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Mixing appliance brands

15 years ago

I have read so many posts on here that I've driven myself crazy trying to create the perfect kitchen. So, in doing this, i've ran across an issue. How to be successful mixing brands? I want and like my current kitchenaid dishwasher, and I have read those rock. So okay...check. Ovens...well...can't have a kitchenaid double oven because of the HUGE 96 post thread on them... so then what? GE, Electrolux...handles on the electrolux are WAY different than the handles on the kitchenaid dishwasher. I have to have a microwave/vent combo...kitchenaid is the only one with a microwave that is 36" (for my Miele 36" induction cooktop ). Again...with the handles on the microwave.

So...I'm stuck. What to do, what to do? Would the GE profile double ovens blend in well with the kitchenaid Architect II microwave/vent and dishwasher? Geez...this hurts.

So then I thought

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Comments (8)

heathjs28
Original Author
15 years ago
Wanted to add...I should have signed this post
"Bummed in Bama" LOL
weissman
15 years ago
Handles don't have to match - get the appliances that best meet your needs - look in the Finished Kitchens Blog and you'll see many pictures of wonderful kitchens without matching handles.
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oakesames: "We have all new Kitchen Aid stainless appliance installed in our new kitchen. Have not installed the KA over range micro yet. I may return it due to poor July 2012 Consumer reports reviews..." There are two red flags there. First, a poor review in Consumer Reports should have no influence whatsoever upon whether you purchase or keep a product that you actually have used. Apparently, your microwave already has been purchased, and therefore it is "used," whether you actually have installed or "used" it or not. So why don't you evaluate what Consumer Reports does not like about the appliance and then actually use it for yourself and see whether whatever caused Consumer Reports to denigrate it makes any difference to you?. But -- more fundamentally -- your topic line implies that appliances can be "mixed." How would you mix a KitchenAid microwave with a SubZero refrigerator? Would you throw the two into a blender? Would you end up with a microwave refrigerator? Seriously, apart from dÃÂ©cor issues, is there any way that the phrase "mixing appliances" can be taken as a negative description? And, as to those dÃÂ©cor issues, (personal bias here) who cares, and what is THEIR agenda? Would I put up with an underperforming appliance only because I worry about some undercover kitchen spy reporting me to the Style Police for my various appliances not having the exact same shade of stainless steel finish? (no) I apologize if my sarcasm offends, but -- personal opinion -- function always should trump very minor matters of style.
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Hi emaldrich! I did go with the ekectrolux. I just couldn’t get past the plastic look of the frigidaire. I’m so happy I did. I would have hated to spend a little less money only to regret it. I think the kitchen aid handles look good with the Electrolux. Just for an added plug of the side by side, it makes cleaning out the frig so much easier because all the food is visible. I see the old leftovers, I toss it! We love it with my family if 5. I have kids, so there are handprints (and footprints....heaven only knows why) but I don’t worry about that because, hey, we LIVE here. :) I’m glad we chose the apliances we bought. I’ll try to snap some pics. If they come out wonky, I’m sorry.
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I have mixed brands in stainless in almost every kitchen I have designed and in my own and as long as you stick to plain old stainless and not the smudge proof ones or black stainless you will be just fine.
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friedajune, the ice maker in the freezer failed at about the 2 year mark and it was approximately $800 to fix (I was lucky the warranty applied). With the fridge, there is a huge temperature difference between the top shelf and the bottom shelf.... about 12-14 degrees, so when the bottom shelf registers 38 degrees, the top shelf is well below freezing. They replaced everything over the course of 3 months or so and finally they replaced the fridge, but I have exactly the same problem. I'm not sure what my next steps will be. One of the other issues with the old fridge was that produce wasn't keeping very well (as in my Kenmore did a better job). I've only had the new fridge for a couple of weeks, so I'm still monitoring it.
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mls99
15 years ago
I concur with weissman: if all your appliances match it looks like a show home rather than a home for you.
dadoes
15 years ago
I've never understood what's the big deal about matching appliances. Maybe that's because the house in which I grew up, built in 1964, had:

- a turquoise Martha Washington (yes, that's a brand name) wall oven, cooktop and range hood (later changed to a Kenmore stainless hood, still with the turquoise cooktop)

- a white Philco (bottom-freezer) fridge, replaced in 1979 with a white Whirlpool top-freezer model

- a stainless steel KitchenAid dishwasher added in 1975

Note that the countertops were ORANGE Formica, with a turquoise porcelain sink. Changed later to a beige Formica with stainless sink.

There was a 1962 Whirlpool washer with a turquoise plastic around the control panel ... paired with a 1964 Whirlpool dryer with (eeeeek!) gray plastic around the control panel.

We survived. We even prospered. :-)
clinresga
15 years ago
Miele DW's, Miele oven, Lacanche range, U Ling bev ctr, probably a Pana MW. Nothing matches. I love the look.

BTW: is there any way I can talk you out of the MW/vent?
kat123
15 years ago
We have a Kitchen Aid side by side RF, Bosh dishwasher, Advantium oven/microwave, Wolf gas cooktop, Broan vent and Dacor double ovens and warming drawer. It all looks great. The big thing is everything is a stainless steel that blends beautifully. Buy what you love. No need to stay with only one brand. Good luck!
heathjs28
Original Author
15 years ago
clinresga,

I wish you could. I toyed with the idea, but the cost the builder suggested was 2000 dollars to vent it out the roof. The other issue was where to put the microwave? I have a small kitchen...well..it's decent sized, but small in all other aspects. I wanted a double oven and didn't want to seperate the oven. It just was a disaster trying to plan.

I have 9 ft ceilings and the cabniet people couldn't get the hood to look right with the cabinets. THEN, to get a beautiful hood was going to cost me even more $$'s.

I am on a tight budget (probably going to make 2 house payments because my current house hasn't sold). At any rate, that was the issue.
positano
15 years ago
Something else to think about. There was a post on the kitchen forum about having different color displays on appliances. It's something you really don't think about when ordering. The poster had a bosch microwave and ovens with two differnt color displays.

Here is a link that might be useful: Post about different color displays

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