French Door Refrigerators: LG vs Dacor

Who Makes the Best French Door Counter Depth Refrigerator? Reviews & Ratings

When it comes to refrigerators, we know that defining the best depends on several different factors. What do they cost? What features do they have? Will they fit in my kitchen? In this article, we’ll show you two of the highest rated refrigerators on the market from LG and Dacor, what features they have to offer, and where we think they would fit best. They are both 36” counter-depth French door refrigerators, widely acknowledged by experts as being the best in their class. 

LG SIGNATURE 23 cu. ft. Smart wi-fi Enabled InstaView™ Door-in-Door® Counter-Depth Refrigerator

Model: URNTC2306N

Price: $7,199.00

InstaView™ Door-in-Door® - One side of the fridge will have a mirrored panel that will illuminate the interior with two quick knocks. Now you can look inside without having to open the door. No more staring into the fridge wondering, “now what did I need?” 

Auto Open Door™

LG has put in a detection feature on the foot of the refrigerator. It projects a light which, when stepped on, will open the fridge doors. We can only hope that it takes more than tripping into it to cause the door to open. 

Voice Control

If the light projector isn’t futuristic enough for you, LG has made it so that by saying “Hi LG” the ThinQ will open the door and set the ice dispenser to your favorite mode. 

FRESHShield™ Cooling

The ThinQ has ducts located at the top of the refrigerator to form a barrier of cold air between the shelves and the doors. 

ThinQ®

The ThinQ App acquires information on your usage to build a tailored experience for your home. It ramps up cooling performance and ice making during peak times and reduces these features during off hours to conserve energy and spare your electric bill some pain. 

Door-in-Door® Adjustable Shelves

You can change the height of your in-door shelves to match what you need most. 

Textured Steel™ Finish

Custom Chill™ Pantry

Problems? 

So far, there are only three issues we’ve been able to find with this model. 

• Some people have an issue with the glide and serve drawers freezing over.

• There were a few instances of being unable to connect the fridge to the owner’s phone. 

• There have been a handful of issues with the master circuit board frying after a month of use, although to LG’s credit, this does seem to be a rare occurrence. 

We can see this being the workhorse of a busy home. If you’re always running, this fridge is perfect for you. The different options for easily opening the doors mean that no matter how much you’re hauling inside, you can get it into the fridge with ease. If you want to be able to control your home from your phone, this fridge is for you. 

Dacor 36 inch Counter Depth French Door with Recessed Handle 

Model: DRF36C000SR

Price: 3740.75

Precise Cooling Technology

The Dacor Digital Inverter Technology works to provide consistent performance with minimal fluctuations in temperatures. Dacor claims on their web site that their Digital Compressor has been said to ‘offer superior performance against the industry standard A/C compressor.’ 

Best In Class Food Preservation

Dacor understands that ‘freshness’ for food is best maintained with a constant temperature and an environment with high humidity. They say they offer the best preservation system in the home appliance industry, with the tightest temperature controls and unmatched humidity levels. 

FreshZone Drawer

This refrigerator offers a full width storage drawer that provides adjustable temperature settings. This means you can safely store meat, fish, deli items or even drinks in it, and have it at the perfect temperature for each, as long as you remember to adjust it when you change up what you’re storing. It also gives you a space to defrost items without having to leave them out on the counter, or worry that they’ll drip onto something else within the fridge. 

Twin Cooling System

This brand offers two independent evaporators to protect your food and to keep it tasting fresh longer. 

Interior Pitcher With Automatic Water Fill

Comes with a 48oz pitcher that fills automatically with filtered water. There is also an infuser option that allows you to add fruits, herbs or flowers for easy flavored drinks. We’re wondering if you could do herbal teas this way or if it wouldn’t work since the water is cold.. 

Power Cool

Automatic Humidity Controlled Crispers

Discrete Controls

External Ice And Water Dispenser

Problems? 

The only problem we could find was an issue with the speed of the ice maker. People were displeased at how long it took to get ice and how little they received when it was done. 

