Why Should I Purchase A Steam Oven?

Pros and Cons To A Fantastic Kitchen Appliance

How often have you been faced with choosing between a junk meal you can cook quickly and a delicious meal that takes time? Exactly. We all face that problem time and again. Many of us face it several nights a week. There are entire industries built around how to avoid this very problem. Someone got sick of the idea and figured out how to invent a steam oven. Speed ovens take advantage of cooking quickly and thoroughly, without losing all of the taste and nutritional value of your food.

"Wait blogger," we hear you say* "we've been using steam for ages, that's not any faster than any other way of cooking." And you're right. Just steaming your food isn't particularly fast. Humans have been using steam for ages, so long in fact that historians bicker over who solved it first. Was it the Chinese who wove bamboo steamers? Or was it the people who would end up becoming the French, the Auriganeans who used wet leaves and embers? We're left asking 'why does it matter who did it first if both figured out how to make tasty food?' We might be biased though. Either way, you have food that is introduced to a wet environment, where the water is heated by application either of boiling water or directly by fire and cooked. You can use steam baskets made of bamboo or metal, or you can use double boiling where you place two pots that fit well together where the bottom pan is full of water and the top pan is heated by that boiling water, but no water comes into contact with the actual food. (Fun fact: Chocolate is melted best in this fashion so that the chocolate doesn't seize and become grainy and gross.) 

A steam oven though is an oven which either cooks just by using steam or has an additional steam function on top of other more 'standard' functions that it can switch in between. 

Why Do I want a Steam Oven? 

You might want to purchase a steam oven for several different reasons. 

a) As a replacement for a standard stove.  

    If you're looking at replacing your current oven already, looking at the various functions you'll use or need makes sense. With a steam oven that has multiple modes, you can do many different things and incorporate steam into your life a little at a time. 

b) An addition to your kitchen, such as purchasing an on-the-counter steam oven. 

If however you're not sure about a steam oven, but you want to test it out, you might get a countertop one. This way you can take your time learning to use it and how to adjust recipes you already love to it. 

c) If you're doing a full dietary overhaul. 

While we won't say this can't fit into the other two categories, this is one that we think can also stand on its own as a reason to purchase a steam oven. As we mentioned already steaming your food can lead to tastier food that retains the natural vitamins and nutrients. 

Pros and Cons of Steam Ovens

Pro: You don't need to use oil with a steamer. The steam oven retains moisture both in and around the food as it cooks. This means that the food can't stick as easily to surfaces. (We will note though that this feature only works if you make sure to fill your reservoir before you cook each time.) 

Con: You're not going to get super crispy skin or browned foods. Because those reactions both rely on a 'dry' heat the steam oven can't provide that. (Unless of course, you're working with a multi-function oven like this one from Jenn-Air.)

Pro: Your foods retain more of their nutrients because they aren't leaching into cooking water or oils. Have you ever been told that baking broccoli or carrots is healthier than boiling them? The nutrients leaching into the cooking water is the reason for that. The majority of the vitamins and minerals end up in the water rather than in your stomach. 

Con: This doesn't mean that all of your food is instantly better for you because it was cooked in a steam oven. ((We know, we hoped it would make delicious breads healthier too.)) 

Pro: If you choose a full-sized oven with a steam feature, you can cook multiple foods at once without the flavors blending into each other. 

Con: There is a learning curve in adjusting or coming up with recipes.  (Fortunately, there are plenty of people over on Pinterest with recipes just for cooking with a steam oven! ) 

What do you think? Will you be looking into getting a steam oven sometime soon? Let us know what you think or some recipes you love over on our Facebook page. We'd love to hear from you. 

If you ended up on our site because your current steam oven is broken, we're sorry to hear that! We can still help. Appliance Rescue Service works on all major appliances and we'd be happy to work on yours. Just give us a call at ((214) 599-0055) or visit our website at https://appliance-rescue-service.com/contact-us to make an appointment today. 

* yes, we can hear you through the vast reaches of the internet in terms of this post. 

What Appliances Do You Need For a Tiny House?

And Which Can You Cut Out?

If you’re looking at building your own tiny house, either as a real estate investment, as a space for guests, or just as a home away from home, appliances are something to consider. Due to their very nature, a tiny house can’t handle full-size appliances for every single type of appliance. The question then becomes “well, which ones do I need to keep, which ones do I get rid of, and which ones can I get in smaller sizes?” Those questions are where we come in. For this post, we’re assuming that this is an actual ‘home’ with a kitchen of some sort, not just an extra bedroom, office, or hobby space. So let’s dig in and find out just how much you can squish into a tiny home! 

