Your Home Appliances are Junk

[gfweb]

As far as I can see the problem lies with WalMart, Target, HH Gregg  et al. They insist on rock bottom prices and the manufacturers cut every corner that they can to get into those stores. The result is crap appliances.

 

Miele and Wolf cost a ton, but they aren't POSs. Probably worth the price differential.

[Lisa Shock]

Yeah, WalMart in particular requires manufacturers to reduce their wholesale prices at least annually. At first, economies of scale (or moving the factory to China) allow for it. But, after a few years, there's nothing to do but cut the quality. Even just keeping the price the same would mean ignoring inflation's effect on the price of raw materials.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

My dishwasher that failed a few months ago was less than two years old. It was a Frigidaire, and very poorly designed. In order to save costs they put a smaller motor into it, and pump water to the top of the machine. That makes it necessary for them to drop the top dish basket/drawer down a couple inches or so. It also meant that it wouldn't accommodate large serving platters in the bottom basket/drawer or taller pots and pans or even cooking utensils like spatulas or stirring spoons in the lower silverware basket, so they took up precious space laid flat in the top basket. This meant you could not place glass or ceramic ware on top of them for fear of chipping for a 12 or 14" run. To top all this off, this machine was designed by someone who either did not have experience with dishwashers, or clearly did not give a rat's ass about functionality, durability or customer satisfaction. It was one of the electronic jobs, and took 2-1/2 hours on "light wash" cycle. Then it had a 20 minute heated dry cycle, which had no chance at all of drying the dishes even overnight. That meant that I had to monitor the hated beast and wait for the drying cycle, shake off all the water from the dishes, open the racks and hope for the best. Usually, at least some hand drying was necessary. Studies show hand-dried dishes are not as sanitary as air dried. There was no way to ask the machine to start just the dry cycle over again to finish the job, and if the power went out or even blipped hard 2 hours into the cycle, the machine went into deep lobotomy mode and sat there blinking lights at you. You had to start over from the 3 hour cycle's beginning. This thing seriously needed a Resume button on the keypad or a way to select where you wanted it to start in the interminable cycle. This appliance was nicknamed POSTI. You know the first three letters. The last two are "To Infinity". 

 

My replacement from the landlord is another Frigidaire, but at least this one is not electronic. It has some of the same bad design features, but at least the wash cycle completes in an hour, and the still inadequate electric dry cycle can be manually dialed back to start over with the door open so the water doesn't come on. It also has the more powerful motor which allows the top basket to be placed higher, so platters, long utensils and big pots and pans can fit in the lower basket or at all. I expect it to last longer than the last one. I don't like it much, but at least it doesn't have a derogatory name yet.

 

On the other hand, I am using a GE electric stove that's from the 70's. I have a love/hate relationship with it. I just recently got a working thermostat back in it, and that is a real treat after years of trying to cook with a timer and oven thermometer and manually shutting the heat elements on and off. In its defense, I fried the t-stat myself when the furnace went out, and the landlord wouldn't fix it. If you are using an electric stove to heat, turn it all the way up, turn it off and open the door, repeat. Don't leave the door open with the heat on, or it'll cook your t-stat. I didn't know. The heat it can produce for pizza or broiling, for instance, would cook one of the new electronic stove's idiot brain in no time flat. It is the devil I know, and you gotta admit, it has been very durable and earned its keep.

 

I also bought a washer and dryer from Sears back in 1989 when I moved in here. The salesperson told me it was manufactured by Whirlpool, and this has been confirmed by a repairman I hired to replace a bearing in the washer maybe 7 years ago. The repair was less than $100 and he came to my house and did it on site. I paid $400 each for these machines and they have also earned their keep.

 

I drove a 1979 Chevy Malibu from 1988 until a couple years ago.

 

The fragility of today's manufactured products also filters down to less fortunate folks who used to buy used stuff that was perfectly serviceable.

 

I don't think the "durable goods" available today are going to be capable of providing anywhere near the long service I have enjoyed from some I have been lucky enough to own.

 

I'm with Deryn. Please, less glitz, "bells and whistles" and much more value for our dollars.

 

 

[ElainaA]

I suspect that most of the problems are with the higher end products - which as @Deryn rightly says have gotten ridiculously complex. "Simple and solid" appliances are still easily available - I buy them for our apartment houses. I might have to call a repairman once a year. And I am not referring to products purchased 10 or more years ago - some were made in the last 5 years. Our home appliances are quite basic also, most purchased within the past 4-5 years when the ones we put in 27 years ago finally gave up. No repair calls here.(Yet anyway). 