This fridge doesn’t come with a lot of bells and whistles. What it does have, it does them right. We expect that this would be perfectly matched for someone who wants perfection and expertise from their appliances. 

So, which is better? 

Like most appliances, this comes down to preference. What do you need most from your refrigerator? If you enjoy having everything connected in your kitchen for ease of use regardless of where you are, we think the LG would fit. If however you’re more the type who wants to have your home as a place of peace, without everything trying to get your attention, we feel the Dacor would be more your speed. It’s also a matter of price. You can still get an LG for considerably less, but it won’t have all of the features that this one does. What fits you and your lifestyle is going to be the biggest deciding factor. 

Do you already own a Dacor or an LG refrigerator? Do you love it? Hate it? Let us know over on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you. If you’re dreading the holiday tomorrow because your appliances are on the fritz, we can help! Give us a call at ((214) 599-0055) or place an appointment over on our website. We’re here to keep your appliances in tip top shape, for all of our clients in Frisco and the surrounding areas.

A Note About Pricing

Pricing on this blog is for reference only, and may include time-sensitive manufacturer rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing - but if you’re considering purchasing, please call the stores for the most accurate and up to date price.

What Separates the Best and The Worst Refrigerators

How Big Is the Gap in Ratings?

If you’re like many Americans looking for a new French Door refrigerator, you’re probably spending time looking at reviews. Which means you’ve probably seen Consumer Reports, and their ratings across many models of refrigerators. They are an impartial third party with a long history of looking out for the consumer rather than the companies. We wanted to check out what made the best and the worst, as rated by CR, so different. 

Consumer Reports separates their refrigerators first by the style and then by the size. We went for the most popular model among our clients, French Door refrigerators, and chose the 34” and wider selection.  

As of writing this, the most well rated refrigerator is the LG LRFXC2406S with 84 points total. The current worst, as rated by Consumer Reports, is the Whirlpool WRF550CDHZ with only 37 points. 

Consumer Reports tests the models on a variety of things, as well as comparing which features they do and don’t have. 

Features 

So let’s start with the features each has before digging into the testing.

Whirlpool also offers a counter depth  design, again, with the goal of making it look like a built-in model. 

 Adjustable Gallon Door Bins -  meaning you can move the trays around on your door. There when you need it, gone when you don’t. 

Temperature Controlled Full Width Drawer -  for storing meats, cheeses and other items  that you need on a regular basis. 

Two Tier Freezer - To organize frozen favorites with two-tier freezer storage, including two sliding bins.

Spill Proof Shelves -  Designed to contain liquids to a shelf and keep them from dripping down. 

Claimed Useable Capacity 19.7 Cu Ft 

Actual Useable Capacity 11.6 Cu Ft 

LG’s fridge comes with a CoolGuard™ - a metal back plate in the interior of the fridge, not only to offer a premium look, but also to ‘maintain cool air’. 

It’s sized for counter depth, so that it aligns with countertops and cabinets to give your kitchen a built in look, while avoiding the higher price tag. 

Tall Ice & Water Dispenser® with Measured Fill - We love this one. Finally an ice and water dispenser that will give you exactly the amount you ask for, and no more having to fit your water bottle at weird angles or use a second cup to fill it. 

Dual Ice Makers - LG offers the ice maker on the door, as well as a second one in the lower freezer compartment. Goodbye running out in summer! 

Slim SpacePlus® Ice System - The ice maker on the door has a slimmer profile, allowing for you to fit more food in your fridge, without giving up your ice maker. 

Claimed Useable Capacity 23.5 Cu Ft 

Actual Useable Capacity 15.7 Cu Ft 

Testing… Testing… One...Two...Three...

So, those are the facts. What they offer, and how they compare to one another in the features department.   Let’s switch over to how Consumer Reports rated them, and what they were rated on.

Thermostat Control :  Here CR is testing the refrigerators on their ability to: 

• Reach the desired set temps that the manufacturer suggests.

• Achieve the optimum temperatures for both the refrigerator and the freezer simultaneously.

