Buying new appliances is driving me insane

[razz]

I have sold my farm as is with all my old appliances included. My new house requires new appliances - fridge, stove, over the stove microwave, dishwasher, laundry washer and dryer. I am going nuts trying to figure which to buy.
I have finally chosen an induction stove by Kenmore which has the only white induction stove and it is on sale this week for $700 off. I also am getting a Panasonic microwave as I really like them and the warranty is good as I have occasion to use it.
After that I am struggling to decide.

Whirlpool makes so many makes and there are so many choices within that range of manufacture. Electrolux and Frigidaire have their selections as well.
I want all white appliances as I don't like stainless at all.

How does one make the right choice from all these options? Any advice or experience would be much appreciated.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Consumer Reports reviews. Might be at the library. They are online (all their old reviews) as well but you need a subscription (unless you can find someone who has a subscription and ask them to share their login).

[iris lilies]

razz, it's tough to buy them all at once! I often send DH to buy them since I just am not picky.

For me, and this is me only: I don't like bells, whistles, high end features. And we always get white, too. I try to identify the few features that I really DO want but I don't sweat it if I really do not care. So I look at products in low to mid range of price.

For a dishwasher, because our last one sucked so much, I took time to find a mid range price/highly recommended one from Consumer Reports.

For a refrigerator--I really don't care.
Stove: low low end, but it's got to have front controls because that's how the space is configured--otherwise I don't care
For a dryer--I don't care
For a washing machine--I don't trust front loaders. So, Ill go with a top loader and I want to be able to set water temps and waters heights independently.

It sounds like you identified the appliance features that you want. You may not care about other features (other than color white) and that is perfectly o.k.! There is no one right choice.

If you have lots of time, find the products highly rated by Consumer Reports in your price range and choose those. Keep in mind that even if a store may not carry that particular model, they likely can order it for you if they carry the brand. If you don't have lots of time, just buy a white mid-range priced product and forget it. Between you and me I think it's all a crapshoot anyway if the things work.

[awakenedsoul]

I have a Big Chill fridge, which is a Whirlpool with a retro cover. I really like it. I wanted the Smeg, but the on line reviews were so terrible, I decided on The Big Chill. My last fridge was a Kenmore, (really a Frigidaire.) It was only about $400. (new,) and it lasted for 20 years. My washer and dryer are old, white, sturdy Kenmores. I've had them for almost twenty years. I grew up with my mom doing laundry in those, and I love them. I found them for a great price, used, through The Penny Saver.

I love vintage appliances, so when I found an O'Keefe Merritt stove for a great price, I had it brought up to code. I had to find a Russian guy to work on it. He said that it will last forever. It's really well made.

If you had good luck with your old appliances, you might want to go with those brands. I read a lot on line reviews. That's how I picked my vacuum, and it's excellent. Congratulations on selling the farm! It sounds like this is an exciting time for you. Let us know what you decide...

[Marion]

I also buy my appliances after reading the consumer reports and sometimes online reviews. I have mostly Miele, Bosch and Lieberh (sp?).

[CathyA]

I usually ask an appliance repair person which appliance might be good. He knows which ones have needed all the repairs.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I usually ask an appliance repair person which appliance might be good. He knows which ones have needed all the repairs.Good idea, Cathy! I never would have thought of that - good idea.

Over to this casa we buy our appliances secondhand and have had pretty good luck in doing so. Back in 2005 for example we bought a washer and dryer at the Salvation Army that used to be down the street - $125 for the pair - and the washer lasted until 2012 and the dryer is still going. I also bought a gas stove back in 2006 at this same place for $25 and it is still going strong. Washer/dryer are Maytag, stove is Kenmore I believe. Rob

[iris lily]

Good idea, Cathy! I never would have thought of that - good idea.

