this review is mostly about the repair service I've recently received from Bertazzoni, but also for the range itself, to the extent that my older range is the same as the current model.  I bought a house that came with the 2002 version of this Bertazzoni range.  Back in 2002, Bertazzoni sold what is now called its "Master" line under the brand name "La Germania", not Bertazzoni, but that was just a naming/marketing thing they did for a year or two.  In 2013 I got very good service, and was able to find the correct parts for my eleven year old "La Germania" range, but because of the name confusion ("La Germania") I had to email Bertazzoni directly in Italy at Service@Bertazzoni.com, rather then starting with the normal Bertazzoni service network in the US.  They bent over backwards to help me get my range fixed, and I can't praise their service enough.

I love the 5 burner arrangement because I get a very high output capable burner (up to 15,000 btu) but without needing to have space for a 48" range.  The large burner has flame in a small ring around the inside, and also a larger ring further out, so heat is delivered to the bottom of the pan much more evenly than typical burners that have flame only in a ring around the outside.

The range top and burners are very easy to clean because there are no gaps for junk to fall between.  Usually I just wipe the stainless steel, but when I need to clean the round burner heads (where the flame comes out) that's also easy (they just lift off).

The whole thing is built solidly, and designed simply, so it's reliable.  My oven thermostat needed to be replaced after eleven years, but the part is still available, and only 120 bucks (very reasonable for the most complicated part on the thing).  I've never broken a knob, or had any plastic parts break (it's all steel).  It's simple design is a plus for me because of reliability, but if you want fancy electronic oven controls, timers, etc. you might think it's a minus.

It's beautiful.  I'm more of a function over form guy, but if I cared a lot about how my range looked, I'd still be very happy with this one, it really is beautiful.  I like that nothing about it looks cheap.  It looks/is solid and high quality.

I can cook on it easily, clean it easily, and it is reliable; for me that's 95% of what a range is supposed to do.  It's not perfect, but I find its flaws to be minor.  The oven door gets a little hotter than I like when baking at high temperature.  The oven is wider than I need (so maybe burns more gas than a smaller oven would require) and isn't as tall as most ovens I've used.  I've never needed it to be taller, but it could be a problem some day, so check the dimensions and be sure you're okay with the oven height.


We bought this dryer from a local independent appliance store with a matching washing machine. This is a good old fashioned dryer that works beautifully. It replaced a similar 20 year old Maytag that had started screeching. The installers hooked it up and set it up to run for 30 minutes to burn off a coating that was on it when it arrived. The instructions said to wipe off the coating so I did that too but I'm not sure if that was necessary.

We got this dryer along with the Speed Queen AWN542 washing machine. So far, we have been impressed with both machines. This version of the dryer is a lot like the most basic dryer but adds a knob that controls a warning buzzer with adjustable sound levels and a LIGHT inside the dryer - which is really cool. There is no moisture sensor but the temperature sensor seems to figure out how to dry the clothes well enough. If anything, it errs on the side of drying a bit too long so I usually set it to "Less Dry". No problems so far. Compared to our old Maytag dryer, the Speed Queen seems bigger but it might just seem bigger because of the light and the bigger door opening.

We were looking for a solid top loading machine but the lower priced Whirlpool clone machines all had the same light weight doors/ door handles and lint traps that pull out of the top of the machine and make a mess on the top of the dryer. The Speed Queen feels and looks a lot more substantial than the low end dryers. It seems like a simple thing, but the lint trap is set into the bottom of the door opening with a small plastic grid to hold the lint in the compartment until you are ready to scoop the lint out. The design doesn't allow lint to get inside the cabinet of the dryer itself. We had our old dryer repaired once and the inside of the dryer cabinet, under and behind the dryer drum was full of dryer lint that had accumulated over the years. I think that lint is what eventually contributed to the demise of the old dryer. The Speed Queen lint trap design is much better because you just scoop out the lint without pulling the lint trap screen out. I don't think much lint can get under/ behind the dryer drum.

The dryer light comes on like a refrigerator light. It probably isn't essential but it's very nice to be able to see in there. The door opening is very large so it's very easy to fish around and find your favorite socks or whatever before the rest of the load is finished drying. I expect my college age daughter will enjoy this feature when she comes home for the holidays.

I also ordered the optional dryer rack from an online appliance supply company. This option is standard on the higher spec Speed Queen dryer but our appliance store didn't have that version in stock. The shelf fits nicely from front to back and the dryer drum spins around it. I've always wanted one of these for drying shoes or low temp drying of sweaters and delicates. I haven't tried the rack yet but it is well made and fits in the dryer perfectly.


I moved into a small apartment and a Haier unit was installed. I was so excited to live a life without counting quarters and trips to the laundromat. Until. After approx 3 months during a dry cycle I heard a strange ping and smelled smoke. The machine was dead. It wouldn't even turn on. My landlord had a technician out twice to try to repair it to no avail. He also contacted Haier to try to get replacement parts and was unsuccessful. Eventually after months of fruitless attempts to repair the unit my landlord purchased a new Haier. A brand new Haier washer/dryer arrives! Yay! Three months later it stops drying clothes. Completely. Not damp, not slightly wet but absolutely sopping wet. The lint trap also fills to overflowing with water as I found out the hard way with a flooded floor. This time I took the reins on getting the unit repaired as it was still under it's one year warranty. After multiple calls to Haier I finally arranged for a technician to come out to look at the unit. He admitted that he had no idea how to fix it and left. Another 3 hour call to Haier and two weeks later a second technician came out. He pulled out some lint, moved a hose or two and the unit STILL did not work. So another 3 hour call to Haier got a third technician out and he deemed the unit unrepairable. At this point I called Haier again to request a replacement unit. I called at least twice a week for over two months and each time was told they had lost the paperwork or the previous representative had filed the information had done so incorrectly. It was so unbelievably terrible and unprofessional each phone call either had me in tears or drinking heavily. Then they requested I overnight ship a signed affidavit stating the machine didn't work and another copy of the bar code (from the back of a 300 pound machine). So $40 later that is sent to them. Once again I call and call and they claimed to not have received it. Then another two weeks later when I call they had miraculously had the paperwork the whole time and the hold up was the shipping company contacting me to arrange delivery of the new unit. How promising. Another two weeks. No call from the shipping company. More calls to Haier and more being told I needed to wait for the shipping company. Then several days later I get a voicemail from Haier saying that they had discontinued the unit and they aren't replacing it. They will send a refund check instead. Oh and they won't offer a full refund either. Only 80% since the unit had been "used". That was a month ago and I still have not received a check. So it is now many many months after my Haier washer/dryer stopped working. I do not have a new unit and I do not have a refund. Please save yourself the misery of dealing with an incompetent company and an inferior product. Anything but Haier.


This is a really basic stove, which is what I like.  I actually had a nearly identical model in white, but it was from the year 2000 and really in bad shape.  Our house has the old-school 32" cutout, so this was my only option (until we remodel in the future) besided the ceramic/glass top one.  Installation was ridiculously easy, just lift the old one out, drop this one in, connect the wires. There are wire spring hold downs included to keep it snug.
The burners are standard for this type of stove. The small ones are 1250 watts, the big ones are 2100.  I think they perform just fine; I'm not in cooking race, and I don't pay attention to any extra time it takes (extra 30 seconds or whatever) to boil water or heat a pan.  Now if you need more heat, the common replacement elements available at most home improvement stores are 1500 watts and 2600 watts.
Quality is on par with an inexpensive simple stove. The knobs are plastic, but thick and easy to grasp. They turn smoothly and have a nice 'snap' when they are rotated to the Off position.  Heat control is good, I went through about 20 steps of the knob and every position gave me slightly more heat, so I'm not sure what the complaints are about.  One minor gripe is that the Off position is at 9 o'clock, not 12 o'clock like you find on most stoves.  But you get used to it.
The top is real stainless steel, not painted, not coated.  Other reviewers who said it was just a "stainless steel finish" are just wrong, or blind. The drip pans are the typical chrome plated steel, and of course they will eventually rust, that's why they are removable. The markings on the control panel are simply silk screened, and if you scrub them they will come off.  You can scour the top if needed, but of course it will scratch.
I'm not sure what all the "thin metal" complaints are about.  This is a low-end stove, and of course it's going to be sheet metal.  When mounted properly, it does not sag.  I've put 4 normal sized pots of food on the burners, and there is no significant bending.  You can get out your micrometer and measure the deflection, but it's not much; anything will bend with weight applied.  The metal on this stove is the same thickness as the one it replaced with a manufacture date of 2000.
The burners all sit flat, as do the drip pans.  The top itself is flat.  Again, I'm not sure what people are doing, but the stove itself is fine.  And of course you have to know how to install the burners, seat them all the way, or they will stick up.  And you have to know how to adjust the sockets so the burners sit flat.
In short, it's a good low end stove, very functional, and about the only choice for this oddball size cutout.


On November 23rd I had called LG because my french door refrigerator had stopped cooling a few days earlier. I was told that since it was past the 1 year full warranty I would have to pay for the labor but the parts would be covered. So they charged me $350 and said I would get a call in 24 hours to schedule service. a few days later I got a call and scheduled a repairman to come out a week later.

When the repairmen came out he examined the fridge and said that they compressor and closed cooling system would have to be replaced and that he would have to order parts. A week and a half later he came back to repair the fridge which last for about 6 days and then completely stopped cooling again. On December 29th I called LG and explained that my fridge wasn't working and they told me that they would set up an appointment to have someone come out. I asked them if they could get the parts out quickly since this would be the second time they would have to fix it but the LG rep told me that the do not do expedited shipping for anybody and that I would have to wait. The repairman came out on January 3rd and said that they compressor may have been bad and that he would have to order a new one.

