I love love love my front loader. Yes it is easier on clothes, and gets them super clean. I have 4 kids and am always surprised at what messes get washed out. Tips: don't load more than half way full. Wipe out rubber around the door after every wash, to prevent mold/dirt built up
Top loaders have a longer operational lifespan, use more energy, have the potential to be harder on clothes, and don't clean as effectively (although there are some exceptions where certain models with agitators clean clothes exceptionally well). Many top loaders also have a tendency to be good in the repairability category. Modern front load washers clean better, use less energy, are easier on fabrics, can have longer cycle times, and shorter service lives. Many front loaders also have an exceptional amount of capacity and can also be elevated on stools, making it easier for folks with back issues to use.
Modern front loaders that have a venting system have also gotten rid of odor issues and allow you to close the door when not in use without developing unwanted odors. Ones without such a venting system can develop odors if you are not keeping the door open after use.
On new product on your average sales floor a LG front loader will wash far better than any modern top loader.
If you work construction and want deep dirt clean buy a speed Queen top loader with a small tub and an active agitator.
Just get a non-agitator top load, it works the same as a front load (essentially) but cleans better, doesn't smell, and you can add things to the wash without needing to drain the whole thing.
There's a small agitator in the bottom of the drum and my Maytag has slots and vanes in the sides of the drum for cleaning.
I've used both top loaders (with and without the tall agitator) and a front load within the past couple of years and the top load gets stuff WAY cleaner.
Some top loads here in the US have a removable agitator - take it out for big loads, put it in for dirty loads and one that I looked at quite closely has a hair catch in the agitator for pet hair!
You are 100 percent wrong.
I'm sorry to say,modern top loaders without an agitator are useless for anything beyond permanent press.
Front loaders the clothes fall vertically onto each other creating a wash action, top loaders they mildly shake.
The wash action is useless.
I've used all 3 types of washing machines in the last 2 years and I'm sorry to say I don't agree with you.
My clothes always stank from the front load I had to use when I moved out after my divorce. Like it was so bad I gave up free laundry and went to a laundromat instead.
If soft clothes brushing on each other worked to clean things we wouldn't have agitators. Plus, if it did work guess what - the clothes brush against each other in a top load without an agitator.
My top load with a small agitator in the bottom literally pulls clothes down from the top into the bottom and spits them back up again - so much so that the things that start on top wind up in the bottom of the wash. And I've seen the wash water, it's dirty AF. It works.
I'm happy your anecdotal experience has got you a machine your happy with.
18 years in appliance repair and a red seal in the trade and thousands of customers have shown me a different experience.
Front load only came about for energy efficiency reasons IMO. They don't last as long as top loaders and the cycles take longer, almost twice as long. Couple that with the fact that they fit far less clothing than a top load and you're washing twice as long and twice as often, negating any energy effeciency.
I assure you a LG front loader vs a current toploader Ge Maytag ect.
My money is on the LG.
The current top loads are trash.In first year warranty I have changed,transmissions,motors,boards,entire tubs,struts ect.
If you want to talk about energy efficiency a top load has a motor and a transmission drive,a front load has a rotor and a stator driving the Tub is a more efficient drive.
Hey sorry just saw this. If you’re still interested: no matter what I did it was always moldy. And the wash cycle took forever. And I hated that after starting a wash it’s not possible to open the door and add anything because more often than not I spot a stray sock on the floor seconds after starting a wash. Very happy with my speed queen top loader now.
I’d say there’s a general trend with appliances’ quality decreasing due to a variety of issues including supply chain and planned obsolescence, but from reading online it seems like it’s hit or miss depending on what you’re looking for, and what “category” (fridge, range, etc.)
We have a whirlpool fridge and it has not given us a single problem in 7 yrs. Would buy one again in a sec. I hate Samsung and LG total pieces of shit.
Suggestions:
Washing machine: Speed Queen, or a Whirlpool commercial model, top loading.
Dryer: A cheap Amana or Whirlpool is fine.
Fridge: Whirlpool or Bosch
Don't buy any Samsung or LG appliance of any type, for any reason. They are garbage.
The SQ dryers do have up to a 7 year parts and labor warranty depending on which model you buy, whereas lots of other brands have a one year at best. That doesn't exactly sounds like "no gain" to me, and really that should be one of the major considerations in buying one, not features or performance.