Dishwasher

We’re biased, we’ll admit this up front. To us, a dishwasher is a must-have. Fortunately, you can get dishwashers of all different sizes. You can have a full, cabinet size, or even drawer sized dishwasher. 

Full dishwashers usually measure in at = 24 x 35 x 24 (Lx Hx W

A ‘thin’ or ‘cabinet’ dishwasher typically measures about = 24 x 18 x 24

While a drawer dishwasher is a bit more flexible in its size, this one from Fisher & Paykel was 24 x 17 x 23. 

Sink

A sink is another nonnegotiable, but that’s due to food safety as much as anything. Especially if you give up having a dishwasher, you’re going to need somewhere to wash food, pots and pans, and your table settings. Not to mention all the other ways we use our kitchens. To us this is another one where you can’t really skimp, and we advise getting a double basin sink. However, if you just don’t have the space, the smallest kitchen sink we could find is this one from Kohler, which is 15 x 15 x 9. 

Refrigerator 

Refrigerators are one that you absolutely could get away with, but only under certain conditions. If you’re going to live mostly off of vegetables you eat the same day you buy them, or pantry staples, we could see that working. There are also several different sizes available, with the absolute smallest refrigerator being able to hold no more than a few cans of soda. For practicality’s sake though, let’s assume that you want a small, under-the-counter refrigerator. A good brand to look at here would be something like RCA. They have several different sizes and versions of mini-fridges. 

Freezer

Freezers are... Complicated. On one hand, if you’re not going to have a refrigerator, you will probably want a freezer of some sort for long-term food storage. You can also get a normal side-by-side or top and bottom refrigerator/freezer combination unit if you’re willing to give up the space for one. You can also get an under-the-counter freezer or a chest freezer. The benefit to a chest freezer is that you get right into the habit of a tiny homeowner, using a space for multiple things. Depending on how large a chest you get, you can put it to work as a table as well as storing food. Keep in mind though that you can’t put too much weight on the top or it can cause the lid to bow, ruining the seal. So it can be done, just check the manufacturer’s guidelines with your particular freezer. 

Washing Machine

In our Deep Dive on Washing Machines, we showed you many different varieties of washers, how they work and what makes them different from each other.  We stand by what we said then about all-in-one washer/dryers being an option, although not one we would typically suggest.  Instead, if you’re looking for something, we would suggest getting a standard or even a small washer. 

A standard washing machine is typically = 28 inches or 2 feet and 4 inches wide

A small washer might come in at = 20 or 21 inches.

Dryer 

For a dryer, this is entirely dependent on how much energy you want to spend on a regular basis. You could use a clothesline outside in good weather, and then a hanging system inside in cold or poor weather. Or you can get a dryer and have to find a way to work around it for space consideration. Like we mentioned in our Dryer Deep Dive, you’ll have to have double the amount of space in your dryer that you do in your washer or else you won’t be able to effectively dry everything from a single load. 

Stove

Here is where you really get to be creative. Options for a stove replacement are many and quite varied. It really comes down to how creative you can get. You could even replace many of your pots and pans, freeing up cabinet space for other things if you plan it right. With one or two multifunction Instant Pots you could replace the need for 90% of your pots, as well as a stove. 

Other options include one or two electric burners, which make for a portable stove. This way if it’s not in use, you can store it away. You can also use slow cookers to great effect, although we will point out that you can get an Instant Pot with the same function built-in. 

Oven 

Here again, you get to play around and get creative. Do you want a full oven? Or would you rather devote that space to cabinets? Do you have a wall that would otherwise be unused that you could install a built-in oven into? What about a toaster oven that doubles as a rotisserie? Toaster ovens can be surprisingly large and serve remarkably well as replacements to a standard oven.  

When it comes to outfitting a tiny home, it proves to be as much of a creative puzzle as the rest of the house is. What can you give up? What can you live without? What do you have to have in order to accomplish the basics of life? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. We want to hear from you--what could you live without OR how have you structured your tiny home? 

If on the other hand your kitchen has gone kaput or your washing machine has washed out, we’ve got your back. We can repair any and all of your major home appliances whether it’s full size or meant for a tiny home.  You can get hold of us by calling us at ((214) 599-0055) or you can set up an appointment on our contact page.  