It is now November 26th (almost a month since the repairman came out) and after leaving messages with the repairman that didn't get returnedI called LG to find out what was happening. after waiting on hold for 45 minutes I finally spoke with a customer service representative who said she would call the repairman to see what was happening. when she got back on the line she said that she spoke with the repair company and was told that they do have someone who could repair closed cooling system refrigerators and that they never bothered to call me and tell me this.

The LG rep told me that the repairmen was going to file a claim with LG and that they would have to refund LG for the money they were paid for the repair. I asked the rep if they were going to send out another repair person and they said that they would have to be refunded first and that the person at the repair company said they would do it in 24-48 hours. I then asked the LG rep what would happen if they did not call LG back and refund them, the rep told me she was told they would do it in 24-48 hours. I asked them again "What happens if they don't do it?" and the rep did not give me an answer. so basically, even though I did nothing wrong I have to wait and hope that the repair person refunds them, while I get nothing for the $350 I paid 2 months ago. And since the fridge still needs to be repaired I expect that it will take another week or two for a repairman to come out (big IF on that on) and then another couple weeks for parts to come in since LG won't help out getting it done quickly.

I expect that I will have to wait another month to get my refrigerator serviced and that it will be 3 months of not having a fridge. LG was more than happy to take my money but they could care less about actually following through with their customers.


24JUN11: FINAL SAMSUNG SOLUTION TO INADEQUATE HOT/WARM WATER:
The final decision was to 100% refund my purchase cost if I cut off the last 7-inches of the power cord and sent it in along with the sticker that has the washer's serial number on it. Done and done. Now that I know what to expect for temperatures (and if you turn up your water heater you'll get higher HOT temps) I feel $0 is the appropriate cost for this washer.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************

PREVIOUS REVIEWS:

This is a review of the white-colored Samsung WF520ABW/XAA. Same washer guts, different color.

HOW I USE THE WF520ABW:
- All type of loads: king sheet sets, king mattress covers, big loads of towels, big loads of jeans, small loads of delicates, etc.

WF520ABW PROS:
- Large 5.0ft capacity (why I bought it), gentle as required, ergonomic interface, many cycle selections.

WF520ABW CONS - The following points apply to all 3 brand new WF520ABWs I've had since 1JAN2011. Each with a different manufacturing date. # 3 was manufactured in January 2011:
- The Heavy Duty cycle with WARM WASH/WARM RINSE adds only cold water. The maximum wash temp is 59F.
- No cycle that allows WARM RINSE selection adds hot water to the rinse. All WARM RINSES are maximum 59F.
- Other cycles that do add hot water to their WARM WASH selections have maximum temp of 89F, which is lukewarm to touch at best.
- The maximum HOT WASH temp is 116F, which is warm to touch. The maximum EXTRA HOT WASH temp is 131F, which is hot to touch. Cold water is added to every cycle regardless of temp setting, no cycle uses only the hot water inlet. If I want to wash my clothes in hot water and I select a cycle that allows a HOT WASH or even an EXTRA HOT WASH, I think hot water only should enter the washer... that's why I have my hot water heater set at 141F.

FINAL NOTES:
- Samsung Customer Service agreed with me that there is a problem and authorized a repair on washer number 2. The Bay Area's sole Samsung authorized appliance repair, Jem Appliance (very good people, customer oriented, and knowledgable, BTW) replaced WF520ABW #2's main circuit board and the display board with no change in operation of the HEAVY DUTY CYCLE, WARM WASH/WARM RINSE, so I assume it's a main computer algorithm error.
- As of 17FEB11, Samsung is insisting upon a repair technician for the 3rd washer.
- The place I purchased it (Lowes South San Francisco) have been very accommodating/customer oriented (equivalent to Amazon's fabled Customer Service!), and I highly recommend them for appliance purchase. I am currently in discussions about the next step(s).


BEWARE:  KitchenAid/Whirlpool/Kenmore does not stand behind their products.

Short Version:

I have an expensive counter depth KitchenAid refrigerator that is 2.5 years old (still paying for it) that I have to replace because it has been diagnosed as non-repairable.  I spent much effort jumping through hoops for KitchenAid/Whirlpool Customer Support, only to be told that I should have got an extended warranty.

Long Version:

Problem: NON-REPAIRABLE Refrigerator - Broken wire in cabinet.
Product: KitchenAid 25 cu.ft. refrigerator (Model #:KSCS25FVMK01)
Age of Appliance: 2.5 years old (still paying for it)

It started out as an intermittent problem with the ice/water dispenser going out.  It quickly escalated to the ice/water dispenser, ice maker, and defrost heater completely going out.  It took almost a month, 3 service technician and 3 computer boards to diagnose the problem.  A broken neutral wire in the cabinet that cannot be fixed.  I called KitchenAid to let them know that an non-repairable 2.5 year old refrigerator is unacceptable.  KitchenAid/Whirlpool customer support would not even listen to my problem until I had a Authorized KitchenAid Repair company look at the refrigerator.  I purchased all my KitchenAid and Kenmore appliances from Sears so I have been going through Sears Home Services (A&E Factory Services) for repair service.  I was told by KitchenAid Customer Support that Sears Home Services (A&E Factory Services) are not KitchenAid Authorized???  4 phone calls and a few hours later I could not convince KitchenAid custom support otherwise so I gave up and had Kitchen Customer Support schedule a service repair for me.  I take yet another half day off of work and who shows up to verify that my non-repairable refrigerator is truly non-repairable but A&E Factory Services (same company as the previous service calls).  Conclusion, Yes it is non-repairable.  I called KitchenAid Customer Support the next day to verify they had all the information they needed to review the case.  They said it would be reviewed in 5 business days.  I called them 5 days later to find out that the case still did not get reviewed.  I called back 5 days later to find out the case was never up for review but I was assured it would be reviewed in the next 24 hours.  I called back in 2 days to find out that they did not have the technical data they needed.  Here is where I am a little confused because I was speaking with Barbara who said it was rejected by the review committee because of lack of technical data.  I was then passed off to the supervisor, Debbie (ID #3277) who told me that there was nothing they could do about it. I should have purchased the extended warranty.

I never dreamed that I would be replacing my refrigerator before I finished paying for it.  Thanks for the "KitchenAid/Whirlpool Customer Experience"!


I literally put 2 laundry basket full of clothes in this thing, and it cleaned them all, without a problem!
I don't know what the other review is talking about, I guess they just got 1 of the bad ones out of the bunch.
We have had nothing but happiness with this washer.
I literally sat and watched this thing do 2 loads, because it's so awesome to look at your clothes being washed with a bright white light illuminating everything.

I am not an engineering genius, I am only 23 years old and I installed this by myself, connected the hoses, leveled it front to back, side to side and it passed the install cycle within 5 minutes!
After that I did 3 loads in 1 day, BIG loads, and the washer still kicks butt.

THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS WASHER?
It has an OUT-OF-BALANCE sensor, so when the Spin part of the cycle starts, you will see the washer spin moderately to see if it is balanced, if it's not, it will come to a stop and repeat, until it finds the perfect balance, and then it goes to its 1400 RPM AWESOMENESS!!! This is the best thing any company could do to increase the longevity of their washers... I had a Maytag top loader whose suspension bars bent because I washed a comforter and it was out of balance and it decided to spin to its top speed. When I read about this Spin Balancing Sensor, I was SOLD.

Also, it has a deep clean + sanitize setting which is NSF(National Science Foundation) certified to kill 99.9% of bacteria!
What more could you ask for?
I have a little one on the way, and this was just the icing on the cake for me!
I knew I had to have this awesome washer.

It also has an Allergen option, which is NSF certified to kill 95% of Dustmites and remove 95% of pet dander!
I am allergic to cats and dogs, so this was a great addition for me, incase I visit someone who has them, I can come home, wash my clothes and know that my Electrolux Washer will keep me safe from the pet dander!
AMAZING.

P.S. The Department of Energy changed the way they measure the Cubic Feet of washers and dryers, so if you go to Electrolux, you will see that they have updated their size for this model to 4.42 cu Ft.
That may sound like a huge disappointment, but the largest front loaders on the market are 4.5 cu Ft. so they were all doing what Electrolux was doing, which was measuring from the Door to the end of the drum, now the measure from the Lip of the drum to the end of the drum!

This washer makes laundry fun... which I never thought was possible.
It is so silent you can't even hear it, until it gets to the spin cycle where it is moderately loud, but barely vibrates (if you leveled it great)!

I hope my review helps you in your decision!


I bought the SR70F-U1 because my brothers recommended Engel. He has the older top loading Engel but they stopped making the top loader model.  So I bought this one.

I've used this fridge/freezer for about a year. I installed it in my 2016 Mercedes Benz Sprinter this spring (2017). There are two main reasons I'm disappointed to the degree of a 1 star review.

The nylon keeper on the back wall is too weak to hold the shelves from sliding forward. When the shelves slide forward toward the door, the sidewalls diverge just enough to let the shelves drop out of their slots and they drop down. I can't put only light stuff on the shelves, because I can't put heavy stuff on the door shelves (read about that below) so I zip-tied the shelves to the useless keepers at the back of the compartment as a work around.

The second reason for the 1 star, is the door's hinge design. The door pops open when I am braking and also hit a bump, like rail road tracks. This has happened to me many times.  I've added three thick washers under the bottom hinge to try to counter the door's sag. Now if I don't put anything heavy on the door, it stays shut. (The door's spring-loaded keeper pin is chamfered for easy closing. It can be installed backward and that would make the door hard to close and very easy to open. I mention this to ensure the reader that I have not installed the keeper pin backward. For those who think I've got the spring-loaded locking pin in backward, I don't.) The problem is a function of the flimsy door frame and hinges. They allow the right side of the door to sag beyond the tolerance of the spring-loaded keeper-pin to stay engaged under moderate dynamic loading.

The other reasons I don't like this products:
- The plastic shelves on the door bend and they fall off the door. They didn't get the tolerance right. The plastic shelves don't securely engage the door.
- The plastic tray under the freezer is too small and drops down.
- The freezer has no door so it's contents drop out the front and the back, i.e., don't stay in the freezer compartment.

The interior just isn't designed for RV use on rough roads, specially if you have it facing forward. I didn't have that option based on Sprinter RV optimum human factor usability and space utilization.

It's compressor is loud because of internal sheet metal vibration, but I turn it off at night and everything is still cold in the morning. As you'd expect from Engel, it's a good thermal design - low Q..

I'm now looking for a replacement, and I'll use this as my very expensive shop frig, where it will naturally help spread the word. If anyone can point me to a better frig for a Sprinter, please advise in a comment below.

I posted this as a product review on Engel's site months ago, but it never showed up, so I'm posting it here.  I sent photos to Engel, so if anyone wants me to post them please leave a comment.


I tend to do a lot of investigating before purchasing any major appliance, let alone something online.  My wife is a cook and we only have a small kitchen but we make the most out of it.  Since we had not been in the electric range market until recently when our previous Amana burned out (some sort of short caused the cord to literally melt away from the range and melt the connectors to the range), I didn't even know stand alone units came with double ovens.

I did a lot of investigating online as well as in stores.  Really liked the Whirlpool model and the Frigidaire, which had same size double ovens with the upper oven being convection.  After narrowing down to the two ranges (with some outside options), we went to Sears Outlet (scratch and dent since most of our range is not seen), ABC Warehouse (outrageous prices), Best Buy and Lowes.  Best Buy had the Frigidaire on sale for $1299 which was nearly $200 cheaper than Amazon.  Lowes said they would match the price but at last second I decided to measure the ranges to make sure it would fit.  I remodeled our kitchen myself and since most ranges are 30-inches or less, I made the opening only 30 inches between the cabinets (most contractors would build it  over 30 inches to have space).

Knowing my space was only 30 inches wide meant I can't have anything wider.  Unfortunately, the Frigidaire (which gets excellent ratings on Amazon) is 30.2 inches wide and so it would not fit but the Whirlpool is 29.9 inches wide which fits perfectly.  The Whirlpool with the convection oven on the bottom was about $240 cheaper on Amazon than at any of the stores I mentioned earlier.  In addition, it would take a week for Lowes or Best Buy to get it in so with that I decided to try my luck with Amazon.

It took about a week to deliver but the purchase price includes shipping so that was a bonus.  The delivery only includes them getting it into the main door, which was fine for us since our house is a ranch and it was easy to put in place.  The range did come with a rather significant dent on the left side, which had no impact on the performance nor on the appearance since the sides are bookend by cabinets.  Therefore, we did not send it back since we also didn't want to go another week without a stove/oven.

As for performance, this is significantly better than our Amana which was to be expected.  It looks very nice in our kitchen and matches our other appliances very well.  The buttons are a little difficult to push but nothing that can't be dealt with.  The blue clock is much better looking than the traditional green, it looks more professional and elegant.  The stove performs great.  We really like the dual sized cooking rings as well as the warming ring.  We have not tried the convection oven other than just testing all the features - nothing cooked with it yet.

Overall, we really like the range.  It has met our expectations and will come in handy for our many summer parties we have.  Would recommend this range and if you want more info than Amazon provides, check out Lowes.com as they provide everything, including the manuals online.  Makes shopping much easier.


I'll update this if we have any issues, but we've been in our new home for 2 months and so far this range is working perfectly.

We've baked cakes, cupcakes, brownies, lasagna, and mac and cheese. Nothing super technical, but they all came out great and it's nice having the space for 2 cakes side by side. The roller racks are also nice. The broiler is very fast, so watch closely. It starts up quickly.

I'm used to baking with a gas oven, and prefer the simplicity and reliability of the all gas design to the dual fuel.  We have an electric wall over, but I prefer to use this one.

On the stove part, the extra low / intermittent burners are nice, but even when they're off for most of the cycle time, they're still pretty hot. They're big burners, so they don't work well with my little bialetti moka espresso pot (4" diameter).  I put a cast iron trivet down off to the side and use it over just one point of the star, but it's really wasteful.  So while the star burners distribute heat evenly, their larger size does have a downside.

I read the other reviews, and one noted the range is noisy.  Ours is very quiet and doesn't get as hot on the sides as my sister's Blue something commercial range. We got the 366G, not the 366GH.  No vertical back on ours.  Another reviewer was claiming that Bosch/Thermador won't stand by their product, but they say they purchased the range "about 2 years ago".  It's got a 2 year warranty, so I don't know why they don't specify if it was under warranty. That same person put the identical review up for a completely different range, so I didn't give it a lot of credence.

My brother and sister in law have the monster wide version and love it. I think this style of range is a bit silly, but they make a nice focal point for a large or fancy kitchen. Based on everything I read, what the appliance store guys we bought it from said, and what the repair guys said when they came out to fix the broken Dacor range at a beach house we rented, Thermador's gas ranges work better and tend to be more reliable than most of the other comparable options. The GE line was another option we considered. If you don't "need" this style of range though, the top of the line normal looking versions with slightly less heat output are generally less money and more reliable than these commercial style ranges across every brand.

18-January-2017 update.  We're still using it almost daily with no reliability issues.  We did note one design issue.  If you leave the stove door open when broiling, the control knobs get hot enough to burn yourself on after a few minutes.  I don't know if that's a design flaw or not, but they cool off very quickly when you close the door, and they don't melt, or haven't yet :)


I bought this fridge 3 months ago and am now at a point to review:

PROS:
- Attractive
- Main fridge is easy to access
- Food humidity is better than I've seen with other fridges
- Excellent lighting in both freezer and fridge
- Nice glass shelves that are easy to clean
- Lots of shelves in the main fridge compartment

CONS:
- The biggest negative for me is the noise.  I find the fridge quite loud.  Maytag advertises it as being quiet.
- The freezer compartment is small.  There are 2 slide out drawers, and they fill very quickly.

I am unable to determine if I'm saving electricity because I bought this in September and over the past couple of months I've been baking more for Christmas, and using more power than I normally would.  By June 2014 I should have a better idea about whether I'm saving money on power.

I don't use the ice maker in this fridge.  If you were to use the ice maker you would have even less room.  I would rather use the ice try for extra freezer storage as I mentioned above the freezer is small in this fridge.

I would only recommend this to a friend if that friend did not mind the fridge noise.  If the bedrooms and living room are far enough away from the fridge it would not be noticeable.  It only comes on periodically, but when it is on I really notice it in my quiet house.

15-Jan-2014 - Sometimes the fridge comes on and it's very quiet.  Other times it's noisy.  After some more detective work, I determined that it's the freezer compartment fan that makes most of the noise and since the freezer fan does not always come on, it explains why it's quiet when it's on sometimes and noisy other times.

03-Oct-2014 - After a year of living with this fridge I will say that my power consumption went down over the year and it was likely due to this fridge.  This fridge replaced the same size fridge that was 17 years old.  I find food in the freezer is not prone to freezer burn which was a problem with my old fridge.  After 3 weeks foods would be burned in the older fridge.  I'm not certain how Maytag remedied this situation.  Maybe it's because the freezer is on the bottom.  Heat rises.  If the freezer is at the bottom maybe it does not come on as much which reduced freezer burn.  The noise is still very bothersome.  I have never gotten used to the loudness of the fridge.

02-Apr-2015 - The fridge has developed a grinding noise whenever it shuts off.  It will come on and the fan has always been noisy, but now there's a terrible rattle-grind that lasts for about 2 seconds.  It's annoying and makes me wonder if it's wearing out already.  I do not think I would ever buy another Maytag product or Whirlpool/KitchenAid for that matter.  No more of this junk will darken the doorway of my house.


We bought this for our Mom who is in her 80's, so simple and efficient operation was important. It was advertised as being quiet, and the spin cycle is amazingly unobtrusive, but it screeches during another part the cycle, which alarmed Mom at first because it sounded like it was having mechanical difficulty (i.e. not the sound of a smoothly operating appliance). Having to go out and buy a special type of detergent was also a thumbs-down (although I understand the reasoning behind it). People may have their distinct favorite brand after several decades of doing laundry, or they may want  to use coupons or buy detergent on sale if on a limited income and not be obligated to a higher priced item.

One day I came over to did the laundry for Mom. I am fascinated with new technology so I peeked inside the tub mid-cycle trying to see how the odd-looking agitator worked. I was surprised to see barely any water in the tub, and the clothes on top were out of the water. I thought maybe I had forgotten to change the Load Size setting from small to large when I put in the load. Guess what? No setting for load size--it automatically fills so you can't add more water even if you wanted to. Then I noticed actually printed on the machine "It is normal for some of the load to be above the water level". Hello. Last time I checked, you actually have to have clothes IN the water for them to get WASHED and eventually, clean. The machine is advertised as high-volume capacity but what good is that when you can't fill the water up to that capacity? The concept is that the agitator will eventually rotate the clothes on top down into the water, and push the others out of the water. So, I get it, you use only half the amount of water necessary by making the clothes take turns getting in and out of their bath. But....are you really getting the clothes clean swishing them around in half the water, which is twice as dirty? And the clothes are getting washed only half the time that you think they are, because half the time they are waiting their turn to get rotated in?

