I am so OVER the high end appliances.....
momtokai
14 years ago
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riverspots
14 years agolast modified: 9 years agoya_think
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What is better with high end appliances?
Comments (6)I agree that there is a lot of subjective preference as well as some features or design aspects that that may --- or may not -- matter. There are also a lot of differing opinions on what are "high end" appliances. A search here will turn up threads with debates over topics like "Are Subzero refrigerators s worth it?" Here's my 2 pennies worth on this debate. Why spend $1800 for a gas range instead of $800? : To start with, more money can get you an induction range if you can work with electric ranges. Induction has the controllabilty and quick response of gas with potentially less kitchen hassle and maybe less worries with the little ones messing with the stove. Also, more money also can get you a "dual fuel" range which means gas burners over top of an electric oven. Some people prefer electric ovens to gas and vice versa. My experience has been that it generally gas verus electric ovens in this price range is not a big deal in terms of cooking performance. A a gas oven puts more heat into your kitchen, though. Also, in the $1800 price range, numbers of the dual fuel ranges will have a third element that wraps the convection fan and that can help with more even baking (with less fussing with trays) when baking, say, mass quantities of cookies. Since you said you are looking for a gas range, I'm guessing that your kitchen does not have the 240v connection you'd need for induction or dual fuel stoves. If memory serves, I think there is a Frigidaire gas range which has an electric "third element" convection set-up in the gas oven. I've seen it discussed here but don't remember any specifics. Might be worth checking out. More money for a gas range also can get you a range with two separate oven compartments. The smaller ovens heat up faster and allow you to bake or roast two things at different temps. Numbers of gas ranges in the $1500 to $1800 price range have electric warming drawers. Some folks find them useful, others not so much. The warming drawer was a selling point for me when I bought my previous range, a GE dual fuel model, back around the turn of the century. I found that it took so long to heat up that it was not much of a convenience for me and I rarely used it. Others here are very happy with their range-bottom warming drawers and use them constantly. More money also gets you a better choice of burners, but the importance of this factor is a function of personal preferences and the cookware you use and what you cook in it. If you like to stir fry/saute in 12" skillets, you will likely find it easier to do so with the bigger burners on the more expensive stoves, some of which have multiple rings of burner jets. Some find these useful for boiling water quickly for pasta, oatmeal and etc. for the impatient little ones. Also, many mid-range (and above) gas stoves can be had with a central burner for a pancake griddle. Some find the griddles useful because the central burner makes for more even heating than you get by straddling a large and small burner with a griddle plate. Also, as you move into mid-rage and above, you'll find continuous grates (easier to move pots around) and slide-in style of ranges (all controls down front, so no reaching over hot pans to adjust the oven) Gas stoves in the mid-range and above may have larger ovens than less expensive ranges. Also, as you get over the $1500 price mark, electric warming drawers become common. Some find those useful and others do not. Then there are the "pro-style" ranges or pro-look ranges such as (I believe) a stainless finished GE Profile for around $1900. AFAIK, the only one at or below $1800 is the NXR from Costco. The selling point for the NXR is that it has four larger "dual stacked" topside burners at 15k btu which give good flame-spread from high heat to a ridiculously low simmer with the extra real estate of the pro-style construction. This will be useful if you find you regularly cook with three and four large pots at once, or you want to use a 14 x 23 pancake griddle like the Chef King or Vollrath. If you tend to cook with smaller pans (say 8-inch nonstick frypans and small saucepans) this will not be so useful. A basic type of pro-style stove like the NXR will have relatively minimal electronics, so theoretically less to break and easier to fix when something wears out. You might (or might not) find them easier to keep clean. The stainless steel top is probably easier to keep clean than the black enameled tops of most gas stoves in this price range, but it does not have a self-cleaning oven. So, think about your budget and your priorities. More money for dishwashers : The recent DW testing by Consumer Reports concluded that just about everything now being sold, even the junkers, will do a perfectly acceptable job of cleaning dishes. As you move up in price, you get a number of things that may be of varying importance such as: (a) faster cycles. The bottom of the line DW may take 3 hours to run and dry a load. A higher level model may have cycle times less than half that. A big deal when doing lots of dishes and maybe worth your while. (b) Quieter operation. Some of the better brands will be dramatically quieter than the least expensive