Additional Reading
Washer Deep Dive

Dryer Deep Dive

This tiny kitchen has a small oven and an under the counter refrigerator. Instead, they opted for a large farmhouse sink to make cleaning up easy.

This tiny home on the other hand has a full size sink, but no oven whatsoever. It has just a stove top, as well as an interesting pull-out counter at the end.

This example has a smaller sink, but they have a full oven and stove top built into the cabinet, along with a vent hood.

How an Appliance Repair Service Call Works in 2021

What we’ve changed to keep you safe.

Table of Contents

Before Your Appliance Repair Service Call

During Your Appliance Repair Service Call

After Your Appliance Repair Service Call

 Have you ever been fed up with how difficult it is to find a good appliance repair service? Or gotten vague answers on what goes into an appliance repair service call? We're fixing that today. Although we've covered what went into them before, that was before Covid-19, which feels like it was forever ago. 

 Before, it was a matter of giving us a call, setting up the appointment and waiting for us to  fix your appliances. Our technicians would come by and talk with you while they worked and figured out what had caused your appliance to break. All of these are still part of the process, but, they're not the only parts. 

Now though, whether it's with us or with others, there are health precautions that we all have to observe. Wearing face masks if a client requests it should be a standard part of how things work, regardless of who you decide to work with, and all of our technicians are well versed in it. For your safety and that of our technicians we do ask that you stay outside of the room while they're working, this way safe social distance is maintained. 

Now imagine that you have the day off and you're trying to get caught up on your laundry. Except your dryer isn't working. It's started making a strange humming sound while it's running, and you can't find anything about it on the internet. Other people have had this same humming dryer issue, but they don't know how to fix it either. What do you do? 

Before Your Appliance Repair Service Call 

- Do NOT Unplug the Appliance(s) 

We appreciate it, we really do, but we need to see and hear the appliance so we can understand what's going on. Unplugging the appliance can mean that we miss specific sounds that help identify problems. In our example, if you unplug it, and all we have to go on is your description of the humming that the dryer is making, we're in trouble. What sounds to you like an "Aahhhhhhaahhhh" might sound to someone else like an "Ooooohhhoooo." Does it make that much of a difference? Surprisingly, yes. Many times a sound or tic of an appliance might not pop up until it has been running for a while. So turning it off is "resetting" it in a fashion. That doesn't mean that it fixes it though. 

- Set Up An Appointment

When you give us a call, we'll work with you to find a time that works. While you're on the phone is the best time to schedule a look at all of your appliances. If our technicians are already at your home, why not roll all of your problems into one visit? By scheduling everything at once, you can save yourself time and money. Rather than having to schedule multiple appointments over several weeks, you have the chance to have everything checked or repaired at once. This means that everything is on one bill, problems can't be given the chance to get worse, and you give up one block of time rather than several. You can also ask for us to do maintenance checks on your other appliances which can lead to discovering issues before they can become serious problems. 

-Clear the Path to Your Appliances

Now that you've got your appliance repair call set up, what's next? Time for popcorn and a movie? Not quite. In order to be able to help, we need to be able to get at your appliances. So before we come to visit we need you to clear away anything around, on top of or behind your appliances. Whether it's just one appliance that you're asking us to fix or multiple that you want us to check on, we need access. If you can go through and move around things so that we can access every side of the appliances, you've made our lives MUCH easier. We're going to be looking for anything and everything during your service repair call so the less there is for distractions, the better it is. Tying this back to our example case, in the event of your dryer making a humming sound, once you take everything off the top of it, it can change the pitch of the sound that your dryer is making. It can become louder, or quieter, depending on what you had on top of it. 

During Your Appliance Repair Service Call 

-Ask Questions About What Happened 

Something is going on in your appliances. You now have a captive expert to ask all of your questions. The more questions you can ask, the better prepared you are for next time and can nip it in the bud. It also means you can ask about other things that bother you about the appliances in question. If you've put multiple appliance calls together you can also ask questions to find out about the others. 

- Request Maintenance Tips 

Just like they can offer explanations on your problems, our technicians can also offer tips for preventative maintenance. What can you do to prevent problems or prolong the life of your appliances? If you have questions about one type of maintenance over another, whatever, we want to hear it. 

-Ask Questions About Your Appliance Warranty

You know the giant manual that came with your appliances? Or the link that you were sent after purchasing it that's full of legal jargon? Yeah, that. 

