[HillMan]

Originally Posted by theexperthand

Which brand do you recommend and what suction power \ length?

For a hood, I'd go for 1000m3/h for heavy oil cooking. 60 or 90 depends on your cook top, wider the better.

Any brand is fine as long as it doesn't have the mesh filter, cleaning is a nightmare.

Baffle filters are the way to go. Look for designs with oil collectors, those are very handy.

[theexperthand]

Originally Posted by Aroy

- There are two basic types
. Baffle filter, where the oil collects in a baffle and can be drained. These are more expensive. I prefer these as there is less of fire risk or motor damage.
. Mesh filters where the oil collects in a mesh, and starts dripping if full. Further the oil may travel further up and foul the motor.

- For Indian cooking where a lot of frying is dome get a filter with at least 1000 cfm suction.

- The width of the filter should be more than the cooking area, hence a 1m or wider chimney is better. The reason is that a lot of oil vapours escape the chimney from the sides and a wider throat will capture them, while a narrower chimney, say 60cm lets them escape and deposit on the walls and ceiling.

- A fully stainless steel body will last longer. Powder coated or painted mild steel do not maintain theirs looks over longer period.

- It is best to have a 6 or 8 inch pipe carry the exhaust from the chimney to the atmosphere. Do not settle for a smaller diameter pipe. Please ensure that there is a mesh at the end, else the pipe end is an easy access for birds and rats.

Once all these conditions are satisfied, look for the chimney with the most powerful motor and lowest price. There is not much high tech in a chimney and the prices depend mostly on the fancy design and accessories rather than on basics.

Originally Posted by HillMan

For a hood, I'd go for 1000m3/h for heavy oil cooking. 60 or 90 depends on your cook top, wider the better.

Any brand is fine as long as it doesn't have the mesh filter, cleaning is a nightmare.

Baffle filters are the way to go. Look for designs with oil collectors, those are very handy.

Thank you Aroy sir for the detailed explanation. So, in a nutshell, I should look for a model which has 1000 m3/h or more suction power, 90 cm width, baffle filter and 150 mm or more outer diameter.

Thank you Hillman – I would certainly look for a model which have baffle filter.

How good is the service of whirlpool? There is one model – AKR 901 Platinum – which ticks all the boxes, so should I go for this over Faber\Elica\Glen etc? Anyone in the forum who is using Whirlpool chimneys?

What brand would you suggest Aroy \ Hillman, from your personal experience?

--Anoop

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by theexperthand

What brand would you suggest Aroy \ Hillman, from your personal experience?

Faber is a good brand with good service network, so I hear from friends using it.

Myself, I got a Hindware product, Italian collection, with mesh. Looks good, but they dont seem to keep any spares. Even after followups they could not get me a replacement for the mesh which got damaged while cleaning. Finally I got one fabricated without a mesh to fit into the slot.

Apart from regular cleaning out oil, these dont need any maintenance.

Find something that goes with the looks of your kitchen. Baffle filters are simple sheet metal, cleaning is easy and they can last a lifetime.

[theexperthand]

Originally Posted by HillMan

Faber is a good brand with good service network, so I hear from friends using it.

Myself, I got a Hindware product, Italian collection, with mesh. Looks good, but they dont seem to keep any spares. Even after followups they could not get me a replacement for the mesh which got damaged while cleaning. Finally I got one fabricated without a mesh to fit into the slot.

Apart from regular cleaning out oil, these dont need any maintenance.

Find something that goes with the looks of your kitchen. Baffle filters are simple sheet metal, cleaning is easy and they can last a lifetime.

Thank you. Plan to go and visit Faber\Elica\Glen showrooms this weekend. Will update the thread after the visit

[amikacin]

Wishing everyone a very happy new year, 2014. On the first day of the new year, I am presenting everyone here my query. Everyone's inputs and suggestions will be highly appreciated.

I am in the market for a dishwasher for my parents as my mom is fed up with her maid's tantrums. I went through the previous pages on this thread and have come to understood that currently a number of companies offer Dishwashers in India (IFB, LG, Bosch, Samsung, Seimens, Kaff). During my Jaipur visit last week, I chanced upon a Kaff showroom and enquired about the DW available. The salesman informed that it would not be able to accommodate Indian utensils and hence is not suitable for my purpose. Now this was something new for me.

I want everyone's inputs for some of my queries before making a final decision.