[gfweb]

7 minutes ago, ElainaA said:

I suspect that most of the problems are with the higher end products - which as @Deryn rightly says have gotten ridiculously complex. "Simple and solid" appliances are still easily available - I buy them for our apartment houses. I might have to call a repairman once a year. And I am not referring to products purchased 10 or more years ago - some were made in the last 5 years. Our home appliances are quite basic also, most purchased within the past 4-5 years when the ones we put in 27 years ago finally gave up. No repair calls here.(Yet anyway). 

 

So name names. Which are simple and solid?

[ElainaA]

48 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

So name names. Which are simple and solid?

I can tell you what I have at home - a GE Profile, propane burning, 4 burner stove. I asked my husband about control boards or logic, since that seems to be a frequent issue mentioned here - he said maybe the timer is electronic and probably the oven temperature control but that's it.  Our refrigerator is also GE - a top freezer, 29" width model. No ice dispenser or chilled water - just a fridge and small freezer. The dishwasher is a Maytag - their lowest end model. It works just fine. When we bought it, about 4 years ago, the salesman tried REALLY hard to sell us something fancier - but I don't need anything fancier. I've got a 13 cubic foot upright freezer in the garage - also a GE - that I fully expect to run forever. 

 

I can't give you makes or models for the appliances I buy for the apartments since the records are all at our office and I have no plans to be there until next Tuesday. Basically, small (usually 24") electric stoves and small top freezer refrigerators. No dishwashers. 

 

Maybe we are just lucky but, if so, that luck has been holding quite awhile.

[Martin Fisher]

Most of the things I buy are quite simple and far from "high-end"

I do lots of research before buying, read reviews, etc. to try to find products with a record of minimal problems.

In spite of that, we do run into serious problems with some stuff. 

 

The fridge I bought last August, a "Whirlpool", draws numerous excellent reviews.

I bought it on sale — 10% off regular price, with a "free" icemaker promotion — packaged separately — which I sold for $65.00

There is a very minor cosmetic issue for which they refunded ~$50

I bought a 5-year extended warranty for ~$100

Hopefully, it'll serve us well without serious issues!

Edited June 23, 2016 by DiggingDogFarm (log)

[lindag]

When we bought this house almost exactly 10 years ago we installed all new appliances.

Here's the results:

Kenmore Elite fridge:  replaced the icemaker and replaced the fan motor.

Kenmore Elite d/w:  replaced the door springs two times.

GE over-the-range m/w:  replaced the magnetron

GE dual fuel range:  no repairs

These all are high-end though not commercial grade appliances.

Edited to add:  I should have also mentioned that the total cost of these combined repairs adds up to well over $1000.

Edited June 25, 2016 by lindag (log)

[tikidoc]

17 hours ago, Deryn said:

 

I know that 'simple and solid' doesn't satisfy the need of today's jaded consumers to constantly be 'upgrading' one's designer look kitchens,

 

We recently upgraded our kitchen (it was terrible when we bought the house) and put in "new to us" cabinets (bought high end used cabinets from GreenDemolitions for a fraction of the price of new, and splurged on an expensive but VERY solid and VERY simple range (LaCanche) that I expect I will be passing along to my kids. Sometimes it's worth shelling out some extra for quality, then keeping it for a lifetime.

[paulraphael]

Interestingly with ranges, the very high-end products (DCS, Bluestar, Wolf—at least before they were bought by sub zero) are much simpler than lower end models. Fewer electronics, simple controls, etc., and yet they still seem to have poor reliability records. At least this is what I've read over the years. I've always had cheap ranges, which perform poorly but almost never break.

Edited June 23, 2016 by paulraphael (log)

[boilsover]

My 1905 Monarch solid-fuel and 1948 GE Airliner aren't junk ranges.  Neither is my 1960 Frigidaire refrigerator or my International Harvester chest freezer.  All are likely to outlast me.

[Deryn]

No ... I don't think those are junk (though apparently some people have abandoned them at the dump - after many years of good use - and I once saw an IH freezer being used for a garbage container somewhere on my travels).

 

And most of us these days would be jealous that you own those and not anything newer, boilsover. That is the point of our tirades ... they don't build 'em like they used to.

[andiesenji]

On 6/22/2016 at 10:37 AM, DiggingDogFarm said:

Shortly after I bought this house — the third week of April, 2010 — I bought a brand new GE range and refrigerator from Home Depot (ordered April 25th, installed  within a week.)

Had several problems with the fridge, both major and minor, before it finally died completely last August. I then bought a new fridge from Lowes.

The GE range is still going, but has some issues. About 3 years ago, rust started developing rust on the bottom of the oven door, that's gotten progressively worse. All markings wore of of the oven knob — I REFUSE to pay $35 for a replacement!

Worst of all, the oven floor has started to burn through in spots!!!! GRRRrrrrr!!! 

I don't think I'll buy another range. 

I cook for just myself 99% of the time and when I use burners, 90% of the time it's just one. So I may just buy a 'good' induction burner.