We know a large number of people don't bother reading them, and we don't blame you! 

But once again, you've got an appliance repair expert at your home. Stay outside the room and stay masked, but ask all the questions that have been bothering you. How long are the motors covered vs the drum? What about the electronics? In the event that we don't know off the bat, we can find out. 

-Ask Questions About Your Appliance Warranty With Us

Yup! Appliance Rescue Service gives you a warranty as well. We've got the full explanation of what that is down below, but if you have questions while we're there? Go right ahead and ask. We want you to be comfortable and trust your neighborhood Appliance Rescue Service.  

After Your Appliance Repair Service Call 

-Feedback & Review

We want to know how we did, not just so that we can fix any issues you have, but also so that we can do better in the future. Did all of your questions get answered? Did our techs remember to give you your written estimate of the work?  We want to hear from you. You can call us at ((214) 599-0055) to let us know or set up an appointment today. Or you can go to our contact page to set one up. We hope to see you all again next week. 

Additional Reading: 

Freezer Deep Dive

Warranty With Us (the Run Down) 

When you book an appointment with us, we will send an expert technician to your home, and give you a complete written estimate that includes all parts and labor required.

Your technician is often able to provide you with life expectancy, preventative measures, and periodic maintenance that may help you decide whether or not to proceed with a repair.

Our diagnostic trip charge fee is $75.00

Each part we install, and its related labor is warranted for 90 days of normal household use. Technicians use factory new parts on all repairs unless you have chosen otherwise.

If any part we install in your appliance fails during your warranty period, simply give us a call! We will quickly replace the defective parts at no charge!

Each part we install, and its related labor is warranted for 90 days of normal household use. Technicians use factory new parts on all repairs unless you have chosen otherwise.

30 DAY WARRANTY ON LABOR

If any part we install in your appliance fails during your warranty period, simply give us a call! We will quickly replace the defective parts at no charge!

5 Things To Know When Shopping Post Covid-19

The world has changed and so has shopping.

Know What's Changed When Shopping For Appliances

With Covid driving up demand for appliances and chip shortages still very much going on, the marketplaces have changed. There aren't as many discounts as there were in 2019, nor are they as large as they were before. Stores are also more spread out and still suggesting, if not requiring, masks. There are still going to be restricted amounts of stock both in stores and online, largely because of the chip shortage. Keep that in mind as you go on your appliance hunt. 

Know What Appliance You Want

Before you go to your retailer of choice, do a quick search online. For example, let's say you're looking at buying a new range.  Do you want a range that is gas powered, or do you prefer an induction stovetop? Look up the possibilities for what you're looking for so that you know, generally, what you're wanting. You can start by looking at our Deep Dives on different appliances to get an idea of what your options are, and work from there to drill even deeper into different models and what features might be available. By researching ahead of time online, you make a short list to bring to a store, rather than having to look over everything on offer. It also cuts down on the amount of shopping burnout you can go through if you try to compare everything in store. 

Does It Fit In Your Home? 

We're not saying you should look at just the physical design of the appliance and how it would look compared to your other appliances. You should also look at the dimensions of the different models you're considering. If you purchase a range that's larger or smaller than your current one, will you have to rearrange your kitchen and where things are placed? Can you do that, or are your cabinets and other features built in? For that reason, it's best to look at ones with very similar measurements, if not the exact same. Finally, make sure that it fits in with your budget. 

Make sure to also carefully look at reviews and review sites like Consumer Report. 

A few things to watch out for while you're reading over reviews. 

-Check social media about the brand. What are people saying? People will voice their opinions and call out a brand if their products are not working as expected or wanted. 

- Are reviews really, really positive and all posted within a week or two? These are probably fake. Ignore them and take a closer look at the others. 

- Are the reviews stuffed with repetitive phrases? Do several posts in a row mention words that are very similar to how the company describes the product? That's another good sign of fake reviews. 

- If you're worried about digging for hours through reviews, see if you can't find a video review instead. They're much harder to fake. 

Online? In-store? Which Is Better? 

Before we can answer that question, we have to ask a different one: Do you know what you want? If you know exactly what you want, go shopping online. Check to see which sites have the item you want in stock and work from there. Many sites will offer shipping and delivery, although it might not be free, or it might not include installation. However, if you aren't dead set on a brand and model, go in store. Take advantage of having an actual sales rep to talk to and ask questions of. If you're in the store, you also have the option to negotiate. 