• Is it possible to accommodate pressure cooker, kadai, thali, etc. in the dishwasher since these constitute the major bulk of the utensils in our household.
  I am not too much concerned for glassware since they are usually not the major chunk of the load. I am more concerned for utensils that are used for warming milk in the household since they sometimes required extra efforts for proper cleaning.

• We have hard water in our area and do we need to attach a water softener to the water inlet line? Will it adversely affect the machine performance/clog the spray nozzels?

• How much is an average wash cycle and load capacity for the machine.

• Amongst the available brands in India, which should be preferred keeping in mind the after sales service as my parents reside in a small town and servicing sometimes can be a big issue. We have an IFB front loading washing machine at our home and in past our experience with their service has been not so good. Initially I had an inclination for IFB, however would like to choose the one that fulfills the above mentioned criterion.

• How much will be approx. monthly cost of consumables. Can I get home delivery for the same even in non metro areas?

• Are there any other points that should be covered in the decision process.

• My approx. budget for this is INR 30K.

Thanks.

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by amikacin

I want everyone's inputs for some of my queries before making a final decision.

The surface of the vessels should be smooth for best results. Still you will need a quick rinse before putting the vessels for wash. That way I feel 80% job is already done before wash.

For hard water you will need softener else you will see water stain marks when dried.

Get a demo before finalising a product.

[carboy]

Are there different qualities of the sliding metal mosquito screens fitted on windows? I have these sliding metal jhali screens fitted almost 6-7 years ago. There are 2 problems
1. There is a small (1-2 mm) gap between the screen and the adjacent sliding glass window. How can this be fixed?

2. The jhalis (on all 4 windows) have developed small holes. I was wondering if this is normal or if this is because the original contractor fitted some poor quality jhali. If I want to replace all the jhalis, is a there a way to find out if it's a good quality.

[amikacin]

Originally Posted by HillMan

The surface of the vessels should be smooth for best results. Still you will need a quick rinse before putting the vessels for wash. That way I feel 80% job is already done before wash.

For hard water you will need softener else you will see water stain marks when dried.

Get a demo before finalising a product.

Many times when we boil milk in vessels, they leave behind the stick up residues of milk on the inner side. In such a scenario, will the machine be able to clean them or not. THAT is the biggest concern for my mom.

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by amikacin

Many times when we boil milk in vessels, they leave behind the stick up residues of milk on the inner side.

Think of a DW as a hot soap water wash. Not a strong jet but with splash.

I see curry stains on bone china if not rinsed before stacking into DW.

So I doubt any brand can remove the oily residue of boiled milk without pre scrub.

[sgiitk]

Let me add my tuppence to the dishwasher discussion. We have used them off and on since 1989, except for a decade till last year. The salt, detergent and shine we use are from Finish (mail order). Karhais, occasionally cookers, have all been processed. They must all be rinsed and the hard deposits removed prior to the dishwash(ing).

[alpha1]

I think it is wrong to expect something extra out from a DISHwasher.
It is meant to wash the dishes on which we are served food (max temperature about what 60 deg C?).

The cookware endures different severity of torture - like burnt remains, sticky remains etc especially because of the intense heat it (actually the food) endures (max temperature could be easily 250 deg C).


Remember the difference: cookware vs dish.

[carboy]

I have used a dishwasher for 6 years in the US. Kadais, Cookers were put in the dishwasher as long as they fit. No problems whatsoever.

[naveenroy]

I made a mistake. I didn't even think of doing research on Team-BHP before helping my folks in purchasing a dishwasher. They live in a small town in TN and like amikacin says, the problems I have encountered before were poor after sales service, quality of water etc.

I have noticed that amma couldn't really manage washing the dishes everyday - she would rest against the wall when washing. Sad sight to see and I was adamant that something be done about it. We checked with many maids and none of them were ready to wash dishes for less than 1K a month! So I did as much research as possible online and many of them stress on one point - you must rinse the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher! I mean, that really takes away the need for a dishwasher right? I mean, it is double work then. But on my reading up - especially on Bosch's and Siemens' operating manuals, I see that they stress on this point - you do not have to rinse the vessels before you put them in! You just have to scrape off the food as you normally would before you put them in the sink - this is usual practise in my home anyway. I checked with 4 dealers in my hometown and 1 tried pushing an IFB machine to me. The 2nd was adamant on Bosch. At the third dealer, I am happy I encountered a salesman who really knew his stuff. He had IFB, Bosch and Siemens on offer and was never pushy. But he said the best options were Bosch or Siemens. The Siemens on sale was a little pricey - around 45k. But he said there are cheaper options available and even showed me their brochure and said he can get it for me if needed. There was a small difference in the prices between IFB - Bosch - Siemens - in increasing order of price.

