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Bottoms up! Thermador’s latest dishwasher specializes in washing glasses

Got $2,400 for a dishwasher designed specifically for lots of glasses? Thermador has one to sell you — as well as an even more expensive model for general use.

Both the $2,399 Glass Care Center and the $2,799 Star Sapphire dishwashers are part of Thermador’s new Radiance Collection of luxury kitchen appliances. Both support the Thermador Connected Experience by Home Connect, one of several smart kitchen apps introduced earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and the Kitchen and Bath International Show in Orlando, Florida.

Why should you spend so much on a dishwasher when the top choice in our best dishwashers roundup, the GE GDT655SMJES, goes for a mere $699? Because Thermador says these new appliances have groundbreaking features.

The Glass Care Center, for example, caters to entertainers who want extra help cleaning up after parties. Thermador says it can handle all manner of glassware, “from beer steins to cocktail glasses to champagne flutes.” A gentle cycle and a no-slip, soft rubber lower rack are designed to minimize breakage opportunities.

The Glass Care Center can hold up to 26 large wine glasses, which Thermador says is the industry’s largest capacity for such stemware. The upper rack can accommodate small plates, cutlery, and bar tools.

The Star Sapphire, meanwhile, boasts StarDry with Zeolite, drying technology that Thermador says is exclusive to its latest dishwashers and provides the most powerful dishwasher drying available. After the drying cycle, an additional step utilizes zeolite: a naturally occurring substance that generates heat when in contact with moisture.

The unit’s Star Speed setting offers a 20-minute hot-water cycle that Thermador says is the industry’s fastest. And the Star Sapphire is no slouch in the glassware department either, capable of holding up to 24 goblets.

The Star Sapphire can also contribute to a kitchen’s ambiance through its Star Glow lighting system, which you can set to illuminate the appliance in your choice of six different levels of blue and white. You can choose additional interior lighting colors using the Thermador Connected Experience app.

Customers can use the app to remotely start either dishwasher. The Connected Experience app also provides glassware care tips and information on wine pairings.

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Denny Arar
A longtime PC World/TechHive editor and contributor, Denny Arar (a.k.a. Yardena Arar) has also written for The New York…
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