This year, it’s all about the trends.
This time last year we had two groups go through shopping for new appliances, our Blogger and our Professionals. We’re doing it again this year with a few minor changes.Like last year we’re going to have two different posts, with our Blogger doing her shopping and our Professionals doing theirs. However, we’ve brought in three different types of ranges. Given that new technologies are becoming more prevalent in the market and in the homes of our clients, we wanted to give a wider range of choices.
We will point out that due to the chaos that was 2020, we are still under an appliance shortage. So while we wholeheartedly like the appliances we bring up, your ability to get them right this minute, might be questionable.
Refigerators
Model: 25.8 Cu. Ft. 36" Multi-Door Freestanding Refrigerator with Platinum Interior Design
Brand: Kitchen Aid
Do we need to point out the obvious on this one? It has five doors! One of which is entirely dedicated to preserving vegetables and herbs, while the other small one is able to be switched between multiple different options based on what you need. It’s not limited to just fruits or veggies, but also has settings for meats & cheeses, and thawing or marinating. I think that would be especially useful if you do a lot of meal prep.
We also want to point out that it’s almost 26 cubic feet of storage space on the interior. That is a lot of space for a lot of food.
Model: Benchmark® Built-in Bottom Freezer Refrigerator36''
Brand: Bosch
Well engineered is the byline for Bosch in my opinion. That don’t have a huge list of features, but what they do have, works. ` Their freezers have a SuperCool feature to rapidly return the freezer to normal temperatures after you open it up. It also can connect to your phone to give you messages alerting you to issues with your fridge like leaving a door open. Not to mention, this one proves a point we made last year that you’re going to start to see wood paneled (or imitation) appliances for your home.
Model: LG SIGNATURE 23 cu. ft. Smart wi-fi Enabled InstaView™ Door-in-Door® Counter-Depth Refrigerator
Brand: LG
I have to be honest, this one is my favorite, and I was sorely tempted to go home with the model that my local store had on hand. I have dogs that love to lay in front of my fridge and this solves that problem 90% of the time. I can get a drink or a snack without having to make them move. Everyone wins.
On top of that, it keeps the ability to look inside the fridge as well, so you’re still cutting down on the ‘staring at the fridge with the door open and your electric bill going up.
So out of the refrigerators, LG gets my vote, even if it is a little smaller in terms of interior size.
Dishwashers
Model: GE Profile™ Top Control with Stainless Steel Interior Dishwasher with Sanitize Cycle & Twin Turbo Dry Boost
Brand: GE
GE got this one right, it’s that simple. They offer a steam and sanitize cycle as well as a food pulverizer for any bits that are left on your plates. It’s wonderful and I’m pretty sure it could handle anything I could throw at it, whether that’s cleaning up after babysitting all of the nieces and nephews, or having a party for 20.
Model: 44 dBA Dishwasher in PrintShield™ Finish with FreeFlex™ Third Rack
Brand: KitchenAid
Although this model isn’t particularly quiet at 44db, it does have several advantages that I liked the sound of. It has a microfiltration unit that works throughout the wash cycle, which KitchenAid claims allows you to wash dirty pots and delicate glasses together. It also ‘ProWash’ cycle that monitors the amount of dirt in a cycle and adjusts the amount of water needed on that. To me, anything that is going to cut down on a water bill gets my vote.
Model: Benchmark® Dishwasher24'' SHV89PW73N
Brand: Bosch
Something I haven’t seen in any other dishwasher is what caught me on this one. “AquaStop® Plus 4-Part leak protection system prevents water damage 24/7.” Given some of the horror stories we’ve seen of floors getting damaged due to a faulty dishwasher, this one had me. It’s also even quieter than the one we showed last year at 38 db. It has an adjustable top rack, and a light that lets you know if your dishwasher is running. Why? I’m not entirely certain. But hey. I suppose if you run your dishwasher in the middle of the night and aren’t certainif it’s running or not, it might be useful. This model also comes with the paneling in the image so that it fits in with your existing cabinetry.
Ranges
Model: GE Profile™ 30" Smart Slide-In Electric Double Oven Convection Fingerprint Resistant Range
Brand: GE
This one, as the model info says is an electric range. What caught my eye though was the fact that it is a double oven, with built in Air Fryer, and it is a convection oven.
The one thing I’m.. iffy on is that it can be upgraded by GE with “the latest features, like new Air Fry modes, with downloadable upgrades.” If you’re a tech wizard or love having the most up to date appliances, this one is for you. Me, I’m intrigued by it, but not so certain I want my oven to need downloadable features.
Model: 30" Smart Slide-In, Front-Control, Induction and Convection Range with Warming Drawer
Brand: Cafe
This might be the first oven that comes with a guided class. I could be wrong, and no I’m not talking about the manual. One of the things the pamphlet talked about for Cafe’s induction oven was their “Gourmet Guided Cooking.” It combines video-guided recipes from a chef, and the range automatically adjusts based on which recipe you’re doing. It feels very Jetson-y to me. Another feature is that with the induction element you can boil a quart of water in 101 seconds. Or, if you’re like me and enjoy measuring time in minutes, that’s 1 minute and 41 seconds. But I admit it is more eye catching to say 101 seconds.
Model: ZLINE 36” Dual Fuel- Gas Range/Electric Oven (RA36)
Brand: ZLine
I will admit, I’d never heard of ZLine before walking into my local store. However, seeing their freestanding range was wonderful. It’s a very eye catching and appealing design.
They offer custom options for the doors and burners, as well as the fact that this is a professional grade range. It has 6 gas burners and dual induction ovens.
Washers
Model: GE® 4.8 cu. ft. Capacity Smart Front Load ENERGY STAR® Washer with UltraFresh Vent System with OdorBlock™ and Sanitize w/Oxi
Brand: GE
Being totally honest I hate it when my washing machine starts to get that weird smell. This washer gets rid of that. Between the vent with odor block and the antimicrobial tech built into the drum of the washer, I love this thing. It also has the ability to auto balance your load if you’re like me and just toss your laundry in there. (I swear I haven’t broken any of my washers by doing this.) This model was also one of the few on the floor that was actually endorsed by Good Housekeeping. So if you trust their rating system, that’s a vote in GE’s favor?
Model: 5.0 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart wi-fi Enabled Front Load Washer with TurboWash™ 360° and Built-In Intelligence
Brand: LG
Since this post, like last year, is supposed to be about the things that catch my eye, this one was right on there. ‘Built In Intelligence, how does that one work?” was all I could wonder. Don’t worry, it’s not iRobot. The idea is that the washer is capable of selecting the right setting for the job, but you can still override it if you prefer to do it yourself. LG also gives you a built in steam option which I absolutely love, because it removes 95% of allergens and pet dander.
They also have a second smaller washer. Which, I know, is technically optional, but I also I know I am not the only one who would has days when I go “Oh no! I need to wash this one outfit for an event I forgot about.”
We know that you’re wondering where the dryers are. Since we just covered them a few weeks ago, we’re going to point you there to get a look at 9 different dryers at 3 different price points instead of repeating ourselves.
That’s it for me this week folks! I hope you’ve enjoyed yourselves and seeing what mischief I could get up to this year! I hope to see you back later this month when we’ll see what our professionals have to say on the matter.
Remember, if you live in The Colony or the surrounding area and your appliances are on the fritz, Appliance Rescue Service are the people to call. You can get help either by calling them at ((214) 599-0055) or by setting up an appointment at their website.