models. Quieter operation may be a big deal in a small house when trying to get little ones to sleep or when having discussions at the dinner or kitchen table. (c) stainless steel interiors. A big deal for the DWs that do not use heated dry (which, btw, are much more plastic-friendly than heated dry models). Stainless tubs also tend not to show wear as quickly as the tubs made of synthetic materials. (d) conveniences like flatware racks instead of baskets. (Some wouldn't have a DW withouth flatware racks but others, like me, prefer baskets.) (e) More cycle options. Some folks find these very useful, others not so much. (For example, I don't own any fine crystal glassware so a cycle for crystal is not something I would use,) (f) hidden control panels and/or the ability to take paneling to match cabinetry. (Important to some and unimportant to others.) (g) more flexibility with rack and tine arrangements....See Morehigh end appliances in a new build
Comments (7)Which resort ? That can make a huge diff. too $1.5m at Keystone or Big Sky is high cotton. 1.5m in Deer Valley or Aspen is low rent / slummin it, so that detail matters, and influences what "other people" might at purchase time. If you are living there a significant portion of the year - get what you want and are comfortable spending on. You'll drive yourself crazy trying to game the market for resale. Even the professionals can't and won't give you a pat answer on what to put in there for that. Besides, it's almost a certainty that you will not recoup the xtra spend on luxury appliances / finishes now when you go to sell in 3,5, 10 years. They may make it easier for you to sell faster though. The main draw is that you stack the odds in your favor to not have to replace stuff during ownership AND you'll get greater satisfaction of use and ownership now. As a sheer financial play, it makes little sense....See MoreHigh end appliances
Comments (8)Check out the appliance forum. Dishwasher - definitely a Miele and the higher level ones have a little device that cracks the door at the end of the cycle - it is pretty cool! We have a 2-3 year old one that works great. Splurge and either buy the Miele tabs or the Finish tabs - Do not use Cascade and do not rinse the dishes - they need the dirt for the sensors to work properly and to activate the low phosphate soaps. For fun - watch this 1 minute video - which has nothing to do with buying appliances but will make you smile while shopping. I used this to break up my classes I was teaching last year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcIwXVKQjsQ Washer/Dryer - We have the Miele also - but as with any European washer - it uses very little water - so balancing the right amount of soap and water can be tricky. Here is what I did for ovens - one is the GE advantium speed oven and the other is a Wolf oven - If you do this, make sure they coordinate the handles and would go with the L series oven over the E to make it more high end. I didn't like the Wolf speed oven. I did like the Miele speed oven but the cavity of the regular oven was a bit smaller. I also loved the Electruolux ovens - they are so sexy with 3 gliding racks (the Wolf only has one but they are getting me 2 more) A lot of folks also like the Blue Star ovens - they have the biggest cavity and you can put a full sheet pan in a 30 inch oven. The downside is there is no self cleaning function, so if you are messy - forget this option (but made in my home town) Cooktops - I assume you want gas - but if not - the penultimate induction might be the new Thermador zoneless cooktop and its parent - the Gag.. You can put the pans anywhere on the surface and it also will keep the memory if you take off the pan and put it back on within a time limit. I have the Wolf induction and I definitely get some buzzing - but the buzzing may be more a function of the vessels vs the cooktop itself. I have all high end vessels but the layers may be causing the buzzing - it is most noticeable when I the pots are cold and less noticeable after they are warm and hardly noticeable with the vent fan running. I would recommend going to a demonstration center and actually trying the different cooktops. Have fun shopping....See MoreHow would you vet high-end appliances sold thru craigslist?
Comments (8)Thanks, everyone. The seller did use it and said it worked perfectly. I decided, however, with all the good advice above, to pass. $2500 is too much to gamble with for me - it's not too much for a safe bet or range of my dreams, but too much for a gamble. It's not an INSANELY good deal. Plus, thanks to reading y'all, I know the hood has to be wider than the rangetop, don't it :) If you want a good laugh, there is a person on Washington-area craigslist regularly listing a 48'' Wolf or Viking dual fuel range for TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS. I mean, for months. It's either a Wolf or a Viking, I guess they alternate weeks. When you write to them, they refer you to "their mother", and she writes a sob story of selling her belongings after her husband's death, and the item is now in a warehouse in Nebraska, and the transaction has to go through eBay and how no one ever complained. The funniest bit is that she takes great pains to list all the great features of the range, as if at two thousand dollars it needs bragging about :) Nigerian scam written all over it....See Morecindyandmocha
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