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Is The New KitchenAid 200 Series KDTE204KPS Dishwasher Worth Buying? (Reviews/Ratings/Prices)

Steve Sheinkopf  |  September 15, 2020  |  6 Min. Read

Dishwashers  |  KitchenAid

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The KitchenAid 200 series dishwasher is one of the most popular on the market.

At least it was last year. KitchenAid had the most popular dishwasher, even more so than their archrivals, Bosch and Miele.

Then they changed it this year along with the rest of the line.

It’s a little odd when you read one of KitchenAid’s main competitors is, in fact, KitchenAid.

KitchenAid-DishwashersKitchenAid Front control Dishwasher Installed

 

In this article, you will learn the key features for cycles, the washing and drying systems, and, lastly, the reliability stats based on real service calls.

You will also see a comparison between the KitchenAid 200 series dishwashers against Bosch, Miele, Beko, and KitchenAid's better 400 series dishwashers.

There is a lot to cover, so let’s begin.

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New KitchenAid 200 Series Dishwasher Review

 

KitchenAid KDTE204KPS - $749-949

KitchenAid 200 series dishwasher KDTE204KPS

Three Styles Of The Kitchenaid 200 Series Dishwasher

KitchenAid-200-series-dishwasher-styles

There are three styles with a towel bar handle (KDTE204KPS), controls on the face (the KDFE204), and panel-ready for a custom cabinet front.

Unfortunately, the paneled version due out in 2021 protrudes past the cabinet, so it does not have that seamless look of a paneled Bosch, Miele, or Beko Dishwasher.

KitchenAid 200 Series Prices

Price is hard to figure out. 

KitchenAid like most manufacturers promotes around holidays like Black Friday, Labor Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, and July 4th

Last year, it was $749-899, but most of the time was the prices of $749-799.

With limited availability due to Covid and supply chain issues, the price has been non promotional at the higher price like most other brands.

 

KitchenAid 200 Series Quietness

At 39 dB, quietness is the standout feature for this dishwasher. Most competitive brands are 44 dB, except Beko, also at 39 dB.

Thirty-nine dB is noiseless, but the threshold for quietness in a dishwasher is 44 dB. So while 39 is great, you shouldn’t buy this or any dishwasher on quietness alone.

As long as a dishwasher is 44 dB or less, it is quiet enough.

Read More: Quietest Dishwashers By Decibel Rating

KitchenAids better M series dishwashers are 44 dB.

Wash System

KitchenAid-Dishwasher-Wash-ArmKitchenAid Dishwasher Wash Arm 

 

KitchenAid has three main levels of wash one on the top and under each of the baskets. It’s a good system.

It’s better than the comparable Bosch with its two-plus a sprinkler head on the top and slightly worse than the Miele with three full wash arms.

KitchenAid's 400 series has four with one being focused sprays from the third rack but is $200 more.

KitchenAid-Dishwasher-Third-Rack-with-Wash-ArmKitchenAid 600 and 700 Series Dishwasher Third Rack With Wash Arm

The better KitchenAid dishwashers also have an additional filter, so you wash with cleaner water.

Racks

KitchenAid-Dishwasher-KDTE204KPS-Racks-1

Racks are decent and standard. It has the 3rd rack for silverware. You may like this as it allows more room on the bottom rack without a silverware bin. Bosch, Miele, and Beko are pretty comparable.

Better racks in the KitchenAid or Miele 3D sliding cutlery racks will cost $200-500 more.

Drying

This KitchenAid employs a heating element and condensation dry to dry your dishwasher.

Condensation is a fancy term for using residual heat from the wash along with JetDry or other finishing rinses to dry your dishes.

Most dishwasher brands like Bosch operate purely through condensation with the heating element.

Miele has a better system of allowing air from your kitchen to the side of your dishwasher. The moist heat is attracted to the cooler side and dissipated as water.

KitchenAids 400 series uses a similar method and adds a fan to pull the air inside the dishwasher.

Have questions? Click here to check out our Learning Center.

Cycles

KitchenAid-dishwasher-controlsKitchenAid 200 Series Dishwasher Top Controls

 

The best cycle to this dishwasher is the Pro Wash cycle with a soil sensor to adjust based on time and temperature base.

It has longer cycles and plenty of options to add heat and delay the wash as well.

While it’s surprising that it doesn’t have a delicate wash.

Miele and Bosch, at the same price, don’t either. Only Beko does, but they are a feature-oriented machine.