Not yet sure what I'll do for an oven...maybe just a small counter-top convection oven.

 

On June 11th, 2014 I ordered a Frigidaire 12,000 BTU air conditioner. 

I installed it after it arrived about a week later.

It died last week, just about 2 years to the day after it was first installed! GRRRRrrrrr!!!! 

 

When I stopped catering, in 2002, I got rid of my big gas Blodgett commercial oven which was free standing on its own cart.  I decided to get an electric oven and since I did not need the big size, I bought a Cadco 1/2 sheet pan size oven.  It has worked like a champ and can handle everything except huge turkeys. (I got a free one a few years ago and split it in half, froze half and cooked the other.  When I bought it the cost was 749.00  They have gone up a bit but are still reasonably priced and have a lot more capacity than the cheaper ones.  And they last a heck of a lot longer.  

And - the "cool touch" exterior is very important to me.  

[Martin Fisher]

I forgot to mention that we're on our 2nd microwave since we moved into this house 6 years, 2 months ago! 

Odd since we don't use a microwave very much.

SO makes oatmeal in it and I occasionally use it to carefully reheat leftovers or to defrost.

Small GE microwaves — nothing fancy.

 

On 6/25/2016 at 9:33 PM, andiesenji said:

I decided to get an electric oven and since I did not need the big size, I bought a Cadco 1/2 sheet pan size oven.  It has worked like a champ and can handle everything except huge turkeys.

 

I think we can get by with a quarter-size model.

I don't bake like I used to (diet restrictions) — years ago I was MUCH more a baker than a cook (LOVED to bake!)

Anyway, I've had the Wisco-620 and the Cadco OV-003 on my Amazon wishlist for a couple years.

It appears that the Cadco is likely the best choice, higher maximum temperature, 2 year warranty instead of 1 year, etc.

Largest things I'd be baking are a relatively small ham or half a 10 lb. turkey.

Edited June 30, 2016 by DiggingDogFarm (log)

[andiesenji]

I just ordered one of these.  

Due to arrive today.  

I think it is deeper than some of the countertop ovens but I am going to put it on one my my shelving units in the pantry - where the Sharp convec/mwave used to live.  (Which was a heck of lot bigger and heavier)

 

The double doors remind me of my old Blodgett - a feature I really like and would love to see on built-in wall ovens - one of the reasons I don't have one is that I am wary about reaching across a hot oven door now that I am a bit shaky.  

I will report back on how well it works after I have put it through its paces.  

 

 

[andiesenji]

I have baked biscuits and scones in the new oven.  I LOVE the French doors!  

I put an oven thermometer inside - the controls do not reflect the true temperature - I had to set the controls higher to attain the needed temp.  Will continue testing to make sure the variance is across the full range.

 

I baked using the "turbo" convection setting - it does not bake evenly in that the things all the way to the front were not browning as much as those in the center and back so I had to rotate the baking sheet.

 

I'm going to try a batch of mac and cheese and a fruit tart - I want to see how it works with things on both shelves.  

 

I tried making toast it's okay but it takes too long - I will continue to use one of my toasters or my 47-year-old GE Automatic Deluxe Toast-R-Oven, which still does a bang-up job on toasting stuff that is too thick to go into a toaster.

[Martin Fisher]

@andiesenji

That's an interesting oven!!!

They also make a non-digital model of the same size.

 

On 6/22/2016 at 1:37 PM, DiggingDogFarm said:

On June 11th, 2014 I ordered a Frigidaire 12,000 BTU air conditioner. 

I installed it after it arrived about a week later.

It died last week, just about 2 years to the day after it was first installed! GRRRRrrrrr!!!! 

 

Good news!

Frigidaire is going to replace the AC! 

[ChocoMom]

I had read this thread a couple of times prior to making the purchases for all the appliances at our rebuilt home.  My appliance guy gives me the true low-down on current appliances. There are some that he flat-out refuses to sell.  Gotta love that. He warned me about certain dishwashers which are now made with all plastic parts, and horsepower of 1/8hp.    We went over appliances for the main house kitchen, and the chocolate shop, plus laundry room as well.  Dishwashers will apparently max out the 14 gauge wiring, so I made the electricians install all 12 gauge....just to be safe. 

 

Net result is, I am getting a 36" BlueStar range with backsplash, an LG range, 2 refrigerators, 2 dishwashers, a chimney fan, an undermount fan, garbage disposal, dehumidifier, and a washer machine for 17K.   All of it top notch, and I could not be more thrilled. Buying on July 4 weekend saved 4K.   I will report back once everything is installed, but I am so freakin' geeked about the prices!!!! This gives me more to spend on the Chocolate shop toys. Can't beat that!!!!!

