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dishwasher drawers, refrig. drawers


highchef

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I'm about to purchase a kitchen 'suite' and was seriously thinking of dishwasher drawers. I like to run the dishwasher at night and feel guilty if I run it and it's not completely full. I figured 2 drawers would cover all occasions. It makes sense though, only if they clean well. I've also been thinking of the refrig/freezer drawers for a vacation home because placement of the refrig. either blocks the view or is stuck in a corner. I think refrig's should be available to the casual wanderer who doesn't need to disrupt the innner environs of the working kitchen. Not when I'm in it with knives at my disposal. I've been checking the consumer digest magazines on appliances and it only hints at 'some problems' with them and is not entirely forthcoming in a reccomendation. They insinuate they're overpriced and trendy. I also got the idea somewhere that they aren't terribly energy efficient. That is becoming more and more important as utility rates have almost doubled since Katrina/Rita. The Louisiana consumer has to pay entergy back for fixing the power post hurricanes. It sucks, but if you've ever been here during the summer, you know a/c is valued ahead of a nifty trend like refrigerator drawers..still they would solve the location problem and could easily be placed to the outside ends of the island.

If you have any experience with these products, please tell me how you like them.

Thanks in advance.

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my personal experience w/ dishwasher drawers has been good. Unfortunately I don't recall the brand, but one home in which I cater has DWD. I was impressed by the sound, or lack thereof, because the machines are very quiet. It was possible to load and run each drawer individually. However, it was difficult to load large items. So, if you do a lot of baking, or use large (more than 13") bowls, trays, pans, etc., measure the compartments before buying.

A friend of mine who cooks for a small family loves her DWD. They had the front panels finished to match the cabinets :-) A definite plus.

I'm thinking that fridge drawers might have the same sort of size issues. My freezer-on-the-bottom fridge has drawers for the freezer. I love them. But none of them would be the right size/shape for bottles of things like juice or wine (i.e., for a fridge)

My 2 cents.

Happy shopping.

Karen Dar Woon

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I've had a pair of Fisher-Paykel dishwasher drawers for just under 5 years. The first year we had a problem with the electronic control panel. Service suggested that we use less detergent, which we were doing, but they replaced the electronics at no charge. I suspect this was a factory fix to a defective controller(s). Since then no further problems with the controls. Had a gasket fail but it has not impeded the function. They have been superior units with energy saving cycles, easy to load, quiet when running, clean very well and perfect for the two of us or dinner parties utilizing both. Small loads no problem.

"I drink to make other people interesting".

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I have a Fisher Paykel single DWD in my basement wet bar and have mixed feelings about it. We installed it because we wanted something small down there and it was more reasonably priced than the small "regular" dishwashers, so from that point of view, it's been a raging success. It is very quiet (as others have mentioned), which is a plus.

On the other hand, now that we're living in the basement full time while waiting for our kitchen remodel to be complete, I am noticing its shortcomings more and more. For one thing, it definitely doesn't hold anything tall (like plastic cutting boards, my full-sized dinner plates, etc.). For another, I haven't been that impressed with its cleaning abilities, esp. compared to the Miele upstairs (which cleans extremely well, it just takes FOREVER to do so). Finally, I don't like the loading options--it doesn't really seem to hold glasses or plates in any logical order and I feel like my semi-delicate glasses (e.g. the $2 highball glasses from Crate & Barrel) are at considerable risk of being knocked around given the rack configuration.

I would install DWDs again in a secondary kitchen, but never in my primary kitchen--they're just too limiting.

Feast then thy heart, for what the heart has had, the hand of no heir shall ever hold.
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I believe refrigerator drawers are worth it, if you can install them just where you want them, and am getting ready to have a dishwasher drawer in the new kitchen.

The kitchen in my last house had Subzero drawers to the lower right of the range (for storing mis), and near the second cooktop, which held drinks and snacks, for the most part. the new kitchen won't have any refrigerator drawers, for lots of reasons interesting to me but boring to the rest of the world, I know :rolleyes: , but I did love them when I had them.

My under-construction kitchen will have a full-sized dishwasher in the main cleanup area, and a drawer in the wet bar that will be used for overflow, but mainly for stemware, silver, etc. I'm getting a Fisher-Paykel, because I fell in love with one during the last reno and never forgot about it. :wub:

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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Hi,

I have a friend who owns the Fisher & Paykel dish drawers and love the double drawer concept. She loves that when one of the drawers is being repaired (often!) the other is available to clean her dishes.

Consumer Reports surveys shows the Fisher & Paykel (They make all the double drawer washer sold under many labels) dishwasher are THE MOST REPAIR PRONE BRAND IN THE INDUSTRY. They are repaired over 2 1/2 times the average for other brands.

Tim

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Hi,

I have a friend who owns the Fisher & Paykel dish drawers and love the double drawer concept.  She loves that when one of the drawers is being repaired (often!) the other is available to clean her dishes.

Consumer Reports surveys shows the Fisher & Paykel (They make all the double drawer washer sold under many labels) dishwasher are THE MOST REPAIR PRONE BRAND IN THE INDUSTRY.  They are repaired over 2 1/2 times the average for other brands.

Tim

The F/P drawers have hoses that allow the drawers to open/close. They fail and leak shortly after the waranty runs out. I would never spec them for a job...

Bud

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When my KitchenAid Superba recently went out of commission, I seriously considered replacing it with a Fischer Paykel drawer system, but there were so many negative reviews on the internet, that I gave up on the idea, Luckily the KitchenAid was still covered by the warranty but I was able to bend the ear of the repairman about Fisher Paykel drawer washers and he simply said " I really wouldnt reccomend them " , I also asked about other makers, like KitchenAid and he told me that most of them are also made by Fisher Paykel and sold under various brand names ..

They make an awesome washing machine though, I love it , and the dryer has only had to be repaired twice so far .

" No, Starvin' Marvin ! Thats MY turkey pot pie "

- Cartman

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The question I keep asking about the dish drawers is that if they're so wonderful, why aren't more manufacturer's making them. Nobody at KBIS (Kitchen & Bath Industry Show) this year would/could answer that question directly, but the implication was "if it was a good idea, we would have done it by now." I believe the pitfalls (size, repairs, etc.) outweigh the benefits. The only time I spec them is for situations like BekkiM's ... single DW's in bars & prep kitchens.

Fridge drawers rock!

A.

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well, then..I think the dishwashers are out (it's going into a rental, anyway..I do have a hefty rent, though,so the tenants either can afford to lose their deposit, or don't give a damn, or both). The frig drawers, I think, will do exactly what they should. I'm going to love them...it seemed like such a "why didn't I think of that!" thing when I first saw them, that my sense of the 'norm' isn't there anymore. Very creative, that.

I'd still like all of the opinions on either though..They may get better over time, and I'm thinking the dw's are a gasket problem...mounting, sealing, pressure testing, it's a real challange. I'd love to be able to talk to a designer and give my intake to these things.

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