At the end of the cycle, there was just a little bit of detergent residue (using the high efficiency detergent) but the clothes still had dog hair on them. I had to redo the load which of course, negated the energy star effects for both water and electricity. Maybe if you never check the laundry afterward and just throw it into the dryer, you'll land up with more lint because the extra stuff got blown out instead of washed out. I understand you might not get everything out if you have tons of dog hair in there but it's not like she owns a kennel or anything, she has one little 15 pound dog. I have 3 dogs and my Kenmore (that actually uses enough water to wash the load) gets everything fabulously clean. So I think this is an example of a company being so excited about their new technology that they put it into production right away so they could be the first on the market, but actually thought it was not important to test it thoroughly first. What were they thinking? Truthfully, I wouldn't even get this machine it it were at the Goodwill.


WORST WASHER EVER!  I AM A 48 YR FEMALE AND THIS IS THE WORST WASHER I HAVE USED OR OWNED.  BOUGHT IN 2010 AFTER ONE OF THE GOVT REBATE OFFERS.  THOUGHT I MIGHT GET USED TO IT. NOPE. I DO NOT LIKE TO WASTE MONEY AND THIS HAS BEEN A WASTE AND I WILL HAVE TO SPEND MORE MONEY TO BUY A NEW ONE.  REASONS I DO NOT LIKE.  DOES NOT GET CLOTHES CLEAN.  TOWELS SMELL AWFUL AFTER WASH.  LIGHT COLOR SHEETS SEEM DIRTIER THAN WHEN THEY WENT IN.  LID LOCKS CAN NOT OPEN WITHOUT PRESSING THE UNLOCK.  WHEN YOU DO THE MACHINE EMPTIES AND STARTS OVER.  CYLCE TAKES A LONG 56 MIN.  MANY TIMES THE CLOTHES ARE SO WET I HAVE TO PUT THEM ON THE SPIN CYCLE.  WHEN I HAVE OPENED THE WASHER THE CLOTHES ARE PACKED AT THE BOTTOM AND NOT ALL ARE WET - HOW CAN THAT BE CLEANING.  REP TOLD ME CAN ONLY FILL 3/4 FULL HOW IS THAT ENERGY EFFICIENT.  I AM ALL ABOUT SAVING WATER AND ELECTRICY BUT WHEN YOU HAVE TO WASH THE CLOTHES TWICE HOW IS THAT ENERGY EFFICIENT.  I PLAN TO GO BACK TO THE OLD TYPE WASHER THAT HAS AN AGITATOR, FILLS UP WITH WATER AND YOU CAN OPEN THE LID TO ADD A SOCK OR SOMETHING AND USES REGULAR DETERGENT (NOT A HUGE DEAL).  ONE THING I HAVE TRIED IS ADDING BAKING SODE LAUNDRY BOOSTER BUT THIS IS AN ADDED EXPENSE AND YOU ARE TO BUY WASHER CLEANER ANOTHER EXPENSE.  I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ANY ONE BUY THIS WASHER (ACTUALLY SAW A LADY IN A STORE AND TRIED TO WARN HER BUT SHE BOUGHT ANYWAY).  IT HAS TAKEN FOUR YEARS TO TAKE THE TIME TO GET THE MODEL NUMBER TO WRITE THIS REVIEW.  I PLAN TO GO ON EVERY SITE I CAN TO REVIEW AND HOPEFULLY SAVE SOMEONE ELSE THIS SAME MISTAKE.  IF ONLY I HAD READ REVIEWS PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE, LESSON LEARNED.  MY HUSBAND SAYS TOSS IT AND BUY ANOTHER (HE IS TIRED OF ME COMPLAINING ABOUT IT).  WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY BUT THAT IS WHAT I PLAN TO DO.  HAVE READ SO MANY SIMILIAR REVIEWS, SAME ISSUES.  DON'T BUY THIS WASHER.  IT IS NOT THAT IT IS A WHIRLPOOL EITHER IT IS THE ENERGY EFFICIENT PART.  I SHOULD STOP NOW BUT COULD GO ON AND ON.....


VERY VERY Unhappy with this item.

Shipping very rude and the service to get a refund a bunch of RED TAPE STILL WAITING for refund. I bought set and they would only take back the washer. The matching dryer TAKES TO LONG TO DRY. Since my washer would not work from day 1. I had to go to laundromat to get my clothes wash then take them home just to find out that the matching dryer takes 2 1/2 hours to dry. NO JOKE!!!!!! Since I bought the set I was told by evVive Home that if maytag comes to service it could cost me $500 out of my pocket??? ANd I would have to pay for return shipping over $200

Let's do the math together
$500 + $200 out of my pocket for a NEW ITEM and then the amount I paid for the set = $"lost money and a waste of time."
Amazon help me file Your Amazon.com A-to-z Guarantee Claim report. Well AMAZON did side with the company and now I HAVE A 150lb dryer as a paper weight.

This is the email response that was given to me as of today
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 5:41 AM

Hello from Amazon.com.

We are writing to follow up with you regarding the Guarantee claim that was filed for order. We have checked into the matter and a reimbursement for the full amount of washer was completed on Feb 13th.

We have confirmed that the seller who fulfilled this order has a posted returns policy, stating that the item(s) purchased cannot be returned under these circumstances.

For your reference, this seller's returns policy states:"You can return your order within 15 days from the purchase date."

In response to your claim, the seller who fulfilled this order has declined to accept the return of this dryer. Amazon.com strives to maintain a marketplace that is fair to both buyers and sellers. Since this policy was available for review prior to the date your order was placed, we are unable to compel the seller to accept a return. As a result, your claim has been closed.

If this is a defective or damaged item, it is possible that it is under warranty with the manufacturer. We advise that you contact them for assistance. In many cases, they are willing to repair or replace defective products.

Thank you for choosing Amazon.com.

AGAIN BEWARE OF THIS COMPANY IN SELLING YOU ANYTHING. STILL WAITING FOR REFUND which will not be 100%.

If you are reading this and would like to buy a washer / dryer with your tax refund do not buy from this company or Amazon.

Your best bet is to go on Craigslist or your closest retail outlet such as Menards, Sams Club etc... I am sure they would refund you 100% or a different model that works. Never again would I buy any appliances from a website.

For those who are marking a 100% rating, "must work for the company and just blogging to make you think you are getting a great deal."

I am 100% unhappy.


Our LG french door with ice/water dispenser which cost us $2212.00 has been an eye opening experience.  We've purchased other LG electronics and had good experiences and thought that this brand was reliable.  Our 4 y/o fridge burned out a wire that blew 2 circuit boards in the ice/water dispenser.  We paid $427 to replace both circuit boards before they figured out that the wire was burned & we also needed to replace the entire door for another $360.  The repair man suggested that I ask LG to foot the bill for the door. LG service refused consider my request because it was out of warranty (the warranty only is 1 year)so I demanded to speak to a supervisor, It was only at this higher level that I finally got them to consider my request.  They made me jump through hoops producing the original sales receipt etc and taking over 3 weeks to respond.  LG finally conceded and replaced the door but that was only after I told them that I was going to tell everyone i knew not to purchase their appliances.

During the 3 weeks i was waiting for LG to make up their minds if they would help me or not, I began speaking with my friends about my experience.  I found that almost everyone I spoke to who had an LG appliance that was out of warranty had failure of those appliances and had to replace them.  It seems that LG is making their products to last through the warranty and then fail.  Refrigerator condensers seem to magically fail only months after the warranty expires.  I've spoken to people whose driers failed after only 6 months of use, and my friend with a 3 year old LG dishwasher said it sounded like it would die any second and she couldn't find an appliance repair that would service it when they found out it was an LG.  It finally died 6 months later and she has replaced it with a GE. Another friend's LG microwave died a month after the 1 year warranty expired.

The lesson here is that although LG appliances will work wonderfully for the first few years you own them, you should expect that soon after your warranty expires you will find that the appliance will fail and you will be footing the bill for costly repairs or replacement. this is not such a big deal if it's a cell phone, but when you are spending $2,200 or more for an appliance you expect it to last longer than 4 years.  I now fully expect that the compressor will fail on my refrigerator shortly after it is 7 years old (end of compressor warranty).

Even though LG finally did the right thing and replaced the door, It was only after I demanded to speak to a supervisor and demanded that they do something for me.  I will never purchase another LG appliance and I'm warning you about this. Before purchasing LG appliances I suggest you talk to everyone you know and learn their experiences.  I'm certain that you will begin discovering that many people have had similar experiences as I & my friends have had with LG.


I have only owned this machine for about a week now but it is amazing!!! Yes, the washing times are longer than a normal washer but the spin cycle is so damn fast it only takes about 15 minutes to dry even my heavy clothes. You can't imagine how fast this thing spins until you see it in action - 1,400 RPMs!!! It also uses very, very little water which is kind of alarming at first and you have to use "high efficiency" detergent. I love my machine so far and I have not had any balance problems. I bought it at the Sears outlet store and saved a ton of money over brand new so I was also able to afford a 3-year warranty and it was still cheaper than new. I washed two king-sized blankets at the same time and there was no problem. If you use the heavy soil mode, yes, the wash cycle can be two hours or more but if you use the "Normal" mode, it is 59 minutes. It is also crazy quiet, you can barely hear it and even when the spin cycle is going like crazy, you can put your hand on the machine and just barely feel any movement. So far I love, love, love this machine!

