The Return Of The Swedes

What was the first European dishwasher in the US? Don't say Bosch. It was actually Asko in 1990. They have always been an interesting product with the lowest water usage, sturdy graphite racks and really quiet insulation.

In many ways, Asko changed the way you buy a dishwasher. With open floor plans, now you want a dishwasher quiet, and Asko was the first to provide it. Price was always their biggest problem with their decent models selling in the $1200-1400 range

But that has all changed with this model at $799



Now that it can compete with Bosch and KitchenAid....will it?

Mistakes To Avoid...Part 2

24 inch washers are versatile...They fit in small spaces, under a counter and can be stacked. There are a bunch; Bosch, Miele, Asko, Maytag and Whirlpool.





But don't run a gas line. They are exclusively electric...(A friend of mine made that error)

The Return of Asko

Before Bosch, the high quality European dishwasher was Asko. Asko was manufactured in Sweden, had great features like graphite racks, the lowest water usage and was the quietest dishwasher on the market...In fact it still is the quietest (except the difference is not detectable by the human ear, so they can claim it).

Then about 7 years ago, it stopped. The onslaught of Bosch combined with the instablity of Asea, Askos parent company, eradicated all of Askos' market share.

4 years ago, Merloni of Italy purchased the company. They have streamlined the company, improved product quality and introduced new products including this dishwasher.



The D5122 is all stainless including the wash arms, uses the least amount of water and is technically the quietest dishwasher on the market. Certainly worth a look.

Quiet Dishwashers

Lets face it. Features are fine, but you want it quiet. With rooms now encompassing the living and dining room, quiet dishwashers have almost a standard. People assume cleanability and ask for quietness.

But which one is the most quiet? We have on display working: Miele, Bosch, Asko, JennAir, Viking and Electrolux.



The answer is none of the above, because the difference in noise is not detectable by the human ear. My sleeper pick is Electrolux (believe it or not) which is absolutely noiseless.

New Bosch Laundry

Happy Monday.....

Most urban dwellers have a problem in placing laundry in their unit. 20 years ago, you bought a Whirlpool Thin Twin, which was only 24 inches wide and 68 inches tall. Unfortunately, this allowed enough internal space for a shirt a couple pair of socks and maybe a pair of pants.

Then the Europeans imported their 2 piece machines. It used less water and held more clothes, because it was a front load machine with no agitator.



Miele, Maytag(built by Samsung), Whirlpool(built by Eurotech), Asko and Bosch have machines catering to this market, all with similar specifications.

Until now, Bosch has just started marketing a deeper machine with greater capacity.



Instead of 2.0 cubic foot, the new Bosch is now 3.4 cubic feet.

The Good, The Bad And The New

Love that old Clint movie and could not resist the reference. To be honest, I feel a bit bad about the brevity of Mondays' post....So I will review two new products in two different categories. Thats right!! Two posts for the same low price as one

Now for the interesting:

Electrolux has a brand new free standing range. It has the best "wave touch" controls with stainless appointments. For the epicureans, the Electrolux has every type of convection control available including dehydrate. At $1899, it should. The comparable piece in Frigidaire(Electrolux owns Frigidaire) is about $600 less.

Electrolux and Frigidaire side by side



Lets look at the new Asko washer and dryer. For those who know not of Asko, the company is owned by Merloni out of Europe. This was the premium dishwasher company until Bosch and Miele imported into the US. The pair is actually pretty good with a 3.8 cubic foot interior, reversible door and a whole bunch of cycles. Asko has manufactured the most efficient products worldwide, and the laundry is not an exception. At roughly $2500, however, this is a good product in a sea of good products that start at $1500



How did we do?

A Good Idea..

A break in the lighting for a quick appliance blog: Take a look at these two pictures. See anything different?










Thats right...The LG has the controls in the middle whereas the Asko and all others have the controls on the top. If we were to look at a Whirlpool Duet or similar product, the controls would be at 74 inches...or 6 foot 2 inches in height

Nonsensical Energy Efficiency Rant

By writing this post, I am effectively handling 2 subjects at once.

If you have been reading this blog regularly, the washer has been a frequent subject. It is unbelievable that top loading washers are still 60% of the market....

