*** UPDATE ON MARCH 11, 2009 – WE HAVE A WINNER!!! ikkinlala from Canada!****
Finally, finally, I have my new range, with an oven that works. A new microwave that cooks, not burns, and has a turntable that turns. A smaller, sleeker refrigerator, that does not freeze my food. Now, I’m going to share my “lessons learned” when it comes to appliances.
First, let me say that this week’s TWD pick by Whitney of What’s left on the table? – Caramel Crunch Bars, page 112-113 – is fabulous. I’m toying with the idea of making them with dulce de leche in the future, in addition to the chocolate and toffee. I did not use Heath bars; instead, I bought a big tin of English toffee at Trader Joe’s and cut the pieces up. Considerably more bang for the buck than a bag of Heath bar pieces. I baked them in a 9×9-inch pan based on the comments by other bakers, because I wanted a thicker cookie than people were getting in a 9×13-inch pan. I’ll try to get a picture of them up later. I’m playing catch-up this weekend with TWD (in case you didn’t know, I’ve been out of commission because my range went to that big bakery in the sky), and I’m going to be making the World Peace Cookies, so once I find my camera, I’m going to take a picture of the lot (if there are any cookies left, that is!).
Now, I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. Here is the giveaway: The wonderful new book, Baking for All Occasions
Now, let us turn to the four big Lessons in Appliance Shopping.
First, form follows function. What that means is, even though you LOVE that 36 inch Viking range, if your kitchen will fit a 30-inch range and you are not going to be doing a major kitchen remodel, focus your research on what will fit. After your budget, that is the most important thing. So, measure, measure, measure, then measure again. Once you know what will fit, pick a fuel source (if you don’t have gas, why look at gas ranges?), and only after all that should you pick a finish (stainless, white, etc.). If you want a dual-fuel range, be sure that your electrical outlet has enough juice (see below_. Once you’ve hammered out all these details, then you can move on to the consumer research.
Second, do your research. Read Consumer Reports and message boards on the internet. Do not focus solely on the “official” reviews – I learned a lot by reading the consumer reviews at Consumer Reports (CR), many of which completely disagreed with CR’s rankings. For example, I ended up getting the GE Cafe gas range you see pictured above. It fit in my kitchen. It was gas, and stainless. I wanted the dual-fuel range, but since this line comes with a warming oven, I discovered that my electrical outlet did not have the juice to power it. Of course, I discovered this only after the delivery guys were standing in my kitchen. The store was very nice about exchanging it, I must say. Changing the wiring would have involved at least a $500 electrician’s fee, and then I would have had to pay someone to dry-wall and patch the ceiling and bookcases that needed to be torn down to do the electrical work. So, I went with gas. Reviewers gave this range much better satisfaction ratings than they gave a comparable Viking, and it was more affordable.
The GE Cafe line came out about 4 years ago, and I discovered that two major consumer complaints were the cheap plastic knobs and overheating of the oven control touchpad when the oven was in use. Because of this, I was able to ask the right questions. I learned that GE upgraded the knobs, and fixed the overheating problem by adding more insulation. I’ve tested out the oven, and this has proved to be true. Bottom line: do your research. Appliances cost a lot of money, and you want to get the most for your dollar.
Third, carefully choose to whom you give your business. If you are buying new appliances to upgrade the look of your kitchen in order to sell your house, that’s not going to matter. Look for a great deal. But, if you plan on staying in your home, you should look beyond that. I bought my appliances from a small local company that has been in business for decades. Their prices were competitive, but what made them stand out was that they have their own service department, and will service only the appliances that they sell. Because I bought three appliances, they gave me a discount on their 5-year warranty package, which covers EVERYTHING, including power surges. If I never use the warranty, at the end of five years, I have the choice of extending it or another year or applying it toward merchandise credit. The icing on the cake is that if we move, the warranty is transferable to the new owners.
So, why should this matter? Folks, one thing I learned is that cost does not always equal quality or satisfaction. I was astonished at the number of complaints over Sub-Zero’s, Vikings, Thermador, etc., particularly with their customer service. It’s one thing if you spend $900 on an appliance, it stops working, and then you get lousy service, but it’s an entirely different matter when you spend $4,000 on a refrigerator or $7,000 on a range, and you can’t get anyone out to your house for a month to fix it.
Finally, you may have to compromise. We ended up getting a Fisher and Paykel refrigerator to replace our Maytag. If I could have, I probably would have gone with a Liebherr, which received great consumer (actual users, not the pundits) reviews, but that would have involved ripping out our maple cabinets, and that wasn’t going to happen. Oh, and it was $4,000, and that REALLY wasn’t going to happen. We went with the F &P because : (1) it fit, (2) got decent reviews, (3) did NOT have an ice maker or a water dispenser, and (4) came with a 5 year warranty and good service/repair support. The trade off? Space. When I emptied the old fridge, I filled 9 grocery bags to the brim. This new refrigerator fits only 6. It has changed my shopping patterns, but we now have more room in the kitchen, and my husband loves it because he can find everything without asking me to hlep him!