Ways To Save When Shopping For New Appliances

While what we said up above is true that stores aren't offering deep discounts like they did in 2019, there are still ways that you can save. 

- Find the best price online and ask the retailer to match it. Many retailers still offer this service, even if they don't advertise it. 

- Don't be afraid to negotiate! They want your business. If they can't match the price, see if they can throw in delivery, assembly, installation etc. 

- Follow the retailer on social media. Many retailers will offer special discounts or promotions online that don't show up in newsletters or on their main site in exchange for you interacting with their page.

We know there are probably examples of ways shopping has changed, and that's why we want to hear from you! Let us know about your most recent experience over on our Facebook page. What have you seen online or in stores when shopping for appliances? 

If you're not looking for new appliances and instead are looking for someone who can repair your appliances, you're in the right place. Appliance Rescue Service is here for you whether you're in McKinney or Dallas or somewhere in between. You can set up an appointment on our contact page or reach out to us by calling ((214) 599-0055). We can help whether you're looking to stop your washer from rattling or your fridge from being chillier than the North Pole.  We cover all major appliances. 

Additional Reading: 

Dryer Deep Dive

Washing Machine Deep Dive

Appliance Shortage

Semiconductor Chip Shortage

Dryer Deep Dive 2021

Figuring Out What All Is In Your Dryer

Welcome back to another one of our Appliance Deep Dives! This week we're taking a look at everything there is to know about your clothes dryer. Some people call it a tumble dryer, some people call it a clothes dryer, but most of us just call it the dryer. This is the appliance in your home that is the second most energy-hungry out of what we call the 'core' appliances, second only to your range. It uses heated air to remove the moisture from your clothes, and a tumbling drum to keep them moving continuously to distribute that heated air. 

Table of Contents

Time-Based Features

Delay

Time Left In Cycle 

Timed Dry

Features To Make Your Life Easier

Damp Alert

Sensor Dry

Attached Dryer Rack

Steam

Child Lock

Wrinkle Guard 

How to Choose Your Next Dryer

Power

Size of the Dryer

Capacity of the Dryer 

Power Supply

Electric

Gas

Types of Dryers

Gas Dryer

Vented Dryer

Condenser Dryer

Heat Pump Condenser 

Features to Look At

Door Types

Hamper Door

Side Open Door

Reversible Swing Door

Top Open Door

Drum Types

Stainless Steel

Coated

Plastic 

---

There are so many different options for dryers. No doubt that list up top probably looks huge (it does to us too) but we're going to tackle all of it. We'll be starting off by looking at the power sources that are currently available for your dryer, whether you're looking for a new one or want to understand where your current one may not be the right fit. 

Electric 

An electric dryer is the one that most people have in their homes, and for many excellent reasons. They don't require you to pay for a specialist to set up a natural gas or propane hookup. They're cheaper and more easily available for consumers to get hold of, which means that if something breaks on them, they're also easier to get parts for. The downside is that they do use much more electricity in order to run. Even the most energy-efficient ones will still push up your electric bill a fair bit. 

Gas

By contrast, a gas dryer is more expensive to install, though only if you don't already have an existing natural gas or propane hookup in your home. Whereas an electric dryer utilizes metal coils to heat the air, a gas dryer just uses natural gas or propane. (Just to be clear, the gas doesn't come into contact with your clothing.) The dryer itself is also more expensive than an electric dryer, but that it's due to two different factors. The first is that they are not as common as the electric dryers, so as the consumer, you absorb more of the costs. The second is that a gas dryer is going to last much longer than an electric.  They do require a vent to the outside, which can either be done with a permanent vent, for which most manufacturers will offer a kit or a temporary hookup. We'll talk more about that in just a moment. A gas dryer isn't great if you only have a small space for your dryer, but, the trade-off is that they are extremely energy efficient. 

Vented Dryer

Your standard vented dryer can either be gas or electric, and they are the single most common variety of dryers on the market. They work by heating air and sending it into the drum. That air is then vented back out of the system and replaced with fresh air once it becomes too saturated with moisture. As we mentioned up above, the vent can either be a permanent hookup or temporary.  A temporary one might be connected to a block that you put in your window with the frame closed around it, and then you remove it when you're done. These dryers are not perfect at removing all of the air from the system though and so your laundry room can become very muggy when using them. They are cheaper to buy than some of the more complicated models, but they are also more expensive to operate. Additionally, these are also typically of a larger capacity than most other models, meaning you can dry more clothes at once. 

