I need help with buying appliances!

[Desnik]

My kitchen is being totally gutted! We have an old house so we were lucky to find the original hardwood floors under the old floor. It has been refinished and it came out great! We are so excited! Anyway, my walls are painted, top cabinets are in. The rest will be done this week. But, we still haven't ordered the appliances!!! We can't make a decision if we should splurge and go for the higher end stuff! We know we want stainless steel. I do have to say that I don't cook much, maybe 3-4 times a week. However, I am always baking. We love the Wolf and Viking stoves. We went to an appliance center and were taught about all the things these types of appliances do, as oppose to the other brands. We were so impressed, especially with the Sub Zero fridge and Miele dishwasher. But I have to be practical and I want to spend money on something I really need and will get use out of! We are also in the process of finishing our basement and we are getting a new roof on the house and detatched garage, as well as other little things on the outside of the house. We have done so much work already, but I don't know what to do about these appliances. Because of the space issue I have to get a counter depth frige, which in most brands costs about $2500 or more. So no matter what I will be spending a pretty penny on just a fridge! What would you do? Any recommendations on good appliances?

 

[barkley]

not expensive and i love it-maytag quiet series dishwasher. the only dishwasher i've ever had that i was willing to run when visiting with people (on the phone or in person). the adjustable racks are also great-i saved so much water/electric by being able to do one load that held all the big pots, pans and cookie sheets (the racks raise and lower and you can fold portions down to accommodate larger items). the racks on the top that hold wine glasses are great when entertaining.

i think any stove top should have sealed burners, that way you don't have the mess of cleaning underneath the cooktop (and gas is my personal choice-i find it much easier to adjust for different cooking temps).

when we buy again we want to "trick out" our kitchen (both dh and i love to cook) and i know high on our wish lists are a double oven with a warming drawer (so much easier on the holidays) and a professional stove (i want something that was built for spills and cleanups, i'm tired of worrying if i scrub to hard the enamel on the stove top will scratch). i also like the looks of those kitchen islands that have built in cold storage drawers for veggies. i never have enuf room in the standard fridge for produce so it ends up eating up the shelf space. a separate "mini" fridge for just drinks would be nice as well (i've seen some with clear glass fronts so you can keep an eye on what needs to be restocked).

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Go here: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/kitchbath/

This is a HUGE forum, with great people. Somewhere on here my own kitchen and bath remodel are featured.

By the way, I have stainless Frigidaire Professional Series appliances. I love 'em!

 

[Disney Doll]

The best advice I can give is do not buy a side-by-side refrigerator. I don't care if it does have more cubic feet than any other refrigerator you look at. It is the way the space is arranged that is the problem. Take my word for it.

 

[Desnik]

Thanks for the info and link! I have been reading that site for an hour now!! I am learning about some ovens I didn't know about, like bluestar.
I just need a 4 burner standard size stove, again because of space issue. It has to be gas too. When we moved in that was one of the first things we did was convert the electric range to gas! Easier for me to cook on! Also, I am now reconsidering the Miele dishwasher! Oh, why does this have to be so hard!?

 

[JayCT]

Desnik - Check Consumer Reports. They give unbiased reviews of all top appliances including repair rates. You would be surprised at the high repair rates of those pricey upscale appliances. I swear by them. Another place to get good information is the discussion boards at hgtv.com. A lot of knowledgable people post there. Check it out.

We recently purchased a refrigerator, slide-in range and over-the-range microwave. All were selected after checking with Consumer Reports. We bought a 25 cubic foot Amana stainless freezer-on-the bottom refrigerator and love it. It large and well designed. No problems so far. Had it almost two years. For the range and microwave, we went with Frigidare. They had the features we wanted and a sleek design at a reasonable price. They rated better than many in Consumer Reports. Next we will be buying a new dishwasher and will probably go with Bosch. They are very quite and rated well. Plus a lot of people on the HGTV Boards swear by them. Good lluck. Jay

 

[Jeannie]

We just gutted and redid our kitchen and dining room. I got a KitchenAid dishwasher http://www.kitchenaid.com/catalog/product.jsp?src=Dishwashers&cat=278&prod=838 and a Maytag french door cabinet depth refrigerator (with water dispenser INSIDE the 'fridge). I'm very pleased with both choices.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

The best advice I can give is do not buy a side-by-side refrigerator. I don't care if it does have more cubic feet than any other refrigerator you look at. It is the way the space is arranged that is the problem. Take my word for it.

Unfortunately, I had no choice but to go with a side-by-side. We had a very tight space for our fridge and not only had to go with a side-by-side, but had to go with a counter-depth on top of that.

You literally pay more for less space. I call it the patio home theory.

I would have loved to been able to purchase a french door fridge, but my stupid island put an end to that wish.

 

[amid chaos]

We have a 6 burner, two oven DCS range, Maytag side by wide fridge, Kitchen Aid microwave, Meile dishwasher. Everything is stainless. We had a problem with the dishwasher, but that was fixed with the warranty.



My husband has been in the restaurant business for over 30 years and he knew just what he wanted.

Good luck and enjoy your new kitchen.

 

[Desnik]

Thank you all for the advice!
I have been researching all day and my head is spinning!!LOL
My house was built in the 30's and we are trying to keep the kitchen in line with the house style and our decor. I really hope it turns out good and we make the right choice in appliances for our needs.
My house looks like a craft store, that's the best way to describe it!LOL
I have wood floors throughout, even the bathrooms, all original with original wood mouldings. I guess the decor is primitive. All my furniture is painted wood and destressed.
So, luckily my DH side job is being a contractor so we have connections for the cabinets=contractor price.(cheaper price because we wanted high end appliances) We went with unfinished wood and he is going to paint and destress them to match the furniture in the rest of the house. We really couldn't find ones that had the look we wanted without breaking the bank! Hopefully the stainless steel will look good with the colors.

