The old Askos were bulletproof, stainless everything, 15-20 year lifespans, the kind of appliance you'd mention in a will. Current models still have that hardcore construction and a 10-year warranty that suggests the company believes in them. The problem is Hisense bought the brand in 2020, and while it's early, the cracks are showing: one owner's new unit died on the first wash and took a month to replace through warranty. At Miele-level pricing with a thinner service network and a corporate parent known for budget appliances, you're gambling that the Swedish engineering survives the transition. If you find a steep discount and have a reliable local tech, the build quality is legitimate, but at full price Bosch or Miele give you similar performance with better service infrastructure and no ownership question mark.
Bosch's budget dishwasher delivers the quiet operation and solid cleaning the brand is known for, wrapped in a stainless tub that won't stink up your kitchen, all without the premium price. Plastics come out wet unless you manually crack the door, the racks slide with noticeably more resistance than higher-tier Bosch models, and recent US-made units don't match the bulletproof build quality of the older German-made machines that owners routinely ran for a decade-plus. If you want genuinely quiet performance and reliable cleaning at this price and can live with towel-drying your Tupperware, it's a smart buy; if you need bone-dry results or silky-smooth racks, spend up for the 500 series or look elsewhere.