Household Appliances

[galaxy]

So I'm redoing my kitchen and don't know a whole lot about appliances. Replacing everything; fridge, stove, microwave, and dishwasher. Shopping for appliances is about like shopping for a mattress...there's just too much out there and waaaay too many brands, models, and options. Looking to spend about $5-6K total on all four pieces. Is there a good brand to go with or a good store to get it all from? I'd like to stick with one brand for simplicity and matching appearance/theme. Stainless. Thanks for any help.

Sponsored

 

[import111]

I am a Whirlpool fan myself.

 

[Litenin75]

Whirlpool, Maytag and KitchenAid are the same company. KitchenAid is the top of the line. That being said I have all Maytag appliances and they have been great.

 

[2016Gruv]

I recently went through the process of researching and buying all new appliances for my remodeled kitchen. I also agree there's value to maintaining continuity of having appliances from the same brand and series.

What I discovered is that no one brand is the best at everything. Some are known for making great refrigerators, or excellent ovens, or dishwashers. Whatever product they have a good reputation for building, their other products are usually average. That may be an over-simplification, but it's the upshot in my opinion.

I also learned to take with a grain of salt the awards for buyer satisfaction. For example, Samsung and LG have great reputations for the refrigerators and, at the time I was buying, won top awards for owner satisfaction. I found out the award was based on initial satisfaction surveys, meaning people were polled when their appliances were still new. Beyond a year or so, satisfaction went way down.

I also researched reliability by speaking to service techs/repair centers and how responsive companies are to warranty work. Not only are parts very difficult to get on some brands (Samsung & LG), I was also told techs hated working on those two brands. That, by itself, doesn't mean you shouldn't still consider those brands, but just something to be aware of.

I suggest nailing down the features you need and don't get bogged down by all the fancy bells & whistles. Then look at appliances that meet your needs, size constraints, and within your price range. Read owner reviews and talk to techs who have experience working on the brands on your short list. Once you know which brand and models you're going with, ask several places to put a package together and to give their best price. I got a great price through Home Depot initially. It got even better when the kitchen designer said she'd put it through their "bid" process to see if they'd come down even more. They did.

By the way, I went with GE because they had the fewest issues with parts availability and repair. They make great ranges/ovens. Even though my GE refrigerator and dishwasher are new, look great, and have more options, I must admit the Whirlpool dishwasher and refrigerator they replaced worked better in some regards.

 

[Chef jpd]

I just renovated my kitchen. I went with the best of each appliance and chose different brands.
Bosch dishwasher
Kenmore elite fridge
Kitchen aid stove
LG microwave.

All are stainless and do not look the least out of place.

 

[galaxy]

Awesome inputs. Thanks guys. I'm not a good cook and don't enjoy it at all, so I'm not treating this project like I'd treat the car, LOL. My sister has done well on appliances at Home Depot as well. Is Sears worth a shot? Or like anything else, try shopping around?

Compared to what I have now, ANY thing and ANY brand is going to be an improvement. This house came with the most baseline average products you could get.

 

[Cobra Jet]

Stay away from Frigidaire...

We went with all GE stainless steel components when we remodeled our kitchen back in 2008 or so... Fridge/freezer, 5-burner gas oven, microwave and dishwasher. We did a complete gut and redo of the kitchen, only thing we didn’t touch was the floor.

Fast forward to 2018, the only minor problems we have with the GE components:

1) Dishwasher will not dry when “Heated Dry” button is selected. I’ve already replaced the heating element with a brand new one, still a no go. I’ve checked to make sure water temp was up to spec, it has no mechanic vent system, so I know the vent is clear too. The only other thing it might be is a faulty circuit board on the control panel. Other than that, all other functions work 100%.

2) Side by side fridge/freezer combo; the external cold water dispenser on the freezer door, the internal water line will sometimes freeze. I already have a system down on how to thaw it, so it’s really not an issue per se, it can just be annoying when it happens 1x or 2x in a year.

—

Any tips for getting dishwasher to dry again? LOL!

 

[Redcruzer]

All important is to get measurements of the locations your appliances will go. There's no standard size between manufactures. For example a Samsung fridge we just bought was 35 3/4 inches wide and the whole Kitchen Aid line is 36. The Kitchen Aid was to wide. So had to go with the Samsung unit. Same will apply to anything built in to a cabnet. Do your homework.

 

[carcinoid]

Take a look at Costco. We got Whirlpool everything in the kitchen. We ended up buying from a locally owned store but only because they matched the prices. Costco comes with free pickup and delivery, installation, and they extend the warranty past what the factory recommends.

 

[vernonator]

For dishwasher go Bosch...ours is 13yrs old and is as quiet as the day it was installed. Cleans VERY well and is so quiet its easy to open in up while its running without knowing.

Sponsored