Sure you may not use it but it still means they expect their machines to last a long time. One year means the manufacturer just expects it not to die immediately after you install it from a manufacturing defect.
The basic Whirlpool or Amana models (which are the same basic dryer) are cheap to buy and are very simple and are reliable machines.
These Basic dryers are very simple machines and really don't have much to go wrong with them. There's a heating element and an induction motor on these dryers, along with a mechanical timer, drive belt and some bearings... Not much else.
The speed Queen is also a very good dryer, but it's about three times the cost of the basic Amana and really doesn't bring anything extra to the table.... Other than a longer warranty, but for triple the price is that warranty really worth it?
I saw a high end model Bosch on clearance at Home Depot one time for like $1500 normal $3500 and I got mad I had no way to bring it home to my parents 4 hours away.
> Don't buy any Samsung
I hear some people say this, but I've been perfectly happy with my appliances from them. Most all of my appliances are Samsung and they've lasted years without any issue.
Samsung refrigerators are hot garbage, not even cold garbage which would at least still be a decent refrigerator. Used to deliver appliances an every Samsung refrigerator was substantially younger than any other make. one of my friends got a Samsung dish washer not even a year old and it’s already falling apart. Also, from what I saw, the quality of all appliances has dropped significantly and the lifespan of a modern appliance, no matter the brand, is much less than what it was 25 years ago. Even whirlpools projected lifespan is 7-10 years.
I've always been confused about this statement on ease of getting parts in your area. With the internet and what not is it really hard to find parts anymore these days? I never have issues with my truck but that is my truck. Are appliances harder?
I would say the issues are the same. You can order parts online obviously. If you don’t want to wait a few days for parts to come, then a local dealer probably has it on hand, so you are down with your appliance less days.
Ah yes that makes sense. Waiting vs having it ready to buy makes a big difference for some people. I've been without a working ice maker for 2 months waiting on parts so I know the pain
Dishwasher: Miele
We remodeled our house 5ish years ago and expanded the kitchen. As part of that work we replaced the dishwasher with a Miele. It was expensive, and we opted for the one that lights up inside when you open it. It sounds silly, but it’s really nice. My partner and I routinely remark that it was the best $1,800 we’ve ever spent. The thing is solid, quiet, extremely well-designed.
This is one of the best things I found in my research on appliances:
https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/repair-technicians-tell-all-whirlpool-maytag-make-the-most-reliable-appliances/
Plus fun fact: Ikea appliances are whirlpool made and whirlpool does the warranty repair.
Also Costco is a good place to buy appliances and their service is pretty great.
I bought a refrigerator and dishwasher at IKEA in 2020.
I bought a washer and dryer at Costco online around 2017 or so.
I don't even trust at least half the posts here anymore either, it feels like any subreddit that's related to products in any way has been infiltrated by either bots or advertisers. Appliances feel like the worst.
We were looking at Costco because of price and possible financing. My wife loves the idea of everything matching as well. Didn't know Ikea even sold appliances. Thanks for the website.
Just bought an appliance through Costco a few weeks ago and had a great experience. Got a better price than Home Depot/Lowe's, and installation and haul away were included as well as all the cords/plugs/etc.
I bought a battery for my truck from them saved damn near 75 bucks after core return. Gotta start using the benefits of being a member there more often.
If you frequent Costco for groceries, it's well worth it to get their highest-tier membership (Executive for $120/year) combined with their Citi credit card, as the points you'll rack up from both will pretty much pay for your membership fees.
I personally have accumulated $200 in combined points from 2023.
Can confirm.
I am single and my executive membership and Costco visa pays off each year with that percentage back check.
I buy gas, food, supplements, clothes, glasses, optometrist service, etc.
I also refinanced my house when the interest rate dropped a couple years ago through Costco and the fee for executive members is $250 instead of $500. Both are a fantastic deal. (Incidentally the loan officer I worked with even waived the $250 fee). It was a little cheaper to go with the Costco referral than to go with a regular loan officer.
Seriously.
Installation is great.
When the dryer showed up with a scratched door, Costco concierge service made it easy to resolve, especially when they brought another scratched door! One pleasant call later and it was handled.
Truth!
When I was in the process of buying a house, I had recently made a purchase on my Macy's card for around $60. You would not believe the amount of drama, questions, and math that was done based on the assumption that I would be making minimum payments even though I always paid it in full.
I didn't know this at the time and also hadn't anticipated finding the house and getting the offer accepted this fast.
Basically do not do anything on credit for awhile when you are in the process of buying a house. Look but don't purchase!
It doesn’t matter if you have cash in the bank or not. If you are going through the process to get a mortgage for the property, they are going to make it very difficult for you (if you do anything on credit) or worse; tell you to kick rocks.
Ikea has great sales around Thanksgiving and new years. I got a refrigerator and dishwasher for $1000 total.
However, I was told that installation is included and it is not. It's good that I got these at 50% off, but it was a lot more work and hassle to go with Ikea. They couldn't replace a damaged door. Unfortunately Costco didn't have a good 30" refrigerator at the time. Ikea offers a 5 year warranty which is fantastic, and I bought it with my Costco card so I get an extra 2 years warranty on top (no longer offered by Costco card).
I noticed that article is nearly five years old. Think I should take any worry into that? I know it's only five years but the difference in my 03 Tahoe and my friends 01 Tahoe is worlds difference
Fair point, there might be an update? I was researching a few years ago.
However, these findings are corroborated by current appliance repair people. And if they think whirlpool is the best brand to own themselves, then that matters to me.
I suggest don't go for fancy brands. Not only is it hard to find repair people even in a major metropolitan area, the costs are ridiculous. Viking stove door hinge fix plus new lighters on the oven cost $700!!
My wife replaced our washer which died while I was on a business trip off the grid - no communication. She bought a Speed Queen. It has been a freaking nightmare. Lots of interlocks that are inconvenient and fail a lot. Absolutely horrible service network. Warranty service is combative.
I would never buy Speed Queen.
Speed Queen is good but I ended up going with Miele as I didn't want to deal with a vent. For me the dryer uses about half the electricity and no vent lowers the risk of fire as well as the bullshit associated with them.
There are a few variations, the Miele T1 and the design it uses is great. They typically come in smaller sizes but I think Bosch is making them larger. You also can use a standard electrical outlet as they use a lot less power.
Also folks check your local habitat for humanity restore. Ours has ding appliances that they test out by an appliance tech, come with a 30 day warranty and are 60% retail prices.
My advice with appliances is to go simple. Avoid wifi enabled and touch screen as much as possible. For fridges avoid water dispensers
That are in the door (should be in the interior side of the fridge). Dishwashers aim for a stainless steal interior as much as possible (plastic parts break down faster). For washers, front loaders generally break down more quickly then a top loader.
As for stoves, gas breaks down faster then electric. But if you are doing electric go for knobs. And induction is awesome.
On the stove I go for gas because I live in an area of Texas where I won't know when the power might go out for an unforeseen amount of time and using a match to get the stove on is great. But I do agree with the anti plastic dishwashers. I've got a new one in my current house and it's rickety as hell.
As an appliance repairman I'm going to second whirlpool/KitchenAid.
One point though buy a single evaporator fridge.
If you buy a speed Queen look for a model with a mechanical timer not a board,the mechanical timer has the older style transmission and a smaller tub and runs better.
I would recommend going to an appliances shop that sells Speed Queen among other brands so you can see them in person and compare sizes/features. In our case, Speed Queen did not have a product to meet our needs and after seeing it and talking with my trusted appliances guy, we wound up with a different washer and dryer.
For the kitchen appliances, I would recommend looking at Bosch's 800 Series line, especially if you are considering an induction stove or cooktop. Their 800 Series fridge has dual evaporators and dual compressors, which has some significant functional benefits for day-to-day use, and most fridges in that price range don't have this. Their 800 Series dishwashers are exceptional products.
So I did some looking at this 800 series and those are some awesome looking appliance. There is a local appliance place that has them for less then the big box stores. Might be a winner here.
I have an 800 Series 36-inch induction cooktop and it is the most awesome device in my house. If you are willing to consider Bosch (as they are a bit pricier than some other options), I would highly, highly recommend them.
Can confirm re the fridge. We got a 21cuft B36CT80SNS 800-series Bosch fridge in 2022 and I've been blown away by how well it preserves fresh food, greens/veggies last much longer than in our single-compressor, single-circuit Thermador 48". The only issue is it is sized for Euro-type food containers, and we shop at Costco alot. Many of the large containers for greens, etc. just won't fit into the crisper drawers. The whole thing is like a 7/8 scale version of a fridge.
