Comments on: Picking Appliances is as Difficult as Manufacturers Choose to Make It

By: Mike D.

Mike D. — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:49:57 +0000

1BadBoy: That is a good question and one I couldn’t easily determine the answer for. It seems like gas is a *little* bit cheaper to operate, but not by much. As far as drying power goes, I think they are equal.

By: 1BadBoy

1BadBoy — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:28:07 +0000

Question for you about dryers. We’re looking for a new washer/dryer set ourselves. We have both gas and electric connections available. Is one better than another for drying clothes? Which is the least costly to operate? Does it matter too much? We were leaning toward gas, but I hear that it won’t matter much in terms of operating costs since we live in a low cost electricity location (Seattle). And the gas model costs somewhere in the $60 – $80 range higher than the comparable electric model.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:09:31 +0000

Regarding ranges, we had a dual fuel Thermador in our old house, only a 30″, but we LOVED it. Easy to cook with, nice styling, easy to clean, great burners including the low heat one that is so good for delicate sauces and melting chocolate. Unfortunately they stopped making that particular model, but I’m looking again at their other models.

We also currently have an Aga–no, not the traditional British cooker, but the one also referred to as Rangemaster in England. It is a 36″ dual fuel with five big burners on top, and 3 ovens! Well, almost 3 ovens; one medium-sized oven (looks small but actually does fit a turkey inside), one tall and narrow oven with about 4 racks in it (for cooking several things at once), and one special broiler oven. I love having more than one oven available for parties and holidays without actually having to install wall ovens in addition to the range. The only downside to our Aga is that there is a constant “whirring” sound when the oven(s) is on–nothing you can’t talk over, but one is aware of it…slightly annoying.

Good luck! And thanks for sharing your experiences–very useful and fun to read!

By: Mike D.

Mike D. — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:21:35 +0000

Alysse: Thanks for the tips!

Chris: Interesting. We’ve switched our preference to a Miele at this point, so hopefully it will be a non-issue.

Joan: Great to hear you’re happy with your Samsung. I think that’s the one to get.

By: Joan

Joan — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:02:30 +0000

I would seriously reconsider a GE . I’ve had several, the last being the Profile Artic. When the sides bowed and the shelves started falling, GE had replacements sent that were an inch wider! Ironic that bigger sizes were already made up! Strange thing is that the same thing happened with my GE side-by-side back in the late seventies. Unfortunately, a repairman didn’t confirm that it was a factory defect until I’d sold the house in 1985. By then I’d spent a small fortune on regular trips from repairmen. Had to replace the icemaker one month out of warranty! Swore I’d never have a GE again but……..broke down in 2006 and bought the 29 cu ft Profile Artic. Three years later and I’ve replaced it with the Samsung French Door!

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:15:48 +0000

Additional info on Bosch dishwashers – we have several friends that have them and I have yet to meet a person that thinks they are worth the money. It is interesting that you’ve had so many recommendations for Bosch because my experience is the exact opposite. Your mileage may very but I would research them further before committing.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:11:39 +0000

I would not buy a Bosch dishwasher. We just replaced our Bosch with a Fisher & Paykel and couldn’t be happier. The Bosch dishwasher did a terrible job of cleaning the dishes, food would get trapped in the filter causing it to smell and the interior layout didn’t accommodate large plates. We went with the F&P 2 drawer model because Albert Lee had a fantastic sale (50% off) for the Seattle home show. In talking with the sales rep he said for the money you couldn’t go wrong with the F&P – we couldn’t agree now that it is installed. Meile is also top of the line but expect to pay for it. If the F&P wasn’t such a good deal we would have bought a Meile. We love the 2 drawers as it allows you to run smaller loads vs. having to wait to fill a standard washer but is also highly efficient/green. It uses less than 5 gallons of water and works great with eco-friendly detergent (you only use a tablespoon). Between the 2 drawers you as much if not more capacity that with a standard washer.

By: erik spiekermann

erik spiekermann — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 11:30:42 +0000

Do check out Gaggenau (gaggenau.com), built in the same factory as Bosch and Siemens, but higher standards for design and features. Expensive (up there with Miele), but worth it. Great range of fridges of the type you’re looking for. We didn’t have room for french doors, but got one that they call “column”, which come in 24 and 30″ widths, You place a freezer column next to a fridge column.
They also have very cool induction tops plus grills.

By: erik spiekermann

erik spiekermann — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 11:18:43 +0000

Bosch: we’re (my new company, edenspiekermann.com) redesign their websites, including the ones for choosing appliances. Could be a lengthy process, as they only have one guy in-house looking after that project. For a company that employs 270,000 people!
We have Bosch in our house in SF and are very happy with it. In Germany we have Gaggenau which is better still but incredibly expensive, as is Miele (i do barter deals – design work for appliances, kitchen furniture, bedroom closets etc)

By: Alysse

Alysse — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 01:41:51 +0000

Random thoughts from a residential designer: In general most lines have three levels of quality. High end models like Wolf, Viking etc are now in steep competition with Samsung. Samsung over the last couple of years has increased their efforts to design highly efficient, cost practical, aesthetically designed products. In reality, I recommend my clients choose appliance based on their personal needs. My husband found we can break an expensive dryer as fast as we could break a cheap one. We are an outdoorsy crowd, mud sand and lots of washes are a part of our life. So the last time we bought a less expensive model, but made for industrial type use. And like magic, the darn thing just keeps on working beautifully. Me, I need a great dishwasher and a great refrigerator and microwave. range and oven just to boil water cooking basics. My husband he is an outdoor BBQ guy. So we traded off and he actually purchased the bells and whistles on the outdoor grill (which is great as it keeps messy foods outside) and I a nice basic model inside. Refrigerators are important because it is a health issues. Foods need to be kept at proper temperatures and I prefer flexibility in shelving. I HATE in the fridge water dispensers, get a separate unit that chills water by the sink, much more hygienic. Fridge models gather mold and are hard to clean. Also prefer a separate Ice maker, but not as much as issue as the water. Another option is drawer freezers and fridges if it is in the budget.

I go with dual food disposals in a dual sink. If you have guest or kids, they never get it in the right sink and is a minimal upgrade.

Getting back to brands, key is service and congenial customer service. You will be surprised at high end models that don’t offer good service, I’ve had clients replace
items because of service issues. They were just tired of dealing with it.
Practicality is the best option. Good online source is AJ Madison and they have good pricing as well as customer service that helps you walk through the models and which suits your situation. They offer most major lines, including many high end models. For those who don’t want to buy on credit, they offer a separate website for layaways.