Whirlpool WDT720PADM Dishwasher Review And Guide

Selecting a dishwasher can be an incredibly daunting task, whether it’s for your home or business use. Fortunately, the Whirlpool Gold WDT720PADM dishwasher makes that decision a lot easier for you.

Are you looking for a dishwasher that will clean your dishes the first time around? One that will handle silverware without leaving pieces of last night’s dinner all over it? One that will fit into your small kitchen?

This Whirlpool is a relatively inexpensive dishwasher that stands up to many higher-end machines. Owners of the WDT720PADM love that it runs relatively quietly and does an excellent job for the money.

They either hate or mildly dislike its drying feature. Yet mostly they enjoy that their dishwasher does what it’s supposed to: clean dishes with minimal hassle.

This Whirlpool model doesn’t seek to impress with an extensive list of features, but the essentials are there. It’s also remarkably cheap for what it is — a sleek-looking machine that will do a tedious and mundane chore for you.

Looking for other options from the Whirlpool dishwasher line? Then check out review of the best Whirlpool dishwashers.

Design and Features of the Whirlpool WDT720PADM

Key Features:

• Cycle Memory
• Soil Sensor
• In-Door Silverware Basket
• No One Has Fewer Repairs 20 Years in a Row

The WDT720PADM’s interior is entirely plastic. It features an adjustable upper rack and tines. These make your job of jigsawing all your dirty dishes inside much more manageable.The unit measures 24 inches wide, and 33 inches tall, as well as 25-inches deep. The exterior of this built-in dishwasher is stainless steel, which makes it easy to keep clean.

Pros

• Cost-efficient and cheaper than other models
• Features a cutlery tray to offer more space
• Built with a dedicated sprayer for silverware

Cons

• Unit has a manual filter
• Outdated compared to newer models
• Warranty of the product is that good

Who doesn’t hate dealing with silverware?

Perhaps the most delightful feature of the WDT720PADM is the cutlery basket. This may seem like a strange statement, but it’s true.If you hate fumbling with your silverware, you’ll fall in love. As with traditional cutlery baskets, it loads from the top. However, the WDT720PADM’s basket also opens up so you can load it from the side.Since we can reasonably assume that most people hate touching the tops of their dirty silverware to load or unload it into the basket, this is a perk that is beneficial no matter who you are. The basket is also removable in case you need extra space.Speaking of silverware, your forks and knives need to be clean, right? The WDT720PADM concentrates water directly on your cutlery.In other words, dried-on food is less of a problem for your spoons and other items.

Convenience is key

The WDT720PADM isn’t the most feature-packed dishwasher in the multiverse, but all the essentials are there. You can delay your load by up to 24 hours so you can run it during off-peak hours.It also has hidden touch-sensitive controls, a status light, and a child lock. These features make sure that your dishes wash when you want them to and that no one gets in the way of that happening.The Soil Sensor detects how dirty your dishes are and adjusts the Normal cycle for maximum cleanliness.According to Whirlpool’s website, this kicks in during the prewash of the sensor cycle. It will measure the size of your load and how dirty it is and adjust the settings to accommodate that particular level of filth.The Heat Dry feature saves you the trouble of doing it yourself. However, some customers report that the top rack doesn’t thoroughly dry at times.The WDT720PADM also gives you the option of a final high-temperature rinse to kill bacteria.The WDT720PADM can hold up to 15 place settings. You’re not going to have many issues with space if you wash your dishes regularly.The adjustable racks and fold-down tines allow you to cram in additional dishes or accommodate for odd-shaped ones.To top it all off, it remembers your last cycle to save you time and effort fiddling with the controls.

The Performance of the WDT720PADM Dishwasher

While the WDT720PADM does a decent job of cleaning caked-on food from silverware, it doesn’t exactly handle dishes as well as one would hope based on customer reviews.Many customers report issues with redeposit (another term for when washed-off pieces of food appear on otherwise clean dishes). This issue occurs most often on the normal cycle. Yet redeposit still occurs on heavy cycle.Also, some food stains may be left behind after some washes. You might find yourself rinsing part of your load in the sink or scraping dishes and pans before you load them into the WDT720PADM.

The 1-Hour Wash feature allows you to give your dishes a quick rinse, but performance is noticeably worse than Normal.This mode is best for cleaning up right after lunch rather than for anything that has been sitting out.

Image from Whirlpool website

The WDT720PADM is moderately efficient. It won’t win any prizes, but it’s not going to be a massive strain on your electric bill. Additionally, energy costs for this Whirlpool are average.

It’s not the quietest machine, but it also doesn’t sound like a construction site just popped up in your kitchen either.At 51 decibels, it makes you aware that it is doing its job. It’s louder than average, but it’s not going to ruin family movie night.

Benefits and Drawbacks of WDT720PADM

The cost is hard to argue. From what we have gathered, you can pick one up from Sears Outlet for an affordable price.

Elsewhere, you can find it for a premium price. This Whirlpool dishwasher will do a fantastic job for the price. As previously mentioned, the versatile cutlery tray and silverware spray are huge perks.

The WDT720PADM is an excellent midrange machine. While it doesn’t have a lot of “extras,” it does what it does exactly as well as you would expect it to for the price tag.

It’s also designed, engineered, and assembled in the USA.As was mentioned, the cutlery tray is very accommodating as it allows dealing with your forks, knives, sporks, and spoons with minimal hassle.The sprayer dedicated to your silverware is also nice because rewashing all of it after the dishwasher has already run is a massive pain.

Image from Whirlpool website

Just like some of the models from the Frigidaire dishwasher line, one of the most significant drawbacks of the WDT720PADM is the manual filter. Did we mention it has a manual filter? One that you have to clean regularly?

Many newer dishwashers have removed that unpleasant task from our lives, but this Whirlpool makes sure that you remember the good old days.The warranty is also disappointing. Whirlpool covers labor, parts, racks, electronics, tub and door liner — but only for up to one year. After that, you’re spending money on parts and repairs.As was previously mentioned, the drying feature does not work quite as well as you probably would want. In fact, based on reviews, you can reasonably expect it to stop drying dishes at all at some point.

The Verdict

If you don’t mind the obvious flaws and are realistic about what to expect for the price, you’ll be thrilled with the WDT720PADM.

It isn’t feature-packed, it isn’t flashy. It sometimes leaves bits of food behind and isn’t the best at drying dishes.

But at the same time, it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, and it does a decent job at everything it does. It isn’t overly loud and cleans a good number of dishes at once. It does a great job on your silverware and doesn’t suck up your electricity budget.

The drawbacks are not viewed as too big a negative by customers on Whirlpool’s website, where almost 90 percent of ratings are four or five stars out of five.

Customers rate quality, design, ease of use, features, innovation, performance, sound levels, and capacity all at 4.5 or above, on average. Although, if you’re looking for a Wi-Fi enabled powerhouse of a dishwasher that will do everything perfectly, this isn’t it.

If you don’t mind dealing with a little leftover food now and again, lightly scrubbing your dishes before you load the machine, and cleaning a filter occasionally, the WDT720PADM is well worth its weight in gold.

This Whirlpool dishwasher isn’t the best. But it’s not remotely close to the worst. If you’re aware of its quirks, it’s a product that will do its job for you and look good doing it. You just might need to help out with the dishes a bit from time to time.