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What Brand of Kitchen Appliances Do You Depend On?
- Thread starter Huntn
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Yea I might pay more if I had it for practical features.
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I think it's funny on the one That's 70s Show the biggest appliance choice was color. Now the price range is crazy. Can go from like $500 all the way to almost $10k.
Funny enough, Bosch dishwashers (in some model lines) have 4 different handle/front panel configurations, plus the choice of finish - so for just our model there were __12__ options
Uh yeah, bc that is about a grand more than I ever even paid for a car.
Can't get my brain around those big numbers. I figure $900-$1200 max. Just a top freezer standard size fridge without frills like water/ice dispensers. Essentially what I have now but updated a little. I mean I can see in the stores now the shelving is more versatile and so forth.
A lot of the brands are now going handleless on some of their dishwashers to avoid the mis-matching handles issues if you choose different brands or lines.Funny enough, Bosch dishwashers (in some model lines) have 4 different handle/front panel configurations, plus the choice of finish - so for just our model there were __12__ options
Yes! It was pretty nice, there was: front bar type handle, hidden panel (bar was close, but not an exact match with existing appliances), recessed handle with a front panel, sculpted handle, er, one other one ... I think - we went with the sculpted handle, hidden panel, SS, it's pretty design unobtrusive / innocuous
Slightly off the subject, but as we are talking about appliances thought I would make a comment about ranges. I don't have gas availability, and there are cities here that are starting to ban natural gas on new construction. This means using an electric range/cooktop.
I recently replaced a standard electric with a GE induction range. Cost a bloody fortune but the extended warranty for a failing Samsung range reimbursed me for its cost so I was able to justify it. It is absolutely awesome. Ceramic cooktop doesn't get as hot as a standard range does so you don't get all that burned stuff to clean off. Instant control of heat, which I guess would be the same as if it were a gas stove. Oven racks are specially treated so you can keep them in the oven when running the cleaning cycle. Bridged burners so you can heat up a roasting pan. Remove a pan from the stove and the burner automatically turns off.
Only negatives are you have to induction ready cookware, so no corningware. One really bad feature is that the electronic controls are water sensitive. So if the controls get wet or are splatter on anything can happen. I've seen a burner increase its heat from low to high. Nothing like watching every burner on the stove turn themselves on/off/on. Try to turn off a burner and the controls are unresponsive. So you have to keep your hands dry and keep the controls dry.
I recently replaced a standard electric with a GE induction range. Cost a bloody fortune but the extended warranty for a failing Samsung range reimbursed me for its cost so I was able to justify it. It is absolutely awesome. Ceramic cooktop doesn't get as hot as a standard range does so you don't get all that burned stuff to clean off. Instant control of heat, which I guess would be the same as if it were a gas stove. Oven racks are specially treated so you can keep them in the oven when running the cleaning cycle. Bridged burners so you can heat up a roasting pan. Remove a pan from the stove and the burner automatically turns off.
Only negatives are you have to induction ready cookware, so no corningware. One really bad feature is that the electronic controls are water sensitive. So if the controls get wet or are splatter on anything can happen. I've seen a burner increase its heat from low to high. Nothing like watching every burner on the stove turn themselves on/off/on. Try to turn off a burner and the controls are unresponsive. So you have to keep your hands dry and keep the controls dry.
High-end Bosch/Siemes ones work with Home Connect so you could lock the controls and control via the app
I hate to say this, but I love both natural gas water heaters and stove tops for economy and on the stove, fast and responsive heat control.
I was the same. Induction is even faster and more responsive. I am very impressed with ours. On boost mode it can heat a pan way faster than gas and heat/power drops are basically instant
Not to mention retaining the ability to cook/boil water during a blackout.
Seasonal disturbances caused by natural forces like big storms, as well as the man-made forces like the folks in California experienced because the utility companies that cover parts of the state have to shut off power to prevent wildfires?
Who wants to endure that without being able to eat or bathe with hot water? No thanks.
Been a few days and not sure how urgent your purchase was, but a few observations:
One, I really appreciated the Information from an appliance dealer in the Boston area (York Appliance?). They had a lot of comments and posted reliability based on their records. One comment that I thought useful was that Samsung is a huge seller in the US, and so they have a ton of repairs, but their repair rate is actually pretty good. However, it is important to note that like their phones, Samsung and LG through a lot of features into their fridges.
