You can look beyond Bosch and Miele for a really good dishwasher.
Asko and Electrolux are definitely worth your consideration albeit for very different reasons. Both brands have had troubled pasts, but have since rebounded.
We will look at the companies and both products in this article.
Asko
Asko has always been considered a premium quality brand. They originated back in 1950, when a Swedish farmer named Karl-Erik Andersson, began creating water products with the intent make the best high end quality products available.
However, Asko has changed hands three times in 10 years from Swedish, Asea to the now bankrupt Italian, Merloni company and finally to the Slovenian, Gorenje.
The quality suffered as a result, but has since recently improved (I actually own one). The hallmarks of the Asko is its all stainless interior. Even the racks are stainless not plastic like every other brand. The graphite racks are more solid than the plastic racks and Asko is extremely water efficient as well.
Electrolux
Electrolux has always been a leading European brand nationwide. They along with their sister company, Frigidaire, own about 33% of the market share worldwide.
Electrolux like Asko had manufacturing issues, but they seem to be building a better product recently. Unlike Asko, Electrolux has chosen to focus more on lifestyle with targeted spray jets designed for your water bottles and a super fast wash cycle of 30 minutes.
It has the satellite spray system, which has more water jets to target more areas than any other dishwasher...in theory.
The Products
Asko D5436XLS - $1,099
- 16 Place Settings
- Noise Level 46 dB(A)
- 7 Spray System
- PowerZone Pots and Pans
- PowerZone Cutlery
- Features
- 5 Programs 6 Temperatures
- Turbo Drying
- Delayed Start 1-24 Hour
- FlexiRacks
- Cutlery Basket
Electrolux EI24ID50QS - $829
- 15 Place Settings
- Noise Level 47 dB (A)
- 30-Minute Fast Wash Cycle
- 9 Wash Cycles
- Delayed Start 1-24 Hour
- 3 Racks
- Satellite Spray Arms
- Luxury Hold Door
- Targeted Bottle Spray Arms
- Indicator Light on the Floor
Which Should You Buy?
First, you are probably considering quietness. Asko is quieter by one decibel or roughly 10%. The decibel ratings are about average and less quiet than other premium brands with lows of 37-42 DB’s at the same price.
Electrolux has the better lifestyle cycles and features than the Asko. You will like the quick wash and the focused spray jets for bottles and tougher stains. It is $350 less expensive with a nice built-in look
Electrolux is also an American design. The tines are a bit farther apart so you can fit bigger dishware.
Asko is a more solid machine with all graphite and metal and no plastic anywhere. It is also technically quieter.
Related Articles
Additional Resources
Get The Yale Dishwasher Buying Guide with features, specs and inside tips to all the brands like Miele, KitchenAid, Asko, Electrolux, Frigidaire, Bosch and more. Well over 110,000 people have read a Yale Guide.
Why Should You Trust Us?
It seems that every appliance review has nothing but glowing comments about almost every product, yet you read customer reviews and they are almost universally bad.
We are here to fill in the disconnect. We'll give you the best features, and the drawbacks as well, including reliability based on over 37,000 calls performed by our service team just last year. Our goal is to give you ALL the information so you know what's right for you.
Please consider subscribing or adding to the conversation in the comments below. We appreciate you stopping by.
A Note About Pricing
Pricing on this blog is for reference only and may include time sensitive rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing. Please call the stores for most accurate price.
Topics:
