Design wise - does it bother you to mismatched appliance brands
Mom23Es
12 years ago
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dseng
12 years agoRelated Discussions
Mixing appliance brands
Comments (5)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 décor issues, is there any way that the phrase "mixing appliances" can be taken as a negative description? And, as to those décor 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....See MoreChoosing Appliance Brands
Comments (17)I read somewhere that the all matching appliances "suite" concept came from real estate developers who bought cargoes of appliances from one manufacturer which saved money for them due to both volume and to ease of installation since every kitchen could be installed the same way. Then they pushed "matching suite appliances!" as a "selling point" to gullible buyers. So, when I see a kitchen with all matching appliances, my impression is that it's part of a cost-saving effort, and/or the homeowner did not care enough to shop for the best appliance of each brand, but just bought the appliances in a hurry. If you are worried about the stainless steel finish matching, it has been discussed several times on this forum that often finishes aren't the exact same even within the same brand due to manufacturers making their appliances in different factories, with a different run of stainless steel, etc. People tend to fixate on the finish in their buying anxiety. Once installed, no one will notice if the stainless steel finish isn't identical, including you. By buying all one suite of appliances, you will make your salesperson happy. Their commission is higher for those kinds of sales. What is interesting is that some lower-priced appliances perform better than higher-end ones - sometimes. So it is to your spending advantage to check out (this forum) to see where you should spend on an appliance and where you can save. No manufacturer makes all appliances well. Some are better at ovens or some are better at fridges etc. You are not really making the best decision if your first priority in buying appliances is that they all match. This post was edited by Mrs_Nyefnyef on Thu, Feb 5, 15 at 8:15...See MoreMis-match created because KA changed handle design
Comments (15)Hi AJCN! Mismatched handles can be annoying, but it's honestly not something that can be planned for - manufacturers do regularly update handles in new product lines, though they're usually similar in style to older handles. Unfortunately the new handle KitchenAid chose a few years ago is a big departure from their old Architect II handles. They actually still offer 1 dishwasher model with the old handle purely for replacement purposes, but this option doesn't exist in their other appliance lines. As far as options go, we usually recommend the KitchenAid icemaker over others because it comes with an outstanding warranty (3 years limited parts/labor, when most are usually 1 year, or 2 at best). Icemakers are notoriously finicky, so I'd still recommend the KA model here for that feature. As far as your listed options go: 1. The new KA handles are not made to retrofit on the older product, so I don't think this would be an option for you unless you're willing to have a 3rd party make it work. Even so, I'd recommend against it since this could mess up the integrity of your unit. The "solo" handles that KA currently offers for sale are actually meant for current panel ready models. 2. This would likely be the most cost effective solution, since KA has basically set in to this handle and I'd expect it to stick around another 2-3 years at absolute minimum (I believe the old handle lasted 10+ years, so KA isn't necessarily quick to change). 3. KitchenAid does have a panel ready option for their icemakers, and you would probably save more on the front side, but you'd make up and probably exceed that cost having the panel and hardware ordered. I can't speak to how closely it would match, but keep in mind that these panel sizes aren't always universal. So when it comes time to replace the appliance, this may need mods or a whole new panel to fit the new appliance. I also know older KA panel ready icemaker models weren't fully integrated, meaning they'd stick out a bit from a standard cabinet depth, so you'll definitely want to check this will work as intended dimension-wise before pulling the trigger on it. 4. There are options available that will have a more neutral handle like the Whirlpool wdccruise linked - that unit is actually very similar to the KitchenAid (Whirlpool owns KA), and I think the ice style is the same. The only thing you'd lose here or with other options is that 3 year warranty, and depending on brand, you may be looking at a different style of ice. I hope that helps!...See MoreUgly, mismatched kitchen - facelift on a very tight budget
Comments (81)Hi Alexandra, keeping in and you temporary liw budget and using the cabinets and appliance for the color scheme I put tower some options in an ugly unmatched kitchen idea book but here are some of my picks from it below. in addition I would spray paint your cabinet hinges a matte black and for your door (assuming pantry by the fridge either matte black for it and the trim or using white distressing wax to give it more character or stain it with weather wash stain. hope this helps the wallpaper for above the cabinets but if you don't like that then a nice creamy white paint would be nice....See Moreangie_diy
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