If you have any questions about this whole process, just ask me in the comments. I’ll be sure to answer.
And be sure to check out the other TWD bakers this week!
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46 users responded in this post
Okay – I just LOVE your new range!! So jealous! Mine works fine but I am thinking of adding a wall oven (maybe a double wall oven – but that would mean 3 ovens in my kitchen – kind of weird) but anyhoo – LOVE your range!
Dream appliance? BIG fridge. 6 burner gas range. something like that.
That may just be the prettiest range I’ve ever seen!
Let’s see… I love my oven because in my last apartment in NYC, my stove only had two burners which didn’t ignite half of the time and when they did would sear the countertop next to them and my oven didn’t heat past 250 degrees! My stove in my current apartment has FOUR WHOLE BURNERS and my oven goes up to BROIL! Who’d have thought?!
My dream appliance is a dual oven, though. I have dreams about them.
My least favorite appliance has got to be the food processor, though if you are looking for a major appliance it would have to be the microwave.
My dream appliance is a kitchenaid stand mixer. I would love for it to be next on my purchase list but I need a freezer, I just lust after the mixer.
Your range is gorgeous though. I can just imagine all the great things you will be able to do with it.
I think I’d really like a vitamix, I’d love to be able to make really good marzipan and all sorts of interesting smooth soups and spreads, and even flours.
I’m not too happy with my oven, its a little uneven and not always the correct temperature.
Okay so your new range is FAB-U-LOUS!!! I love it! I think I have range-envy!
So the appliance I can’t stand the most… Hmph! It’s a tie between my fridge and my range. My fridge because I just don’t have enough space in my freezer, especially for a cookie sheet when chilling certain goods. Also, the temp is messed up I swear! Also, I think the filter for water is messed up or something because it’s always going bad. I just hate that fridge. And, actually it is the most hated because the only real problem I have with my range is that it’s not a double range and that it is gas and not a flat top for easy cleaning. Although, gas is awesome to cook with!
My dream appliance… double ovens! I think most wonderful would be a double oven! Yup, hands down!
Your new range looks gorgeous. Thanks for all the tips. Knock on wood that I won’t need to use them for awhile, but you never know.
I love my gas stove. I never knew the wonders of gas. I grew up with an electric stove and all my apartments had electric. It wasn’t until we moved into our house that we had gas. It’s wonderful.
My dream appliance–although I don’t know if it is an appliance–is a big wood-burning hearth oven for the backyard, like Jamie Oliver has. I would love to have to make pizzas and other roasted delights.
These bars are just to yummy not to make.
I hate my fridge. The door shelving is being held together with duct tape, I have to put it on the warmest setting so that my food won’t freeze…and dang it. I just want a new fridge with a freezer in the bottom.
Secondly, my dream appliance would be a front loading washing machine with a stand for it, so I won’t have to bend over.
I’m a slacker.
I love our stove, but I don’t know if it counts as an appliance. We have a wood stove, so it gives us a lot more space than a regular range would – the oven is fairly big, and the top of the stove is huge. I love how I can just move something over if it’s not at the right heat instead of fussing with a dial, I love being able to use a big cast iron griddle when I cook pancakes instead of making two or three at a time in a frying pan, and I love how I can still cook when the power goes out.
My dream appliance is a grinder so that I can grind flour at home (somehow I think it would be tedious to do that in the coffee grinder…).
Thanks for the informative post, I’m planning on upgrading my appliances soon, so the information is useful to me.
I hate all my appliances except for my kenmore dishwasher, cheap model, that gets everything super clean.
Wow – it looks so shiny! And it works, too! What a bonus!
My favorite appliance(s) are my dishwashers – yes, I have two. I couldn’t live with out them.
My dream appliance? Two washers and dryers. Yes, I have kids therefore a lot of laundry.
That is a beautiful range!!
You’ve hit so many right on points about appliance buying. Cost is not the only thing that counts even though it does count.
I loved the idea of the pop up vent; I hate the execution of it. Pots taller than a vent = odor all over the house, even with short pots it’s just not efficient even with the bigger motor.
I have a dream that in my next kitchen I’ll have that 6 burner with grill/griddle. Not going to happen.
Your new rnge is beautiful, and you make me want my old 10 burner restaurant stove back! BUT, it won’t fit on the boat, so I’m left with a 3 burner Easy Bake Oven that will only fit one 9″ pan at a time!
