Need appliance recommendations

[bj taylor]

i would recommend paying for the warranty where they come to the house & fix whatever whenever. i have used that several times - mainly w/the refrigerator (ice maker going out). i think the dishwasher lasts better if it has a stainless steel interior.
if i could pick a cook top, it would be gas (you can instantly control the temp), i would be very mindful of the size of the cooking eye. one needs to be big enough for big pots & canning.
for the sink, i would pick one that had a large basin that would hold a big pan & a small section for the food washing & disposal section. sinks are touchy - make sure you pick a type that doesn't scratch easily.
if i could pick, i would have a double oven. the times when two ovens in use is seldom - but when you need it (parties, Christmas, celebrations), two are indispensable.
if you can, put a refrig in the garage for quantities of water, meats, big buys. i use mine all the time.

like w/vehicles or other machines, pick known names that can be serviced readily. a great buy isn't one if you can't get it worked on or get parts when you need to.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

oh, i didn't even think about the sink! we happen to luck out and found an awesome deal through Craigslist when we were working on our kitchen over a year ago. we spent $30 for a sink that hadn't been used for whatever reason. when my friend the master plumber came to install it for us he had to keep asking 'the guy was only asking $30 for it?!' i guess it was a high end brand that new could go for over $200 since it is a nice thick gauge steel. i agree with BJ that you definitely want one that has the deep basin for the taller cook pots to fit in. i'd suggest a middle of the road priced sink, not one of the cheaper sinks.

 

[curly_kate]

I was thinking about an apron front sink, but I have a Consumer Reports that says stainless is really the only durable sink material. I don't want stainless for an apron front, so that saves us about $500 right there!

 

[seedcorn]

I recommend, visit with dealers who have been in business for a while. Buy the dealer, not the name. Good dealer equals good appliances.

Ours is notorious Maytag man. Not because of brand name but because him. It breaks, wife knows to call him, not me. His job to make sure wife is happy! Costs a little more but not near as much as the down time, parts, aggravation of making a 20 minute repair into a all day job. We're talking $50/appliance. If life is 10 years, what are we talking? $5/year.

 

[peteyfoozer]

I put a Maytag dishwasher in my house in California in 1983 and it was still working fine when we sold the house in 2008! They may not make the quality now that they had then, but I was always amazed at what a trooper that thing was!

 

[wsmoak]

We've had good luck with Whirlpool Gold appliances.

I did NOT like the Bosch dishwasher we bought... very hard to load efficiently, nothing wanted to fit, and it was loud.

Oh, and don't let your DH talk you into a fridge with a bottom drawer freezer. No one I've talked to likes theirs, and invariably it was the husband who insisted on it. The drawers don't slide, the icemaker spills cubes out all over the floor, and it's very inconvenient to get stuff in and out. I want my side-by-side fridge back!

-Wendy

 

[curly_kate]

We have a bottom freezer now, and it is annoying! This fridge came with the trailer where we live now, so at least I didn't pay for it. I kind of think we'll need a side-by-side because of the size of the space for the fridge in the kitchen layout. DH doesn't get why I think about stuff like that, but if it doesn't look right, I KNOW it's going to bug me! His cousin is giving us a gas stove and it's stainless. I was thinking I could get white fridge & dishwasher because they are cheaper, but now I realize it will annoy me to have them different colors. Guess it's better for me to figure that out now instead of AFTER I start buying stuff!

 

[catjac1975]

I felt the same way about my bottom freezer until I got a side by side. It is a pretty big one. But, when you have a party the shelves are not big enough for party sized platters. Never again.!

We have a bottom freezer now, and it is annoying! This fridge came with the trailer where we live now, so at least I didn't pay for it. I kind of think we'll need a side-by-side because of the size of the space for the fridge in the kitchen layout. DH doesn't get why I think about stuff like that, but if it doesn't look right, I KNOW it's going to bug me! His cousin is giving us a gas stove and it's stainless. I was thinking I could get white fridge & dishwasher because they are cheaper, but now I realize it will annoy me to have them different colors. Guess it's better for me to figure that out now instead of AFTER I start buying stuff!

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

We bought a really nice (expensive) Bosch front loading washing machine a few years ago. Worked well for about 4 months. Then it started calling for water all of the time. It never really got the clothes soaking. Front loaders are intended to use less water. But I can say personally, I don't think they get clothes as clean. No offense to anyone that has one. It may be just my washer. I would just never go expensive or front load again. I've had the same cheepy $200 dryer for 13 years. Still works great!

Our refrigerator is Kennmore. Always have had good luck with them.

It is very exciting to be picking out all of this stuff. My advice would be, get what you want now, because hopefully it will last you many years and to get something that is "not quite" what you wanted because it was less expensive or something is what you will have to live with for many years.

 

[Jared77]

Consumers report. I'm sure someone else said it but its been a life saver for us. The riding mower, the fridge, washing machine, dryer all were rated on there. Especially if I was building a house and getting new appliances I'd be on there and go from there.

We looked at the models to get an idea of what we wanted. Top loading washer vs front loading, side by side vs top freezer/fridge, things like that. Then went and found the best rated one we could afford. Why it was rated the way it was, and then went and got one.

All done online. Its SO worth it. I'd never used it till we needed a washing machine and then I realized its definitely worth it.