You can watch your bread bake and your popcorn pop through the windows in your kitchen appliances but are you ready to watch your dishes wash? That's what KitchenAid is envisioning with its introduction of the KitchenAid KDTM804ESS, a sleek dishwasher with a big window in the door. Consumer Reports has just added it to our dishwasher Ratings.
The $1,800 KitchenAid KDTM804ESS is the first dishwasher we've seen that puts on a show as your dishes, glasses, and utensils get sprayed and dried. (A lower-end model, the KitchenAid KDTM384ESS, also comes with a window.) Other than the window, though, the KitchenAid KDTM804ESS is identical to a model we've tested, the KitchenAid KDTM704ESS, which at $1,620 costs $180 less. As with other products we've deemed similar to tested models, the KitchenAid KDTM804ESS is virtually the same as the tested KitchenAid KDTM704ESS. That KitchenAid dishwasher, which made our list of picks, is among a select few to have scored excellent overall.
Performance Details
For washing and energy use, the KitchenAid KDTM704ESS was top-notch. In addition to easy operation, this model takes only 110 minutes to complete a normal cycle. That might seem long, roughly comparable to the running time of many movies, but it's about 25 minutes shorter than the average of the other dishwashers in our tests. One complaint: This KitchenAid dishwasher was only mediocre at drying plastic items, among the hardest to dry. So you might be towel-drying during the closing credits.
But there's more to like: A motorized spray arm, plus an adjustable upper rack, a third rack for large utensils and other short items, adjustable tines, a stainless interior, a self-cleaning filter, and plenty of flatware slots. Both KitchenAid dishwashers also have interior lighting that comes on at the end of the cycle.
Even if you prefer to watch traditional TV or online movies rather than your dishes get doused—and to be fair, you know the ending—there's another benefit to having a window in your dishwasher. With the better dishwashers becoming quieter and quieter, you'll always know when your dishwasher is running.
Need a New Dishwasher?
Take a moment to check out our dishwasher buying guide if you haven't bought a dishwasher in several years. In addition to the KitchenAid KDTM704ESS and KitchenAid KDTM804ESS, models worth considering include the $1,080 KitchenAid KDTM354DSS, the $900 Kenmore Elite 14793, and the $700 Bosch Ascenta SHX3AR7[5]UC, a CR Best Buy.
