traildoggie
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Post by traildoggie on Sept 29, 2016 17:56:55 GMT -5
DH and I are building a vacation house. I'm trying not to be ridiculous on appliances... a place I will be in, at most, a couple months a year. so instead of a cooktop and wall oven, will get a slide in range. single oven. electric. smooth top. controls in the front. Reliability is key, I will be a ways off the beaten path. but even that is pretty pricey.
Looking at Consumer reports. are there any web sites with current discussions about appliances anyone is aware of? there used to be a House & garden one but they don't get much current activity the last few years. I am looking at ranges today, but will be looking at everything else also. Suggestions?
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Post by beth on Sept 29, 2016 18:14:01 GMT -5
I would look at Garden Web's Appliances Forum (under Home Forums - make sure you don't wind up on the garden side), but be prepaed to tell folks you are looking for modest applianes for a vacation home. I have looked at AJ Madison for options and the big box stores (sometimes Amazon) for reviews. But take the time to read the reviews -- not just look at a rating. People will give a 5 star apliance a one star rating for a delivery, installation or operting error. Then look for significant trends, keeping in mind that people are ore likely to post complaints that raves.
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traildoggie
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Post by traildoggie on Sept 29, 2016 21:43:15 GMT -5
It's weird because the low end ranges are almost as expensive as what I'd call " higher" end. coil ones close in price ( $1400) to smooth tops . at least online, haven't looked in stores yet. trying to be prepared ahead of time. I haven't had a range with an oven /cooktop together in one unit in a long time, not thrilled with the idea of standing over a hot oven and cooking on a burner. Want a frig without external water and ice. want functional, not upscale. I will go look there, maybe I was looking in wrong places.
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Post by wallycat on Sept 30, 2016 10:32:39 GMT -5
Do you have a costco around there? They are selling a LOT of appliances these days. Are you considering induction cooktop? The 2-oven slide in range? A speed oven? and did you check out home depot or sears (ON LINE) to see what they currently offer? I used to love the original Garden Web and have not used Houzz (the new version) but I am sure there are some useful bits of information there. Congratulations on building your new vacation home! Hope you have many years to enjoy it...and that the appliances last  |
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traildoggie
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Post by traildoggie on Sept 30, 2016 10:45:39 GMT -5
Wallycat I will be checking Costco. their appliances seem to be pretty feature heavy and large size. no interest in induction, double ovens, or huge capacity wash/dry. etc. I shop costco once a week. I'm not sure Sears will survive as a retailer but their appliance line seems to get sold thru other chains like HD or Lowes or k-mart if there is not a sears store in an area. I know CR always includes Kenmore so there must be places where they're popular.
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Post by wallycat on Sept 30, 2016 11:13:03 GMT -5
Got it. Sears does sell other mfg. and they used to have less feature-heavy stuff available. It is hard to recommend anything since so many companies have been bought, sold and rebadged...so who knows who is actually making the stuff.
GE used to be a fairly simple/reliable company but they sold off their appliance division and I think Electrolux bought it.
Maytag was also sold; They may be part of the whirlpool conglomerate, though I heard they were once taken over by I don't know who any longer.
Samsung has been in the news with quite a few issues (tablet and washing machine) so maybe stay away from them regardless of how good it looks.
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Gail
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Post by Gail on Sept 30, 2016 12:30:10 GMT -5
 Just to run it past you, there's a store in Boston called Yale Appliance and Lighting which puts out various guides and emails reviews about kitchen appliances (often doing a comparison between brands). Since we're looking to remodel the kitchen and there are so many choices, I've found it another helpful source of information.
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cafelatte
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Post by cafelatte on Sept 30, 2016 12:54:19 GMT -5
Congrats on building a vacation home. How excitiing! How far is it from where you are now?
I haven't had a range in about 20 years either so I can't help there. I think appliances are hit and miss as expensive can break just as easily as cheaper ones. I have a Samsung fridge and the rest are Electrolux (which I hate). I have friends who bought LG years ago and have had nothing but problems with them as well and don't recommend them. I've had luck with GE and KitchenAid and JennAir in the past. We recently bought a spare fridge for the garage - about $500 on sale. It looks nice and works well, but it is loud and the reviews said that, but since it's in the garage, that wasn't an issue. I guess the pricier ones would have better insulation or quieter motors. It seems like you have some time before you need to make a purchase - go to stores where you can see the models. Then you can shop online and see who has the best prices. Appliances seem to be on sale often.
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traildoggie
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Post by traildoggie on Sept 30, 2016 16:32:25 GMT -5
Yes.... all the companies are hard to keep track of. it's hard even if you have CR with specific model numbers.... sometimes you can't find the exact product at all! I think companies switch model numbers often enough to avoid getting tracked. I usually read reviews on store web sites but there are 'fake " reviews on those sites. sometimes they're very useful. we are building in MT and will be a ways from any large communities. my wish is for fairly simple and basic. DH and I are pretty self sufficient & can fix things. I understand a certain % of appliances fail right out of the box, and electronics are usually not user fixable. so GE has the best repair record for ranges at 5% so that will be where I look first. I had decided on a slide in range, just because it's simple. off to go take a look at Garden web.
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sallyt
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Post by sallyt on Sept 30, 2016 17:22:50 GMT -5
Just to run it past you, there's a store in Boston called Yale Appliance and Lighting which puts out various guides and emails reviews about kitchen appliances (often doing a comparison between brands). Since we're looking to remodel the kitchen and there are so many choices, I've found it another helpful source of information. love yale - we bought our washer dryer from them. |
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traildoggie
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Post by traildoggie on Oct 1, 2016 16:02:55 GMT -5
we looked at ranges at HD, lowes and a local appliance only dealer. no one carries GE. ?? there are drawbacks to slide in and free standing units. mainly, the gap down each side that will exist unless all aligns perfectly. so I am going with a ceramic cooktop and a wall oven mounted right below rather than a single unit. Whirlpool. they were second in reliability and I am hearing GE was bought, and one dealer told me the service from GE is non existent. I currently have whirlpool wall oven and a GE profile cooktop, so these are familiar. I looked at the house garden forums and didn't find much about simple products. I'm not in the market for high end designer ovens etc. I did find lots of other interesting discussions there though, and will check on other things. I thought their forums were defunct, but I must have linked to an old one accidentally. so thanks, it will be useful, just not for the range. |
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Post by wallycat on Oct 1, 2016 16:10:28 GMT -5
Make sure when you decide on your cooktop, that they don't warn about putting something underneath it. Some mfg. absolutely say do not do it; others say it is fine. Not sure if it is how they are hooked up or the wattage/voltage or who knows. Some negate the warranty if you do it despite their warnings.
Yes, I did mention that GE appliance division was sold to Electrolux (we got some great GE rebates, but no longer).
The advantage of 2 separate appliances is that if one breaks, you will still have another working one.
It sounds like you already have your floor plan laid out. If not, and you are set on the range, you could put it at the end of a working counter so only one edge needs to butt up against the counter. Just a thought.
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traildoggie
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Post by traildoggie on Oct 1, 2016 17:34:25 GMT -5
I am also picking a "slide in" unit.... in case there are issues with fit or compliance.... thanks for the warning Anna. I thought if they were the same brand, I would likely be OK. the slide in I'd picked was GE and I don't think anyone carries it and maybe for good reason? EVERYONE used to have GE. Geez... this used to be so easy. too many choices! it will need to be in the counter area, not on an end.
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