• Keep those temperatures consistent, even when the room the refrigerator is in has large changes in its temperature. (So summer and winter in Texas for example.) 

LG scored a 5/5  Whirlpool scored a 5/5 

Temperature Uniformity: CR tests the models on how well they keep the temps even throughout the entirety of the fridge and freezer sections. 

LG scored a 5/5  Whirlpool scored a 4/5  

Energy Efficiency : CR tests the refrigerators on electrical consumption per useable cubic foot. So even if the two models were the exact same size, the one with the greater storage capacity is going to be more efficient. Which fully explains why the scores weighed out as they did. (Check out our earlier article about energy efficiency here.) 

LG scored 3/5   Whirlpool scored a 1/5  (ouch!) 

We’d also like to point out that the LG earned an Energy Star rating while the Whirlpool did not. 

Noise : CR measures noise based on two different times as well as in two different ways. It measures noise for a refrigerator based both on when the compressor starts up and during steady running. They also use a noise-meter alongside the more subjective responses of a panel of listeners. 

LG scored 5/5  Whirlpool scored a 2/5  

Ease Of Use: The last thing that CR rates the refrigerators on is ease of use. How accessible are they, how useful are the features and layout of the refrigerator and how well do the controls work.

LG scored a 5/5  Whirlpool scored a 3/5 

Let’s finish up looking at the price. The LG is priced at $3400 while the Whirlpool is $3195. Based on the prices alone, you might think that the Whirlpool is the better price. Given the issues that we’ve outlined though, we’re thinking that LG has every reason to command the higher price. 

How Does It Shake Out? 

Looking over the numbers, we have to say that the biggest difference between the two came at the Noise and Energy Efficiency settings. To us, that makes perfect sense then that the Whirlpool ranked so low. It’s also a good indicator of how seriously these things are taken when it comes to ranking different refrigerators on Consumer Reports. 

We do want to point out that this doesn’t mean that Whirlpool is a bad brand, or that all of their refrigerator models, or appliances rank this poorly. We took what Consumer Reports had tested and wanted to give you a look at what made those reports worth looking into if you’re purchasing new. On the flip side, this doesn’t mean that LG is always going to be the best bet. It’s that these models, as the market stands now represent the best and the worst of 34” French Door Refrigerators. 

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to reach out to use here in the comments or over on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you. 

If you have any issues with your refrigerator (whether it’s an LG, Whirlpool, Bosch, Dacor or any other brand) we’re here to help. Keeping your appliances running in tip top shape is our number one goal. Reach out to us via phone ((214) 599-0055) or through our website. 

Thanksgiving Recipes for Small Groups

Also Known As “ How Not To Go Insane This Holiday”

Somehow, trying to get the entire family under one roof for a holiday always seems to turn into a headache.

Everybody says they'll be there, but when it comes time to decide who's bringing what, half the family's plans have changed - now they aren't coming. Great Aunt Jean said she'd host, but dropped out at the last minute. Uncle Tim said he'd bring dessert, but then brought the dreaded casserole instead. The sister who was supposed to bring the drinks only brought ice, the brother who was supposed to bring the bread brought a salad... And now no one knows what's going on. The person pressed into hosting is taking a frantic tally to figure out what's missing, someone's already in their car on their way to the only store in town that's open on Thanksgiving, and no one knows whether or not the turkey will be done in time.

It happens every year, in varying degrees, to every family. There are always too many moving parts. So this week's post is dedicated to keeping everything simple. Read on for the easiest recipes we could think of to help you get through this mess with your sanity intact.

The easy way, and the COVID-19 friendly way, to survive the holiday is to not have everyone over. Do a smaller celebration. The recipes in this post are sized for a group of four to six people.

Appetizer

Taco Bites

Chances are the kids are going to try to skip as many healthy foods as they can when dinner hits the table. Let's sneak something in early.

