Kitchen & Home Appliance Design Guide.
Need a new appliance? This site provides guidelines, tips & reviews to selecting the best products and parts to complete your entire home project.
This site is designed to save you time as well as money, now, and in the long-run
, by providing you with information no sales associate would tell you at a department store. How do I know? I used to work at one! Due to their lack of interest in customers, I now bring all of the information they know about, but won't tell you to your home screen... So enjoy and take notes!
Please understand that the information contained throughout this website is to HELP you choose the best appliance for your wants and needs. This website DOES NOT promote a particular brand such as GE appliances and LG appliances over whirlpool appliances and kitchen aid appliances. This is completely unbiased information to help you choose the best appliances for your needs.
All information stated on this page has been collected through research, hands on experience, trainings, and information gathered from engineers and specialist in these fields.
Now that the tough stuff is out of the way, let’s get down to business!
Overall Things to Pay Attention to:
This site is full of useful information, so for future reference it would be a good idea to Bookmark Me! I’m going to give you a rundown of some general things to keep in mind when shopping for ANY appliance.
Appearance
Appliances generally come in these four main colors: bisque/biscuit, black, white, and stainless steel. Depending on the manufacturer you may get some extra options such as: titanium, red, blue, orange, clean steel, etc., but the first four I named are the basics. Just be sure that whatever color you choose, you will be able to match all of your appliances with the same color. Some of these manufacturers only make special colors in certain appliances.
But ask yourself when choosing a color; how do you want your kitchen to look? Well many things can have an influence on the color and style you choose in your appliances. For instance, if you have a lot of children, stainless steel may not be the best option, not unless you enjoy cleaning! And to clean stainless steel you need stainless steel cleaner. You can find some really inexpensive cleaner here. 40616 Cerama Bryte Stainless Steel Appliance Cleaner Also consider your flooring, countertop, and cabinets. Never shop for just an appliance, always think of the big picture. This can save you thousands in the long run. You don't want to have to replace an appliance later on simply because of color, or settle for a look you won't like because you already bought the wrong colored appliance. If you must replace one, and have even the slightest idea you may change some things in your kitchen later on, do the work now. Time and energy, something you'll thank me for saving you later!
EnergyStar
I would strongly suggest that regardless of what you’re buying, if it comes in an ENERGY STAR model, get it! The few extra dollars will more than pay off in so many ways. You will see when you begin researching each appliance. Not only do ENERGY STAR appliances save in utilities, fuel, and clothing, but you get tax breaks as well!
Reading is fundamental
Please don’t be offended in the topic of this section, it’s all in good fun; but you will see what I mean when you begin your research and comparisons in products.
Pay detailed attention to the language used in these brochures and ads for appliances. Read them carefully. A company can not lie, but they sure can phrase things to make you think contrary to the truth. Don't get had!
Quick example:
The GE Profile Harmony clothes washer is 4.0 cubic feet in capacity, and will efficiently wash 24 bath towels, while the Kenmore Oasis, 4.5 cubic feet will efficiently wash 23 bath towels. See the difference? GE’s Profile Harmony clothes washer has a 4.0 cubic ft capacity, but can wash 1 more towel than the larger 4.5 Kenmore Oasis clothes washer.
Here’s one more example:
Whirlpool’s refrigerator has something they call “Measure Fill” and GE’s refrigerator has something they call “Precise Fill”. Now, these two features do pretty much the same thing, you punch in on the dispenser how much water you need ; 1 cup for example, and you press a button and the fridge fills it up. Well now, here is where reading carefully becomes essential...
“Measure Fill” fills up by using a timer… for instance it’s computer says, “With city water it should take about 9 seconds to dispense a cup of water.” (This time is just an example) Ok, that 9 seconds may be true, but what if you’re running well water which runs slower than city water? Well that “Measure Fill” is no good to you.
“Precise Fill” fills up by measuring the flow of water coming through the dispenser, so no matter what type of water your house runs on, it will be exact every time. So with those explanations, Please Read carefully!
For the record, I do NOT have all GE appliances in my home, it was just good for these two examples!
Warranties
Okee Dokee, now, understand this. Companies make MAJOR money off of extended warranties. 2 out of 10 extended warranties actually get used out of every one sold. Not to mention, when purchasing a high-end appliance, many of them come with warranties that far surpass the length of the extended warranty. So always investigate the warranty that comes with a product.
Call!
Not me! The manufacturer! If ever a question poses in your head, don’t hesitate to call the manufacturer of the appliance of interest. The customer service lines of all the companies I’ve ever called were great, and really knew their stuff. They can answer any question you have, and it’s nothing but a Google search away to find their consumer number. Many of which are also open 7 days a week.
Test Drive it!
If you are able, go to a local store who has a display of the appliance you’re interested in; always call before you go to be sure they have it on display! Model numbers differ from store to store, so try describing or reading off the beginning of the model number to an associate at the store. Check out the appliance. Open the doors, inspect the inside, touch buttons, make sure the appliance wasn’t poorly made, then compare prices. Check back online and compare prices at other stores online and to other products similar to the one you're interested in, to get a good idea of what you should be paying. Lastly always check to see if the company you're purchasing from price matches!
And that's it! Now you're ready to move on. Each page on this site gets into detail of how to shop for that particular appliance. I hope you enjoy the information here and find it useful. Happy Shopping!
Contact Information
If you need to contact the manufacturer of an appliance Click Here To Get A Complete List of Manufacturers
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