Two, we bought ournew fridge last month andwent with an LG. It is 27.8 cubic feet and seems to work well. It has french doors and two freezer drawers, which is helpful in keeping things from disappearing in the bottom of that drawer. It has a WiFi connection which I thought silly, but all I use it for is energy monitoring which is a feature I like. The only downside is I don’t think they make product in white.
Three, we ordered through Costco. If you have a membership, it is a pretty sweet deal. The standard warranty is bumped to 2 years,using the Costco credit card gave us an additional 2 years, and we spent about $100 for an extra three years, for a total of 7 years of coverage. I imagine that most issues will crop up in that time. The only downside was that it took about two weeks to arrive instead of the next day that we would have gotten with Best Buy.
If you are still in the market, good luck!
One, I really appreciated the Information from an appliance dealer in the Boston area (York Appliance?). They had a lot of comments and posted reliability based on their records. One comment that I thought useful was that Samsung is a huge seller in the US, and so they have a ton of repairs, but their repair rate is actually pretty good. However, it is important to note that like their phones, Samsung and LG through a lot of features into their fridges.
Two, we bought ournew fridge last month andwent with an LG. It is 27.8 cubic feet and seems to work well. It has french doors and two freezer drawers, which is helpful in keeping things from disappearing in the bottom of that drawer. It has a WiFi connection which I thought silly, but all I use it for is energy monitoring which is a feature I like. The only downside is I don’t think they make product in white.
Three, we ordered through Costco. If you have a membership, it is a pretty sweet deal. The standard warranty is bumped to 2 years,using the Costco credit card gave us an additional 2 years, and we spent about $100 for an extra three years, for a total of 7 years of coverage. I imagine that most issues will crop up in that time. The only downside was that it took about two weeks to arrive instead of the next day that we would have gotten with Best Buy.
If you are still in the market, good luck!
I have LPG for furnace heat and HW, but can't count the number of times I've had to fire up a camp stove out on the deck to make coffee during power outages. When Iberdrola was acquiring NYSEG there was a lot of tree trimming to prevent limbs falling on wires as used to be a frequent issue, but after the global crash for awhile there everyone was cutting corners on stuff like that so we got back to having to deal with more outages. I've got used to my old electric range but it is really old and I'm ready to switch up to gas when I replace the thing.
Yeah, I like - at least the concept - of two bottom drawers so items don't get stacked up so deep.
re: Costco, I always keep them open as a source, while we're not members, there was a couple of times even having to buy a membership would've still made the whole purchase cheaper (speculative purchase
). What I didn't know about was some of the "free" extended warranty benefits, good info!
Refrigerators:
Avoid GE refrigerators. Unless you like the idea of water filters with RFID chips. Which lock you into their expensive water filters and won't dispense water without an authorized filter. Unless they changed this practice. I'd steer clear. Also check any fridge you are considering for an RFID filter requirement.
In general modern refrigerators are unreliable. So, remember KISS (keep it simple stupid). As Scotty said "The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain." Anyways, from what I've read the simpler the fridge. The more reliable it is. I'd just get a basic side by side with ice maker and water dispenser. The ice maker housed in the freezer. Not the fancier french door style fridge where the icemaker is in a refrigerator compartment. Definitely not something with five cooling zones and the door within a door. You know those $4,000 fridges won't last as long as some $600 one.
Heck one without an ice maker or water dispenser is even better. It just sucks to make ice and pop it out of trays.
Diswasher:
I don't care much for my GE. The face panel has been cracking and falling apart. I think this whole pull open design without a handle you depress is begging for trouble. At least with the whole handle being plastic. It wouldn't have a flexing and cracking problem if it was reinforced with steel. It has also had two warranty repairs in three years.
My next dishwasher will either be the cheapest available or a used vintage one. I'm on my fourth dishwasher in ten years. All $600+, all garbage. This POS GE is the most reliable one I've had. Each one a different major brand.
