Dishwashers

When we married our first home was a rented flat in Pinfold Road, almost opposite Pratts. I opened an account with John Lewis, so I could go in, buy something and say, 'charge it to my account'. It sounded so grand (well, it did to me) and was one of those things that told me that I was now an independent adult with a proper job and a proper home.

Hi phoenix are you the only other UK GNer awake?

Wish I had a dishwasher, wouldn't care who stacked it!

My DH thinks he is the only one who knows how to fill a dishwasher and spends ages rearranging stuff. Like the deck chairs on the Titanic.

I find saying that only men really understand how to stack a dishwasher properly has saved me and both DDs an awful lot of work. Salt tablets and a jam funnel take the faff out of filling the salt reservoir. I use the tablets which include the salt but the red light drives me mad so I fill it up.

I know! DD and SIL used to have one of those!
It would help if I could spell Bosch of course

Better than "Hun" though, graces

And loads better than the brand name of some of the large fridges (can't bring myself to type it, shudder emoticon)

A tip (otherwise know as stating the bl***ing obvious) is not to wait too long before refilling the salt dispenser- I tend to ignore it for a day or so usually because the machine is full, and I wonder if it creates a bit of a vacuum making the top even harder to twist off. Also, (I don't always remember) wiping round the neck of the salt dispenser to stop it dissolving and setting hard for more problems the next time! have fun with your Bocsh (such an unfortunate name though!!! )

Just to let you all know the Bosch was delivered on Wednesday and it is really good to have, in fact I am very happy with it. The only quibble is the salt dispenser is just as difficul to fill as the AEG was. At first I thought I wouldn't be able to do it but with a stool to sit on and clutching on so that I don't finish up head first inside the machine I managed. We are in a very hard water area so although I use tablets it is recommeded to still use salt and rinse aid, and in view of what happened to the AEG I feel it is better to be safe than sorry.

Thank you all again for your help and advice.

I agree gm about the togetherness of washing up except, when it's just me and 'im, guess whose job it would be? As it is, I've persuaded Dh that emptying the dw is his job.

clean teatowels even

I do too - but I use the salt as well! We have very hard water here and I tend to think "belt and braces" - better safe than sorry!

Now..............spanner in the works time. I wouldn't be without my dishwasher BUT there is something companiable when everybody mucks in with the washing up after e.g. Sunday lunch - or even better when the rest do it as the cook gets let off. People never like loading someone else's DW - we all have our own idiosyncrasies ; knives - blades up or down? all cutlery of same type in each section of the basket? small plates at the front or small bowls? Or am I just OCD?? So DWs are not always the answer to a maiden's prayer and this Christmas I will make sure I have a variety of sizes of Marigold plus a never ending supply of ckean teatowels for the eager volunteers

I use the tablets that have salt and conditioner included and haven't needed to add either for yonks. I appreciate that the tablets are more expensive but I consider it to be a saving not having to keep adding salt etc.

Mine is a Bosch, ultra quiet but not a slimline version and like others I would always recommend John Lewis. Have you asked if an alternative part can be retro fitted to your AEG? I accept that manufacturers design in order to create a spare parts market but there are only limited variations on a design to undertake a certain job. An enterprising engineer / technician should be able to source a part to do the job even if it is a service exchange unit (pre used but refurbished). Just a thought!
As an aside £600 to £700 sounds an extraordinary large sum of money for a dishwaher, assuming it is just that - a dishwasher. I would have thought £300 to £400 would be nearer the mark for a perfectly serviceable unit and of course you could enjoy John Lewis's guarantee which in the past I have found to be far greater than that offered by other high street retail outlets.

Gracesmum. How lovely to hear from someone who remembers Pratts and the High Road as it once was. You are right, it is very different and it all began when Pratts closed. I can understand the reasons why John Lewis made the decision, only side road parking was a problem, but I found it difficult to forgive. I worked in Streatham at the time and a lunchtime browse was always enjoyable. However behind the scenes was another matter, it was a very old building and I think the conditions probably fell rather below aceptable standards. Having said that I believe the staff were treated very well and it was a very good firm to work for. I knew a girl that worked there for a short while but left because she found it too disciplined but I think she probably regreted it later.

By the way, how I agree about the difficulty of filling the salt dispenser. My AEG was also a pain and yes quite a lot of the salt ended on the floor of the machine. However, I shall persevere this time because I think not using it when I started using tablets may well have caused the fatal fault .

I made the mistake of not looking inside the last one I bought and when I came to do the first wash couldn't work out why the plates wouldn't fit in. Turned out you had to put them in facing backwards which has irritated me ever since. Mind you I rarely use it [but do use it as a huge draining board where I put things to dry when I've washed them].

I hate to quibble (actually I love quibbling) but being on my third Bosch DW in 26 years, I have found that while I have gone up a spec with each purchase, they are never as good as the one before! Because they save water, I don't think the newer ones wash as well, they are less sturdy, and ironically, I seem to get less in the present one than either of the others because of the arangement of "spikes". Some people are never happy - I expect it will break down now out of pique
BTW could somebody please come up with a better place for the salt dispenser as I have to bend double to get at it, find it well-nigh impossible to twist open and usually finish up losing half the bl***y salt around the floor of the machine.

Love my Bosch.

Oh opsimath your reference to Pratt's took me back to the 10 happy years we lived in Furzedown and where we had all 3 DDs. Lacking a car in the early days I used to (just) be able to put DD1 in the pram, walk briskly along the common and zoom round Safeway's, then nip into Pratt's before legging it back home in time for her next feed!! I loved Pratt's and understand the High Road isn't anything like what it was before they shut it. Recently discovered a similar sized department store - Beale's in St Neot's. You take 3 steps to get from handbags to shoes, another 3 to Christmas decorations - small but perfectly formed!!

You will love your Bosch, mine is a Godsend. My washing machine is also a Bosch and seems to run forever.

Just to let you all know I have a Bosch machine being delivered on Wednesday. I am really looking forward to not standing at the sink struggling to find space, I had forgotten what a small sink and draining board I have.
Thank you all again for your help in making my choice.

Opsimath We have always had Bosch apart from first one hotpoint.

Bosch were far better my dear husband takes control of dishwasher but touch wood we don't seem have problems. Not keen inputting best glasses in as eventually they go cloudy very sparkling start with. Certainly would not pay that sort. Money think ours cost around 400 about 4 years ago,

Good luck!

opsimath Yes their own make seems to be excellent my son and his girl bought a washing machine from them about 2 yrs ago and there was a sale on the week after they bought it and my son saw the new price and commented on it when in store shopping they refunded the difference to him which I thought was first class,mind you he is tight when it comes to money he is not at all like me !! JL is my first port of call for any household products at the moment I am waiting for one of their sales to come on as I am buying their Denbyware bit by bit for same son & his girlfriend.

Thank you all, I shall look at John Lewis's website. We had our first washing machine from them, many years ago from their branch in Streatham which was called Pratts, a really lovely old shop, sadly long gone. Glammanana, I think their own make must be good and the 5 year plan sounds an excellent idea. What a wonderful place this is, the response so prompt and kind. I am so glad I found you all.

Mine came from John Lewis too - a Bosch but a full sized one. Have a good delivery service too.