GE Monogram ZDT800SSFSS Dishwasher Review

We expect the majority of people who buy this dishwasher will do so because it matches their other Monogram appliances. Otherwise, we think the extremely similar top-of-the-line GE Profile is a better value. The Monogram is also missing some of the amenities other top-of-the-line dishwashers provide, including a quick cycle and a third rack.

Design & Usability

Dishwashers can be beautiful, too.

The ZDT800SSFSS is a step below the GE Monogram ZDT870SSFSS, and lacks only a third rack. Otherwise, the two dishwashers are practically identical.

The control panel at the top of the door is one of the ZDT800SSFSS's most attractive features. The silver, metallic buttons give a satisfying click when pressed, and the LCD screen embedded in the center gives clear information on the cycles and options you've selected.

Inside, the ZDT800SSFSS looks even more like its pricier cousin, minus that top rack. The tub has water jets along its side walls and capping some of the tines on the upper rack—most dishwashers only have water spraying out of the wash arms and nowhere else. The latter of those are Bottle Wash jets, the latest dishwasher innovation from GE.

Similar to the ZDT870SSFSS, the ZDT800SSFSS holds ten place settings and a serving setting. It shares the adjustable height feature on the upper rack, the trio of interior lights, and even the custom theme song that plays when you open or close the door or a cycle finishes.

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Features

A subtle difference

The control panel may look the same as the more expensive Monogram, and the two dishwashers actually do share the same customization options, but the ZDT800SSFSS has fewer wash cycles to choose from.

The only cycles you can choose from are Light, Normal, Heavy, AutoSense, and Rinse. There is no fast cycle for quickly washing up a load while in the middle of hosting a party, and even the Light wash takes close to an hour to run.

Still, you have options like PreSoak and Bottle Wash to control the intensity of the cycle, as well as an option to wash only the upper or lower rack. Two drying options and two temperature options, including Sanitize, also lets you fulfill all your dishwasher micromanagement dreams.

Performance

Shiny lights, shining performance.

The ZDT800SSFSS not only looks good, but it passes on that beauty to your dishes. The interior lights made our test dishes sparkle, but more importantly, the dishwasher washed away nearly all the food stains we baked onto those dishes.

The Normal cycle took about 90 minutes, which is pretty fast. Other than trace amounts of baked-on oatmeal and some leftover spinach which remained, this cycle wiped out every other food stain. The Heavy cycle did the same, but also handled the burnt sugar and greasy lasagna stains without any trouble. Burnt cheese proved to be a problem, however.

Dishwashers work by continually reusing the water in a cycle, filtering it between each wash and rinse. Sometimes, food particles aren't properly filtered, and may end up getting stuck back on the dishes. This is called redeposit, and we found very few instances of it occurring with the ZDT800SSFSS on both cycles.

We noticed a different problem, however. The glasses loaded in the corners of the upper rack tended to be dirtier than the ones next to them. This indicates that they are not getting enough water sprayed on them, so some strategic planning might be necessary when it comes to loading.

With an estimated annual operating cost of $27.06, the ZDT800SSFSS is a little below average when it comes to efficiency. Be aware that drying options aren't engaged by default on any of the cycles. Expect the cost of electricity and the durations of your cycles to go up if you constantly dry your dishes using the dishwasher's heating element.

For in-depth performance information, please visit the Science Page.

Why We Like It

It's all about the looks.

Similar to cars, when it comes to high-end dishwashers, the value placed on aesthetics and the look and feel of the appliance can eclipse that of options or even performance. And the ZDT800SSFSS is definitely a fine piece of eye candy. Even though it's missing a few things you'd normally find on a $1,500 dishwasher, sometimes, it really is all about the looks.

If all you want is value, you don't have to look far: The GE Profile PDT750SSFSS has many of the same features as the ZDT800SSFSS, including Bottle Wash, and costs $300 less. It has no third rack, but the Profile does have an Express wash, which cleans a load in 30 minutes.

If you're a big fan of the interior lights and full-color LCD found on the Monogram, and don't mind looking outside the GE family, the Bosch SHE8PT55UC makes a good alternative. Priced $100 less than the Monogram, the Bosch's LCD screen is embedded on the front of the machine, and conveniently tells you how much time is left in the cycle. It also features a third rack, which the ZDT800SSFSS does not have.

By the Numbers

Data and numbers are a thing of beauty, but they don't get nearly as much attention as actual beauty. That said, we were pleased to find that the GE Monogram ZDT800SSFSS isn't just pretty to look at: Its numbers were also drop-dead gorgeous.

Performance

Unblemished by redeposit

The ZDT800SSFSS gave impressive cleaning scores all around, with nearly every item coming out spotless after both Normal and Heavy cycles. The common meat, egg, and milk stains were no match for either cycle, but the most impressive result after repeated rounds of testing is the lack of redeposit.

A few issues kept the ZDT800SSFSS from perfection. For one thing, the Heavy cycle could not quite cut it with the burnt cheese stain. While prewashing is generally not necessary with modern dishwashers, some stains require a bit of scraping beforehand.

One other problem we found is actually something we've been running into with recent GE dishwashers. On the upper rack, the corners are practically "dead zones": items loaded there never get enough water, so they come out dirtier than items placed right next to them. This uneven coverage means you'll have to be careful with how you load the dishwasher.

Efficiency

Good efficiency, if you don't mind wet dishes

We've estimated that the ZDT800SSFSS will cost around $27.06 a year to run. A vast majority of the time, you will be using the Normal cycle, which takes 0.58 kWh of electricity and 4.03 gallons of hot water. On the occasions you need to break out the Heavy cycle, you're looking at using 0.78 kWh of power and 6.62 gallons of water.

One thing to note is that the heating element is never engaged by default on any of the ZDT800SSFSS's cycles. This means if you like to have the dishwasher dry your dishes instead of letting them air dry, you're going to see an increase in cycle duration and electricity usage.

Capacity

Give it a ten… place settings, that is.

There's enough room in the ZDT800SSFSS to hold ten place settings and a serving setting. The interior is quite flexible, with a wide array of foldable tines, a cutlery basket that splits in three, and adjustable height on the top rack. Even without a third rack, chances are that you won't feel like you're missing out.

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