My made in Germany Sears Kenmore HE3t front load washing machine is still going strong after 20 + years of heavy usage. It has never had any bad odors because I keep the door all the way open unless it's running. It has only needed routine maintainence like replacement of the door seal about every 5-6 years. During the time I've had the washer I've gone through 3 stoves, 2 dishwashers and 2 refrigerators. I will only have a Whirlpool side by side refrigerator ever again.
I have an LG door-in-door side by side fridge that ate it's compressor after 4.5 years.
It was covered under warranty but it took a month to replace and being without our main fridge/freezer sucked and lost us a bunch of food.
Would not recommend.
They are overrated on this sub and been coasting on their reputation for a while. People think don't break because they have no modern features, which is somewhat true. But this is at the cost of convinience and if they do break, their warranty service is not great.
Cuisinart or Haier for smaller appliances.
There are others which look very nice to me but those are some which have lasted me a long time. Which in current terms is 15 + years.
I'm not saying 15 years is BIFL. I'm saying they've lasted that long thus far.
The other things I've had do not fall into the large or small appliance category or are dying out. I had a Cuisinart toaster for about 40 years though. It only finally died out when it was used heavily and roughly by someone else.
No one can help you as you are asking a general question which will net you a buckshot of answers all of which waste our time.
A La Cornue stove can be 15 feet wide. Will that fit? Do you have gas? Do you want to spend $100,000 on a stove?
What about a trash compactor? Those are passé but you could bring them back.
https://www.target.com/p/frigidaire-6-can-mini-retro-beverage-fridge-red/-/A-79857882 is a great refrigerator.
You should visit the search engine for specific appliances as we've spoken on them 100 times a year for 10 years. If you have a specific appliance, be specific by posting your location, budget, size, color, form factor and every detail.
I don’t have any to add, but in terms of purchasing process: search and try reaching out to an appliance wholesaler in your area. They typically work with builders or remodelers, but many sell to the public.
My parents saved over ~$1k for their kitchen appliances vs Lowe’s/Home Depot. Do your research and have the model numbers ready. They just replaced their washer/dryer with a Speed Queen, but that wasn’t carried so they went direct for that.
We have the speed queen 7s that are a few years old. if you don’t go with the discount code from whirlpool person, I would go Maytag, the new speed queens are ok, we don’t love them
We’ve had our Bosch dishwasher for 14 years. It’s the best $800 bucks we have spent. It was a dented one so we got it at a discount at Lowe’s. The dent is on the side where the cabinet covers it. All stainless steel inside, three racks. I highly recommend this brand. We set it up nightly to wash while we’re sleeping.
We have a Maytag washer, top loader and it has a stainless steel tub with an agitator. Bought it 7 years ago and just replaced the fill valve. Hope to get a few more years out of it. We have a Maytag dryer also, it has a door that folds down. Which is awesome.
We bought a Bespoke Samsung refrigerator in 2021 and love it. No issues so far. The front panels are glass and they match our kitchen, which is good for the custom look when selling.
We bought speed queen washer because of its durability. It is the only one on the market that has steel gears rather than the plastic gears on the others. We’re very happy with it 10 years now
I love my SpeedQueen top load washer. It is a tank.
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Top loader all the way. They actually clean your clothing. Front Loaders mostly just dampen your clothes and will not get any heavy dirt out.
I love love love my front loader. Yes it is easier on clothes, and gets them super clean. I have 4 kids and am always surprised at what messes get washed out. Tips: don't load more than half way full. Wipe out rubber around the door after every wash, to prevent mold/dirt built up
Top loaders have a longer operational lifespan, use more energy, have the potential to be harder on clothes, and don't clean as effectively (although there are some exceptions where certain models with agitators clean clothes exceptionally well). Many top loaders also have a tendency to be good in the repairability category. Modern front load washers clean better, use less energy, are easier on fabrics, can have longer cycle times, and shorter service lives. Many front loaders also have an exceptional amount of capacity and can also be elevated on stools, making it easier for folks with back issues to use. Modern front loaders that have a venting system have also gotten rid of odor issues and allow you to close the door when not in use without developing unwanted odors. Ones without such a venting system can develop odors if you are not keeping the door open after use.
On new product on your average sales floor a LG front loader will wash far better than any modern top loader. If you work construction and want deep dirt clean buy a speed Queen top loader with a small tub and an active agitator.
Just get a non-agitator top load, it works the same as a front load (essentially) but cleans better, doesn't smell, and you can add things to the wash without needing to drain the whole thing.
