This is like asking, what is a good automobile!
Blue collar worker, looking for dependable....appliances. So looking for stuff above basic/cheap, maybe in stainless. Have had many brands, not real impressed with Maytag, so I'll eliminate it.
Need electric stove, fridge, & DW. Got an over the range GE s/s microwave, which I've been happy with.
What brands would you recommend?
I'm buying Stove and dishwasher and carpet right now for the wife. When the kids leave the house they want to redo everything,,
It depends on what brand you want. and What you want to spend. wife wants this whrillpool smooth top which is $1400 mine is a drop in and I got to cut my granet counter top which is another $300.. Sears has good deal on a dishwasher $399 Kenmore it was made by whrillpool it has the stainless insides and other bells and whistels the wife wanted..
Just shop the stores lowes best buy Depot and local mom and pops. remember you find one others will match it case you like a certin store.
I buy my appliances at a local "no Mom, just Pop" store with a real fancy name: The Appliance Store
The owner has an inner-city warehouse where he stocks his goods (new and used) and mostly sells used appliances. He also has a no frills store front in the burbs where the vast majority of the appliances are new, with a small back room of used stuff.
His prices are just about always better than everyone else's and when they're not, he makes them so. There's no sales BS. He tells you about the features, including which ones are worth the money and which ones are just expensive fluff. He always clears up who makes which brands, which units are entry level, mid level, etc. and why. Metal this compared to plastic that, etc.
I bought my dryer on a Saturday. He said he could deliver it on Monday: to my house for $25 or to the store for free. When I offered to go to his warehouse and pick it up myself that day, he took $20 off the price.
I bought my dishwasher on a Friday night. He dropped it off at my house Saturday morning while he was making his morning run from the warehouse to his store, no charge. He wouldn't even take a tip...but I did refill his coffee cup.
I don't need fancy show rooms or pushy sale's dweeps. I just want a decent appliance at a decent price and to work with an honest person. Is that too much to ask for?
Perhaps cheap stainless does but ours has been really good that way. There seems to be some coating on the stainless but it's hard to tell.
We have a Kenmore smooth-top electric range, very happy. Not impressed with SS, shows every fingerprint too easily.
reply:
Installed a Kenmore double oven and dishwasher yesterday. Ovens SS, DW black. Not sure about the fingerprint issue. Have a LG French door fridge/freezer that's SS. It gets fingerprints on it, but we like to use it, and I don't mind the fingerprint marks. I much prefer that to having it shiny all the time, looking like an unused showroom model. As an aside, I did look at their nice looking SS barbecues, and nearly bought one. But the maintenence just to keep it marginally decent looking would have been too much. Got a Vermont Castings instead, and really like it. Time to disassemble and thoroughly clean that one though.
Steve
I saw you have an electric cooktop. We got a 42" Bosch with the huge middle burner, and one simmer burner, 5 in all, and I love it. We got the black, and it is easy to clean, too. We had to convert to propane, but that was a no brainer, seeing how little I like electric cooking.
Steve
If it is brushed stainless it won't show fingerprints, that is only polished stainless and who would want that?
Brushed stainless sure does show fingerprints, but the trick is to clean the surface, then apply some Pledge and buff off. Seriously, works like a charm - it makes the surface much more fingerprint- resistant.
nate
Brushed stainless sure does show fingerprints, but the trick is to clean the surface, then apply some Pledge and buff off. Seriously, works like a charm - it makes the surface much more fingerprint- resistant.
nate
Will keep that in mind. Woulda never thought of Pledge. Thanks, nate. I noticed yesterday during install that the brushed does definitely take fingerprints, but I already noticed that on the LG fridge. I'm not really fussy about fingerprint marks, as long as they're within reason.
I remember people who used to cover their furniture with that clear plastic in the 60's. It was hideous looking, and hot to sit on. And it made a crinkly sound. I always thought people who had that stuff were a little over the top obsessive, and hardly wanted to sit down, lest I may leave a germ or fingerprint. And I always envisioned the lady of the house getting out the respirator mask and industrial strength disinfectants right after I left and giving the chair a thorough what's for.
We're not slobs, but we live in our house and use it, fingerprints and all.
Steve
Oh, I hear ya... I never hardly bothered, it seemed to get done at my last place whenever the trash can (also brushed stainless) started to look too shabby. which was about every 6 mos. or so. The fingerprints really didn't bother me greatly, but since the Pledge kept them from being so noticeable, I went ahead and did it. I think I found a suggestion to use it online, tried it, and found that it really did work.
nate
Well I NEVER BUY ANYTHING FROM SEARS THAT MIGHT REQUIRE SERVICE!!!!!!!
My mom died, in selling her home I called sears to get her furnace with air serviced....
Same tech did both.
They charged the travel charge twice. then discounted the 2nd travel charge by 1/2 just for the tech to change tool kits.
This is a rip off.
I vote with my feet and didnt buy anything from sears that might EVER need service
I still shopped for tools at sears, till I got caught in a SLOW moving line while the cashier pushed credit cards, when she repeatedly tried to push me into one I said call the manager! I asked him are you a merchant or a credit card provider? then i answered for him and said heres my carrt of stuff valued at over 700 bucks you can put it back.......
besides craftsman tools arent as good, they rust easily.
I rarely shop for ANYTHING at sears, and have heard rumors they are close to going out of business
Not positive about the brands, but the smooth top electric ranges are to be avoided according to most prior posts on the subject. Someday (next week, next year) it will break and you'll just about have to buy a new stove.
My only impression of brands is high-end vs middle. Of the middle-priced ones, they are virtually interchangeable in function and useful life. Your choice, therefore, may depend on esthetics rather than dependability.
If you have natural gas available, most cooks prefer it over electric. It's range of temperatures is vastly superior to that of an electric.
I've been very happy with Kitchen Aid brand over the years. Whirlpool family brands seem to be a bit better than Frigidaire family brands.
The local stores can be very competitive on price these days, and are more willing to wheel and deal if you buy more than one appliance. Service is generally far better too.
Start with Consumers Reports. They've got repair stats from thousands of owners, many brands, models and types. Interesting that some of the high-end brands have the worst repair history. I ended up using all GE Profile appliances for a new house 7 years ago -- washer, dryer, fridge, dishwasher, stove, oven and microwave. No repairs needed so far except for a door seal on the washer. Went with white finish and stainless for the stove top; no regrets. One bonus is the low noise level for the Profile line. We noticed that with the fridge, dishwasher, washer and dryer.
Tomsic
Derby Dad, what state/city is that place? I looked on-line and found Appliance Stores in several states & cities. Sounds like a great way to do busines. But -- do you get the usual warranties? And what happens if you need service?
TIA
HB
When we bought our last appliances (laundry and kitchen) our local "real appliance store" had all the major brands, knowledgeable sales people who could answer all our questions, an inhouse service department, and price within dollars of the "big box" stores that didn't know anything, and have no service.
Add to that their extended 5 year warranty with a 50% money back warranty - if there are no warranty claims within the warrranty period you get half the cost of the warranty back.
Can't beat that, and they've been in business since the early 1900s.
I have been happy with GE or Whirlpool brand. I always get what I can tackle for repairs. The more bells and whistles the more trouble it seems. This house contains all Whirlpool in the kitchen and laundry room. After 15 years or so no major repair was need on any.
If you don't have NG available, propane can be a good alternative. We had it put in about 25 years ago. I hated electric for the first few years we lived here.
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