckt [SdLink\'46491a.png] (via SDM)"  I asked him about the clamp coming off and he said it was a "common problem".  We are now waiting 10 business days for the new motor and control (and hopefully a better clamp?).  When it's back up and running, we'd like to sell it.  Anyone want to buy a 1-year old refurbished Kitchenaid dishwasher that couldn't possibly leak again?

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Final Update - Decided to see if the dealer would help and sure enough they did.  We worked out a deal to our satisfaction and have just installed a new Miele Crystal.  I was impressed with the German engineering and the specs.  The Kitchenaid is gone so the bad news is it's not available for sale but the good news is we have peace of mind.


I just got this dishwasher and there were some website filled with positive reveiws and others that had nothing but poor reviews, but since I needed a new dishwasher ASAP I needed something acceptable that was in stock locally that I could get that day and this one met those needs.  First, I had a fairly large GE that had racks that were 21" square and I didn't want to go smaller.  This one is a 1/8" smaller, but is considered a 15 place setting dishwasher.  I prefer buttons on the front but like I said I needed one quick so I couldn't be too picky.  My husband was doing the installation and that was pretty easy if you are at all handy.  The only two issues we had on istallation.  The first was that our countrtops are granite so we had to opt for side installation and there were no intructions for that (although if you buy a special kit they are enclosed). Also, we ended up lowering it a half inch more than suggested so I could better see the hidden buttons.

So, some of the negative reviews mentioned this washer doesn't clean well.  Our sales person told us unless it was set to high temp wash it wouldn't clean well...something to do with most water heaters not being set high enough to break down dishwasher detergent so it can clean.  So we used the high temp wash with heated dry and our dishes were clean but they were wet, wet, wet, particularly the plastics.  So the next time, I set the wash to not only hight temp wash, but also chose sani-rinse (which is a high temp rinse), plus heated dry.  On that wash, I not only had clean dishes but also dry dishes, including dry plastics.  The only exception to the dry plastics was the one container that had a divet in it that acted like a mini pool, so there was still a little water on that one.  All the plastic cups with bottom rims were dry.  In general, I am happy with this washer and the only reason I knocked one star off is that I think I shouldn't have to use every high temp setting to get clean dry dishes.  I am guessing that most of those people who are unhappy with the cleaning and drying didn't have a salesperson to give them a heads up on the most effective settings.  I know had I not been told, I would have just washed on normal wash, and not have added high temp, or sani rinse.

UPDATE - DEC 26, 2012...I had my mom and sister visiting and my sister convinced me to do some test with some super hard to clean to items, like a totally gunked mac & cheese casserole dish, an oatmeal bowl from breakfast that had been allowed to sit all day, and my mothers dried up metamucil glass.  I only agreed to forego my thorough rinsing because she agreed to clean it all if the dishwasher didn't get it.  Well, the dishwasher got it all off no matter how awful the dish looked going in. So now I just scrape the extra food out of pans and off the dishes and put them in, and they come out perfectly clean every time.  I still get a little bit of water on some plastics (not nearly as much as my old dishwasher) but using the sani-rinse and heated dry really helps keep the wetness to a minimum.

Update - Dec 31, 2011...Uh oh, I had a load with very wet plastics while my husband was out of town.  Ends up he was popping the door open after the wash was done to let the steam escape, resulting in much dryer plastics.  I didn't do that and had wet plastics.  So another hint, pop open the door after the wash.  Still very happy with this dishwashers cleaning power.