UPDATE ON 9/4/13. I am no longer thrilled with this machine. As you might have read, front-load washers start to stink after a while and they make your clothes smell like rotten sewer water. This is not a problem with the whites as you can use bleach but on colored loads, they can start to smell really bad after a while. You can buy those washing machine cleaner tabs which I think are just concentrated bleach tabs and they are expensive too. My old machine was not as big but I never had a problem with smelly clothes. Would I buy this machine again? NO. I wish I would have known the problems with the smell build-up. Also, the front glass of the machine has so much buildup on it, you can hardly see through it anymore. Furthermore, if you have dogs/cats, the drainage holes in the front of the tub get clogged up with hair so bad that they won't drain. I am constantly digging my fingers in the holes to try to unplug them which is totally nasty and a very bad design flaw. Otherwise, if you don't clean them out, you will get about two inches of water and hair and gunk sitting in the front part of the machine and that also gets very smelly and yucky too. I can't imagine Maytag would not have tested this in a lab but maybe they did not think of using these machines on pet hair. I would imagine that at least 2/3 of the country has a cat or dog so this machine is really not good in that capacity. I am actually wanting to sell it and buy a large capacity top-loader. I just don't like this design and all of the flaws - my old top-loader though not as big did not have any problems and did not make your clothes stink nor did it ever clog up with hair and not drain. All-in-all, very, very disappointed with this machine and Maytag in general. Sigh.


Our 17 year old 24" GE wall oven/microwave had a catastrophic failure and new parts are no longer available.  I chose this 27" wall oven/microwave because: 1-It would fit in the old kitchen cabinet with some modification, 2-Electrolux is a good brand, 3-The reviews (although only a few) are good, 4-The price was very good, 5-Free shipping.

This unit weighs 250 pounds so requires at least two people to put it in place (I had to widen the old cabinet opening and expand it by lowering the bottom of the compartment about 3").  I got it installed a few days before Thanksgiving so wanted it use it to roast our turkey using the "Perfect Turkey" setting.  We baked a cake first to make sure everything was working properly.  The turkey should have taken about 3 hours but it stopped cooking after about an hour-and-a-half.  We continued to cook the turkey on the regular roast mode.  When I eventually carved the turkey I discovered the problem.  When I inserted the probe I was careful but the tip of the probe went all the way through the meat and just into the cavity where the stuffing was.  The probe measures temperature and stops the cooking when 180 degrees is reached.  The stuffing got hotter sooner so the cooking stopped sooner.  The lesson, make sure the probe is inserted properly so that the tip is in the thickest part of the meat and isn't touching bone or in an area of fat.  The probe should in only as far as necessary so that the tip of the probe is at the thickest part of the meat.  The location of the tip of the probe is critical.  You may want to try cooking a roast before you try the "perfect turkey" setting because it would be easier to place the probe properly in a roast.

The oven itself was well packed but tape residue was left on surface.  I sprayed WD-40 on a soft paper towel and the residue came right off.  Of course this left an oil film that had to be removed with a mild solution of soap and water on a soft paper towel.  All of the labels on the doors peeled off easily except one.  I had to use a painters/window washers blade to gently remove that large label.  I got the scraper, which uses a one-sided razor blade, in the paint section of Walmart for about $3.

The microwave works well but a jet of air blows out the front while cooking and for about two minutes after it finishes.  This is somewhat annoying since it blows in your face or hair and is rather loud.

Nonetheless, we are happy with this product.  It is stylish, has advanced electronic controls, works well and is a great replacement for the old oven.  Anything larger than 27" would have required a larger cabinet and major changes to adjacent cabinets and counter-tops.  I'll do an update if I discover any new issues or features.  Oh, it appears that this model is no longer being produced but there is a similar 30" model which wouldn't fit in our old cabinet.


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 this defrost thermostat. One 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 4 four days and the cost was $35.... I could have gotten it just as fast and much cheaper through Amazon. The only "skill" required was stripping the wires and applying wire nuts and electricians' tape (see UTube for detailed how-to).
While I was in there I noticed the fan motor was wobbly and somewhat sticky and thus seemed likely to fail soon. This fan was $65 from my local suppliers so I ordered this guyWhirlpool Part Number 2197381: Evaporator Fan Motor from Amazon for about half that. 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 and it works without wobbling and is very smooth turning. Everything good except my worrying... why worry? 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 UPSs 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 our main refrigerator, it could cause some stress.


We got this on sale at Best Buy at $1,198 including home delivery. I would say even at $1398 which seems to be the average non-discounted price, we will still buy it.

If you are looking for an inexpensive french door fridge, this is the ticket. Although it's the cheapest among the french door units out there, this fridge does not skimp on functionalities.

PROS:
- GREAT LOOKING - the stainless steel version we got is beautiful. Fit and finish is nice. Better than a high end GE Profile one we had in our old house.
- Spacious - both top and bottom section have lots of room
- The French Door provide very wide and open access to the fridge section
- The Top Drawer in the Bottom Freezer has wheels/gears on it which makes it easier & smoother to roll in and out. Some older Maytag/Whirlpool/Kitchenaid models do not have this and are much harder to open/close. Those older units are simply just rails on slots. My in-laws has a higher end Kitchenaid and their top drawer in the bottom freeze are really difficult to operate.
- Feature Rich: Even it is the most inexpensive french door among all brands, it does not skimp on features: water/ice dispenser, humidity control, outside temp display/control, etc.
- The water filter is very high capacity (someone told me 750 gallons). The flow rate is great, much better than the older Maytag Plus that it replaced.
- The water dispense looks great. The lights are LED and have a blueish tint. Looks very cool!
- Tall bottles go into both left and right door shelves

CONS:
- The stainless steel seems easy to dent. The delivery guys leaned the fridge on the counter just a bit, and it resulted in a small dent. However, Maytag was great and they are sending a replacement door and a service man has followed up already to arrange the installation
- Be careful catching the ice. The ice cubes easily escape the cup. There is a certain technique to it but we trained ourselves quickly.

SURPRISE:
- Fridge magnets still work! We thought magnets doesn't work on stainless steel but they seem to still work on this fridge's front doors. That is great! Note that the surface is still definitely stainless steel and not "stainless look" like the LG. I have no idea why the fridge magnet works. May be they just have a think shell of stainless steel over metal... But, this is a big plus for me. I was actually researching how to stick pictures and stuff on stainless fridge, and now I don't need such solution.

Reliability:
- We did tons of research and found that this fridge model has a lot of great reviews on a site call viewpoints.com.
- The primary alternative at this price range would be the LG and Samsung french doors. Both are around $1400-1500 and neither one includes gas dispenser. The LG reviews are horrible and it has poor reliability records. The Samsung is more expensive with no water/ice dispenser.


We got this on sale at Best Buy at $1,198 including home delivery.  I would say even at $1398, we might still get it.

If you are looking for an inexpensive french door fridge, this is the ticket.  Although it's the cheapest among the french door units out there, this fridge does not skimp on functionalities.

PROS:
- GREAT LOOKING - the stainless steel is beautiful. Fit and finish is superb. Better than a high end GE Profile one we had in our old house.
- Spacious - both top and bottom section have lots of room
- The French Door provide very wide and open access to the fridge section
- The Top Drawer in the Bottom Freezer has wheels/gears on it which makes it easier & smoother to roll in and out. Some older Maytag/Whirlpool/Kitchenaid models do not have this and are much harder to open/close. Those older units are simply just rails on slots. My in-laws has a higher end Kitchenaid and their top drawer in the bottom freeze are really difficult to operate.
- Feature Rich: Even it is the most inexpensive french door among all brands, it does not skimp on features: water/ice dispenser, humidity control, outside temp display/control, etc.
- The water filter is very high capacity (someone told me 750 gallons). The flow rate is great, much better than the older Maytag Plus that it replaced.
- The water dispense looks great. The lights are LED and have a blueish tint. Looks very cool!
- Tall bottles go into both left and right door shelves

CONS:
- The stainless steel seems easy to dent. The delivery guys leaned the fridge on the counter just a bit, and it resulted in a small dent. However, Maytag was great and they are sending a replacement door and a service person has followed up already to arrange the installation
- Be careful catching the ice. The ice cubes easily escape the cup. There is a certain technique to it but we trained ourselves quickly.

SURPRISE:
- Fridge magnets still work!  We thought magnets doesn't work on stainless steel but they seem to still work on this fridge's front doors. That is great!  Note that the  surface is still definitely stainless steel and not "stainless look" like the cheaper version of Samsung (Samsung offers both "Stainless Look" and "True Stainless Steel").  I have no idea why the fridge magnet works. May be they just have a thin shell of stainless steel over metal...  But, this is a big plus for me. I was actually researching how to stick pictures and stuff on stainless fridge, and now I don't need such solution.

Reliability:
- We did tons of research and found that this fridge model has a lot of great reviews on a site call viewpoints.com.
- The primary alternative at this price range would be the LG and Samsung french doors. Both are around $1400-1500 and neither one includes water/ice dispenser. The LG reviews are horrible and it has poor reliability records. The Samsung is more expensive and has the ice dispenser in the freezer which takes up valuable freezer space (I'd rather give up on fridge space rather than freezer space myself).


I purchased a Bosch Ascenta dishwasher in February 2013 to replace a 12 year old Maytag that worked just fine but was falling apart. I did a lot of research and Bosch came out on top with rave reviews from all the lead consumer boards. That said, I eagerly awaited the day the eyesore of a beat up Maytag would be replaced with a state of the art shiny new Bosch. What a let down I had when the first thing I noticed is that this dishwasher is so slim it doesn't fill out the space in my counter cabinets. Apparently the installer knows this because he came prepared with some cheap plastic strips that he placed in the space to fill out the gaps. So with the first blow of my new investment looking cheesy I kept my chin up and looked forward to new racks with no rust and sparkling clean dishes. Well, needless to say I was less then impressed with the cleaning power of this supposed super cleaning machine. IN fact they are no cleaner then my 12 year old Maytag. Not only are they marginally clean but they are always wet when I open the door. Where is the steam? or even the heat for that matter? It's always damp inside and smells bad in between washings because apparently there is no ventilation holes. Quiet? Not really, I can hear it. But honestly dishwasher noise was never an issue as I don't hang around my kitchen all night after I fire it up. I mean who really cares about noise? Aren't people sick of being in the kitchen after cooking, serving, eating, cleaning? I finally called to see maybe it was me, maybe I missed something or have to adjust something. What I was told it that, I need to empty it right away or the water that doesn't evaporate because their is no ventilation settles back on the dishes. OK I tried that. I awaited anxiously for my wash to complete and eagerly opened the door hoping I would have a blast of sanitizing steam and dry dishes. Nope! All I had was soggy dishes. As far as saving money? Maybe, if I didn't have to buy the most expensive cleaning bricks and rinsing agents and run it every single day for fear of mold growing. I wish I bought something else. So I do NOT recommend this item..

