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Tuesday, March 19th
Thermador is a luxury brand that also carries the luxury price. They're still worth taking a look at as they have few complaints and offer unique features. Although their entry-level models have a heftier price tag, the quantity and quality of their included features makes even these models comparable to a mid-level or even high-level model of other brands, making the cost definitely worth it when all is considered.
Third rack standard
With Thermador dishwashers, even the entry level models have a top third rack included. Compare that with other brands' entry level options: it's either an add-on or not offered at all.
Star Speed
One Thermador feature we love is Star Speed, which uses hot water in cycles of 20 minutes. You can get great results in a shorter time, but this feature is available only in their Star Sapphire Series.
Water softener
You may notice spots on your dishes, glassware, or silverware after washing in your present dishwasher, and it might be embarrassing to use these pieces when company is at your house. A unique feature of Thermador is that some models include a water softener to offer spotless dishes every time, with no effort.
Floor light
Because their dishwashers are so quiet, Thermador adds a feature where a beam of light shining on the floor will let you know if the machine is running and it will also tell you the time remaining for the cycle.
Sens-A-Wash
Thermador can measure the cleanliness of each load and then adjust the wash cycle accordingly. Perhaps you only need a lighter wash with dishes that are less soiled. The machine senses it and adjusts the cycle.
Interior blue light
When the door is open, you can illuminate the tub to see into the back and know how much room is left; when unloading, you can easily see if there are remaining dishes on the rack. In the Star Sapphire Series, you have the option to illuminate with six different levels of lighting. Fancy!
Push to Open door
If your hands are full or messy, just press against the door to open it or to close it. Look, Ma, no hands! With this option, you can also choose to have no handle at all, using the push feature only, and allowing for a super sleek door front with no protruding handle and no unsightly pocket handle, either.
Smart features
Since the dishwashers are quiet, you can monitor the cycles with your smart device to know if the appliance is still running, which cycle it's in, and how much time is remaining. You can also receive a text when it's completely finished so you can unload.
The Emerald Series
This series, which might be the entry level for Thermador, contains the features of the mid-range models of many brands. The Thermador price, however, is higher than many of the mid-range products of the other brands. The Emerald Series includes a top third rack, you can choose your handle, it's ready for a custom panel to match your kitchen cabinetry, and it runs quieter than the average standard dishwasher (52 decibels) at 48 decibels, which is quieter than many conversation levels. There are six choices of wash cycles plus five additional wash options.
Cost
The Topaz Series
The noise level of this series is 44 decibels, making it officially squeak into the quiet dishwasher label of the industry standards. There's a built-in water softener to eliminate water marks on glassware and other dishware, and we haven't seen this feature on any other brand. There are also foldable tines to better fit your individual pieces of glassware so they don't move.
The Sapphire Series
There's an interior blue light so you can easily view all of your dishware and glassware, even if the rack isn't pulled all the way out. The push door allows you to press on the door to open it or close it, especially if your hands are full. This is even quieter at 42 decibels. Their Star Dry with Zeo Light boasts to be one of the best drying systems on the market, and the zeo light has a mineral that facilitates this process. What's even better is that it takes no chemicals, so it's "clean" and there's no product to replace.
The Star Sapphire Series
For about $400 more than the Sapphire Series, this series offers a more flexible third rack, six adjustable lighting levels, and the added function of a 20-minute hot water cycle. The downside is that the noise level creeps up to 44. It's not a huge difference as it still stays officially in the quiet range.
Our favorite Thermador
Our best entry-level dishwasher is the Emerald Series, model DWHD650WFP. There are six cycles plus five options, the Sens-A-Wash option, and the quick-wash option. The Powerboost feature allows increased water pressure and a higher water temperature to attack any stubborn soil on your dishware. At 48 decibels, this is still a good noise level, even though it's not officially considered in the quiet range in the industry. There's a three-stage filtration system to discard sticky residues from coming back on the dishes. Wifi comes standard, and so does an adjustable upper rack, and a third rack. So you can see that Thermador's "entry level" dishwasher carries much more than what you might expect: it certainly delivers high end features.
1,2, Free
Thermador offers an option that if you are going to purchase an appliance set for your kitchen, the dishwasher would be the third piece, so they offer that free. Some have suggested offering this set even in a rental unit as the set together is quite high end for the renter, and you have the bonus of a free dishwasher.
Warranty
The warranty is good for 730 days from the date of purchase. Any manufacturer damage to the finish of the product is warrantied for 60 days after purchase date.
Downsides
There are a few things to mention here. Thermador is a little louder than its luxury counterparts. In addition, it dries the traditional way of using the moist, hot air with the drying cycle. They do have the Star Dry system which is more efficient at drying. More forward-thinking brands, however, will either have the door pop open for dry air to help the cycle, or will have a vent to allow outside air in to speed up the process. Also, Thermador isn't as accessible as other brands. Some stores, including big boxes, sell them, some don't, and some sell only a few models. You may have to look around to find Thermador models in person or to find a store that sells the one you think you'd like.
Great quality, a few drawbacks
Thermador offers a great American-made product. With only three series to choose from, making a selection is much easier. Each of the series includes advanced features that most brands would either have as options or only on their highest-end models, if at all. That said, you know that even at the entry level Thermador, you'll get a plethora of features, and the high price tag will reflect that. Complaints are few, and mainly have to do with the dry cycle and a bit with the noise. We don't see complaints about the machine breaking down. The price is higher than other brands, so make the choice that's best for your budget.
Most of us don't think too much about our dishwasher. We load the dishes, it cleans, we empty. But when the dishes aren't coming out as clean as they should, it's taking more rinsing to get all the food off, you're drying your dishes by hand because the machine doesn't, or if the coating on the tines is chipping off, you might start thinking about replacing your appliance for one that holds up and maybe has some nice features that you deserve.
Did you know there are three types of dishwashers? There's built-in, countertop, and drawer. Built-in dishwashers are the traditional dishwashers most of us have had in our homes. They are full-sized or even narrow and apartment-sized, and are slid in below the counter. Counter-top dishwashers can be found in Europe and are just that - they are small and fit on the counter. The drawer models are shallow and fit below the counter. Because they are the most common type, we will look at only the built-in models.
Think about what you want in your new appliance. You'll obviously want a dishwasher that does a good job of washing your dishes. There are a lot of fun features you can have, such as a third rack, lights, and smart capabilities, but if the machine doesn't do a good job of actually washing your dishes, what's the point of any of the bells and whistles?
So once you choose a brand that you like, you can select your wish list features such as the third, top rack; a quick-wash cycle; a delay start; self-cleaning filters - yes, you should know if you need to clean your filters for maintenance, which is typical; food pulverizers; interior components made of stainless steel to promote longevity; child locks; sanitizer settings; sustainable materials; special jets under the silverware caddy; and smart capabilities, so you can control the dishwasher from your phone or smart home system.
And that's just the beginning. Here are several other criteria to keep in mind as you shop for your new kitchen appliance:
To help you make this important purchasing decision, Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated today's most popular dishwasher brands. If you're done spending too much time pre-washing your dishes, continually re-arranging them because the rack and tine design is poor, drying them after the dishwasher supposedly dried them, or re-washing after the clumps of old food just don't come off after a full cycle, do consider a new dishwasher. You can save a lot of time by not pre-washing, post-washing, and drying. And with all that extra time, you could relax reading a book or watching your favorite show while a super quiet dishwasher does all the work while making virtually no noise.
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