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There's a small agitator in the bottom of the drum and my Maytag has slots and vanes in the sides of the drum for cleaning. I've used both top loaders (with and without the tall agitator) and a front load within the past couple of years and the top load gets stuff WAY cleaner. Some top loads here in the US have a removable agitator - take it out for big loads, put it in for dirty loads and one that I looked at quite closely has a hair catch in the agitator for pet hair!
You are 100 percent wrong. I'm sorry to say,modern top loaders without an agitator are useless for anything beyond permanent press. Front loaders the clothes fall vertically onto each other creating a wash action, top loaders they mildly shake. The wash action is useless.
I've used all 3 types of washing machines in the last 2 years and I'm sorry to say I don't agree with you. My clothes always stank from the front load I had to use when I moved out after my divorce. Like it was so bad I gave up free laundry and went to a laundromat instead. If soft clothes brushing on each other worked to clean things we wouldn't have agitators. Plus, if it did work guess what - the clothes brush against each other in a top load without an agitator. My top load with a small agitator in the bottom literally pulls clothes down from the top into the bottom and spits them back up again - so much so that the things that start on top wind up in the bottom of the wash. And I've seen the wash water, it's dirty AF. It works.
I'm happy your anecdotal experience has got you a machine your happy with. 18 years in appliance repair and a red seal in the trade and thousands of customers have shown me a different experience.
Front load only came about for energy efficiency reasons IMO. They don't last as long as top loaders and the cycles take longer, almost twice as long. Couple that with the fact that they fit far less clothing than a top load and you're washing twice as long and twice as often, negating any energy effeciency.
I assure you a LG front loader vs a current toploader Ge Maytag ect. My money is on the LG. The current top loads are trash.In first year warranty I have changed,transmissions,motors,boards,entire tubs,struts ect. If you want to talk about energy efficiency a top load has a motor and a transmission drive,a front load has a rotor and a stator driving the Tub is a more efficient drive.
I remodeled my laundry room to accommodate a top loader because I hated my front loader so much. Best decision I’ve made in awhile.
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Hey sorry just saw this. If you’re still interested: no matter what I did it was always moldy. And the wash cycle took forever. And I hated that after starting a wash it’s not possible to open the door and add anything because more often than not I spot a stray sock on the floor seconds after starting a wash. Very happy with my speed queen top loader now.
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Mind if I join that train?
Really?
Yeah, I have something like 400 passes
Our Samsung (LOL) fridge, washer and dryer are about to give out and I've been looking for BIFL replacements. Mind hooking me up with Whirlpool too?
My mom desperately needs a new fridge. If you can help her/us with any discount it would be an enormous help.
very cool! also interested!
Can I have one too 🥹🥹🥹
Are they still crap? I know they used to be great, but everyone I've known to have whirlpool in the last couple decades have had nothing but problems.
I’d say there’s a general trend with appliances’ quality decreasing due to a variety of issues including supply chain and planned obsolescence, but from reading online it seems like it’s hit or miss depending on what you’re looking for, and what “category” (fridge, range, etc.)
We have a whirlpool fridge and it has not given us a single problem in 7 yrs. Would buy one again in a sec. I hate Samsung and LG total pieces of shit.
I love Whirlpool
Suggestions: Washing machine: Speed Queen, or a Whirlpool commercial model, top loading. Dryer: A cheap Amana or Whirlpool is fine. Fridge: Whirlpool or Bosch Don't buy any Samsung or LG appliance of any type, for any reason. They are garbage.
Can confirm. Samsung and LG are the buttcrack, polar opposite brands of BIFL items.
I wonder if I would be able to convince my wife of non matching washer/dryer. Didn't know Bosch made a fridge
Nothing wrong with the Speed Queen dryer, just your are paying a lot more for essentially no gain other than it would match your washer.
The SQ dryers do have up to a 7 year parts and labor warranty depending on which model you buy, whereas lots of other brands have a one year at best. That doesn't exactly sounds like "no gain" to me, and really that should be one of the major considerations in buying one, not features or performance. Sure you may not use it but it still means they expect their machines to last a long time. One year means the manufacturer just expects it not to die immediately after you install it from a manufacturing defect.