Ingredients:

2 15.5 oz cans chickpeas

1 1 oz packet taco seasoning

3 Tbsp oil

1/4 head iceberg lettuce, torn

3 roma tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup shredded cheese

Tools:

Cutting board, knife, colander, baking sheet with a rim, plastic bag, paper towels

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 450.

Pour your oil into the baking sheet and tilt to move the oil around until you've coated the entire bottom of the pan. Place the coated pan into the oven for two minutes.

Dump your chickpeas into the colander, rinse them and allow them to drain, and then pat them to remove some of the excess water.

Pour your taco seasoning into the plastic bag, add the chickpeas, seal the bag and shake! The goal is to evenly coat the chickpeas. There will be seasoning left over, and that's okay. You can hold on to it and sprinkle it on top later if you'd like.

Spread your seasoned chickpeas in a single layer on the hot baking sheet and bake for 14 minutes.

While the chickpeas are baking, wash your lettuce and tomatoes. Rough chop the tomatoes and tear the lettuce into large pieces.

Once you remove the chickpeas from the oven, allow them to cool down some - but not to room temperature - and drain off excess oil.

Wrap a spoonful of chickpeas, a few chunks of tomato, and a sprinkling of cheese into a strip of lettuce and roll it up like a burrito (hold in place with a toothpick if necessary). Serve with guacamole, sour cream or salsa if desired.

Entree

Thanksgiving is all about the turkey for most families. But why carve up a whole bird and encourage everyone to fight over the drumsticks while they ignore everything else? We suggest a turkey pot pie instead. It's so easy you can have the kids help! Cook the turkey and potatoes in the slow cooker overnight so it's all ready to shred and mash in the morning.

Turkey Pot Pie

Ingredients:

1 boneless turkey breast (Butterball Cajun-seasoned 3 pound is a favorite here)

6 large russet potatoes, chunked

2 14 oz bags frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 18 oz jar turkey gravy

1 can Pillsbury crescent dough

Tools:

Slow cooker, deep baking dish, mixing bowls, cutting board, slotted spoon

Instructions:

The night before you plan to have your Thanksgiving dinner, wash and cut up your potatoes. Place them into the bottom of your slow cooker, and add enough water or broth to cover. Place your turkey breast on top of the potatoes, place the lid on the slow cooker, and set it to low. Allow it to run overnight, at least seven hours.

In the morning, turn off the slow cooker and pull the turkey. Shred it on the cutting board and set it aside to cool. Stir your mixed vegetables and gravy in with with your shredded turkey.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes from the slow cooker. Put them into a mixing bowl and mash them with a fork. Lumps are fine, no worries! You may choose to add milk or butter at this step.

Line the bottom of your baking dish with your mashed potatoes. 

Pour a thick layer of your turkey and vegetable and gravy mixture on top of your mashed potatoes.

Top with the sheet of crescent dough. It's okay to trim it down or stretch it to fit - just make sure to stretch evenly and gently so it doesn't tear.

Poke a few small vent holes with a fork or knife before placing your pot pie in the oven.

Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes.

Sides

Cranberry Sauce

Repeat after us: Cranberry sauce is not supposed to come from a can.

Cranberry sauce is the easiest Thanksgiving side, by far. (Unless you forget the lid on the pan. Trust us, do not forget the lid!) The tried and true method of berries, a simple syrup, a handful of spices, and a few minutes of intense heat makes a foolproof sauce.

Ingredients

1 12 oz bag fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Tools:

Sauce pan, lid, heatproof serving dish

Wash your cranberries and toss out any sad-looking ones. Sad berries make sad sauce.

Combine your sugar, water and spices in the pan. Place over medium heat and bring up to a boil.

Pour in your fresh cranberries - be careful not to splash!

Cook your cranberries in your covered (we cannot stress this enough! Boiling sugar hurts, and exploding berries are messy!) pan, stirring frequently, until all of your berries have popped.

Remove from heat and stir in your lemon juice.

In the event your family does not want lumps in the sauce, you can push this mixture through a fine sieve to separate the skins from the jelly - but we like it better with the lumps. We also prefer it warm, but feel free to put it into the fridge for half an hour if you'd like it to firm up.