Washer and Dryer:
Go to a used appliance store and buy an old fashioned washer and dryer. Keep repairing them. They work way better and faster than the modern junk and don't mold up on you. I had tried the new front loading kind and my water bill went up as repeated washes were needed and each pass took nine hours. Modern equipment also uses much thinner steel and a cheaper painting process. The end result being they rust through faster.
Gas Top Stove:
I got an Empava. It's a beautiful Italian made stove with a glass surface. It's been quite reliable, looks modern and the glass surface doesn't get all scratched up. Plus it was cheap. Before that I had a Kenmore. The POS lasted about a year before two of the gas knobs froze up. They actually locked up. The stainless steel also looked like trash after a month of cleaning the cooking surface. My only complaints about the Empava. The burners weren't adjusted properly so I had to adjust them. They have a safety shutoff which uses a thermal sensor. So, you have to leave the igniter on a few seconds until the safety is heated up and won't cut the gas.
Oven:
Couldn't say. I have a Kenmore from the early 90's. When it dies I'll repair whatever is wrong with it or perform a full rebuild. Since I am skeptical anything modern will last as long.
Small Appliances:
I got a Kitchenaid Pro series mixer. It's quite well made. I forget the model. It was the heaviest duty one. Everything else is miscellaneous cheap stuff. Including a $20 Mr Coffee Espresso maker that's held up over 15 years now.
Vacuum:
Kirby, they last forever. Fancy plastic ones may do as well in testing but they don't last a lifetime like a Kirby.
Finish:
Don't get stainless steel anything. It scratches easily and looks horrible after a while. Painted surfaces, porcelain and glass hold up much better.
Avoid GE refrigerators. Unless you like the idea of water filters with RFID chips. Which lock you into their expensive water filters and won't dispense water without an authorized filter. Unless they changed this practice. I'd steer clear. Also check any fridge you are considering for an RFID filter requirement.
In general modern refrigerators are unreliable. So, remember KISS (keep it simple stupid). As Scotty said "The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain." Anyways, from what I've read the simpler the fridge. The more reliable it is. I'd just get a basic side by side with ice maker and water dispenser. The ice maker housed in the freezer. Not the fancier french door style fridge where the icemaker is in a refrigerator compartment. Definitely not something with five cooling zones and the door within a door. You know those $4,000 fridges won't last as long as some $600 one.
Heck one without an ice maker or water dispenser is even better. It just sucks to make ice and pop it out of trays.
Diswasher:
I don't care much for my GE. The face panel has been cracking and falling apart. I think this whole pull open design without a handle you depress is begging for trouble. At least with the whole handle being plastic. It wouldn't have a flexing and cracking problem if it was reinforced with steel. It has also had two warranty repairs in three years.
My next dishwasher will either be the cheapest available or a used vintage one. I'm on my fourth dishwasher in ten years. All $600+, all garbage. This POS GE is the most reliable one I've had. Each one a different major brand.
Washer and Dryer:
Go to a used appliance store and buy an old fashioned washer and dryer. Keep repairing them. They work way better and faster than the modern junk and don't mold up on you. I had tried the new front loading kind and my water bill went up as repeated washes were needed and each pass took nine hours. Modern equipment also uses much thinner steel and a cheaper painting process. The end result being they rust through faster.
Gas Top Stove:
I got an Empava. It's a beautiful Italian made stove with a glass surface. It's been quite reliable, looks modern and the glass surface doesn't get all scratched up. Plus it was cheap. Before that I had a Kenmore. The POS lasted about a year before two of the gas knobs froze up. They actually locked up. The stainless steel also looked like trash after a month of cleaning the cooking surface. My only complaints about the Empava. The burners weren't adjusted properly so I had to adjust them. They have a safety shutoff which uses a thermal sensor. So, you have to leave the igniter on a few seconds until the safety is heated up and won't cut the gas.
Oven:
Couldn't say. I have a Kenmore from the early 90's. When it dies I'll repair whatever is wrong with it or perform a full rebuild. Since I am skeptical anything modern will last as long.
Small Appliances:
I got a Kitchenaid Pro series mixer. It's quite well made. I forget the model. It was the heaviest duty one. Everything else is miscellaneous cheap stuff. Including a $20 Mr Coffee Espresso maker that's held up over 15 years now.
