In the market for new home appliances? Know someone who is? Here's our best advice about things to keep in mind while you're shopping:
Refrigerators
- Non-drip, removable and repositionable shelves allow you to fit more items and make it easier to add and remove items
- Separated vegetables and fruit compartments with temperature and humidity adjustments could keep these foods fresher longer
- Units with bottom freezers tend to be more efficient
- Unnecessary bells and whistles are cool but the more features it offers, the more things there are that will break and wish repair
- Check the water dispenser speed; some are faster than others
- Study your current refrigerator. What works well for you personally? What doesn't work well for your requirements?
- Avoid trendy colors, as they go out of style quickly
- Stainless steel models show fingerprints and also you can't hang your child's drawings in it. As an alternative, consider a stainless look instead.
Ranges
- Commercial ranges don't offer benefits over conventional models. They may be much more expensive to repair and often are more difficult to clean
- For safety reasons, avoid models with knobs found in the front if you have small children residing in your home
- Be sure the oven is large enough for your cooking needs; oven sizes do vary greatly
- Pros and cons associated with gas and electric models: Speed: Gas ranges are faster to show on and immediately off. All things being equal, gas burners having a higher BTU rating will heat faster. Electric is slower to turn on and very slow to cool down. – Cleaning: Electric smooth-top ranges are simpler to keep clean. When off, they are able to also serve as extended counter space
- Heavy, cast-iron gas range grates are more durable than the steel variety
- In the event of a power outage, a gas range burner can be lit with a match. By having an electric range, you're out of luck!
- Large windows on oven doors are helpful for easier monitoring of baked goods
- A convection microwave can speed cooking times. It also enables you to fill the oven full because the heat is distributed evenly through the oven
Post-purchase tip: Always install the anti-tip device that accompanies your brand-new range; it can help prevent a dangerous range tip-over if a child sits or stands on the oven door.
You might also be interested in this post: Range cleaning 101
Microwave Ovens
- Many microwave ovens feature sensor cooking, which helps the oven to more accurately determine the necessary cooking times
- Fancy features add unnecessary complexity and cause more items to break. Most people find that they rarely begin using these features at all
Washing Machines
- Most front loaders have longer wash cycles than traditional top loaders
- Most front loaders need to be emptied soon after a load is finished to avoid the development of a moldy odor around the clothes and inside of the machine
- Front loaders can utilize normal washer detergent but they work better with specialized “HE” (high quality) detergent
- If you buy a front loader, get the pedestal option to avoid having to unload while kneeling
Post-purchase tip: Most suburban homes with first or second-floor laundry rooms are not designed with enough strength in the floor for any fully-loaded washing machine. We strongly recommend that you install 3/4 -inch plywood under both dryer and washer and fasten to the floor with screws.
You could also be interested in these posts:
Four stuff that hurt your dryer
Nine tips for washing machine care
Five fast appliance fixes
Dishwashers
- If you expect the dishes to be bone dry after the cycle, look for a heated, forced-air dry feature. Not all units have this
- Study the rack sizes and layouts along with the silverware basket location. This varies model to model to serve different needs
- A separate wash arm underneath the upper rack is more effective than a center tower
- Some units have a timed fill cycle for the wash water rather than a depth fill. Depth fill is better because it eliminates the problem of low pressure and old water fill valves
You could also be interested in this post: The right way to load a dishwasher
Before you are making buying decisions, we also recommend that you read testing results conducted and authored by Consumer Reports.
When you ask your friends and relations about their experiences with recent appliance purchases, be mindful that not everyone will have exactly the same needs as you.
Any other advice to talk about? Please leave your comments below.
Good luck!
