Bosch : SHE3AR75UC Dishwasher

Bought the dishwasher in November and it stopped working in January. Display light was blinking and it would not respond to any of the functions in the instruction manual. So, at 8pm when I should be relaxing after a stressed day I am looking through the waranty and service information to see how to get this thing fixed. It's brand new!!! I will never ever buy another Bosch again!

We bought this Bosch Ascenta SHE3AR75UC dishwasher after our old 10 year old Bosch dishwasher started to turn itself off mid-cycle. We have fixed our old Bosch once for the pump (under warranty) and once for the control board (past warranty), but we still liked it enough to get another.

Since we already had the hookups from our old washer, I decided to install the unit myself and I am glad I did. Installation was easy, but a hookup kit is recommended so you have all the brass fittings and hoses necessary to get the job done.

This Ascenta SHE3AR75UC is a less expensive machine than our last, and it does show in a few areas. The tub in ours is plastic instead of stainless, and the wire of the rack is a thinner gauge. The door works perfectly fine, but has a slightly stiff action when closing. The control panel on the front is clad with plastic, not stainless steel like the picture seems to show.

This washer is not silent like our last Bosch, but it is still quiet. Noise is the main caveat for not spending 0 on the next model up. Our old washer had a thick plastic casing that encased the lower internals, this one has exposed drain tubes that allow the sound of trickling water to be heard near the front kick panel. The trickling sound can be faintly heard from the next room with the room door open. Not a deal breaker.

Bosch decided to re-design its racks since our model, and I am not happy. I like to fit dishes most effectively for fuller loads. Our older Bosch had larger spacing between all the tines in the racks, allowing the rack to be more versatile for the different shapes of bowls and plates. The new rack has much tighter spacing between the tines of most sections, preventing certain dishes (cereal bowls and glasses in particular) to be fit almost anywhere in the lower rack. Our family has at least 4-6 cereal bowls per wash, and I am still trying to figure out where they should go. The Bosch manual should loading examples, none of which have more than two cereal bowls. I would estimate that the lack of versatility of the racks means that we lose up to 10-15% capacity per load over our old Bosch. Some Ascenta models come with a folding silverware rack that allows you to place it in different configurations for more versatility. I wish our model had that. Perhaps I will discover the secret to the new racks, but so far I am stymied. Not quite a deal breaker, but certainly knocks off a solid star (or star and a half) off of an otherwise perfect score.

The normal cycle takes longer than our old unit. 1:55 instead of 1:25. That one half hour is significant if you have to run two loads during a large dinner party. Otherwise, who cares. Fortunately, the machine offers "delicate" and "express" modes that take 1:20 and 0:30 minutes respectively - which can serve in a pinch.

The washer does a fine job of cleaning. No complaints so far.

The biggest question is: How long will it last? We bought this less expensive model assuming that the control board or pump may eventually go bad (like most appliances we have had), so when we pass the warranty and extended warranty periods, the decision to replace the unit won't be as tragic. Hopefully Bosch has made some improvements since 12 years ago.

I will update this review if anything changes.