But the main thing was that I understood that IFB wasn't a great option - especially since the after sales service wasn't great. And this was confirmed on my online research too. But he said Siemens and Bosch service was done by the same team and they were a direct employee of Siemens - not the same for IFB. Could anyone else confirm this?

And reading online, Siemens has been in the dishwasher business for many years and many people vouch for it. After a day of mulling over it, I finally decided to go ahead and buy the Siemens itself. Placed the order and he received it at the showroom in a day.

And even my dad was skeptical of my plan to put in the dirty dishes without rinsing them and only scraping off the food. Even the guy who came to show us the demo of the machine said we need to rinse the dishes. But well, am I glad I stuck to my guns and went ahead with my plans. We just stacked up dishes - tried them all - dirty. Glassware, aluminium, steel plates, tumblers, even an aliminium milk vessel - the kinda non-stick one from Prestige I think - black coloured?

And I am happy to say I was amazed at the results. My folks were really really glad. And guys, this is the first time I have used a dishwasher and man am I a convert . All dishes cleaned without any problems - even the milk vessel was cleaned. Granted, I did not try too oily vessels.

I will try and provide my inputs as much as possible...

Originally Posted by amikacin

• Is it possible to accommodate pressure cooker, kadai, thali, etc. in the dishwasher since these constitute the major bulk of the utensils in our household.

Well, in this case, it is best you physically check a machine available at a dealer. It will give you an idea. But you cannot accomodate the large cookers in there. Large vessels are out.

Originally Posted by amikacin

• We have hard water in our area and do we need to attach a water softener to the water inlet line? Will it adversely affect the machine performance/clog the spray nozzels?

In the machines I checked - in Bosch and Siemens, there is an option to put in a water-softening salt. This helps in reducing the hardness of the water and also in longevity of the machine. In fact, the salt helps in preventing the buildup of the layer of deposits in the lines.

Originally Posted by amikacin

• How much is an average wash cycle and load capacity for the machine.

We tried with a decent load - of around 10 plates (steel, glass, etc), 6 small vessels, some glasses, around 5 cooking spoons, a large milk vessel, a large steel vessel and quarter plates etc. It took around 45 minutes for the whole cycle - from rinse to dry.

Originally Posted by amikacin

• Amongst the available brands in India, which should be preferred keeping in mind the after sales service as my parents reside in a small town and servicing sometimes can be a big issue. We have an IFB front loading washing machine at our home and in past our experience with their service has been not so good. Initially I had an inclination for IFB, however would like to choose the one that fulfills the above mentioned criterion.

Yes, this is exactly what made me choose Siemens. I checked with 2 people who have purchased it and they have been happy.

Originally Posted by amikacin

• How much will be approx. monthly cost of consumables. Can I get home delivery for the same even in non metro areas?

Yes, you can buy it online but I cannot comment on the monthly costs. Maybe someone who has used it for longer can.

Originally Posted by amikacin

• Are there any other points that should be covered in the decision process.

For us, a problem was space. We never imagined we would be using a dishwasher so we had to make new space, put in a new switch box and arrange for the inlet and outlet water pipes.

Originally Posted by amikacin

• My approx. budget for this is INR 30K.

The Siemens we bought was 31K. Your mileage may vary.


Looking back, this is quite a long post but just thought it might be helpful for someone looking to buy their first dishwasher.

[amohit]

For a dishwasher, oily stuff is not a problem. Hot water bath takes care of the oil. The problem is stuff that is stuck and burnt. No amt of hot water or pressure wash will remove it. If there is something that you cannot remove by keeping it under hot running water for 30 mins, dishwasher cannot remove it either.

For us, utensils used to store cream, kadais used for frying, milk boiling vessels, plates etc are all cleaned by dw. However, the pan used for boiling tea requires us to scrub a bit and hence not put in dishwasher.

According to my wife..dishwasher has been the best thing I ever bought.

Regards,

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by naveenroy

The Siemens we bought was 31K. Your mileage may vary.

Congrats on your buy and good to know it works the way you needed it.

Our wife, sisters and mothers slog a lot in the kitchen day in day out, and these machines can go a long way in giving an helping hand.

It will be good if you can post an ownership review after a few months of usage and bring in some value from your mothers experience of using it.