LG DISHWASHER INVERTER DIRECT/DRIVE MODEL LDS4821ST

LG Dishwasher

Inverter DirectDrive Model LDS4821ST

Written by: Diane Johnson.

Our dishwasher had bit the dust. My
husband and I kicked the machine to the curb and headed out in search of a
hard-working, peaceful, and pretty appliance.

We had a hefty set of requirements for a new dishwasher:

• Able to handle heavy loads of dishes in a single wash
• Durable enough to endure multiple dishwashing marathons a
  day
• Tender enough to clean a delicate wineglass amidst greasy
  pans
• Quiet enough that our neighbors who lived three houses down
  could sleep at night
• Pretty enough you wouldn’t think it could handle such abuse

After scouring every store that carried appliances within a
four-city radius, we found the LG Dishwasher Inverter DirectDrive LDS4821ST.

The LG LDS4821ST has four wash cycles:

• Power Scrub, for the baked on chicken wings
• Normal, for everyday breakfast, lunch, and light-dinner grime
• Quick wash, which is a shorter cycle
• Rinse, for the times my kids remember to put their dishes in
  the dishwasher, but forget to pre-rinse.

LG uses a Hybrid Condensing Drying System. In other words,
instead of using a heating element on which to melt unwanted plastic
containers, LG rinses the dishes in hot water, then a fan kicks in and
circulates the hot air, drying the dishes quicker and leaving them
speckle-free.

You can stuff a 16-piece place setting in this work horse. A
special feature that is not listed on any of the appliances information sheets
is the happy tune that plays when a load of dishes is done.

The LG wraps a slew of features into a sleek, stainless
steel package…even the tub is stainless steel.

PROS:

• Quiet
• Cleans and (if you choose) sanitizes dishes to “the in-laws
  are coming” suitability
• Endures long dishwashing marathons
• Can adjust the upper basket adding more room for items below
  or above.
• Rinse Aid warning light – a little sunburst appears when the
  rinse aid is low or out.

CONS:

• The power button is on the front panel. A few times my kids have leaned over
  and turned off the machine mid-wash.
• Bowls don’t fit as tightly, but it appears most dishwashers
  have pretty much the same rack styles
• The bottom rack when fully loaded doesn’t always slide
  smoothly in. It’s not that big of an issue, but one that I feel I should
  mention.
• It can take a while to wash, but it’s so quiet I don’t mind.

All in all, the LG LDS4821ST has fulfilled all the
requirements we set out to find. And, at Home Depot for $650, it was less than
our $800 budget.