The Challenge: 5K for dw, wall oven, cooktop, fridge AND hood

16 years ago

OK, I've been researching forever and need to make some decisions. I'd love some help. We have 5,000 budgeted for appliances and we want stainless. My cooktop is the most important thing to me. I love to cook, but am not a chef. I want 36" but don't need enormous BTU's. My fridge cannot be wider than 32". I would like an under-cabinet vented hood. I want a quiet, energy efficient dw and don't need any bells and whistles on my oven. I like to bake. I can acommodate up to a 28.5" cutout in the IKEA oven cabinet.

I'm considering:

DCS 36" gas cooktop or perhaps an entry level dacor; wondering about the bosch or other less expensive models?

Entry level bosch dishwasher (evolution 300) pretty sure about this one (650)

Frigidaire 30" wall oven or maybe the entry level bosch- could go with the 27" for same capacity? Do I spend the extra for convection? Is bosch worth the extra money?

Frididaire 20.6 cubit ft top freezer/ fridge PHT219HKM ($900) pretty sure about this one too

no idea what to do about hoods

Any advice?

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Comments (8)

rhome410
16 years ago
I agree with getting a good cooktop and also think you should spend enough to get a decent oven. DCS had a good reputation, but I know nothing about Bosch, so they could be good, too.

I'd definitely go Bosch and convection over Frigidaire and no convection.

The Bosch dw will get your dishes clean (and quietly), and the Frigidaire, if it's like the Frigidaire fridges we've had, will keep your food cold...So I think it's reasonable to be economical there.

I would recommend looking at Zephyr hoods. We really liked our Whirlwind, which had a nicely low profile, but with the gas cooktop, especially with any high powered burners, you may want to look at their Typhoon or Hurricane. They move more CFMs and have better noise ratings than our old Whirlwind, which seemed pretty quiet to me. They're comparatively affordable.
fandlil
16 years ago
We have a Bosch DW and are very happy with it. It's the top of the line model we got over a year ago. The less expensive models may not be quite as quiet. We also have a Bosch freestanding 30-inch gas range with convection oven, in white porcelain. We're very pleased with it. The iron grates across the cooktop are very convenient. We love using it and the convection oven browns roasts very nicely.

You should give your rangehood/exhaust very careful consideration. Search this thread for other messages on that subject, many with helpful detailed suggestions.
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Since you asked for views, I will say for the hundredth time how much I love my Bosch induction top, and it was not expensive. My kitchen designer pal says she is installing almost no gas ranges and that gas is over, from a design and utilitarian perspective, or will be in another 5 years as the US trails the EU. Young people want a sleek, clean look, and they demand energy efficiency. I can highly recommend Bosch dishwashers but racks vary so look them over. Decide, too, if you want that upper third rack. I liked my old Bosch's racks better but no disputing the quiet cleaning power of a Bosch. We went with panel ready, so there's another decision for you. It adds weight to the door but I love the look. Bosch ovens are excellent, too, and doubles are fab if your kitchen is large. I did not have room as I use a warming drawer a lot and my kitchen is small by GW standards. Too small for 2 large ovens + drawer. I was warned here to think carefully whether I really needed two, and to consider a Breville as backup, and boy has that worked well for me. (I roast a lot but rarely bake.) Our oven and WD are Electrolux Wave Touch - much beloved here -- and they are awesome. The WD will slow cook wonderfully. No comparison to my old KitchenAid I thought I wanted the micro drawer for its looks but that required me to give up my cat food prep space. (Nooo!) So we stacked ours like gooster ( except lift up) and I love it. Here is a pic. But we use the micro once per day on average so where it was stationed didn't matter to us. YMMV. This does give flexibility in size and brand you can use since, as has already been pointed out here, micros fail alarmingly. Still, if you have space, or if your kids will be using the micro, go for the drawer, or are least something lower. Fridge? Good luck. I hate mine. Electrolux. Everyone seems to hate their fridge. We went with a basic because all my friends with SZ spend their days waiting on the repairman. Seriously. My appliance guy, trustworthy, says get Liebherr. I don't know. Trust the folks here to guide you -- and study AJMadison. Good luck!
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dgsj66
16 years ago
The Frigidaire PLEB30T9 wall oven is a very good oven for the money. I agree, spend a little more for a good cooktop (the DCS isn't a bad value), take a look at a Bertazonni if you've got a dealer nearby. Bosch d/w is one of the best for the $$. Ditto the Zephyr hood recommendation from rhome410.
rhome410
16 years ago
Haus Proud is right that the higher end Bosch models are supposed to be quieter, but I still think any Bosch would be a comparatively quiet choice, overall. We had a top of the line Bosch in our last house, but being an older model, it was not rated as quiet as the current higher end Bosches. We later added a top of the line Maytag. In the temporary housing we lived in while we built our house, we had a mid-range Frigidaire. Now, we actually have 2 of the 500 series Bosches. The Bosch dw's, like some other European brands, have a 2-pump motor system, which is quieter than the single-pump motor situation with American brands. Both the TOL Maytag and the Frigidaire were irritatingly audible from the next room. Our older TOL Bosch (about 49 or 50 dB, I think) was often opened in mid-cycle because we couldn't tell it was running. Our 2 current Bosches running at the same time are pretty quiet. We can hear them running for parts of the cycle, but they don't interfere with conversation or radio/TV like the Frigidaire and Maytag did...And I must add that we have yet to install their custom panels, which I'm sure will reduce any cycle noise quite a bit.

Here is a link that might be useful: previous post on dw noise levels
olchik
16 years ago
What about GE monogram cooktop?
The stainless steel model is (supposedly) made by DCS, has a powerful middle burner, and is not as much as DCS
cpovey
16 years ago
Do you really need and cooktop and a separate oven? This combination generally (but not always) costs more than a range. If trying to save money, this can help.

IMO, the one place to 'splurge' is the cooktop/range. Higher BTU burners make your food taste better (better searing, better simmers, etc.) All fridges are cold, and almost all DW's do a good job today, provided you use the best detergent for your water (this varies from place to place, but today is always an enzyme detergent).
sgoldfield
16 years ago
Hi, a different tack on your question... We've been having very good luck finding appliances on Craigslist or in appliance liquidator and outlet stores, or even Ebay (where I found my Dacor brand new 36" gas SS cooktop for one third retail). Demonstrator models with tiny dents are what we are aiming for. We have paid a little extra with the more complicated items (like fridge) for the extended warranty but extra is nothing compared to the difference between retail and our price. If you have 2 or 3 choices in an appliance that meets your need, that helps a lot as does a little extra time to shop. I figured that the little scratches or dents would not be very noticiable once installed and that's been the case for us. Good luck!
danie
16 years ago
We are on our second Frigidaire refrigerator in 4 years. The compressor went out of the first and Frigidaire did give us a substantial discount toward a new one, but I will not buy another Frigidaire. The first one made noises before quitting and this one makes the same noises at times. Our ice dispenser only dispenses crushed ice even though cube is selected.

We bought all Frigidaire appliances and haven't had trouble with any of the rest really. I would buy a different dishwasher if I were doing it again. It doesn't always get stuff clean, sometimes leaving grit on the stuff in the top rack.

Good luck finding what you want.

The Challenge: 5K for dw, wall oven, cooktop, fridge AND hood

Comments (8)

rhome410

fandlil

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