UPDATE, Machine is still is horrible! It's impossible to load because its designed for dessert plates. Don't even try to put a bowl in it, there is no slot for it, You have to put it sideways in the neutral space between the slots, which are going in all different directions!! The silverware holder flies out while your unloading because it doesn't "nest" in, and your glasses better be elfin size because the top rack is a series of very narrow rows of weirdly shaped prongs. It;s leaving a worst residue as the months go on, it  doesn't matter what detergent or rinse you use, it all has to be soaked off after and hand dried. My son rarely will use knives, because he said they are always dirty and it grosses him out. I didn't notice because i don't eat with my glasses on and I am about blind close up. I imagine the quietness, which seems to be the only plus to it, is because it has no water pressure and this is why nothing gets clean.


When my old dishwasher stopped working, we needed a replacement... quick! We were in the market for a mid-range dishwasher that would get the job done. I let my husband go to the appliance store alone, with a list of possible options (Whirlpool, Frigidaire... and one Bosch, since I had heard good things). This one was not on the list, but the saleslady must have done a good job convincing the DH because this is what we got.  I have hated it from the beginning.  Why do I hate it so?  Let me count the ways:

1. The inside is VERY poorly designed!  The bottom of the top rack is not flat, so cups tip over during the cycle and fill with dirty water.  Gross.
2. The inside is VERY poorly designed!  The pegs on the bottom rack are spaced very strangely.  I cannot put two rows of dishes (small and large) next to each other because there isn't enough room.  They just don't fit!
3.  The inside is VERY poorly designed!  Some of the pegs are so close together that I don't feel the dishes get cleaned very well, so I have to space the dishes out more to get them cleaner.
4.  The inside is VERY poorly designed!  There is no good place to put the silverware holder.  If I put it along the side, I lose a row of pegs for dishes.  If I put it along the back, I lose a row of pegs for dishes.
5.  I can only fit one pot/pan on the bottom if I am washing dishes, too.  No matter how I try to rearrange the dishes, there just doesn't seem to be enough room to make things fit.
6.  I don't know if it's the poor design of the racks or if it is truly smaller on the inside, but this dishwasher washes much smaller loads than my last two dishwashers. I need to run it twice as many times as my old ones in order to do the same amount of dishes.
7. Because I am constantly washing smaller loads of dishes, this machine is costing me more $$$ in water and detergent!
8.  Since I can't get all the dishes from one meal to fit in a load, my sink is constantly filled with more dirty dishes waiting for their turn to be washed.  Ugh.
9. I hate the buttons and the flashing lights!  If you don't actually press the on/off button before opening the dishwasher after running a load, the lights will blink... and blink... and blink... until you do.
10.  This dishwasher is the worst one I have ever owned!  I secretly hope it will break so I can toss it into the dumpster where it belongs and get myself a decent dishwasher!!!

I cannot think of one positive thing to say about this dishwasher.  It really is terrible.  We are a family of four, not using a ton of dishes, and this thing is awful.  I would not recommend it to anyone!


This is a difficult review to write since we would give the design and concept of this range five (5) stars easily.  We have had several problems with this range from the original problem of the burners not firing properly to the bottom oven shorting the entire unit (it is LP gas) out and, most importantly BOTH ovens unable to be calibrated so we can get a consistent temperature.  The burners were fixed by the GE appointed repair agency to our satisfaction.  After talking to thats agency, we learned that the shorting was a common problem caused by the gauge of metal in the bottom of the bottom oven being too thin so that when it heated, it sagged onto the igniter, shorting the whole oven out and tripping the circuit breaker.  The calibration of the ovens is the most vital problem since we make all our own bread and cook extensively.  We will, for example, set the oven for 350 F and when it signals "temperature reached" we put our item in.  10 minutes later, the oven is at 425 F so we slightly adjust the temp downward, only to have it go to 250 F in 10-20 minutes.  This is the case in both ovens.  If we could have a consistent "incorrect" temp, we could possibly adjust for that but with no consistency, that is impossible.  We have purchased 4 thermometers to check the temperature of the oven - one an expensive but accurate mercury one.  We purchased the oven in 2015 so it is out of warranty.  In calling GE, the rep I first talked to gave all sorts of help, including her extension to call once I found out the parts that might be needed once their appointed repair agency reviewed the situation.  He knew what the problem was and gave me part numbers so I called my "contact".  I got voice mail stating that she was unavailable but would respond to my message within 24 hours.  I have left 4 messages for her with no response.  Finally I was able to reach another rep and now she tells me I am going to have to pay a discounted price for the safety issue (breaker tripping) and labor for the calibration.  Additionally, the GE rep stated that they have no record of me returning calls.  First, it is hard to return a call when you are put on hold for (in one case) an hour and 26 minutes and in many other cases up to 45 minutes.  To then be told that I didn't call them or return their call is tremendously irksome.  At one point they called me to say they would be taking this case off their active file if they didn't hear from me.  Here again, after a long wait, I could only leave a message telling them not to do so since I was waiting to talk to my contact (OR ANYONE) to give them the information I had gotten from the repair agency.  I really have wanted to get this taken care of easily but it now appears I will have to go through our State Consumer Protection Division of the AG's office since this clearly qualifies under the Maine Lemon Law.  It could have been so much easier!  So, the design of the oven is fantastic and if we can get it fixed  it will be great.  THE ONE STAR IS FRANKLY FOR GE'S LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE!


I purchased this range from a local brick and mortar store and I love it, so far.  It has a solid, high quality, updated but traditional look and feel that won't go out of style. It may sound silly, but the big, smooth, heavy metal knobs make a difference to me.

This range has a couple of features that some similar "non-backsplash", freestanding units don't have. It has a stainless trim around the cooktop, so the unit snugs up to the countertop without overlapping, making it simpler to install. In addition, many of the freestanding units vent oven air out the front of the unit.  I read that some customers felt a strong gust of air blowing on them, while cooking.  This range vents UPward from the back of the cooktop, so exhaust gets pulled away by our range hood fan.

I love the high wattage, extra-large burner in front, which can be used as a medium sized burner as well.  Another medium on the other side, a variety of sizes in back and the 5th burner cooks as well as warms. I also love the baking drawer.  There is one medium wattage element in the baking drawer, so it requires a longer preheat time, but as long as I remember to turn it on about a half hour before I want to bake some potatoes or a casserole, it does a great job.  The larger oven preheats quickly and has many racks for cookies.  So far, we used convection to evenly and quickly cook meatloaf and cookies.

We have experienced a couple of minor snafu's.  The first scheduled delivery, the unit had a medium size dent and had to be sent back.  The second delivery went smoothly, but after the delivery guys left, I noted a very small bend and unpainted section (small like 1/4" x 1/4" triangle shaped section) on the inside section of one of the exhaust holes.  I probably could have requested a new unit, but frankly I didn't want the hassle.  I called the store and they scheduled a service visit.  GE Service carefully straightened the slight bend and ordered some heat resistant touch up paint.  As a backup, they also ordered a replacement part for the section of metal that includes the unpainted area.  Replacing the part seems like overkill, however, since you need a flashlight and to squint your eyes to see the spot.  My only concern is rust (over the years).  The paint should take care of that.  They have scheduled a followup visit when the parts come in and indicated that I can choose to have them replace the part if I'm concerned that the touch up paint does not look ok.  So, I'm very satisfied with their response.

This unit does not have a "hidden element" in the oven, as some ovens on the market do; easier for cleaning.  I also would have liked a split oven rack and perhaps a rack with ball bearings, but these are minor issues.

I left a star off only because quality control might need improvement.  If our unit arrived without any flaws, I would have given it 5 stars.


I don't understand all the negative reviews here. When I bought my Cabrio about 5 1/2 years ago, it was one of the highest rated machines by Consumer Reports. I don't always agree with or go by their ratings in some things, and they can overlook problems, but they seem to have a pretty good testing system for washing machines. As mentioned, I've had it about 5 1/2 years, and I have not had a single repair problem, although I only need to do laundry about once a week. I usually use it set on Normal, but I may try Casual now, as one reviewer mentioned it gives it more water. However too little water has not been a problem. I have a white machine with a clear top, so I have watched the mechanism in action as it's washing clothes, and even in the Normal setting it does wet and rotate clothes in the wash. At first I didn't realize it needed HE detergent, but no harm was done and once I switched to HE detergent the clothes seemed even cleaner, about as clean as with an old Kenmore with a traditional agitator used in my previous residence. It seems like the agitation used in cabrio is gentler on the clothes, from observation of the action and perceived wear to my garments.  More recently I started adding non-chlorine bleach (hydrogen peroxide). I always run the extra rinse cycle, just to make sure the detergent is rinsed out completely--I did that with my previous machine and would do that no matter what machine I used.

I thought the washer may have been eating some socks, as I was missing about 4 or 5 mates, but I recently found several, including one long-lost one, so it wasn't the machine. I don't know if most modern machines have this, but I like the load balancing mechanism--I assume that's what it is--which gives the load a few spins at first, stops the drum short, and a balancing weight slides into position. If there are too many clothes, at some point in the wash cycle the machine stops, drains the water, shuts itself off and gives its shut-off beeps. The LCD screen reads Lo, which means overload, so you need to take out one or more pieces of clothes and start the wash over with more detergent (it shuts off before the bleach is added, so that doesn't need to be replenished). This only happened for the first time in the last year, and only a few times.