Over to this casa we buy our appliances secondhand and have had pretty good luck in doing so. Back in 2005 for example we bought a washer and dryer at the Salvation Army that used to be down the street - $125 for the pair - and the washer lasted until 2012 and the dryer is still doing. I also bought a gas stove back in 2006 at this same place for $25 and it is still going strong. Washer/dryer are Maytag, stove is Kenmore I believe. Rob

Your 2005 appliances are likely better than any new one I can buy.

I won' launch into my periodic rant about the quality of new appliances, I'm sick of it and so is everyone else. :)

[Tenngal]

I usually buy the basic models, only need water level and water temp controls on washer, only temp settings on the dryer, etc.
I bought a new frig a couple of years ago and got one of the bottom freezer models from Whirlpool. It does have some things I like, a huge flat drawer that I store pizza, breads, etc. very adustable shelving. At the time I think I paid $1397 which was really too much. Happy shopping.

[awakenedsoul]

Like some of you, I like the older appliances, too. My mom bought a Kitchen Aid oven and she told me that it keeps breaking. All of her appliances are new, and high end. She can afford the "best" and so she spends the money. Mine have lasted all this time. I just service them now and then. Last time I visited I showed her photos of the vintage stove and she told me that she wishes she had an old stove like my O'Keefe Merritt.

[Tammy]

I dream of living with a toaster oven, a hot plate, and a dorm size frig. But since I live with a normal man, I have normal appliances. :)

[SteveinMN]

I've done a lot of research on appliances over the years. Not sure why, as I'm not always buying them. But it is what it is.

The way to winnow down the herd is to figure out what's most important to you. Is it reliability? Particular features? Matching appearance? Lifetime cost of operation? No brand offers all of that. Well, some of the really expensive European appliances do. But most Americans blanch at the idea of spending $2000-3000 for a washing machine, even if it will last 20 years even today.

This is how I narrowed the field. Not to say you should do it this way; it was just my reasoning and it's illustrative.
- I immediately knocked GE and its brands (Hotpoint, Monogram, and the stuff they make for Sears, etc.) off the list. I've never cared for the way GE has treated its employees, and my mama taught me to never reward bad behavior. ;)
- At the time, Maytag had certain categories of appliances which it made well and others which they, well, didn't. So knocking Maytag (and Amana and Jenn-Air and Magic Chef and others) out of some categories further limited my choices. Now, of course, Maytag is pretty much just relabeled Whirlpool. But, in a way, even that helps, because you know that you can treat Whirlpool and Maytag brands as pretty much the same.
- Then I figured out which features I had to have. The refrigerator had to be a top-freezer because they were cheapest to buy and the most efficient over their lifetimes. The range had to have at least one high-output burner on which I could use my wok. The dishwasher had to be efficient and quiet. That knocked out more brands and models.
- Other criteria I considered were whether the appliance was made in the USA or if the manufacturer had moved assembly from the US to some maquiladore in Mexico; the quality of the service network (LG makes some very good appliances, but for a while their service network really was struggling); warranty; and, finally, price.

Some useful stuff to know:
- Sears, IKEA, and Costco do not make any appliances. They relabel other brands and they sometimes vary between, say, "Kenmore" and "Kenmore Elite". They also specify the features and quality of each model For example, they may specify the use of plastic gears rather than metal or two simmer burners rather than the one that comes on the model that is most like the Kenmore model on which the manufacturer puts their own name.
- Sears sometimes offers appliances that seem virtually identical except for some tiny details and different SKUs. This allows them to have that model pretty much always "on sale" even though they can't legally put one model "on sale" all the time.
- Most appliances are more alike inside than you think. That GE 12K BTU sealed burner is the same whether the stove is a Hotpoint or a GE or a Monogram. Roper, Whirlpool's "entry-level" brand, uses the same gauge of steel and the same white paint to make washing machine cabinets as Whirlpool's "high-end" KitchenAid. Some of the price difference is the "insurance policy" you are buying with KA so if the part fails, Whirlpool will cover a KA for longer.
- Buying "scratch-and-dent" and floor demonstrator models is a great way to save serious $$$. Except for our dishwasher and the washer/dryer in my rental property, every appliance I've bought in the last 10-15 years has been S&D/overstock/floor demo. The 'fridge has a little dent in the bottom of the door that could have been put there when we moved in; otherwise, they all look just fine and I saved hundreds over buying something still in the crate.