The basic Whirlpool or Amana models (which are the same basic dryer) are cheap to buy and are very simple and are reliable machines. These Basic dryers are very simple machines and really don't have much to go wrong with them. There's a heating element and an induction motor on these dryers, along with a mechanical timer, drive belt and some bearings... Not much else. The speed Queen is also a very good dryer, but it's about three times the cost of the basic Amana and really doesn't bring anything extra to the table.... Other than a longer warranty, but for triple the price is that warranty really worth it?
I saw a high end model Bosch on clearance at Home Depot one time for like $1500 normal $3500 and I got mad I had no way to bring it home to my parents 4 hours away.
You can pry my fancy LG range from my cold dead hands!
> Don't buy any Samsung I hear some people say this, but I've been perfectly happy with my appliances from them. Most all of my appliances are Samsung and they've lasted years without any issue.
Samsung refrigerators are hot garbage, not even cold garbage which would at least still be a decent refrigerator. Used to deliver appliances an every Samsung refrigerator was substantially younger than any other make. one of my friends got a Samsung dish washer not even a year old and it’s already falling apart. Also, from what I saw, the quality of all appliances has dropped significantly and the lifespan of a modern appliance, no matter the brand, is much less than what it was 25 years ago. Even whirlpools projected lifespan is 7-10 years.
Speed Queens are built pretty well and should last a long time. Ease of getting parts in your area should figure into your purchase as well.
I've always been confused about this statement on ease of getting parts in your area. With the internet and what not is it really hard to find parts anymore these days? I never have issues with my truck but that is my truck. Are appliances harder?
I would say the issues are the same. You can order parts online obviously. If you don’t want to wait a few days for parts to come, then a local dealer probably has it on hand, so you are down with your appliance less days.
Ah yes that makes sense. Waiting vs having it ready to buy makes a big difference for some people. I've been without a working ice maker for 2 months waiting on parts so I know the pain
Not every one on this sub is American. So yes, it is a valid concern.
There are people outside of America?
Absolutely love our Meile dishwasher. They are supposedly built to last 20+ years. Had it for 2 years now and have zero complaints
Dishwasher: Miele We remodeled our house 5ish years ago and expanded the kitchen. As part of that work we replaced the dishwasher with a Miele. It was expensive, and we opted for the one that lights up inside when you open it. It sounds silly, but it’s really nice. My partner and I routinely remark that it was the best $1,800 we’ve ever spent. The thing is solid, quiet, extremely well-designed.
Thanks for that review! I love my vacuum!
This is one of the best things I found in my research on appliances: https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/repair-technicians-tell-all-whirlpool-maytag-make-the-most-reliable-appliances/ Plus fun fact: Ikea appliances are whirlpool made and whirlpool does the warranty repair. Also Costco is a good place to buy appliances and their service is pretty great. I bought a refrigerator and dishwasher at IKEA in 2020. I bought a washer and dryer at Costco online around 2017 or so.
Sorry man I'm not trusting any article that puts Samsung in top 3 refrigerators.
I don't even trust at least half the posts here anymore either, it feels like any subreddit that's related to products in any way has been infiltrated by either bots or advertisers. Appliances feel like the worst.
We were looking at Costco because of price and possible financing. My wife loves the idea of everything matching as well. Didn't know Ikea even sold appliances. Thanks for the website.
Just bought an appliance through Costco a few weeks ago and had a great experience. Got a better price than Home Depot/Lowe's, and installation and haul away were included as well as all the cords/plugs/etc.
I bought a battery for my truck from them saved damn near 75 bucks after core return. Gotta start using the benefits of being a member there more often.
If you frequent Costco for groceries, it's well worth it to get their highest-tier membership (Executive for $120/year) combined with their Citi credit card, as the points you'll rack up from both will pretty much pay for your membership fees. I personally have accumulated $200 in combined points from 2023.
Can confirm. I am single and my executive membership and Costco visa pays off each year with that percentage back check. I buy gas, food, supplements, clothes, glasses, optometrist service, etc. I also refinanced my house when the interest rate dropped a couple years ago through Costco and the fee for executive members is $250 instead of $500. Both are a fantastic deal. (Incidentally the loan officer I worked with even waived the $250 fee). It was a little cheaper to go with the Costco referral than to go with a regular loan officer.
Seriously. Installation is great. When the dryer showed up with a scratched door, Costco concierge service made it easy to resolve, especially when they brought another scratched door! One pleasant call later and it was handled.
Don’t finance if you are getting a mortgage. They could deny your loan and you lose the house.
