ProductReportCard Editors' In-Depth Review
Specifications
Cleaning Technology
The Maytag® Jetclean® Plus Dishwasher (MDB7749SA) features a 2X Life motor, which is the most powerful motor among leading brands in the industry and has double the life expectancy. To ensure a superior cleaning performance, the dishwasher has a 5-level direct washing system with 2 spray arms and uses sensor technology. The sensor technology detects load size and soil level to adjust the cleaning cycle automatically. It also has a self-cleaning filter with 4 stainless steel blades that dispose of food particles to keep the water clean and prevent debris from clogging the wash system and spray jets. The MDB7749SA is also ENERGY STAR® qualified and uses about 294 kWh/year. Maytag estimates it could cost about $31 per year to run (estimate based on an electric water heater, 4 wash loads per week and average electricity costs from 2007).
The MDB7749SA features sensorR technology and a 5-level direct wash system with 2 spray arms.
Credit: Mary Griffin
In terms of wash cycles, the MDB7749SA offers a total of 6 cycles including "JetClean® Plus Steam" (heaviest), "Auto Clean", "Normal", "Light", "Quick Wash" and "Rinse Only". "JetClean® Plus Steam" uses high pressure jets to clean dishes and then steams them to finish cleaning and also reduce spots on glasses. The "Auto Clean" cycle uses the dishwasher's sensor technology to automatically set the correct time, temperature and fills based on the size and soil level of that particular load. The MDB7749SA also has 3 options that you can add to the "JetClean® Plus Steam", "Auto Clean" or "Normal" wash cycles including "ToughScrub™", "Hi Temp Wash" and/or "Steam Sanitize". The "ToughScrub™" option adds heat, water and an extra 5 minutes to the cycle, while the "Hi Temp Wash" option adds heat, water and an extra 10 minutes to the cycle. The "Steam Sanitize" option adds a 30-minute NSF® certified sanitization stage to the cycle that uses 154°F water in the final rinse to destroy 99.9% of bacteria. After the wash, the MDB7749SA defaults to a "Heated Dry", but you have the option to turn it off if you are washing any plastic dishware or utensils that might be damaged by the heat.
There are a total of 6 wash cycles and 3 options, as well as a "Heated Dry" option that can be turned on or off.
Credit: Mary Griffin
Rack System
The Maytag® Jetclean® Plus Dishwasher (MDB7749SA) has a traditional 2-tier rack storage system designed with Duraguard® nylon racks for enhanced durability. The upper rack is adjustable and offers as much as 9" of overhead space to accommodate tall glasses or bowls. It also has a foldable cup shelf on the right-hand side and fixed bowl tines down the middle. The lower rack has fixed tines and offers about 13" of overhead space, which Maytag says can fit at least two lasagna pans (9" x 13") vertically. To offer more loading flexibility, the Split & Fit™ silverware basket is designed to break apart into two halves, so you can remove one or adjust their positions anywhere on the lower rack to accommodate more dishes.
The MDB7749SA features 2 levels of Duraguard® nylon racks with 1 Split & Fit™ silverware basket.
Credit: Mary Griffin
Features
The Maytag® Jetclean® Plus Dishwasher (MDB7749SA) has a tall tub design that can accommodate up to 14 place settings. In addition to fighting corrosion, its 100% stainless steel tub also helps to shorten drying time because it has higher heat retention and is more effective at reducing water spots on glass or plastic containers. The dishwasher has a touchpad control panel on the front of the machine where you can program, start or stop cycles and check the status of a cycle (stages include: "Wash", "Dry", "Clean", "Sanitize"). You can also delay the start of a cycle by 2, 4 or 8 hours. Insulated with all-around sound absorbers, the MDB7749SA is moderately quiet with a decibel level of about 53 dB.
The dishwasher features Maytag's Seal of Silence that uses specially designed sound absorbers all around the dishwasher.
Credit: Mary Griffin
Exterior Style
The Maytag® Jetclean® Plus (MDB7749SA) is a standard-size, built-in dishwasher with a front control panel. It has a smooth, flat door and is available in 4 different finishes including Stainless Steel (MDB7749SAM), Black (MDB7749SAB), Bisque (MDB7749SAQ) and White (MDB7749SAW).
The dishwasher is available in 4 different finishes including a Bisque, Black, White and Stainless Steel.
Credit: Mary Griffin
Brand Reputation
Maytag (as a brand) received good marks in terms of overall customer satisfaction (3/5) in a 2014 JD Power & Associates survey related to customer satisfaction with different dishwasher manufacturers. Maytag dishwashers also received average ratings in a 2013 Consumer Reports Annual Product Reliability survey. In the survey, Consumer Reports found Maytag dishwashers to be the 4th most repair-prone dishwashers among major brands (tied with GE and KitchenAid). While there were only a few customers of the MDB7749SA that reported repair issues (mainly with the control panel), we still feel that overall brand reliability is an important factor to keep in mind when you are shopping. In general, we think this is an excellent dishwasher for the price and would recommend buying it along with an extended warranty (just in case). It does come with a 1-year limited warranty on parts & labor for the entire unit and a 10-year limited warranty on parts for certain components including the racks, stainless steel tub, and chopper. Whirlpool also offers a 30-day 100% satisfaction guarantee.
User Feedback
The Maytag® Jetclean® Plus Dishwasher with 100% Stainless Steel Tub Interior (MDB7749SA) has received very good reviews from customers online including a 4.6/5 on Maytag.com (359 reviews), 4.4/5 on HomeDepot.com (145 reviews) and a 4.6/5 on Lowes.com (390 reviews). 90% of Home Depot customers and 93% of Lowe's customers said they would recommend the dishwasher to a friend. Overall, customers were very happy with the dishwasher's cleaning performance, style, durability and energy efficiency. While a front control panel isn't typically considered to be the most stylish design, some customers may find that they prefer it to a concealed panel because it is more convenient to use and easier to check the status of the cycle. Customers were also generally pleased with the machine's moderate noise level (53 dB), but there were a few customers who felt it was relatively noisy, which is something to consider if you are particularly sensitive to noise.
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