I think most of the problems people have with the machine (I can't speak to repair problems, as I've never had any), is that they are not used to the agitation mechanism and wash action, expecting it to fill the tub, and don't understand it. When Consumer Reports did one of their wash tests, which is to leave the clothes in the washer, for a period of days, I think, to see if any mold or odors developed, the Cabrio did fine in that regard, an indication it was thoroughly cleaning the clothes, and I have never experienced any odors in the machine.

PS My model, being from 2009, may be a little different than the ones reviewed here, as someone mentioned a Sanitize setting, which mine doesn't have, but I believe it's basically the same model, 4.6 cu. ft., stainless steel drum, clear top, etc.


JUNE 2013 Bought the Cabrio WED8600YW2 from a local small business which only sells Whirlpool products, as 25 years ago we bought mainly Whirlpool appliances, with no complaints.  My oh my, how time changes things. This machine does NOT clean your clothes, unless you put it on the heavy soiled option or the heavy duty cycle. You can choose whether to wash a small to medium load without much work to get them into the dryer OR do a large load, but be prepared to spend time getting your clothes from the 'washer' to the dryer.  The clothes end up twisted and knotted together, which leaves hundreds of wrinkles.  We are big fans of Downy wrinkle release, just remember to spray all your clothes before putting them in the dryer and they usually come out wrinkle free, whether they are clean or not. And that brings me to another choice you get to make. Do you want to buy new clothes within a short time frame OR wear clothes with stains on them. The normal cycle does not clean and if you wash on heavy duty or soiled options, your clothes will show very noticable wear within one or two wash cycles.  Whirlpool made a big mistake putting a see through lid. After numerous loads of clothes coming out with spots, I decided to watch the cycle. I am 49 years old and have never felt the need to stand by the washer while it was 'suppose' to be washing clothes.  There is hardly enough water to get the clothes wet, the 'cleaning' action is nothing more than your clothes getting tightly wound together and then the wash plate motion takes your ring of knotted clothes and moves them vigorously against each other. The clothes would show less wear if I beat them on a rock AND they probably would be cleaner.  A comparison would be taking six t-shirts put in a five gallon bucket, pour about 2 cups of water on them with a couple drops of soap, then take your hand beater/blender from your kitchen and spin back and forth, back and forth, while occasionally adding another half-cup of water for 40 minutes.  They may actually come out cleaner with less wear. I am not even going to say a word about the 'rinse'.  The bottom line is that this is NOT a washing machine.  This washer is getting out of this house within the next two weeks, our local businessman is buying it back, of course there is a $250 loss, but I would spend more than that replacing dirty worn out clothes and would like to avoid some of the costly repairs that I've read about that needed to be done within the first two years. And I don't need a technician showing me how to use a washer, which was an option offered to me.  Where oh where did Whirlpool's quality go? .... right down the drain with the clean water.. because the dirt is still in your clothes!


Pros:
1.  This cooktop generally performs well.
2.  Look like a high tech and restaurant style cooktop when installed
2.  The electronic igniters do a good job on repeatedly lighting the flames, with consistency and regulating the flames.
3.  LED lights illuminate the base of each control knob when the flame for a burner is on.  This is a nice feature to let you know if any of the burners are on.

Cons:
1.  The thickness of the stainless steel base is not very thick and does not appear to have the hardness, required to resist scratches and dents that come from general cleaning with scourers and dropping the occasional kitchen implements.  Also, the cast iron grates do not have any protection on their footings to protect the stainless steel base from being scratched when removed and replaced for cleaning.  It is impossible to keep the stainless base from scratching and maintaining a clean pristine finish.  The cooktop looked aged within a 3 months of use.  An enormous disappointment.

2.  The controls all had different degrees of play and resistance.  Some would turn very easily, other had a high level of resistance.  Also, most of them had up to 0.5cm of loose play from their central spindle.  The extent of play got worse with daily use.  This gave the impression that handles were fragile and constructed of poor quality.

3.  The numbering and lettering for the flame control is of a small font size and not easy to read if you have poor eyesight.  More disappointing was the ease by which the numbering and lettering eventually disappointed with customary cleaning.

4.  The cast iron grates sit too high above the burners, causing a significant time for cooking pans to reach temperature.  The burners were never able to achieve the high temperatures needed to sear meats or make stir fries.  Getting 1 gallon pot of water took over 7 minutes and it took almost 15 minutes to return to boiling, after pasta was added.

5.  The flat cast iron griddle is a great idea, but it is impossible to swap it in and out on a regular basis without scratching the stainless steel base.  The cast iron griddle had recess on one side that was intended to collect drippings and juices from the food for cooking.  The recess was insufficiently deep to collect the juices and would easily overflow.  Also, the griddle did not have a sufficient gradient to force the flow of juices into the recess.  The height above the flame and thickness of the flat cast iron griddle caused the griddle to take a long to heat up and would never reach to necessary temperature to sear steaks

6.  The LED illumination of each control knob is of insufficient intensity to be useful.  The illumination is difficult to see under the lights of a rangehood and from a distance.

Overall:  I ranked this cooktop with the lowest possible rating and is a significant disappointment, relative to its premium price.  This cooktop is constructed with poor quality materials, fragile, cannot withstand even the mildest of wear that comes with general use, and does not achieve the necessary temperatures for cooking.


The appearance of this range is very upscale. Not just "professional looking", but obviously built to higher standards than lower-end models. Looks fantastic in the kitchen. This is a mid-level range, with features placing it in the top of that category.  We've been using it every day for 3 months now.

The oversized oven window was one of my must-have features. It's very nice, indeed - but the tinted glass and dim interior lighting hampers your visibility somewhat. Perhaps a brighter light bulb will help.

The 5-element cooktop is perfect for family use. Warming element works great, we use it often. Quick-boil feature definitely heats faster than the other burners, and works really well with small-to-medium size pans/pots. Large pots of boiling water still take awhile, but no worse than a coil-element burner. Elements heat fast, controls are precise. Those familiar with smoothtops will be right at home. Small scratches aren't noticable from a distance, and it usually takes no more than a few minutes for routine cleaning. We still prefer the old salt-and-pepper surface, but this black version cleans up just as easily. It's unforgiving with dust particles, but this doesn't affect cooking performance or require special cleaning.

The oven is fantastic. Control panel looks a bit daunting, but the basic controls are straightforward. We mastered the layout and display very quickly. The oven status graphic is very useful. Touch controls are smooth, alert beeps are effective without being annoying. Very well designed. The brushed stainless console is easy to clean, a spritz of Windex is all we need for most splatters. The cooktop knobs are very easy to clean, and won't discolor like plastic.

Baking and roasting times are noticably faster. Preheating is fairly quick, but doesn't seem any faster than our old gas oven. The fan is acceptably quiet - puts out a steady humming sound that's neither loud nor obnoxious. Browning ability (ie; a roast) is superb - nice bark on top with even browning - including the bottom. Several features are available for baking/roasting, all helping to insure good results. Everything we've turned out so far has been nearly perfect. Temperature probe and automatic keep-warm work as advertised, and are very useful for daily cooking.

We've had 3 self-cleaning ranges over the last 27 years, and this one beats 'em all. While experimenting with the broiler, I created a MAJOR greasy mess that covered the cavity and racks. By the time smoke began to pour out, the grease was hopelessly baked on. I did my best to clean up that mess, but it was a lost cause. Didn't expect much from self-clean, but 4 hours later I couldn't believe my eyes. It was sparkling! I did have to soak/scrub the racks, but the oven interior was like brand new. Very, very impressive.

We feel we got our money's worth. If it proves as durable as professional-grade, this is one sweet bargain.
UPDATE 7/19/17: After 2.5 years of constant use, still looks and cooks like new. Solid choice.


I wrote this review for the AWN542 - same machine with a slightly different model number.

Before I review this machine, I want to emphasize that you MUST wipe out the inside of the stainless steel tub when you first get your machine. The tub is coated with a greasy, dusty film that must be wiped off with a spray cleanser/ degreaser and a cloth or paper towel. It took me about 10 minutes before I got the inside of my machine clean. This coating is quite substantial and will not wash off with normal running of the machine. This is mentioned in both the installation manual and the user's manual. (Similarly, the installers ran the matching dryer for 30 minutes to burn off a similar factory coating.) I wonder if some of the writers of the poor reviews had problems because the users did not wipe off this coating.

We just bought the AWN542 along with its matching dryer at our local independent appliance store. We replaced a set of 20 year old Maytags that had served us well but once the dryer started screeching, we decided to replace them instead of repairing them. I wanted to avoid the fancy front loading machines because of all the complaints I have heard over the years. We looked at simple looking Maytags, Amanas, Whirlpools, etc. but they all looked cheaply made and do have some computerized components that can fail. The higher end machines seemed overly complicated and would have cost at least twice as much as the Speed Queens.

The salesman at the independent appliance store recommended the Speed Queens. At first, I was skeptical. The Speed Queens looked like the lower end machines to me at first. They are very Plain Jane but my husband was immediately impressed by how much better built they were than the somewhat lower priced Maytags, etc. So we went home to do some research on Speed Queen. We were happy to find so many positive reviews and that they were made in Wisconsin with absolutely no computer boards. As far as I know, there is nothing comparable available for consumers in the United States. We returned to the store an hour later and bought the AWN542 and matching dryer on the spot. We felt the Speed Queen washer and dryer set were moderately priced - somewhat higher than the low end Whirlpool clones but much less than high end front loaders.