So, my dream appliance would actually have to include a BIGGER boat as well, because I REALLY want my 10 burner stove back!
That new book sounds really good. I’d like one gift wrapped, please?
I love your new stove! Beautiful!
I hate my fridge most of all. It doesn’t drain properly when in defrost cycle and we have to take it apart and do it ourselves every couple of months. Also, it has a freezer on the bottom and the produce bins freeze on the bottom. I now have planks of wood beneath the bins to act as insulators!!! (much better than the towels I was using before..)
So glad you finally have your kitchen just the way you want it. Let’s see. My fridge leaks water and they cannot find the leak. My oven needs a new thermostat. My microwave is rusting. But my convection oven works great. Thank goodness since that is now my primary baking oven. I guess my dream appliance would be a new gas stove with a built in convection oven. **SIGH**
What a great post…I’ll have to bookmark it for some future appliance replacements.
My dream appliance…a new range/oven that is properly calibrated, propane fueled (the range, at least), and easy to clean! My current one is a GE, only about 5 years old, but must have been picked up at a bargain by the home’s previous owners. It has a WHITE ceramic smooth cooktop, which is the most infernal thing imaginable to keep clean. It also runs a good 50 degrees colder than indicated. And every so often (usually when I’ve put something delicate in the oven), one of the feet drops and unbalances the whole thing. OK, vent over!
What an excellent post about appliances! (And glad you liked the crunch bars, too). I always purchase from a local independent appliance dealer for the reasons you specify. Actually I favor independents over chains in general.
My least favorite appliance is my fridge. I like the layout and the fact that it is counter depth means I don’t lose as much in the back. But my produce freezes and has since Day 1. And the electrical line to the ice and water dispenser have also given us continual fits. Now that the thing is 8 years old I’d love to replace it, but it’s not the right economy for such discretionary spending!
Nancy
Congrats on your new appliances and having your kitchen back. I love your range. I don’t like mine! I have an electric stove and would really like to have gas. I do love my GE Profile Convection Microwave!!
I’m jealous. I want a new kitchen. I hate hate hate my oven. It’s a great brand (Thermador) but when the door is open, it’s 3″ off the ground. I don’t like leaning over like that. Especially when I have something heavy or juicy to put in. And the controls don’t work very well. It’s hard to explain, but I’m not exaggerating when I say I have to make eight or ten attempts to set my oven.
nice shiny range!! i’m sure it will serve you well!
Yay! I am so glad that you and your kitchen are back in business! Welcome back! Your range is gorgeous, as are your crunch bars!
Boy, I could have used your post a year and a half ago when we did a major kitchen renovation! We bought a house that needed a lot of work, and we gutted the kitchen before we moved in. I have to say that I feel fortunate we were able to do it when we did, and I LOVE my appliances — we went with GE Profile stainless steel across the board. My least favorite is the cooktop — it is a ceramic smoothtop electric, and deep down, I wanted gas. I wanted that superior heat control. But I didn’t want to give up storage space underneath for gas lines. I also don’t like the knobs — they get in the way of my pans; I should have gone with the touch controls. My favorite appliance is my double oven. I don’t use both ovens all the time, but when I need them, I am so thrilled to have them!
Loved your post!
I love your new range.
I hate our dishwasher. I have to wash everything on pots and pan mode to get them clean.
I would love to have a crockpot perfect for 2 people that have the options of a 5/6 quart one but around 3 quarts.
Your range is drool-worthy! I love my gas range but I wish it was bigger. My dream appliance would be a La Cornue stove…gorgeous!
We just moved and the house has a recently remodeled kitchen with really pretty brushed stainless steel (not sure if that’s what it’s called) appliances. But believe it or not, the appliance I love is my homely stand up freezer that is kept in the garage. The normal fridge never has enough freezer space.
And… congrats to you on your new toys. I’m glad to hear you’re back in business.
Congrats on your new appliances! They look beautiful! I love gas appliances (can never figure out the electric range) and I would love a dish washer and those cool front loading washer and dryers.
It must be so wonderful to have new appliances! The absolute worst appliance in my kitchen is the stove, an old bottom-of-the-line model that doesn’t get nearly hot enough to make good pizza. My dream stove/oven would be one of those dual-fuel ones, gas on top and electric oven, with steam injection. A girl can dream!
Wow! Thats one beautiful looking oven/stove!!
I hate my oven! The thermometer must be screwed up because I end up having to cook things atleast 25-50 degrees below the temp stated in the recipe and I need to watch it like a hawk so it doesn’t burn. One day I will get a new oven!! One day…
I would love to have a convection oven!
Well, I love my Bosch and the list ends there. My Grandmother owned a Bosch, so when it came to deciding between a Bosch or a Kitchen Aid, there was no contest. I hate everything else. I bought this microwave that also functions as a toaster (separate compartment), and both suffer as a result of the combination. A toaster that doesn’t toast, is there something I’m not getting?