Bacon Cheddar Brussels Sprouts

In our experience, most kids despise Brussels sprouts. But most kids love bacon and cheese. Hopefully, in your case as in ours, they balance out a bit. And just about every Thanksgiving dinner could use some more veggies.

Ingredients:

1 2.5 oz bag bacon crumbles

1 12 oz bag frozen Brussels sprouts, thawed

4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 stick butter, melted

Tools:

Baking sheet

Mix your Brussels sprouts, melted butter and bacon together in a mixing bowl.

Arrange the sprouts in a thin layer on your baking sheet. Make sure to leave a little wiggle room between them for air to circulate. Top with shredded cheese.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. You can roast them a little longer if you'd like, but keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. Literally no one will want to eat burned veggies.

It's that simple. Honestly.

Desserts

Everyone expects pie on Thanksgiving... But it doesn't have to be the same old pie you've had every year. Don't get us wrong here, we love pumpkin pies - they're fantastic looking, easy, delicious and they keep well for a few days.

Every once in a while, though, it's nice to flip the script. This year, try an ice cream pie!

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

Ingredients

24 oz vanilla ice cream, softened

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

pumpkin pie spice, to taste

1 9" pie crust (traditional or graham, or even Oreo if you'd prefer)

Tools:

Mixing bowl, pie pan, aluminum foil

If you're using a traditional crust, bake it ahead of time and let it cool. Please don't pour ice cream into a raw or still-hot crust - you'll end up with a soggy mess either way.

Spoon your softened ice cream into a mixing bowl. Shake in some pumpkin pie spice - however much you like. Some people like a bunch, some families aren't fond of it.

Fold in your pumpkin puree and stir. Mix it until thoroughly incorporated if you want a uniform pie, but if you want the swirl effect, just stop mixing when it looks the way you want it to.

Pour your ice cream mixture into the prepared pie crust, wrap up the top in foil and stick the whole thing into the freezer to chill back up. It should be firm and good to go in about three hours.

If you want to be extra fancy, drizzle it with caramel syrup and top with whipped cream when you serve it.

Take a deep breath. If you've reached the serving dessert stage, the worst of the craziness will soon pass.

What do you think? Are you as eager (read: apprehensive) about the holiday as we were? We hope you'll let us know over on our Facebook page. Feel free to share your family traditions or Thanksgiving hacks! And if something in your kitchen is acting like a little turkey and making you want to use some fowl language... Give us a call, or make an appointment online here.

Bringing Color To Your Kitchen

 How and Why You Should Bring Colored Appliances Into Your Kitchen 

We’ve been stuck in our homes for so long that we’re getting bored. We can't speak for anyone else, but we want colorful appliances! We're sick of stainless steel and matte black. It's been the defacto for the last two decades and we want something new. We’ve had neutral kitchens and a lack of color in our homes for several years now. It’s time to bring back color.  After the year we’ve all been through, we’ve come to realize that every element of our homes should speak to us. The colors we bring into them are no different. Yes, you can paint the walls or the cabinets, but why stop there? Shouldn’t your kitchen be just as much an expression of you as the rest of your home? 

 We know, change can be intimidating. There are lots of ways to do it though and they can range from purchasing new appliances in the color of your choice, to fixing panels to them, to getting a custom vinyl wrap. Let’s take a look at some colors that have been popular for this year, and are expected for next year first though. 

What Colors Are Popping Up

One of the few bright spots of many of us staying at home this year is that we ended up rediscovering our love of color. The 2020 colors as predicted by Pantone and other top color companies were ochre, magenta, creams (in all shades), navy blue and dusty teal. We definitely saw these make a comeback this year,  and we hope they're going to  stick around for several years to come. 

Going into 2021 colors are expected to pop even more as people get bored of being home. We're expecting jewel tones, aquamarine and neons. We can't say what the world is going to look like next year, but we can say it will certainly be colorful, and hopefully that will include your kitchen.  One of the companies we’re going to talk about, Blue Star, has already gotten on board with the aquamarines. 