I could repeat all the other positive comments. Nice, simple straightforward washing machine that gets clothes clean. There are plenty of options to choose water level, cycle, extra rinse. Nothing fancy or complicated. I have already washed delicates, towels, heavy canvas pants, coats, a large comforter. Everything came out beautifully. I think the extra large water level is fine. I don't feel the need to overload the machine.

The only thing I might complain about is that the knobs look sort of dumpy at first. They could use a good industrial designer to make them a little more attractive. But they are growing on me. The knobs are actually very sturdy and functional. The black lettering on the plain white is very clear and easy to read so the complaint about the look of the knobs is very superficial and silly.


This was, again, part of a complete kitchen remodel and so far, we've been very happy with it. The unit is made by Dacor and is fairly pricy for what it is, but it was the only unit that fit exactly what we needed and it works!

We have a GE gas stove in an island in our new kitchen and didn't want to cut a big hole in our roof for an overhead vent which would have also dominated everything so I spent many hours searching for a downdraft solution and this was it.

Now the first thing you might say is that "Hey, don't these only work with cook tops and not conventional ranges?". Well, we heard plenty of that but I'm not one who says "I can't" but one who says "How can I?".

In general, most pop-up downdraft units do only work with a cook top but that is because the fan is located on the front of the unit making it impossible to place it close to the back of a range. This unit, however, can be used with a remote blower and has a relatively flat front so it can be placed close enough to the back of the range. Along with this I also bought Dacor's remote 1200cfm blower which works great. It really sucks and I mean that in a good way!

Also, unlike most other pop-up downdraft vents (including other Dacor models), this vent rises to a full 15" above the counter top. This is important for being able to pull in fumes/steam over pots and pans and to not interfere with the operation of the gas jets of the stove. This has been a problem for Jenn-Air units and has caused many people to dislike downdraft vents. I will say that it works better for pots/pans that are directly in front of the vent but will also work to and extent with pots/pans on the front burners too.

My favorite thing is watching it slowly rise up from the counter and then turn on the blower when it reaches full height. It makes it fun to show off.... haha.

With all of that said, this isn't an inexpensive solution to venting a stove on an island, but then again, neither is having a contractor cut a hole in the roof that may or may not get sealed properly. Also, I had the means to cut a strip of stainless steel to fill the gap between the back of the stove and the front of the vent (about 2 1/4" wide). We have a crawl space under the house that allowed me to run the ductwork there so if you don't have that available, this option would not work for you.

Dacor does sell a range that actually goes with this vent, but we preferred the features of the GE over the Dacor so it was good to know that we could make this work.

I was able to do a lot of the work myself which wasn't easy but possible so if anyone has questions on our installation, I would be happy to answer them.

I recommend this product.


January 10, 2014, 8:31 A.M.

Note this Unit was installed on 6-29-2013. It replaced a similar Maytag D.W. ( with similar features ) that was used for seven years at the same location.  I also checked the lower spray wash spinner that is included in one of the pictures and it was working.

On 1-8-2014, I ran the Lemi Shine thru the dishwasher on the heavy cycle ( D.W. was empty ) . I added one package of the Lemi Shine in the bottom of the dishwasher per instructions. I noticed that the water was about to be discharged so I disconnected the hose at the disposal and collected it into a 5 gal pail. So I added another package of the Lemi S. and added back the first batch. I then waited 1 hour to let the solution remain on the bottom. I had noticed that the water level was very low and there was very little spray action during the prewash cycle. I concluded that I might be short of wash water, so I added more water to bring the level to the maximum level at the door without spilling over. I cycled on Heavy Duty Cycle and each time the water drained out into the bucket I re-added it to the dishwasher over a two time hour period.

Today, 1-9-2014 A.M., I just cycled the washer thru the Quick Cycle ( no additives, just plain city water ). I noted the amount of water that was discharged after the first wash cycle. I collected in and it is in the 2 liter green full bottle and 24 oz. clear half full bottles, in the picture. (Sorry,  I could not down load at this time, I will try again at a later time)  So altogether about 80 ounces of liquid. I also have the water that I used with the Lemi Shine in the labeled two gallon bottles, a little less than 2 gallons. I had poured some of the solution back into the dishwasher to soak over night. I did notice that even going thru the Quick Wash Cycle with no detergent that I was still getting a lot of bubbles and foam. Apparently the water was still cleaning out the pump and water lines in the dishwasher.
I am not sure how the dishwasher will perform after the next regular washing cycle. We pre-wash by hand all dishes and rinse them prior to loading them in the washer. We do not add any soiled dishes or place settings to compound the washing cycle. Note this Unit was installed on 6-29-2013.  It replaced a similar Maytag D.W. that was used for seven years at the same location.
Note:  I am a retired manufacturing engineer and write reviews often that appear on Amazon.com and other web sites.  I will update this review in the near future.  I hope that my reviews help out others making purchasing decisions.  Thank you.


"Overfill Protection: Do-It-Yourself Guide to Correcting Possible Overfill Condition"

 This is the PDF that Asko will email you when you call about why the drain motor in your Asko dishwasher won't stop. It's not model specific, it's for Asko dishwashers in general.

* Google "Asko drain keeps running" or something like that and read the forums to verify the following:

 Even though the dishwasher appears to work properly and drain normally, Asko somehow routes "overfill" water as they call it, beneath the washing compartment to a "pan" in the cabinet base. When too much water accumulates, the drain motor just keeps running. IT DOES NOTHING to empty the "overfill" water,  it just keeps running until guess who drains it.

 "Why doesn't the pump drain the overfill water as well as the "normal" water?", you may ask. As with computer software, per Asko it is a feature, not a bug. Here's my experience, but check other forums to validate how common this problem is:

 * Lay down on the floor and remove the kick plate. Then use your right angle Torx wrenches to remove the "protection" plate -  right angle because some screws face upward and a standard Torx driver will be too long.

* The PDF says use a sponge or towel to absorb the water. A towel would never fit under my Asko dishwasher. The largest opening I could find is partially blocked by the front cabinet support leg and a cable to the rear which adjusts the rear height. I could just barely push a small sponge through with a spatula, push down on the sponge with the spatula to soak up water and then pull out the sponge with the spatula.

Squeeze and repeat. I did this about two dozen times. It is just as much fun as it sounds. I decided not to replace the "protection" plate as I did not wish to relive the Torx experience next time this happened. And happen again, it did. (My cabinetry mop board secures the bottom opening without replacing the Asko plates).

* This time I drove to Harbor Freight to buy an $8 hand liquid transfer pump, all the while asking myself why Asko can't put in a drain pump that drains the "overfill" water so I wouldn't have to be driving to Harbor Freight to buy a hand liquid transfer pump.

 With two people holding the thing in place, again of course, back on the floor, the pump worked. But all the while we used the hand liquid transfer pump we asked the question you should be asking before you buy an Asko dishwasher:

 Why doesn't the Asko pump drain the "overfill" water so that you won't have to spend your time on the floor with a sponge and spatula, or drive to Harbor Freight for a hand liquid transfer pump?

 I've owned Profiles and Monograms and Kenmores and KitchenAids and other much more modestly priced dishwashers and have never had to drive to Harbor Freight to buy a hand liquid transfer pump to get my dishwasher going.

The Asko design does not seem to be a great design.

 I hope this might help someone.


If I could I would give this ZERO stars!  This is my second go-round with this exact model (originally purchased through Lowe's).  When the first one failed to clean the dishes (sometimes they looked like we didn't even turn the thing on after a cycle, it was that bad) we wanted to return it to the store under warranty.  Since it was only 3 months after purchase they sent out a GE repairman who treated me like Ihad never owned a dishwasher before.  I'm nearly 56 - this is not my first dishwasher rodeo, Mistah!  He blamed me for every issue as follows:
1.  Our water wasn't hot enough - though we had it set at 125 degrees he said his thermometer was only registering it at 120.  We proved was set higher but we set it to 130 degrees.  He said we needed to run the hot water to maximum temp before turning on the dishwasher so that "the tub did not cool the water off."  (Um...doesn't that defeat the purpose of "energy" efficient?)
2.  We did not use the right dishwaster detergent...apparently ONLY Cascade Platinum with Dawn will work with this dishwasher and ONLY JetFinish rinse aid.
3.  If we rinsed our dishes of major particles before putting in the dishwasher, then the reason they weren't getting clean is because there was nothing for the soap to "stick to"...HUH?  (Now that's a new one -  I wonder if GE has scientifically proven that clean dishes will not get cleaner in a dishwasher?)
4.  If we used the steam option, the temp boost option or the sani rinse option, it will only "cook" the food onto the dishes and make it harder for the unit to clean them properly.  (Then why do they have those options if you aren't supposed to use them, I asked.  "Because that is only for commercial applications when you need to sanitize the dishes to get rid of bacteria," he replied.  "I didn't know this was a commercial grade dishwasher and so it must be my misconception that this is sold as a residential kitchen dishwasher and that normal kitchens don't have problems with bacteria."  (That earned me a stupid, blank stare.)
5.  The and kicker...it would be better if we ran the dishwasher at night before we went to bed because if we started up the cycle, then used the cold water in the kitchen sink, that would also reduce the hot water temperature and prevent the dishes from getting clean.

But...for the heck of it...I made all the changes he recommended, took pictures of the still dirty dishes and Lowe's was nice enough to offer me the option of either getting a full refund or an exchange.

So...I exchanged it.  It was nice and quiet (that's the one star) and I thought perhaps GE had just produced a lemon, which happens to everyone occasionally.  Last month I had it installed.  Nope.  Just today I decided I have tolerated a ramping up of the same problems I had with the last one, even though I am still implementing the recommendations of the GE repairman.

This IS the worst appliance I ever owned in my entire life.