Welcome to this week’s post! This week and next, we’re going to be doing something a bit different. We know that many of our patrons are looking to get new appliances as the year changes, and we wanted to help.
We’re going to be splitting this into two posts. The first is where our blogger goes shopping to outfit a home with five different major appliances, three options for each category. Next week’s post is going to go into what our professionals think are the best possible choices.
Due to the commonality among our clients, we chose to go for all-electric appliances rather than gas or a mix of gas and electric. However, we did go for all Energy Star rated appliances to ensure that we would also be choosing appliances that would help cut back on your bills.
Refrigerators
Brand: LG
This one was an easy pick for me. Not only is it a considerable amount of space, but it makes sure that you can see in with the ‘Insta View” door. No more staring at the fridge with it open, trying to figure out what you want!
I also approve of the focus on the door to keep what’s on your door at peak freshness combined with their Energy Star rating. They managed to solve a problem, and still maintain that speaks to the care for the client’s issues.
Brand Samsung
Admittedly, I am a geek when it comes to technology. I have wanted to know more about this fridge from the moment it was announced. I spend so much time in my kitchen, trying to keep my household organized, know what my kid is doing in school and what fundraisers are going on, it’s a relief to have a fridge that’s trying to help! For that reason, I LOVE the Family Board & Hub features that they offer.
I know that we covered the drawbacks to Samsung’s tech-focused fridges as well, but I’ll leave the in-depth conversation to our professionals. If I’m going on a dream shopping spree, I can at least entertain the idea of this one, right?
The Samsung, much like the LG above, makes it easier to see inside your fridge. However, this one also makes it so that you can see what’s in your fridge while you’re at the store using the three built-in cameras. This also plays into the ability to plan meals based on what you have and automatically set expiration dates.
Brand Cafe
Tea. Hot cocoa. Fresh couscous. I love that this fridge comes with a hot water dispenser! You can even use your phone or your assistant (Alexa/Bixby/Google) to tell the refrigerator to preheat the water while you’re doing something else. I can also see this being a thing for parents with a new baby when you need to prep a bottle.
And it even has a precise fill setting. I am absolutely in love with this fridge. Water dispenser? So last decade. A /hot/ water dispenser? Heck yes!
Washers
Model 5-cu ft High-Efficiency Top-Load Washer (Fingerprint Resistant Black Stainless Steel) ENERGY STAR
Brand Samsung
I’ll be honest, I hate doing laundry. I don’t mind folding it, but getting the process started and then having to do something else? I always end up getting distracted. Or feeling like I’m risking tipping myself into my washer whilst trying to get that one sock at the bottom. I’m tiny. It’s a possibility.
With this Samsung washer, both of these are if not solved, at least addressed. They’ve managed to shorten the wash time down to 36 minutes, for when you need an outfit fast. They also engineered the drum to be wider, while lifting it higher. I no longer have to fear falling in!
This model even comes with a built-in water faucet for pretreating.
Model SmartThinQ TurboWash 3D 5-cu ft High-Efficiency Top-Load Washer (White) ENERGY STAR
Brand LG
LG continues to impress with their attention to detail and really focusing on the problems. With this washer, they focused on finding more ways to get a deep clean. They’ve put in both a TurboWash as well as adding in different ‘motions’ for the drum to go through to work harder at getting out stains and muck. They went one step past that, though, and introduced an anti-vibration system to reduce noise and vibration. This sounds like nonsense, right until you have a washer on a tile or wooden floor, and it rattles so hard it wakes the house up.
Model Activewash 5.2-cu ft High-Efficiency Top-Load Washer (White) ENERGY STAR
Brand Samsung
And we’re back to Samsung. I did try to find a third brand, but this one was the one that was the most appealing to me.
Instead of just a faucet, this washer comes with a sink meant for soaking and pretreating as well as a steam wash option. No more need for ironing? Yes, please?
I also really like the idea of a washer that keeps itself clean. I admit, I’m going to be talking with our professionals on this one, but I am interested and hopeful.