I know this post is really long, but I hope it helps figure out how to cut down on the number of choices. I've been very happy with my appliance choices and suffer no new-appliance lust at all. :)

[rodeosweetheart]

For some reason, we have had great luck with dishwashers at Habitat for Humanity--our last one cost 25 dollars and is the best dishwasher we've ever had, including the Bosch that we had in one house. It is a GE Triton XL--and I always said I would never have another GE!

Ropers are a good way to save a lot of money.

Love my Maytag Centennial washer and dryer-- 600 for both at Home Depot on sale, best washer and dryer we've ever had.

Really like to go cheap and as simple as we can, real knobs instead of those dumb touch pad things that never work.

The Habitat in SC was a great source of appliances, but up here in Michigan, they are not--think there was a lot more money down there and kitchen redos. I saw some beautiful high end appliances in the Bluffton store (right next to Hilton Head) for very cheap. You might try looking for one.

[iris lilies]

Really like to go cheap and as simple as we can, real knobs instead of those dumb touch pad things that never work.

YES !

And no "sensing" features, I've found those things to be insensitive and stupid!

[gimmethesimplelife]

YES !

And no "sensing" features, I've found those things to be insensitive and stupid!Agreed 100%! Rob

[razz]

You guys are really helping me work this out. I had scratched GE and its cronies off the list plus the Maytag family but the only induction stove in white is the Kenmore which received good online reviews from customers. Other Kenmore appliances did not do as well on the reviews.

I like your approach Steve. I would add the type of service people that I might need to the list of considerations.

My appliances only have to be white and easy to clean surfaces not the pebbly effect that traps stains so I can mix and match.

I use the dryer so rarely that a high priced one doesn't seem worth it. I struggle with deciding between belt-driven vs direct drive vs hi-efficiency top-loading washers.

My kitchen space will only handle an 18 cu ft fridge and there are not a lot on the market. I would like fridge with a bottom freezer but so much coolness is lost in the wide 2" mesh baskets every time I open the freezer. Only LG makes the solid basket but not in 18 cu ft size. Might need to go back to a top freezer.

I need a plain dish washer but the new coating of the baskets of the higher priced is not as easily cut as the coating on the cheaper models.

I love my 23 year old appliances by Whirlpool which have served me well but sold with the house on the farm.

[Rosemary]

Lots of good tips here! Energy and and water efficiency is always at the top of my list, too.

[SteveinMN]

I use the dryer so rarely that a high priced one doesn't seem worth it. I struggle with deciding between belt-driven vs direct drive vs hi-efficiency top-loading washers.

My kitchen space will only handle an 18 cu ft fridge and there are not a lot on the market. I would like fridge with a bottom freezer but so much coolness is lost in the wide 2" mesh baskets every time I open the freezer. Only LG makes the solid basket but not in 18 cu ft size. Might need to go back to a top freezer.

I need a plain dish washer but the new coating of the baskets of the higher priced is not as easily cut as the coating on the cheaper models.

I love my 23 year old appliances by Whirlpool which have served me well but sold with the house on the farm.
Very few companies are making appliances the way they did 23 years ago. They're much more efficient than they were then, but very few people today will reminisce about the 2014 Maytag washer Grandma bought 23 years ago that's still washing away.

Razz, if you can, you might want to check out Bosch and ASKO dishwashers. They're designed for much longer lives than the usual brands, with nylon racks and stainless tubs. My ASKO has just a knob. No indicator lights, no membrane switches. Enough cycles, an on-board heater to heat the water to a proper washing temperature, and very water efficient. And the costs start around the middle of the range of the usual suspects.