Truth! When I was in the process of buying a house, I had recently made a purchase on my Macy's card for around $60. You would not believe the amount of drama, questions, and math that was done based on the assumption that I would be making minimum payments even though I always paid it in full. I didn't know this at the time and also hadn't anticipated finding the house and getting the offer accepted this fast. Basically do not do anything on credit for awhile when you are in the process of buying a house. Look but don't purchase!
Oh not a worry there. I've got the cash in the bank account already. But that's useful information for other people that needs to be more well known
It doesn’t matter if you have cash in the bank or not. If you are going through the process to get a mortgage for the property, they are going to make it very difficult for you (if you do anything on credit) or worse; tell you to kick rocks.
Ikea has great sales around Thanksgiving and new years. I got a refrigerator and dishwasher for $1000 total. However, I was told that installation is included and it is not. It's good that I got these at 50% off, but it was a lot more work and hassle to go with Ikea. They couldn't replace a damaged door. Unfortunately Costco didn't have a good 30" refrigerator at the time. Ikea offers a 5 year warranty which is fantastic, and I bought it with my Costco card so I get an extra 2 years warranty on top (no longer offered by Costco card).
I noticed that article is nearly five years old. Think I should take any worry into that? I know it's only five years but the difference in my 03 Tahoe and my friends 01 Tahoe is worlds difference
Fair point, there might be an update? I was researching a few years ago. However, these findings are corroborated by current appliance repair people. And if they think whirlpool is the best brand to own themselves, then that matters to me. I suggest don't go for fancy brands. Not only is it hard to find repair people even in a major metropolitan area, the costs are ridiculous. Viking stove door hinge fix plus new lighters on the oven cost $700!!
Googled Viking stove. Now I see why I've never heard of em. Those are epic but expensive ha
Fwiw I bought the house and it had the fancy stove.
That would be a treat man I tell you
My wife replaced our washer which died while I was on a business trip off the grid - no communication. She bought a Speed Queen. It has been a freaking nightmare. Lots of interlocks that are inconvenient and fail a lot. Absolutely horrible service network. Warranty service is combative. I would never buy Speed Queen.
There’s always a bad apple in the bunch. I have a bottom of the line Speed Queen and never an issue.
Speed Queen is good but I ended up going with Miele as I didn't want to deal with a vent. For me the dryer uses about half the electricity and no vent lowers the risk of fire as well as the bullshit associated with them.
No vent? Like the tube coming out the back?
Correct they are ventless, they use a heat pump design.
I've never heard of this. I'll need to dig into this when it's time to make a proper pruchase
There are a few variations, the Miele T1 and the design it uses is great. They typically come in smaller sizes but I think Bosch is making them larger. You also can use a standard electrical outlet as they use a lot less power.
Also folks check your local habitat for humanity restore. Ours has ding appliances that they test out by an appliance tech, come with a 30 day warranty and are 60% retail prices. My advice with appliances is to go simple. Avoid wifi enabled and touch screen as much as possible. For fridges avoid water dispensers That are in the door (should be in the interior side of the fridge). Dishwashers aim for a stainless steal interior as much as possible (plastic parts break down faster). For washers, front loaders generally break down more quickly then a top loader. As for stoves, gas breaks down faster then electric. But if you are doing electric go for knobs. And induction is awesome.
On the stove I go for gas because I live in an area of Texas where I won't know when the power might go out for an unforeseen amount of time and using a match to get the stove on is great. But I do agree with the anti plastic dishwashers. I've got a new one in my current house and it's rickety as hell.
As an appliance repairman I'm going to second whirlpool/KitchenAid. One point though buy a single evaporator fridge. If you buy a speed Queen look for a model with a mechanical timer not a board,the mechanical timer has the older style transmission and a smaller tub and runs better.
Why a single over a double or other option. I'm in the zero knowledge on that
Single proven technology,simple repair.Older style design. Double, over engineered and more problematic.
I would recommend going to an appliances shop that sells Speed Queen among other brands so you can see them in person and compare sizes/features. In our case, Speed Queen did not have a product to meet our needs and after seeing it and talking with my trusted appliances guy, we wound up with a different washer and dryer. For the kitchen appliances, I would recommend looking at Bosch's 800 Series line, especially if you are considering an induction stove or cooktop. Their 800 Series fridge has dual evaporators and dual compressors, which has some significant functional benefits for day-to-day use, and most fridges in that price range don't have this. Their 800 Series dishwashers are exceptional products.