The Samsung Activewash even goes a step further for an 800 rpm spin cycle to extract as much water as possible to reduce drying time even further. This is definitely a washer I can get behind.
Dryers
Model 8.8-cu ft Electric Dryer (White) ENERGY STAR
Brand Maytag
Although the brand is Maytag rather than Samsung, our last washer was on my mind when I was looking at this dryer. The top load dryer comes with “advanced moisture sensing’ to make sure that everything gets properly dried before the dryer stops. It also has a rapid dry cycle for getting small loads done quickly.
Model SmartThinQ EasyLoad 7.3-cu ft Electric Dryer (Graphite Steel) ENERGY STAR
Brand LG
This dryer is huge. 7.3 cubic feet of space, and a door that opens two different ways? Yup. This dryer is pretty amazing as far as I’m concerned.
Having lived with a 30+-year-old dryer for a while now, I also greatly appreciate the FlowSense technology that LG has come up with to let you know when you need to clean the ducts out.
Model SmartThinQ TurboSteam 7.4-cu ft Stackable Electric Dryer (White) ENERGY STAR
Brand LG
LG again, but this one pairs right up with my earlier dream of “no more ironing! It comes equipped with ‘TrueSteam’ technology to reduce wrinkles. Since it also comes with a sensor to measure how dry your clothes are, it can adjust your drying time rather than keeping things tumbling ‘round and ‘round.
Cooktop and Oven Combos
Brand Frigidaire
This one, much like the Samsung fridge, was an ‘ooh shiny’ impulse. It comes with an air fryer. Faster popcorn, and healthier? Yes, please! And as a baker, the option for ‘quick preheating’ sounds like a dream come true. No more having to wait 20 minutes for the oven to warm up!
Brand Samsung
With the last oven, I mentioned that I’m a baker. This oven makes me drool. It can cook two different dishes at two different temperatures at the same time. And they didn’t stop the flexibility of it there. The cooktop is equally flexible with 5 specialized elements and 2 of them being dual elements. It would make large holiday meals a breeze!
Model Smooth Surface 5 Elements 5.3-cu ft Self-Cleaning Convection Freestanding Electric Range
Brand Whirlpool
Whirlpool is trying something different with this one, and I’m… tentatively interested? This oven has a ‘frozen bake’ setting as well as a temperature sensor to ensure an even cooking process. I can’t wait to see what our professionals have to say about this one.
Dishwashers
Brand KitchenAid
I admit, when it came to the dishwasher, I went for the quietest one. This one from KitchenAid is the quietest one that is currently available, while still getting an Energy Star rating. It’s also got a third level rack for silverware, so you don’t have to worry about your large knives damaging the dishwasher as we talked about in last week’s post.
Model StormWash 42-Decibel Built-In Dishwasher Energy Star
Brand Samsung
Samsung has given their StormWash dishwasher rotating jets. After watching a video on how it’s supposed to work, it looks like it might actually make dishes even more straightforward. Plus, it automatically opens the door at the end of a cycle to get air circulating and speed drying time. I am all over this dishwasher.
Model 300 Series 44-Decibel Built-In Dishwasher
Brand Bosch
Bosch is a really good name in dishwashers, and this just proves it to me. They’ve added multiple options to make your dishwasher more versatile, no matter what you need. They’ve made it so that you can set your racks at three different heights, giving you a total of 9 possible positions. You can fit anything in there with this setting. Well, anything reasonable.
They’ve also addressed the issue of ‘what to do if you only have half a load’ and given you a reduced cycle time for it.
Thank you very much for coming this week, and we hope this was helpful for you and anyone else who is shopping for something new with the new year. Be sure to come back next week to check out what our professionals thought.
If you are looking to repair rather than replace, reach out and make schedule an appointment.
Some questions for you in the comments, or over on our facebook page.
Which appliance, if any, are you looking to replace this year?
Which of our blogger’s choices did you like or dislike?
Do you have an appliance you would point us towards? Why?