Hello,
I have a Kitchenaid dishwasher kudc10fxss5. Bought it in 2013.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/kitchenaid-closeout-24-tall-tub-built-in-dishwasher-stainless-steel/1361465.p?skuId=1361465

Now, after almost 8 years I am not happy with the cleaning. I have to open it down to the chopper and clean it out every few months. The upper rack cleaning is not very good. I can probably get it to work by changing all the parts for $100-$150 but I'd rather go with a new one at this point.

Need a same size dishwasher and stainless steel.

I spent about $400 back then and now I can afford more so I am willing to pay more if it has good useful features and an advancement.

I might be moving in a year or so and rent out my place so I don't want it to need maintenance/cleaning every few week with tools. Renter will not do it.

1. What is a good brand/brands to look at?
2. What are some new features to consider?

Do you scrape off all the food on your dishes before you load them? and run the dishwasher after meals if there is food on them?

I'm never happy with the cleaning unless the dishes have been rinsed off before they go in the dishwasher. IMO, dried on food never seems to come off.

If you are in an area with hard water, you might need to descale your dishwasher. Basically I had little rocks of calcium/limestone that plugged a lot of the jets. Cleaning them out improved the problem by 2-3X.

You can see if the jets are plugged with a flashlight...easy check.

If you don't have a clogged dishwasher...yeah - go Bosch 800.

I limped mine along for a couple years and then finally replaced it.

I went with Bosch 800 series.

One of the things I like about it is the drying option. There is no exposed element so you can have plastic things on the bottom rack without melting them. Once the cycle is over, the drying function just pops the door open a few inches to let the steam out. We wash our dishes overnight so by the time we get up in the morning, everything is perfectly dry.

We bought a Bosch about 2 years ago to replace a 20 year old GE. We've been very pleased with it when it comes to how quiet it is, and how well it cleans.

One thing that is true to reviews you may read, is it has developed an odor if you go several days without using it. It's really not that bad, and you will only notice it when you open the door. Supposedly it develops in the drain line that doesn't completely clear out.

Whitetail said:

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If you are in an area with hard water, you might need to descale your dishwasher. Basically I had little rocks of calcium/limestone that plugged a lot of the jets. Cleaning them out improved the problem by 2-3X.

You can see if the jets are plugged with a flashlight...easy check.

If you don't have a clogged dishwasher...yeah - go Bosch 800.

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No, there is no calcium clogging that is significant in any way. Every few months I disassemble, clean out the gunk and anything else stuck to it and put it back.

Sims said:

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I limped mine along for a couple years and then finally replaced it.

I went with Bosch 800 series.

One of the things I like about it is the drying option. There is no exposed element so you can have plastic things on the bottom rack without melting them. Once the cycle is over, the drying function just pops the door open a few inches to let the steam out. We wash our dishes overnight so by the time we get up in the morning, everything is perfectly dry.

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I see 2-3 recos for Bosch 800. Interestingly one of my friends works for Bosch and said he could get me a discount. I have placed plastic in the bottom rack and seen them melt.
I think a certain model also projects on the floor with a light once the cleaning is done.

I asked him a few months ago and said there were supply chain challenges because of COVID related demand.

dubi said:

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Do you scrape off all the food on your dishes before you load them? and run the dishwasher after meals if there is food on them?

I'm never happy with the cleaning unless the dishes have been rinsed off before they go in the dishwasher. IMO, dried on food never seems to come off.

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Not always, I rinse it in water quickly and anything solid comes off. Saucy stuff sticks to the dishes and I don't do anything else to remove them.

I have a Bosch as well. It's better than the GE that it replaced, but that's not saying much.

I'm not overly impressed with it, but it met my criteria at the time of purchase.

The biggest issue is installation - make sure it's installed properly, or you will have odor issues.

The installer Lowe's sent did not do my installation correctly. I've been able to sort of correct the problem, but it is still a source of frustration.