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stmoluag

appliance selection for reno esp. fridge help!

stmoluag
10 years ago

Hi! I have been lurking on this site for the past few weeks and have found the advice invaluable. The aim here is bang-for-the-buck appliances. I don't care about matchy-matchy handles, etc. I feel fairly solid on everything but the hood and fridge.

Thermador Masterpiece 30" cooktop SGSX305FS -- the one with the fancy lights in the knobs because we didn't go with the pro line

Electrolux Wave-Touch 30" double oven EW30EW55GS

The Sharp drawer microwave 24" (I don't have the number handy)

Possibly a Faber 30" hood. 600 cfms should be fine, as this vents directly through an exterior wall.

The fridge is giving me a headache. DH and I have finally settled on counter depth because we lose so much food in our current huge fridge (came with the house). We don't feel we'll actually miss the volume and we have a good mini-fridge downstairs to pick up the slack. Given the dimensions of the kitchen and location, we feel that those few inches are worth it.

We've kind of settled on Electrolux and KitchenAid. It needs to stay under $3,000. We do not want a dispenser in the door but like an ice maker in the freezer. With the KitchenAid, I'm concerned that the interior volume is smaller than the Electrolux. However, some people really seem to like the solidity/mechanics of it.

The second question is whether it's worth it to step up in price to the $3k fridges. With Electrolux, that gives a semi-built-in look. With KA, it seems to be some style but also height and thus extra fridge volume (though the freezer is the same).

My current fridge is an old KA that is a behemoth but it works really well. I have owned a Sub-Zero and my last fridge was a GE that has been an absolute nightmare and I will never go there again. This last experience led me to fear lower priced appliances if they are considered so disposable. Maybe it really IS worth it to shell out for the SZ that is repairable, though it seems like an outrageous price at first.

From a design standpoint, all I really need to know is that it will be counter depth, though there are definitely some height considerations as well. I'd appreciate any input on these issues.

Sorry for the lengthy diatribe on fridges, but it's the most vexing part of this process.

Thanks!

PS -- I have a decent dishwasher that we're keeping

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