If you’re starting to warm up to the idea of a color in your kitchen, your next question is going to be ‘how do I get them?’  You’ve got three choices. You can purchase them from a company, and hope that they offer a color you like. Many do offer custom colors, but that still takes time to get it just right. You can put panels over the appliance, but then it’s not exactly the appliance that’s colored, it’s the walls around it. We like this one if you want your kitchen to have a very organized and contained feel.  Or you can go with a custom vinyl wrap, which while it does mean finding someone that’s willing to do it, means you can get really crazy in color, patterns, anything your heart desires. 

Companies With Color 

If you want to purchase from a company, we have a selection of them.
You have Blue Star, with their focus on professional quality cooking. We love their suite for 2021. They let you customize how your stovetop is going to be laid out, colors and finishes, the colors of the knobs, handles and details as well as how your doors are laid out. You can craft your ideal kitchen suite and know that it is entirely your own. 

Admittedly American Range is more focused on restaurant level cooking gear, but they do offer a residential line for those of you that swear by them. They come in a wide range of colors, both matte and gloss finishes. The one draw back with your oven is that they only paint the doors and the kick plates. The control panel has to remain stainless. 

Unlike the previous two brands, Capital has both preset models and configurations, with a selection of colors that they have on hand, as well as offering custom color and configuration options. They focus on luxury residential appliances, but the only one they offer custom colors on is your range. 

Dacor is much like Capital. They too focus on providing luxury kitchen appliances, but they only offer color options for your range  

Out of all of the brands we’ve looked at, Ilve is, to us at least, the most detailed and luxurious. However, since  they only make ranges,  they still aren’t a perfect fit if you’re wanting all of your appliances to be a single color. 

The problem with buying colored appliances is that even if you want to keep the same color in 8-12 years when you replace it, you might not be able to. Many brands will only keep colors for so long as they’re producing sales, especially if it's a full suite. 

Paintable, Replaceable Panels

What if you have a brand you already love and you don't want to replace it? Then you might want to consider installing panels. You can do that on your own, or you can have someone else apply them. The upside is that you can paint those as many times as you want. You can make the panels match your existing cabinetry and have a very sleek look. The downside is that if you love the shape of your appliances, or don't like everything being square and cabinet-like, this might not be for you. 

Go Wild With Decals 

Or you can use custom vinyl decals . Elise  of A Beautiful Mess figured out that you can get vinyl decals of your preferred color installed, if you’re willing to look around. She ended up going to a custom vinyl shop, which usually does cars, buses and the like. They were more than willing to help her out though and even installed the wrap professionally. As Elise points out “I’ve worked with big surfaces of vinyl before, and it’s very tricky to avoid wrinkles completely. I valued the polished look more than saving a bit more $ in this instance.” The vinyl is removable, easy to clean and heat resistant up to 900* F. All of which mean it’s great for any of your appliances in your kitchen. Just think, you could change it out every other year if that’s what you’re up for. Or add additional decals for different holidays throughout the year. We love this idea the most because it makes your appliances a full extension of you and what you want them to be. 

We’re thinking that custom vinyl wraps are going to become very popular soon, once people realize just how versatile they are. What about you? How are you going to color your kitchen? Are you going to go with a company like Blue Star? Or do you like how panels look in the kitchen? Or do you want to do something insane and personal  with a vinyl wrap? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you. In the event that you end up having issues with one of your appliances in the meantime, we’re only a phone call or click away. 

Disclaimer: The images used herein belong to their respective companies.

It’s Back Again, The Self-Cleaning Oven

This time, it’s got a partner in crime! 

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we're already swamped from the nightmare that is 2020. There's meals to plan, family to either pick up or travel to and somehow you're supposed to clean the house too? We're right there with you. One thing we can say though, no matter how tempting, don't use the 'self-clean' function on your oven. 

Let's start off by looking at how it works. Technically speaking, a self-cleaning oven is a misnomer. It's not actually cleaning itself. Instead it super heats the bits of leftover food and whatnot inside of your oven to make it easier to remove. It's not even meant to replace a cleaning routine.