I have to admit that spending $4000 on a stove when I hardly cook much is not making sense to me!

Also, does anyone know about the venting you need for those stoves like Viking and Wolf? I was told you need a special vent and those cost about $1200!! Do all professional type stoves need that? Like the Bluestar and DCS?

Right now Kitchenaid is looking real good for all the appliances!! I can get them all for the price of a Subzero frige!!

 

[PlutoPony]

You might want to look at the French Door style refrig... ours is Kitchen Aid counter depth and I really like that style! It works very well with my island as the doors are about the same size as side by side and the space inside is very usable. Counter depth does give you ~ 20% less space inside however. IMO the SS used by KitchenAid is harder to keep clean than that on my GE wall ovens (NOT a scientific study however ). Ended up with Bosch dishwasher as couldn't justify the $$ for Miele (but that's definitely the brand with the best rep). The Bosch is QUIET which was my main requirement, so that was money well spent. We don't have room for a professional range and use a 30" gas cooktop with downdraft ventilation. Don't know how the Vikings are vented but $1200 wouldn't surprise me given the price of those - and I bet that doesn't include install. I'm really pleased with my GE wall oven - 30" convection/thermal. It's so nice to be able to use multiple racks at the same time and get even cooking! Don't be afraid to mix appliance brands to get the features you want. All mine have very similar door handles and SS finish (except the cooktop which is black w/ SS accents) so it's not at all obvious that they're from different lines.
Good luck!

 

[JayCT]

Desnik - Yes, usually professional stoves need special venting. They produce a lot of heat and with six burners need special vents designed to remove a lot of moisture and odors. I agree with you that unless you are a big cook or have a LOT of money to waste, why go with a professional stove? Of course it is your call. If your home is very upscale in an upscale area, it may be wise to go with the professional range for resale value. I will say that I have been in some very pricey homes and was amazed that the kitchen appliances weren't more upscale. It is your decision. Good luck. Jay

 

[Monte Cristo]

I agree with JayCt. We have the 36" Viking 4 burner and griddle in the middle. We had a 36" double blower Vent-a-hood installed which required the builder to vent the hood through a soffit. The requirements of the hood I think was a 6" vent which wouldn't fit in the ceiling above thus the soffit. Retail this hood would go for $1,200 that you mentioned, but I got it used in a local paper for $50!!!!!! A woman at the store we bought the range at was buying the same hood except it was 30" and it was $1,000. These ranges can throw off a lot of heat and I wouldn't do it without a good hood above it.

We love the gas and I wouldn't cook with anything else now. The only "option" I didn't get with the range was the dual fuel (gas top, electric oven). This was another $1,200 and I was already spending a boat load on this range and didn't want to go any higher.

We have the Fisher-Paykel double dish drawers and love them.


See the pipe:

Then the soffit and hood:

Finished product:

 

[Desnik]

Thanks so much, again you all are so helpful!! DH and I were up to 1am researching appliances and we still haven't come to a final decision! The thing is we absolutely love the look of the pro type ranges. It would really look the best with our kitchen design. The wall the oven is on is an outside wall so it wouldn't be that big of a deal to vet it outside. I am just trying to justify the price for what I actually use. Should we spend the most on the stove and less on the other appliances?

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

I might not be able to convince you after all the bad Ebay threads, but we purchased Jenn-Air appliances at about a 50% discount on Ebay from licensed dealers.

Now, I'm not a fan of stainless steel appliances, so I purchased white appliances.

My Jenn-Air Convection Oven was purchased for $500 (including shipping) and retailed locally for $1400. My downdraft cooktop cost me about $850, which about $300 less than local retailers...and I received both within a week of paying for them.

 

[Desnik]

Forgot to add:
MonteCrisco your stove looks stunning! Wow it is so beautiful especially against that color cabinet! Really nice, thanks for posting those pictures!!!

 

[FreshTressa]

Anyone know anything about the 'satin' finish appliances? I hear they don't show water stains as much as stainless does.

 

[Desnik]

DH and I were looking on Ebay last night! You can get some really great deals, but we are so leary about buying something so major like that on there! We love Ebay and buy/sell often, but do you just trust their feedback when buying appliances? What if something goes wrong with the unit?

Not sure about the satin finish. Maybe someone can fill us in? There is a thread on the budget board now about stainless steel appliances. Maybe someone there has more info.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Anyone know anything about the 'satin' finish appliances? I hear they don't show water stains as much as stainless does.

I guess that's what mine could be considered. The only thing that isn't brushed, is the microwave and does it show fingerprints! I can't imagine having the refrigerator and dishwasher with that finish.

You can see the difference in the fridge finish and the microwave finish here:

I shudder just looking at the before pictures. Boy was that a LOT of work.

 

[JayCT]

Desnik - I am not sure I would spend more on a professional grade stove and then scrimp on the other appliances. It depends on what you mean by scrimp. If you mean that you wouldn't be able to buy a top-of-line built-in Sub Zero, just a 25 cubic foot stainless side-by-side, then maybe. But if it means you can only afford a smaller 18 cubic foot refrigerator, then forget it. I would much rather have a useful refrigerator and stove, then a pro stove and smaller refrigerator. But that is just my opinion. You need to make sure that the pro stove would not look out of place next to the rest of your appliances. You should note that there are many stylish stoves today that resemble the pro's but cost much less. Again, good luck. Jay