At a Glance:
KitchenAid Dishwashers: Reviewed
KitchenAid KDFE204KPS Dishwasher Review
You’re not like other shoppers. You take your time to read every review and weigh all pros and cons. That’s a quality we love in our shoppers because we’re the same way, especially when it comes to products like KitchenAid dishwashers, which consistently rank at the top of their category.
We’re no strangers to KitchenAid dishwasher reviews, but we want to revisit the lineup to give it our updated opinion on these products. Do they still hold up to the competition? How well do KitchenAid dishwashers clean? Why are KitchenAid dishwashers so good? We answer these questions and more inside.
About KitchenAid
For over 100 years, KitchenAid has served as a faithful companion to those who love to be in the kitchen. While KitchenAid is most famous for its stand mixers, the brand also manufactures mid-to-high-end appliances designed with luxury and affordability in mind. In other words, KitchenAid strives to recreate the experience of premium appliance brands while remaining accessible to more budgets.
KitchenAid makes products exclusively for the kitchen, and its full suite includes cooking appliances, refrigerators, and dishwashers, which we’ll cover more in this article.
Discover KitchenAid Dishwasher Deals
KitchenAid DishwashersKitchenAid Dishwashers: Reviewed
First, some clarification. When we say 24” dishwasher, we’re referring to the standard size these appliances are made in. Some manufacturers also make 18” dishwashers, which are ideal for apartments or even outdoor kitchens. But for the sake of this review, we’ll be evaluating KitchenAid 24” dishwashers since most households have a cutout for a dishwasher this size. To learn more about dishwashers, we’ve made a handy guide where you can learn all about the category.
With that said, what about KitchenAid dishwashers? Are they good? Anyone who has done some research on dishwashers will probably have come across reviews that rank KitchenAid in an elite group with brands like Bosch or Miele. Overall, we agree with the point of view and give all three brands high ratings in our independent evaluations.
Yet only KitchenAid can claim to be the highest-rated dishwasher brand when it comes to customer satisfaction. And in recent studies from other appliance experts, KitchenAid places within the top five dishwasher brands that need the least servicing. It’s worth mentioning JennAir and Whirlpool—part of the Whirlpool appliance family alongside KitchenAid— also place within the top five higher than KitchenAid.
The gap between KitchenAid and its sister lines is marginal, however. Whirlpool dishwashers are the most affordable, while JennAir makes luxury dishwashers. In the middle are KitchenAid dishwashers at mid-end prices between $1,050 and $2,050.
This is nice, but the question still remains: What makes KitchenAid dishwashers so great? To find out, let’s answer the questions buyers ask the most:
✅ How much do KitchenAid dishwashers hold, and how easy is it to use?
✅ How loud do KitchenAid dishwashers rate?
✅ Do KitchenAid dry well?
✅ How do KitchenAid dishwashers work?
Dish Loading Ability
One of the most overlooked factors buyers consider when buying a dishwasher is place settings. To be fair, that’s because the term is vague. What is a place setting anyway? Essentially, one place setting should accommodate a large plate, salad plate, bowl, cup, and silverware. For example, a dishwasher with 12 place settings should have the capacity to wash a full set of cookware with extra space for other utensils and platters.
KitchenAid rates somewhere in between when it comes to how much you can load in a single cycle. Lower-end models (which can be identified by their Third Level Utensil rack—more below) only have 12–13 place settings, while KitchenAid FreeFlex dishwashers all have 16. For reference, the largest place setting capacity in the industry, a title held by ASKO, holds 17 place settings. Naturally, the upgrade comes at a cost.
With that said, every KitchenAid dishwasher comes with a third rack that allows utensils and even small items like bowls to be placed above the main rack. This makes it easier to fit larger items better below and adds to the overall loading ability rating. However, there are two different types of third racks to choose from.
Third Level Utensil Rack vs FreeFlex Third Rack
- Third Level Utensil Rack: A basic third rack available on lower-end KitchenAid dishwashers that fits flat utensils.
- FreeFlex Third Rack: An upgraded third rack on KitchenAid FreeFlex dishwashers that offers 30 percent more loading flexibility, the most in the industry.
Dishwasher Noise Rating
Surprisingly, the most affordable dishwashers from KitchenAid are also the quietest—as low as 39 dBA, which is only outperformed only by JennAir (which is also part of the Whirlpool family) and Miele. Unfortunately, that impressive noise rating doesn’t carry through as the price of a KitchenAid dishwasher increases.
Still, many of these dishwashers are what the industry refers to as silent. The loudest model registers at 47 dBA, which is still considered far less quiet than affordable models that can reach up to 65 decibels.