When we're talking about a self-cleaning mode we are discussing two different possibilities. You have your high heat models and then you have steam models. 

Light It Up! 

A high heat model starts by locking the oven door. This is important because the next step is to raise the internal temperature between 900 to 1,000° F. The cycle lasts between 2 and 6 hours. The door unlocks only after the oven has cooled completely. So why do people choose this method? Most people think that the high heat model is going to reduce the food and any other debris like tinfoil down to ash. It actually doesn't. It might end up blackening the waste, and it does help with removing it from the walls of the oven where it can get caked on, but it doesn't reduce it down to ash. 

It's Getting Steamy In Here 

The steam-based cycle on the other hand requires putting approximately one cup of distilled water into the bottom of your oven. Typically there's a special reservoir. The door stays unlocked for the entire cycle because the temperature is only being raised to 250° F.  The grime is softened and loosened by the steam, allowing you to wipe it out much more easily. This cycle lasts between 30 minutes to an hour.

The Downsides 

Fumes 

During their cleaning cycle both types of ovens emit foul smells, burning odors, fume and can even release potentially harmful byproducts such as carbon monoxide. The North Texas Poison Center even suggests that you leave your house while you have the high heat models running because they can produce a volume of fumes that is toxic. According to them "  Although Teflon ...  when it is heated to 600 degrees F, breathing the fumes can cause chills, fever, profuse sweating, cough, flu-like symptoms and chest tightness." 

Costs Add Up Quick! 

Another downside to the high heat model is that the excessive heat built up within the oven can short out fuses or burn out your heating elements. Yes we can replace them for you, or if you're handy with appliances and electronics, you can purchase the parts and do it on your own. The problem is that those pieces add up quickly. Not to mention when you're wanting to host Thanksgiving dinner in the same week, if not the next day as one patron recounted, there's not enough time to get it fixed before your oven. 

How Much Does It Use? 

One final issue with these two options, to us at least, is that the high heat version, which is what the majority of our customers have, will cost you the equivalent amount of entire months worth of oven usage. For just one cycle of self-cleaning it typically takes 8 kW hours. The steam clean option is slightly better with only taking three kilowatt hours worth of power. But that still roughly 1/3 of your monthly usage.

Instead what we suggest is doing the process by hand. Cleaning your oven yourself, or having someone clean it for you won't damage any of the internal components or burnout your heating element. All you need is white vinegar, baking soda, and water. Make sure that you avoid anything abrasive though, as they can damage the coating of your oven, causing chips and scratches. Those chips and scratches can then make it far more likely that they will get in your food, or through your exhaust fan, out into the air you're breathing. 

If you're wanting to avoid all that, here's how to clean your oven. 

-Start by removing the racks. They might need to be cleaned too, but for the time being you can put them into the kitchen sink, or your bathtub. (We advise putting down an old towel to prevent it from scratching the finish.) 

-From there, grab a rag, wet it down and wipe down all of the surfaces of the oven. Pay attention to where the built up crud is and take note. 

-Grab a mixing cup and some baking soda. Pour one half cup of baking soda into the cup and add water a few drops at a time. Keep going until you have a thick paste. 

-Take the paste and apply it thickly over every surface in the oven. You want a solid coat, without any of the enamel underneath showing through. Let that sit overnight. 

-Once the requisite six to eight hours have passed, lay out a mat or some newspapers under your oven door and grab a sponge. Moisten the sponge slightly and wipe out as much of the baking soda as you can. You're going to have to rinse out the sponge several times, as you keep wiping until no more paste is in the oven. If your oven still seems dirty, go ahead and repeat the process, being sure to let it sit overnight again. 

We hope we've answered some of your questions about self-cleaning ovens! If you have questions, comments or concerns, please let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook. If your oven, or any of your other major appliances, are giving you trouble, feel free to call or come over to our website to book an appointment. We want to help keep your home running smoothly!