As for washers and dryers, unless there's some major advance in technology, I don't ever plan to buy another top-loader again. Tried super-efficient top-loaders twice now and they've been a tremendous disappointment each time. Front-loaders are more expensive, but they are more efficient and take better care of your clothes. If you trust Consumer Reports (I don't), they have recommended some front-loaders that go for around $700. As for direct-drive versus belt-drive, I would identify a brand you like and then poke around the Internet or ask some service people which ones are good and which are bad.

One thing you might consider is a refurbished appliance. My mom is a die-hard top-loader fan. It's what she knows and she doesn't want to change. OK, at 80, it's not worth the argument. When the washer and dryer in her place died (at separate times), we bought a similar used-but-refurbished washer and dryer at a local independent appliance store that does its own service.

These are the machines people trade in for new. The store has their techs look at them and, if there isn't too much to fix, put in the new parts needed, clean them up, and sell them for fairly cheap. I think the dryer (your standard Kenmore 80/Whirlpool mid-line) was $125 plus delivery and it came with a short warranty too. I happen to trust these folks, so I don't think it's likely they'll just patch up and sell junk -- that would bite them in the backside pretty quickly. It gives my mom -- who is not doing multiple loads per day -- appliances she already knows how to use, they're the sturdier older kind, and the price works for everyone. If you really use your dryer that infrequently, that may be a way to save some money.

[catherine]

We go cheap on appliances. We've had four refrigerators in our 36 years of marriage: the first was a used 1950s model that my MIL loaned us, and the second was $75, used.

The third was $50, used. My DH actually got it home by strapping it to a dolly. Then he sat in the trunk of the car, and had my 17 year old son drive the car the 1.5 miles home while he held on to the dolly and pulled it and the refrigerator behind the car. They had one sketchy four-lane road to cross, but otherwise they were OK.

We had that fridge for 13 years, until the rubber seals were so old and hard they weren't working very well, and the insides got a bit moldy. I replaced it the 4th one--a new one!! A floor demo model from Lowe's. I really had no specific things I was looking for other than the color (black) and I also was excited to get water in the door. It's actually been a great feature.

I had bought a new fridge for my MIL when she moved down here and we redid the kitchen. An LG. Well, my BIL is now dealing with problems with it--it keeps beeping as if the door were open, but it isn't. Seems it might be a problem with the condenser or the motherboard. It's only 6 years old. I've heard bad things about LGs in general, so I wouldn't get one of those.

[larknm]

We got an Amish-made washer, Staber (use clothesline for dryer). The Staber is designed so people can fix it themselves if anything goes wrong. Nothing ever has with ours. It's made in the US (good for Permaculture values, not to put money into things being delivered from a long way away by the company). For other new appliances we look at Consumer Reports for reliability and price. But we go with the scratch&dent idea and floor model and Habitat--have used all with success. For us, though, the fewer appliances the better.

[razz]

Well, I made the decision to go with a plain old agitator Kenmore toploading washer and electric dryer, a Bosch-made Kenmore dishwasher with the better quality racks, a Kenmore induction stove and a top freezer 18.5 cu ft Kenmore fridge. I will pick up a over the range microwave, probably a Panasonic nearer my moving date. Thanks for all the advice. It really helped!

[awakenedsoul]

razz, That's good news. I love my old Kenmore washer and dryer. I've had them since 1998, and they were probably at least five years old when I bought them. I don't use my dryer...just the clothesline.

[SteveinMN]

I also have another old Kenmore washer from that time. It's in my shed. When this one dies, I can just use that one. They were built to last!
Not to be "that guy", awakenedsoul, but you will want to give that washer a good look-over before you put it into service. While it's true that washers can last for years (some for decades), rubber (and there's a lot of it in a washer) ages, especially in atmospheres which are less controlled than inside a house. Then there's the matter of, umm, guests using the washer as a home or a source of building materials. Have you taken any steps to ward off the "squatters"?