Following are some interesting stats on the dishwasher:

If everyone bought an Asko, Bosch, Miele or Frigidaire Energystar dishwasher just this year:

Energy Savings Equivalent:

To firing the space shuttle into orbit 5,300 times(leave it alone)
To lighting Las Vegas for 5 years


Water Savings:

To supply 2 million households
To fill 80,000 Olympic size pools(non heated of course)
To fill the US Capitol building 430 times

It would also prevent 25 billion pounds of Carbon Dioxide from releasing into the atmosphere

Basic Measurements for Appliances and Lighting

Just the basic rule of thumb in this post for new construction.


Refrigerators: Plan on fitting the width of the cabinet opening: 30,33, 36, 42 and 48 with 36 being the most common size. They have varying heights and depth, so be careful when replacing

Dishwasher: 24 inch width 98% of the time and 18 inch 2%. They are similar height and depth. Asko does have one that meets ADA


Stove: Plan on 20,24,30,36 and 48 inch width with 30 being the most common by far


Chandelier: Hang a fixture 30 inch from the table with12 inches less diameter as a general rule


Bathroom: Hang sconces 65" high on either side of the mirror. Raise a couple of inches if you are taller(so you do not look into the bulb)

Recessed: 12-24 inches from the cabinet and 3-4 feet apart as a guideline

Ventless Drying

This will be a great post for a very few people. Have to be honest. Increasingly developers are limited the use of venting for cost savings. For range hoods, its simple, just redirect the exhaust through the front of the hood and add a filter.

The issue with the dryer becomes more complicated, because it emits heat and moisture. Moisture will peel wallpaper and serve as a healthy environment for otherwise unhealthy stuff. In other words, you want heat and moisture out of your condo or apartment. Fortunately, this problem seems to have been rectified in Europe. Miele, Bosch and Asko all manufacture a condenser dryer, which transforms the moisture into water. The water is then eliminated through a connection with the washer and then sent out with the waste water from the washer.

Unfortunately the problem has not been rectified cheaply Per Se. A very good washer and dryer will cost $1200 to 2000. A washer and ventless dryer runs $1700 to $3500, but it is certainly less frustrating than the laundrymat.

The Most Efficient Dishwashers Available

To be honest, dishwashers are not as compelling as clothes washers in terms of water and electricity savings. As discussed in previous posts, use the air dry and shorter cycles(which do not heat the water as much) for maximum efficiency.

List as follows:

Asko, D3531, 194 KWH and 141% better than the Federal Energy Standard.


Bosch/Thermador, 290 KWH and 61% better than the Federal Energy Standard.


Frigidaire, 309 KWH and 57% better than the Federal Energy Standard.

The Most Energy Efficient Washers Available

I saw Inconvenient Truth last night. It was moving to say the least, and I would recommend it as a must see. Personally, I am apolitical and fairly skeptical. We started The Green Project to demonstrate that they could save money, lots of money, by switching to energy efficient appliances. Another benefit is the savings of water and energy, which in turn is good for the environment.

To review, an average energy star washer is now 3.5-4 cubic feet, uses about 10-15 gallons of water and about 210 Kilowatts per year. The average top loader is still 2.4 cubic feet (without the agitator) uses about 42 gallons of water and about 420 Kilowatts per year. We used the Energystar guide of 8 loads per week when calculating the numbers. The numbers are even more pronounced if we consider the sizing difference. In other words, the front loader is 40% larger on average, so theoretically there would be 40% less usage with the same laundry.

There is no question that the dollar savings is substantial in water, sewer and electricity costs as well as the environmental benefit. Following are the most energy efficient washers on the market today.

Bosch WFMC3301, Average KWH 182 and 90% better than the Federal Energy Standards.


Bosch WFMC6401, Average KWH 176 and 93% better than the Federal Energy Standards.


Miele W4840, Average KWH 186 and 90% better than the Federal Energy Standards.


Compact Machines 24" or less-

ASKO W6461, Average KWH 127 and 98% better than the Federal Energy Standards.


Miele W1113, W1119 and W1930 Average KWH 113 and 62% better than the Federal Energy Standards.