Condenser Dryer 

When we talked about the electric dryers we talked about how they use a heating element to heat the air. A condenser dryer is different. They pull in air from all sides of the unit and pass it through a condenser where the air is heated up and then passed into the drum. This process leads to a lower temperature than comes with using a vented dryer. The upside to this is that they are gentler on your clothes. The downside is that they do require a longer drying time and more electricity because of that.  When a condenser dryer pulls the air out of the drum, it is forced into a condenser chamber where the water is extracted from it, the dry air is heated, and it goes back around.  One of the major benefits of a condenser dryer is that it doesn't require a vent to go outside since the air is at a lower temperature and all of the moisture is extracted from it. 

Heat Pump Condenser Dryer 

A heat pump condenser dryer is one of the newest varieties to hit the market. Have you ever felt the outside of your refrigerator and been baffled at how hot it is on the outside and cool on the inside? This dryer takes advantage of a similar principle. Instead of a heating coil, it uses a miniaturized refrigerant system, which we know sounds contradictory. The way it works is that the system starts by compressing a refrigerant, which then expels heat, which heats the air. That air goes into the dryer, drying your clothes and picking up moisture. That moisture-rich air is taken out of the system, it goes through the refrigerant where the water is collected and is then reheated to be used again. This cycle repeats over and over, but it's at a lower temperature than the vented dryer. This may sound like a bad thing, but the heat pump dryers are surprisingly energy efficient. The only issue is that they do take more time to run,  and because they do have more parts, there is the potential for more to go wrong. 

Now that we've broken down the key types of dryers, let's take a look at the different features you should expect if you're on the market. 

Door types. Wow, such an exciting topic, right? Well, not really. That being said, it is important to think about. Depending on how your laundry room is set up, it's going to affect where you need to put your dryer. 

Hamper Door

A hamper style door with a window in it!

These are great if you've got a small space. Instead of going left or right, they swing out and down, like a laundry chute in a hotel. This makes it really easy to drop laundry in or pull it out. It also means that if you lose your grip on something, it'll slide right back into the dryer instead of dropping to the floor. Best of all, they won't swing shut when in use! 

Side Open Door

These are probably the type we're most familiar with. They're on the front of the dryer and they swing to one side or the other.  With these, you'll need to take into account the space you need, so that when you open the door, you aren't smacking yourself, the walls, or the washer. You also want to make sure that the door can open as far as possible so that it isn't a hassle trying to reach in and get your laundry. 

Reversible Swing Door 

Quick story. Your beloved writer was very foolish as a teenager. When she first heard about this concept, she thought that it meant the door could swing two different ways. Either up and down or side to side. No, it doesn't work that way sadly. What it does mean is that with this type of door you can take the door off and install it so that it swings open to the left or right, based on what you need in your home. 

Top Open Door

And finally, we have the type of door that is actually on the top of your dryer. (Would it then be a lid rather than a door? We aren't sure. We don't make up the terms.)  These are great if you don't want to worry about which way the door swings and how much clearance you have around it. BUT an important thing is that, if you're shorter, you might have trouble getting your clothes out from the bottom. This is why many have transitioned to the side open door. 

Moving on from doors to drums. We’re not talking about the noisy variety here, we mean the one that spins your clothes around inside the dryer. (Although if your dryer is noisy, we should be able to help with that.) 

Stainless Steel 

The best of the best when it comes to the type of drum inside your dryer. A stainless steel drum is longer lasting and is very hard to damage. They don't rust or chip, which means that they have a very long lifespan in comparison to other varieties. The downside is that it does tend to be more expensive than other varieties of drums. 

Coated

Coated drums can either be powder-coated steel (not stainless steel) or porcelain coated. These are the middle-of-the-road option. As such you're going to be paying less for them. The downside is that they are also going to have a shorter lifespan. The coating can be chipped over time, or if you put something heavy in them. Multiple things can then happen after chips are formed in the coating. That chipping exposes the underlying steel which can rust when exposed to wet clothes and linens on a regular basis, and that rust can then stain your clothes. The chipped areas can also catch on any clothing you put in from then on, causing snags or tears over time. 

Plastic

Finally, we have the least expensive variety of drums for your dryer: The plastic drum. Now the upshot to these is that they are much lighter and are significantly cheaper to produce, which brings down the price of your dryer. However, they can't handle "hard" objects according to manufacturers, and they are much more likely to chip or wear out than a stainless steel drum or even the coated drums. 