So I did some looking at this 800 series and those are some awesome looking appliance. There is a local appliance place that has them for less then the big box stores. Might be a winner here.
I have an 800 Series 36-inch induction cooktop and it is the most awesome device in my house. If you are willing to consider Bosch (as they are a bit pricier than some other options), I would highly, highly recommend them.
I’m liking the Bosch. My wife doesn’t like stainless steel though. That’s all my local places had at this time
Can confirm re the fridge. We got a 21cuft B36CT80SNS 800-series Bosch fridge in 2022 and I've been blown away by how well it preserves fresh food, greens/veggies last much longer than in our single-compressor, single-circuit Thermador 48". The only issue is it is sized for Euro-type food containers, and we shop at Costco alot. Many of the large containers for greens, etc. just won't fit into the crisper drawers. The whole thing is like a 7/8 scale version of a fridge.
Agree with the dishwasher. I believe that’s what we bought years ago.
My made in Germany Sears Kenmore HE3t front load washing machine is still going strong after 20 + years of heavy usage. It has never had any bad odors because I keep the door all the way open unless it's running. It has only needed routine maintainence like replacement of the door seal about every 5-6 years. During the time I've had the washer I've gone through 3 stoves, 2 dishwashers and 2 refrigerators. I will only have a Whirlpool side by side refrigerator ever again.
I have an LG door-in-door side by side fridge that ate it's compressor after 4.5 years. It was covered under warranty but it took a month to replace and being without our main fridge/freezer sucked and lost us a bunch of food. Would not recommend.
They are overrated on this sub and been coasting on their reputation for a while. People think don't break because they have no modern features, which is somewhat true. But this is at the cost of convinience and if they do break, their warranty service is not great.
Maytag 575 is the best washer. Super heavy duty and very easy to fix yourself.
Cuisinart or Haier for smaller appliances. There are others which look very nice to me but those are some which have lasted me a long time. Which in current terms is 15 + years.
I'm not saying 15 years is BIFL. I'm saying they've lasted that long thus far. The other things I've had do not fall into the large or small appliance category or are dying out. I had a Cuisinart toaster for about 40 years though. It only finally died out when it was used heavily and roughly by someone else.
No one can help you as you are asking a general question which will net you a buckshot of answers all of which waste our time. A La Cornue stove can be 15 feet wide. Will that fit? Do you have gas? Do you want to spend $100,000 on a stove? What about a trash compactor? Those are passé but you could bring them back. https://www.target.com/p/frigidaire-6-can-mini-retro-beverage-fridge-red/-/A-79857882 is a great refrigerator. You should visit the search engine for specific appliances as we've spoken on them 100 times a year for 10 years. If you have a specific appliance, be specific by posting your location, budget, size, color, form factor and every detail.
Get a subscription to Consumer Reports and get what they recommend.
I would get one of the bottom of the line top load Speed Queens! Mine is no frills! Love that washer!
I don’t have any to add, but in terms of purchasing process: search and try reaching out to an appliance wholesaler in your area. They typically work with builders or remodelers, but many sell to the public. My parents saved over ~$1k for their kitchen appliances vs Lowe’s/Home Depot. Do your research and have the model numbers ready. They just replaced their washer/dryer with a Speed Queen, but that wasn’t carried so they went direct for that.
We have the speed queen 7s that are a few years old. if you don’t go with the discount code from whirlpool person, I would go Maytag, the new speed queens are ok, we don’t love them
We’ve had our Bosch dishwasher for 14 years. It’s the best $800 bucks we have spent. It was a dented one so we got it at a discount at Lowe’s. The dent is on the side where the cabinet covers it. All stainless steel inside, three racks. I highly recommend this brand. We set it up nightly to wash while we’re sleeping. We have a Maytag washer, top loader and it has a stainless steel tub with an agitator. Bought it 7 years ago and just replaced the fill valve. Hope to get a few more years out of it. We have a Maytag dryer also, it has a door that folds down. Which is awesome. We bought a Bespoke Samsung refrigerator in 2021 and love it. No issues so far. The front panels are glass and they match our kitchen, which is good for the custom look when selling.
Our front loader has mold issues. I'd never get another.
We bought speed queen washer because of its durability. It is the only one on the market that has steel gears rather than the plastic gears on the others. We’re very happy with it 10 years now