Reliability

Dishwasher Reliability for 2020

  Service QTY Shipped QTY Service Ratio
Asko 103 190 54.21%
Jenn-Air 188 493 38.13%
Bosch Benchmark  25 70 35.71%
Fisher & Paykel  56 193 29.02%
Miele  185 903 20.49%
Maytag 2 10 20.00%
Gaggenau  16 104 15.38%
Thermador 126 872 14.45%
KitchenAid 90 688 13.08%
Café Appliances 3 25 12.00%
Bosch  398 3573 11.14%
Samsung 134 1297 10.33%
LG  5 81 6.17%
Cove 2 44 4.55%
Ge Appliances 1 37 2.70%
Whirlpool 38 1471 2.58%
Grand Total  1377 10166 13.55%

At one time, KitchenAid was less reliable than Bosch, and now they are statistically similar at 13.08% for KitchenAid and 11.14% for Bosch.

Read More: Most Reliable Dishwashers

What KitchenAid Could Have Improved In The New KitchenAid 200 Series Dishwasher

First, KitchenAid should have kept the Bottle Wash. It was a separate set of sprays on the top rack designed for bottles.

It worked.

They could also design a panel-ready dishwasher to fit in with your cabinets. It protrudes to look like a dishwasher with a panel instead of a cabinet front.

It looks bad when compared to the seamless Bosch, Beko, and Miele dishwashers.

How Does KitchenAid Compare To Its Competitors?

KitchenAid 200 Series KDTE204KPS Vs. Bosch 300 Series SHS863WD5N Dishwashers ($749-849)

KitchenAid-200-series-vs-bosch-300-series

 

The SHS863 is one of Bosch best selling dishwashers. For cycles, it has the Speed60 cycle for a wash and dries in 60 minutes. Bosch is a bit more reliable. You can add a custom cabinet front to a Bosch dishwasher.

KitchenAid has a better wash system, a bit better on the dry with a heating element, and is quieter.

It should be noted that Bosch will be in short supply for the next 6 months.  Covid has hit their supply chain particularly hard.

Read More: KitchenAid Vs. Bosch Dishwashers

KitchenAid KDTE204KPS Vs. Miele G4228SCUSS ($899-$999)

KitchenAid-200-series-vs-Miele-G4228SCUSS

Miele has a better wash and the best drying in its price range. (Bosch has better starting at $1200). You can also panel the Miele.

KitchenAid is measurably and noticeably quieter at 39 Vs. 46 dB and more reliable due to some recent minor problems with Miele.

Read More: KitchenAid Vs. Miele Dishwashers

KitchenAid KDTE204 Vs. Beko DDT39432XIH Dishwasher ($849-$999)

KitchenAid-200-series-vs-Beko-DDT39432XIH

Who is Beko? They are a huge Turkish company trying to gain a foothold in the US by basically selling a premium product at a discount.

Beko is 39 dB with special cycles and a separate intense spray for pots and pans. It has the most cycles, including Wi-Fi. It can even be paneled.

Read More: Beko Vs. KitchenAid Dishwashers

KitchenAid 200 Series KDTE204 Vs. The KitchenAid 600 Series KDTM604 Dishwashers ($999-$1199)

Vs.

The 600 series has four dishwashers currently. I am sure they will add more.

The 600 series has a bigger third rack.  It also has better drying, and better wash capability with the second rack's intense spray.

It has a better filtering system, so you wash with cleaner water.

Yet the less expensive series is quieter at 39 dB compared to 44 dB.

Is The New KitchenAid 200 Series KDTE204KPS Dishwasher Worth Buying?

It depends. The dishwasher price swings from $749-949.

At $749, the feature set is unmatched.

On its own, the washing system is decent; the drying and cycles are adequate.

However, at higher prices, there may be better options around the same price or higher in Bosch, but especially the better KitchenAid M series with a better wash, dry, and especially rack system.

Ultimately, the 200 series should be considered especially under $850.

Have questions? Click here to check out our Learning Center.

Additional Resources

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Steve Sheinkopf

Steve is the third-generation CEO of Yale and a lifelong Bostonian. He currently resides in Boston, one mile from where he was born. Despite being one of the worst goalies of all time, he is a huge hockey fan of college hockey and the Boston Bruins. The love of his life is his daughter Sophie.

Steve has also been featured in numerous publications such as the New York Times, Consumer Reports, The Boston Globe, Bloomberg Radio, the New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Entrepreneur, for his knowledge of how to buy appliances and appliance repair.

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