There seems to be so many options out there at all differen price points! How do you choose?
Should the dishwashwer/stove/fridge all come from the same brand?
februarybride
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Re: Appliances: How do you choose??
I would suggest to subscribe to consumer reports online. You can subscribe just for a month and do some research on the different appliances. It was extremely helpful in making decisions!
JennRenee
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Re: Appliances: How do you choose??
We looked at Consumer Reports for guidance, and asked others for their opinions.
I don't think it's important for all of the appliances to be of the same brand, although we did get everything the same. If I had found a different brand dishwasher that I thought was better quality than the brand my refrigerator and stove are, I would have bought it without a second thought.
Sonicstef
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Re: Appliances: How do you choose??
But how do you know which is better? They all seem to have lots of good stuff.
PS: We subscribe to Consumer Reports magazine..does that mean we can use their website too?
Wendy
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Re: Appliances: How do you choose??
We subscribe to Consumer Reports and used the annual buying guides to decide. All of our appliances are by the same manufacturer (Whirlpool) but only because they got good CR reviews and we have had good experiences with them in the past. I don't think they all have to be the same.
Samanthas Mom
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Re: Appliances: How do you choose??
GE MAYTAG and WHIRLPOOL are very good appliances I have a whirlpool dishwasher that we have had for years, craig had it long before I moved in
smooch
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Re: Appliances: How do you choose??
I also recommend seriously looking at Energy Star appliances. GE, Whirlpool, Kenmore all make Energy Star. Not only does it wind up saving you a lot of $$ in the long run, it's better for the environment.
JennRenee
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Re: Appliances: How do you choose??
Kitchen Aid makes Energy Star too. That's what we have.
Diane
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Re: Appliances: How do you choose??
Kenmore is also a very good brand. I think Sears is the only place that carries it.
I don't think its necessary to get all the same brand...
KarenG
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Re: Appliances: How do you choose??
we bought all new appliances this time last year from sears. we ended up with almost all kenmore (our stove is a glass top GE). they were all rated well on price and on repairs...we earned rebates on many of our appliances and our electric bill has gone down.
sears had 0% financing for 12 months as well. v. nice.
Claud2001
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Re: Appliances: How do you choose??
Stef, unless you want to save money and shop for a 'package deal' from an appliance store, I would strongly recommend buying the top brands in each appliance category, as opposed to buying all of just one brand.
According to Consumer Reports, Whirlpool is one of the top brands for dishwashers, and washing machines. GE is one of the top brands for stoves, etc. Definitely check out their website, before you decide!
Think of it this way - you wouldn't hire your florist to take your pictures, right?
Sonicstef
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Re: Appliances: How do you choose??
Thanks everyone.
Ok, so we have established matching brands is not necessary.
But how do you know which model is best. So lets say GE has the best fridges...which model should I go with in a certain price range?
ChristineC68
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Re: Appliances: How do you choose??
After determining which brand is the best - I would find out what size fridge (for example) I need. Then decide which features are important to me (side by side, ice maker, door dispensers, color etc) and then based on price pick something I like.
Claud2001
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Re: Appliances: How do you choose??
I agree w/Christine....it really is going to depend upon your space and your needs. Example:
When we shopped for a new dishwasher, we were looking at Bosch and Whirlpool (the two top brands). I was interested in the Bosch b/c of its 'quietness' ratings, since the unit would be installed at the part of the kitchen closest to the den/TV room. However, when we looked at the Bosch in person, I realized it was too tiny on the inside to be practical for my family (with the baby and Jeff working at home everyday). The Whirlpool becames our front-runner b/c it is second in line (in terms of quietness) AND it has a feature that I LOVE - the silverware tray is on the door - which frees up a ton of space on the inside of the unit.
HTH!
michele31
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Re: Appliances: How do you choose??
You can get an online Consumer Report subscription for a month- $4.00 or so. I use that and ask around when looking for an appliance. I also think your needs are really important. For instance- I am dying for a gas stove with a grill top, extra burners, warming bin , broiler etc... but I love to cook and if I would use all of those features. But if you are not someone who loves to cook, or cooks often then it would be a huge waste of money IMO to purchase such an expensive stove. Space is also a HUGE factor in many cases. If you keep a lot of frozen foods in the house then you need to make sure your frig has good freezer space. And of course, money is another consideration. Just because I want this super great stove doesn't mean we can spend the money on it so....
If would want the appliance to match (color and style), but they don't need to be all the same vendor. I am more interested in getting the best quality, then a match just for the sake of a matching item.
Jen_n_Dale
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Re: Appliances: How do you choose??
We just bought 2 maytag appliances. A stainless steel refridgerator and a stainless steel oven with small oven on top and bigger one on bottom.
The freezer is on the bottom and is a pull out and the fridge has a lot of space.
The energy efficient guide was fantastic for the fridge and we really liked the stainless steel. I also love to cook so my big thing was enough room in the oven to cook the family dinners for holidays. Now onto do the rest of the kitchen but we are waiting until fter the wedding to do that.