NICE stove! Love it. I am stove envious!
Me, I hate my refrigerator. Its a side by side. I find it limited in the was of storage as things have to be narrow to fit. I also cant stand the shelves in the unit because they have cheapy things to keep them in place. THey have broken and what exactly do you do to repair that. Cant really justify a new refrig just because of the shelves.
Thank you for you researcha dn youa re so right. Its worth the time and effort!
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I’m so jealous!! What a wonderful appliance to cook on.
My favorite appliance? My favorite appliance. Hmmm. I would have to go with my new Pro KA stand mixer in the small appliance dept, but for the big ones, my favorite is my stovetop. It is the first time I ever had a gas stovetop and it is awesome. What I’m not so fond of is the gas oven that comes with it. I dream of having a great electric oven (complete with convection options) and still having a gas cooktop with grill. It is a big dream. Someday. Someday.
I am so happy for you that you got your new stuff in! Congrats!
I love gas ranges, but ours is electric. I would love to have a gas range someday!
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Wow, what a great range! I did a major kitchen renovation several years ago. It would be hard to choose my favorite appliances. i really love my 6 burner gas cooktop and my double gaggenau ovens. I hope I win the book…I took it out from the library and LOVED it.
I love the new range, am so jealous!!
The one appliance that I just can’t wait to take to an empty field and beat senseless with a bat is my Samsung side-be-side refrigerator. The water leaks out the back, works on and off and the ice maker is constantly on the fritz. It is only 2 years old and is such a waste of money!!
Have fun with all of your new appliances!!
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I absolutely hate my electric range. Besides the fact that it is very ugly 🙂 It also doesn’t doesn’t maintain a very even heat.
Isn’t it wonderful to have a shiny new kitchen? You’ve given great advice on selecting new appliances. When I moved into my house about 6 years ago, I gutted the kitchen and totally re-designed it. I have a Wolf gas cooktop (which I love), 2 GE electric wall ovens, and a huge GE counter-depth refrigerator, that I found on sale for half price. My whole kitchen is actually my favorite kitchen tool.
Even though my kitchen and appliances are in the 15+ year range, they are all operating efficiently and are nice for the time they were installed. Two fridges, and two ovens. My cooktop is electric, the glass top style so I feel very fortunate. Just keeping my fingers crossed that I won’t need your wonderful (thank you) tips in the near future. We love to bake and cook here so you never know.
If I was replacing for me I think I would select a gas cook top.
My newest fav small appliances are my Magimix food processor.
I LOVE your new range. It is a beauty! I know it isn’t a kitchen appliance, but those are just ok–I don’t love them or hate them. My washing machine however, I LOVE! It’s a Bosch and it is a dream compared to the piece of junk Maytag I had before it. My dream appliance would probably be a Miele Masterchef Double Oven. But alas, I don’t think I will ever have one since I just don’t have the kitchen space to have a separate wall oven and cook top.
Oooooohhh … love your new range – I love the look of stainless steel appliances!
I have a love/hate relationship with our side by side fridge. It’s only two years old and it works perfectly fine, but regreting the choice, as it’s tough to get a cookie sheet or roasting pan in the narrow space (should have gone with a french door style with the freezer drawer). 🙁
On my appliance wish list – fisher & paykel dishwasher drawers
My dream is to have a real oven… I bake all our bread – and we eat a lot of bread – in a toaster-oven. Yes. And if I get to dream a little more, I would like to cook with gas, but bake with electricity, which is the norm in Israel, where I’m from, but crazy expensive in Canada, where I live.
I would say I hate my fridge, mostly because it’s never cold enough and when I set it to a cooler setting, it makes a lot of noise!! After seeing your new range, I would have to say that that is my dream appliance! Second would have to be the vitamix blender. I think it’s so cool it can make soup and icecreamt.
My favorite appliance is my KA stand mixer, it made my baking easier.
My worst appliance is our stove. it can’t light up without using a matchstick to light it up!
My dream appliance is a bigger oven and a dishwasher! Love to make a mess in the kitchen but I absolutely hate cleaning up.
If you pick me (hopefully! hahahaha…) My godmother lives in NY she can send me the book.
P.s. your range looks so gorgeous and high tech! Love fun with it!
my least favorite appliance right now is my oven—- the crazy knob is not “broken” but it is loose somehow and if you turn the know too far past the degree you are aiming for and then turn it back, the mechanism may or may not turn with the knob which can really mess up some killer cookies or fabulous brownies. I love to bake and it is time for a new oven!
great post..thanks for sharing tips and idea, it really helps a lot. I love to bake with my bosch mixer. We will come back often.