Dish Drying
Believe it or not, not every dishwasher has the technology to dry your dishes the right way. Even premium dishwasher brands like Miele use an auto-open door function that uses fresh air to dry dishes (think of this as drying your clothes on a clothing line). On the other hand, every KitchenAid dishwasher features a heating element and condensation drying for optimum results.
KitchenAid reserves its best dishwasher drying abilities for its most expensive models. The fan-enabled Pro-Dry feature pairs a fan and a heating element to distribute hot air throughout the dishwasher, similar to how a convection oven works. This ensures fewer specks, watermarks, and streaks.
Discover Deals on KitchenAid Appliance Bundles
Wash System
Everyone loves features, but what matters the most in a dishwasher is how well it cleans. KitchenAid is pretty comparable to other dishwasher brands in that it uses sensors to detect soil levels. If there are high levels, the dishwasher automatically adjusts the time and water temperature to remove stuck-on food.
Like the third rack, there are two options to consider, one for lower-end models and one dedicated to more expensive models.
ProWash vs Advanced Clean Water Wash System
- ProWash: Three levels of filtration sieve food particles from the wash cycle.
- Advanced Clean Water Wash System: Microfiltration filters food particles, and a self-cleaning function ensures the water is clean before re-entering the wash. This allows users to mix cookware such as delicates and heavy-duty items in the same wash.
Learn More: Bosch vs KitchenAid Dishwashers
KitchenAid KDFE204KPS Dishwasher Review
Overall, our buyers really enjoy KitchenAid dishwashers. All models in our catalog have an over 4-star rating with at least 300 product reviews (although most have over 1,000). This model is always in stock, no lead times, and available to you as soon as the next day.
To begin, we want to address that the KitchenAid dishwasher KDFE204KPS model is not the most advanced in the lineup. In fact, this is one of the simpler dishwashing machines KitchenAid makes. What sells it for us, however, is its impressive 94 percent buyer rating. In fact, over 1,700 verified reviews say this KitchenAid stainless steel dishwasher is 5 stars. So, let’s take a look at why.
Price
If you’re searching for a dishwasher under $1,150, the KitchenAid KDFE204KPS is a good option to consider. It comes with a few upgrades that make dishwashing simpler, and it’s available in three color options, including Fingerprint Resistant Stainless Steel.
Flexibility
You won’t get the most place settings or the FreeFlex third rack in this price range, but this top-rated KitchenAid dishwasher still makes loading dishes easy. The Third Level Utensil Rack lets you place awkward kitchen tools above so you can load even more in the main racks. Additionally, the adjustable middle rack gives you the ability to make clearance for large cookware items.
Noise Rating
When it comes to noise rating, it hardly gets any better than this KitchenAid dishwasher. At 39 decibels, it’s hardly noticeable, despite having the impressive cleaning performance of ProWash.
Here’s what buyers have to say about the KitchenAid KDFE204KPS:
“Cleans amazingly, quiet and I love the inside space and the 3rd rack.”
“Unbelievably quiet.”
“The racks meet my needs, all my dishes fit nice.”
Without a doubt, KitchenAid is one of the better brands of dishwashers on the market, and the KitchenAid KDFE204KPS is just one great example. Overall, we generally recommend KitchenAid dishwashing machines to buyers looking for something upscale without crossing over into the luxury market. Since KitchenAid is professionally inspired, the brand ticks the box on many of the qualities for shoppers in the affordable luxury market. However, if you want to spend a little more and experience all the great qualities of KitchenAid dishwashers, you can always upgrade to a higher-end model.
As always, Don’s Appliances is here to help you make the best decision. If you want to know more about KitchenAid’s dishwasher lineup, give us a visit today!
Related: KitchenAid Refrigerator Reviews
Why Trust Don’s Appliances?
Founded in 1971, Don’s Appliances is a family-owned, independent appliance retailer based out of Pittsburgh, PA. Don’s has since expanded to 10 locations selling, delivering, installing, and servicing all major appliance brands. Large enough to offer competitive pricing yet small enough to continue offering the “white glove” service we pride ourselves on, our focus is always on the customer experience — from the first step into a showroom to the purchase transaction to well after your new appliance has been installed.
When our customers are remodeling or building a new house, Don’s has all the expertise, product knowledge, inventory, brands, displays, and services to meet and exceed your needs. And in the event an appliance breaks, we are there, right on time and with the right product, delivery, installation, and service.
Shop KitchenAid Dishwashers at Don’s
Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today, and shop dishwashers online at Don’s Appliance. Our friendly experts are always happy to help you learn more about the KitchenAid dishwasher line — whether you call us at 866-544-1711, email us, or use our online chat feature. Better yet, stop by any of our Don’s Appliances Pittsburgh, PA warehouse locations. Visit us today!
Learn More: You Can Count on KitchenAid