reliable source that rates appliances? + good time of year to buy?
girl_wonder
5 years ago
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How Reliable are Consumer Report Ratings
Comments (20)practigal... would you provide the information where CR "knocked the frdge on top bottom freezer, as not the preferred configuration" [sic] please? I bought a fridge-on-top model specifically on the recommendation of CR. It's been a very good model. Just to check my memory I just looked up their buying guide and here is all they say about these bottom-freezer models... "Sales of bottom-freezers are growing fastest as a group. Widths run from 30 to 36 inches for most. Claimed capacities can approach 30 cubic feet or so though usable space doesn't quite match that of comparable top-freezers. Pros: Bottom-freezers offer the convenience of an eye-level refrigerator. Some now have the in-door ice and water dispensers that debuted on side-by-side models.. Cons: You have to bend to reach the freezer--but you'll typically use the refrigerator much more often. Bottom-freezer fridges cost more than top-freezers overall." Did I miss where they 'knocked' the bottom freezer type? I don't think they are suspect at all. In fact, they are very direct and upfront. Consumer reports takes no advertising dollars. They collate and discuss options and features. It offers reasonable pros and cons. And, thankfully, it includes price as a metric and a concern. User reviews are subject to manipulation and are only relevant when you've already compared and narrowed your search. If you aren't aware that manufacturers pay people to write reviews, you are woefully uninformed. And, if you think you are well-equipped to discern the manipulation, then you have no idea of the power and scope of the psychology behind advertising. I defend CR because they are the last unbiased protection from companies who would take financial advantage of uninformed consumers....See MoreWeek 83: reliable appliances
Comments (14)My things are rather modest, since I bake rarely and my cooking is simple. First is my original "Little Oscar" food chopper. I "borrowed" this from my mother some 20 years ago and it never found its way home (LOL!) I've almost never changed the blade out, just use the same one for everything -- chopping veggies, chopping and mixing fruit and oatmeal for biscuits, blending frozen fruit and yoghurt for instant soft-serve ice cream, pureeing pumpkin etc. Small enough for easy storage and easy to clean, too. Don't know if they are made anymore... I see choppers but they seem cheaper and more lightweight and don't know if they would handle the same tasks as well. I guess this fits the "reliability" category. I also have a Nutribullet, which can do some of the same jobs (but it purees too quickly to replace the chopping function) but is so great for those nutritious smoothies and pureed soups. I am really happy that I got it. I have mentioned it in the setting up temporary kitchens threads, but I never used my George Foreman griller before the remodel. Now I am a true fan, and use it regularly, especially to grill fish fillets. Now, how reliable and long lived those two will prove to be remains to be seen! But I would miss them if I didn't have them. Oh, and how about a piece of cookware? My large Magnalite pot has got to be somewhere close to 60 years old. I don't know what happened to the rest of the set, I think it was dispersed among various siblings. But, it is a great pot, easy to clean (doesn't need non-stick coating), heavy, even heating, perfect for long slow cooking. Rather illustrative of my mother's personality, when she heard about a possible link between dementia and aluminum cookware, she got the set out of her kitchen -- by giving it to her kids....See MoreAre there any reliable appliance brands?
Comments (8)"maybe the more expensive brands are better?" Nah. CR's survey data has tens of thousands of respondents, so reasonably accurate as far as it goes. Which may not be all that far, though, for the reasons Dadoes just pointed out. CR just does not give any breakout on what categories of problems are occurring. For example, it is something of an article of faith here that water dispensers and ice makers, particularly through-the-door units, can be problemmatic. CR's survey results do not distinguish those problems from others such as control boards or compressor failures. You can shut off water lines and ice makers and still have a functioning fridge. Can't do that with a failed compressor or control board. That said, the fact that there may be a lot of operator errors or installation problems does not mean there are not serious problems, though. The prevalance of those kinds of problems could reflect bad design. But the data from CR just does not tell us what we might want to look for or avoid. Reminds me of the old joke about Microsoft's help desk: what they tell you is absolutely true but absolutely unhelpful. :>) Some brands also have been prone to freeze-ups in high humidty conditions. Many fridges have a circuit to address that. Others, like some of the recent Samsung models, do not have that and, instead, need periodic 24 hour defrost to keep the evaporater channels open. (I have several friends who have discovered this with their three to five year old Samsungs). The Samsung problem is, to my thinking, a bigger problem than somebody who does not know they need to turn on the "humidity control" function. Since CR's surveys do not usually report for the likes of Miele (an example of one of your "more expensive brands") you might think those brands are more reliable. No such luck on data. The reason data for more expensive brands does not get reported by CR is simple. The market share is too small. CR gets too few survey responses from its members to have what they regard as a statistically significant example. About all you can do with this data is look for the outliers. You also might have a look at the Yale Appliance web site where that company, which has a large service department, periodically reports on its call rates for premium priced and major brands. Do you know anybody in the appliance service business? Asking them can be helpful....See MoreReliable appliance brands
Comments (8)I have to agree with Sophie about the fridge. I have a counter-depth side by side, and it's a regret. It works fine, but you cannot put any kind of platter in it, and forget about the holiday turkey or roast. The freezer side will not fit a pizza. Who doesn't have a pizza in the freezer? Having said that, some people have an adjunct fridge in the garage or basement that is not a side by side and can hold the holiday turkey etc. so they can have the narrow-width CD SxS in the kitchen. Is that you? I think you should go to several appliances stores, and see the different things offered. Also, bring with you a favorite pot/pan to see how it fits on different cooktops, and also maybe a milk jug or something large that you frequently keep in the fridge to see how fridges will store them or not. One point that Consumer Reports made that is correct is that the published cubic feet of a fridge does not necessarily equate to utility. It depends what kind of fridge storage your family uses/needs. For ex, some people want big door shelves for gallon jugs of milk, but some people never have that so don't want to take up the room for it, and would be happy with smaller door shelves. Or some people freeze food all the time, others never do, and don't really need much freezer space. Decide what your family needs and shop for those features....See More
girl_wonder
5 years agogirl_wonder
5 years agowdccruise
5 years agoLucy R
5 years agosushipup1
5 years ago
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