Time-Based Features

Delay

Delay is a self-explanatory feature, but one we love nonetheless. It allows you to delay the start of the dryer for a period of time. Some models will let you delay it for several hours. 

Time Left In Cycle

Just what it says on the tin, this is a visual display to show you how long is left on the cycle. It might be a ticking timer that rotates, it might be lights that count up or down, or it might be a digital display telling you what stage the dryer is in currently. 

Timed Dry

Time dry lets you set the dryer for a specific amount of time. This can be useful for all sorts of reasons, from needing to just freshen up a shirt to needing to finish drying it after you selected the wrong settings by accident (or learning curve.) 

Features To Make Your Life Easier

Damp Alert

While most of us would think this is meant to tell you "hey the load is almost done" that's not actually the case. Instead, this is for when you need (or want) to iron your clothing. When this alarm goes off it means that your clothes are at the perfect stage in between dry and wet to best take to ironing and staying without wrinkles. 

Sensor Dry

Some dryers now have sensors in the drum itself. These are there to tell when the clothes are fully dry and to cut off the process, saving you time, energy and money. They also save your clothes from extra wear from being tumbled around more than what they need to. 

Attachable Dryer Rack

An additional item that some dryers come with is a wire rack that you can attach to stand in the middle of the drum. This doesn't move even as the drum does. This would be something you could use for drying hats, shoes, special fabrics (such as lingerie), or even stuffed animals. Anything delicate that you want dried, but don't want tossed around by the dryer.  

Steam

This one sounds counterproductive, we know. "But blogger," we hear you cry "why do I want to get my clothes wet if I'm trying to dry them?" That our friends is the trick. First off, the steam isn't present during the entire cycle. It's only added to the drum during specific parts of it. The steaming process has several benefits that are especially beneficial given our concern with all things germs. Steam makes your clothes even hotter, meaning that germs and bad odors are significantly reduced. They also reduce wrinkles when the clothes are fully dried. 

Child Lock

Did you ever mess with the buttons on a dryer as a kid because you were bored? Or because you wanted to know what it did, or maybe just because it was a button? With this feature, your kids can't do the same to you. You can set the settings you need for a load and walk away knowing your kids can turn as many dials as they want and it won't turn your laundry into a pile of ash. 

Wrinkle Guard

This last feature is one we simultaneously love and hate. On one hand, this keeps the dryer running until you're able to finish what you're doing. It keeps the clothes tumbling at a lower temperature so that they don't settle and develop wrinkles. On the other hand, many dryers will have a very loud, annoying buzz to alert you that the cycle is done. That sound then gets played every so often until you come and collect the clothes. 

How to Choose Your Next Dryer

So, at the end of the day, if you're looking to replace your dryer, or just starting to consider what you'll want a few years from now after your current one is in a state beyond repair, how do you do it? 

Power

Start by looking at the power source your current dryer has. Does your home already have a gas hookup? Or is your current dryer electric? Do you want to make a change? 

Size of the Dryer

 How large is your laundry room? Your dryer needs to be able to fit comfortably within the space, have breathing room and be able to open easily? Careful measurements need to be accounted for before you purchase a new dryer. 

Capacity of the Dryer

How much laundry do you do on a weekly basis? Your dryer needs to be able to handle that not only in terms of as a whole but also in comparison to your washer, which brings us to an important rule of thumb. Ideally, your dryer should be twice the capacity of your washing machine. The reason for this is that while your clothes will compress and stick together once they're wet, they need space to dry. As the dryer tumbles the clothes they need space to expand and move more freely to allow the air to circulate. 

Thanks for checking out our dryer deep dive! Did you get the answers you needed? Or do you have more questions still? If that's the case let us know in the questions below or over on our Facebook page. As always, we'd love to hear from you. 

If on the other hand, you ended up on our page because you're trying to figure out why your dryer is busted, we can help. You can call at ((214) 599-0055) or go to our contact page to set up an appointment and we can either diagnose or fix the problem for you. 

Additional Reading 

9 Electric Dryers At 3 Different Price Points

9 Different Gas Dryers, At 3 Different Price Points

9 Things Your Dryer Hates

6 Things You Should Never Put In The Dryer

It’s Time To Clean Your Dryer – And Here’s Why

What You Want to Know About Heat Pump Dryers