Vacuum:
Kirby, they last forever. Fancy plastic ones may do as well in testing but they don't last a lifetime like a Kirby.
Finish:
Don't get stainless steel anything. It scratches easily and looks horrible after a while. Painted surfaces, porcelain and glass hold up much better.
I'm with you on the washer dryer thing. As I mentioned earlier I have a oder GE top loading washer, one from the late 90s... and if something goes wrong with it I'll dig up the planet's last remaining repairman and revive him to fix the washer.
Don't care as much about the dryer but it was bought at the same time and is fine, no rust or anything. The pair is up on sturdy plywood decking in my cellar and they have been well behaved all this time.
Meanwhile my sister and her SO have seen two sets of washers come and go in the past five years, front loading things that are Samsung or LG... they don't care for them... they are in these huge cabinets too. They don't always seem to clean the clothes very well so they get rewashed to get them how they should have been the first time.
But I don't know if GE stuff is made well any more either. Waiting to see what my kin's next adventure will bring them in that department. They are my beta testers lol. I hope I can still find a good top loader if I have to replace my machine sometime. Around here the used appliances get shopped out pretty fast.
Of all the appliances I use daily (other than the refrigerator, stove or dishwasher), the #1 appliance I use at least once a day is:
Breville Smart Oven with super convection # BOV9000BSS
Best $400 spent - currently on my second unit - I use it so much the first one broke in less than a year, but got it replaced under warranty.
Cooks, heats, bakes, air fry, proof, dehydrate, broil, toast in less time than other appliances.
Breville Smart Oven with super convection # BOV9000BSS
Best $400 spent - currently on my second unit - I use it so much the first one broke in less than a year, but got it replaced under warranty.
Cooks, heats, bakes, air fry, proof, dehydrate, broil, toast in less time than other appliances.
If you have the space. Consider finding another of the same model or very similar of you washer at a used appliance store. To use for parts. I did that by accident when the drive train failed on mine. I kept the old one for parts and it's save me already by not having to wait for parts to ship. It'll also be useful for hard to find parts.
As for the dryer. I'd expect your old dryer is better built than a new one. When the motor went out on mine last year. I went ahead and changed the belt, rollers and gaskets. Basically a rebuild. Works just like new. Mostly what goes out on these are the thermal fuses and heating coils in electric units.
GE isn't too impressive. Nor is anyone else for that matter. They don't want to. With so many brands owned by so few manufactures. Even if lets say Whirlpool leaves a bad taste in your mouth. There's a good chance you'll buy a Maytag, KitcheAid, Amana, JennAir, &c. So, they still get your money.
Pretty much the only way you'll get something good is to buy a commercial grade product. Get something old which is well made. Buy an ultra premium brand like SubZero or Wolf. My pocketbook likes something old which is well made.
lol that's always been my way of getting my next car. something old and well cared for.
Like getting a mechanic to look over a prospective used car though, you have to test appliances if you're going to buy them used. I know someone who nearly electrocuted himself by unwittingly buying an old fridge with a short in it from a used appliance store. He stuck it in his half-renovated kitchen just temporarily, it was parked not far from the range.... he opened the door of the oven to check on a steak he was broiling, decided to reach into the fridge for some A1 sauce, brushed the side of the fridge and it promptly grabbed him, took all his strength to break the connection and get loose from the thing. Whew... the fridge that tried to eat the chef!
Honestly the Kalamazoo electric range from the late 40s or early 1950s that i have in my kitchen has been amazing all these years since I had my nephew and bro-in-law bring it over here from the farm in the mid-80s. They tested the circuits of course and i still test it frequently. Still i'm not sure the oven holds an even temperature all that well any more, or not enough to trust it to bake breads or cakes properly, so it gets light duty except for plate warming, casseroles and broiling some fish or garlic bread etc. "Still going"...
Kalamazoo was a super reliable brand but there was a lot of competition for electric and gas ranges ramping up after WWII, and by the mid 50s they were out of business. So they did manage to evolve from their earlier woodburning and coal models but their likely continued focus on the high quality that had sustained them for so long with the wood/coal ranges probably finished them off in the more competitive arena for the newer tech.
All of my kitchen appliances have stainless steel finishes. Never had any problems even as the decade mark approaches.