[andiesenji]

On 7/5/2016 at 9:42 PM, ChocoMom said:

I had read this thread a couple of times prior to making the purchases for all the appliances at our rebuilt home.  My appliance guy gives me the true low-down on current appliances. There are some that he flat-out refuses to sell.  Gotta love that. He warned me about certain dishwashers which are now made with all plastic parts, and horsepower of 1/8hp.    We went over appliances for the main house kitchen, and the chocolate shop, plus laundry room as well.  Dishwashers will apparently max out the 14 gauge wiring, so I made the electricians install all 12 gauge....just to be safe. 

 

Net result is, I am getting a 36" BlueStar range with backsplash, an LG range, 2 refrigerators, 2 dishwashers, a chimney fan, an undermount fan, garbage disposal, dehumidifier, and a washer machine for 17K.   All of it top notch, and I could not be more thrilled. Buying on July 4 weekend saved 4K.   I will report back once everything is installed, but I am so freakin' geeked about the prices!!!! This gives me more to spend on the Chocolate shop toys. Can't beat that!!!!!

When I was catering and had a "certified" kitchen, I had a Hobart under counter  dishwasher with 8 "trays" that I loaded on a rolling cart to make it easier to shove them in and out of the washer.

It was noisy but as the entire cycle was only 90 seconds, it wasn't as bad as some consumer models of that time.

It did a terrific job and because of the short cycle, it also saved a lot of electricity.  

 

In 2008, since I was no longer catering and had no use for a high-capacity, quick turnaround washer, I made a deal with a friend who wanted the Hobart - he bought me a new top of the line Bosch and has been using the Hobart ever since in his bakery/cafe.  

 

The Hobart was expensive but it paid for itself - and I had replaced a regular dishwasher (Kenmore) twice in 6 years and they just took too long to go through a cycle.  And they wasted a lot of water.  

[andiesenji]

The Oster oven is working out quite well.  Today I baked a banana almond cake.  I did not preheat the oven.  Set it on convection, 325°F for one hour.  (Adapted the recipe from an America's Test Kitchen recipe using their timing)

 

Turned out perfectly.  Browned perfectly which has been a problem with this recipe in the past - too pale.  Done all the way through, temp in the center  210° F.  

And I really LOVE those French doors.  

[Deryn]

Andie - Do both doors stay open by themselves or does the left door have to be held open?

[Martin Fisher]

@andiesenji 

Some have complained about a gap between the doors.

Do you see that as a potential issue?

[andiesenji]

4 hours ago, Deryn said:

Andie - Do both doors stay open by themselves or does the left door have to be held open?

Both doors open when you open one and when all the way open they stay open till you close them.

 

I have no problem with the very small space between the doors.  It is less than 1/8 inch.

[Deryn]

Thanks, Andie. I asked because I read a couple of reviews of that appliance elsewhere and at least one person (who supposedly had bought that model) commented that if you opened the doors, you had to hold the left one open or both would auto-close. That made me wonder (if true) whether that would be a hindrance/problem at all ... since one might have to take out hot items with only a single hand (and that might be even more problem for someone who is left handed). I guess either the reports were false (maybe they never actually opened the doors fully .. who knows) or maybe there was a slight change to the design over time to fix that possible issue. At any rate, I am glad to hear it is no longer the case. I am happy you like the design - I love the idea of full size French door oven and would consider one should my wall oven need replacing. Thanks for your reports/review, etc.

[andiesenji]

2 hours ago, Deryn said:

Thanks, Andie. I asked because I read a couple of reviews of that appliance elsewhere and at least one person (who supposedly had bought that model) commented that if you opened the doors, you had to hold the left one open or both would auto-close. That made me wonder (if true) whether that would be a hindrance/problem at all ... since one might have to take out hot items with only a single hand (and that might be even more problem for someone who is left handed). I guess either the reports were false (maybe they never actually opened the doors fully .. who knows) or maybe there was a slight change to the design over time to fix that possible issue. At any rate, I am glad to hear it is no longer the case. I am happy you like the design - I love the idea of full size French door oven and would consider one should my wall oven need replacing. Thanks for your reports/review, etc.

They will close if they are not opened all the way.   People SHOULD READ THE INSTRUCTIONS it states clearly that the doors will close automatically unless opened fully to the "stop" point.  

 

My old Blodgett oven had the same type doors.  Open fully to stay open and once they were past the half-way point they would close all the way on their own.

 

Mine looked like this but it was on a base with shelves.  It was gas and I had to have a large gas line installed for it.  I also had the "steam" function add on which took up space in the bottom so it only held 7 trays instead of 10.  I rarely used more than 4 pans at a time, usually only two to allow for the bread to rise.  Ben bakes a lot of cookies so he uses it to full capacity.

Edited July 9, 2016 by andiesenji (log)