Home Appliance Input

[jeyf]

ya but wonder what the 1950 builders would have thought if they knew their legacy was junk
[doublepost=1515206300][/doublepost]appliances;
i dont like stainless steel.
from year to year there is little innovation in a stove, dryer or fridge.

i would opt for restaurant quality but most houses dont have a 1" gas line existing in a residential kitchen The vent hoods need to be upgraded too.

buying refurbished appliances is appealing. 5 years down the line, if they break down you just throw them out.

 

[A.Goldberg]

tile
i would go with a glazed none absorbent class 5 tile. if your doing the job your self something 12x12 and less dimensional and 3/8" grout lines are easier faster to lay. We did not disturb any of the existing flooring but covered every floor surface with wonder board because of asbestos. HomeDepot has a 4.5" diamond blade for ~$20 and you mount it in a small Maketa hand grinder. A couple of beers and it cuts tile like butter, a little dangerous tho. Pick a light natural color, tile the whole house. afterwards if you want rugs buy them too. We re used the existing black marble kitchen counter tops, polished them with a diamond grit compound and a grinder on sloooow speed.

kitchen
I had gas ovens and cook tops all my other houses and just went to electric and things cook faster. Maybe if you buy a stove accepting a 3/4" gas line? speaking of a cook top; i got a white ceramic and it stains easy. Not easy to clean either. Looks super nice tho in my totally zero white kitchen and that was my goal. Ikea like white Formica covered cabinets were existing and looked nice. We washed them with TSP and re used these. Bought a used white fridge, microwave and a new larger size freezer. New appliances we got from abt.com the used stuff from a local re build shop. We kept our white washing machine and bought a re built electric dryer. The gas dryers catch fire easy. Stack able is nice but if one unit goes out the set will not work.

we painted the whole house interior
with zero flat white. Flat latex paint applies easier faster. covers cracks and nail hole better. Wash bathrooms with commercial bleach to eliminate mold and used any high gloss paint there. Most rooms took 3 coats for the white. I was skeptic at first but the flat white looks super nice. Even medium quality paint is expensive, $115/5gal. We used 25 gallons of paint for the whole inside. Buy it by the 5gal as its easier to apply from a bucket than a can. We used a roller and taped over save the oak molding. We keep a quart can + a bag of disposable brushes handy and if any spots dont wash off paint over the spot.

Life before the EPA was tenuous
-even 1950's bath tubs had asbestos glazing in them. Its in the floor tile, the adhesive, the plaster and cement; you can get a quarter sized sample of what ever tested for $40. Best just assume an older house has the asbestos.
-first thing we did on our 1955 ranch house is rip out all the portable plumbing pipe and replace it with pex. The galvanized steel pipe's yellow water was eeew. The 1980's lead solder copper pipe had to go as well. Denver has sub contractors that handle the whole up grade including the interior wall re plaster. Do it all way out to the street water tap.

this is what I did this summer

If we do tile we’d probably go with a larger sized tile. They tend to look better and make the space look more spacious. I don’t really have the time to do the work myself nor would I want to risk it on a project this big.

Having used both electric and gas cooktops I far prefer gas. You have more control over the heat and I find it boils water faster. The only exception are the induction cooktops, which are pretty cool. I’d consider doing both gas and induction together, but not electric. In terms of the over I think I’d prefer electric convection over gas.

I’d assume I’m doing electric for the clothes dryer. Good point on the stackable unit failure replacement issue. That’s something I haven’t considered. We have space to do have them side by side on the floor, though the extra space would be appreciated.

I’m don’t s big fan of Formica surfaces. Typically I don’t think they look that nice and they a susceptible to peeling.

As I mentioned the building was last renovated extenstively n 2003. It was built in the early 1990’s well before asbestos. The renovations included de-leading and I would presume removing any asbestos if it existed. The entire plumbing system appears to be replaced. The radiator heat system was replaced with central HVAC. The plaster was removed from the walls and ceilings and replaced with sheet rock. We had an inspector go through so hopefully there will be no surprises.

 

[HDFan]

Reccomended Brands- obviously lots of brand options- Subzero/Wolf, Viking, Decor, etc and GE monogram on the lower price end. Obviously longevity/reliability is important.

Then you don't want any of these refrigerators. Only Dacor is in the Consumer Reports top rated groups. I only purchase the CR top reliability brands, and have found that they usually need to be replaced every 8-10 years. I'm at 8 years now on my Samsung side by side and I can no longer get parts, such as for the cracked meat bin. But I love it's quick cool drawer and ice maker. Ice makers are often a problem, but the one I have now works fine, other than having to pull out the ice bin to clear ice jams which block the sensor arm.

3) Stainless vs wood paneled front fridge and dishwasher. Thought)

Front paneling is a personal preference. With very hard water I do prefer a dishwasher with a stainless steel interior.

I hate doing dishes, so there are some features in my dishwasher that I find mandatory:

Lower rack has tines in the front that slide, so you can have 6 spaces or 12 spaces 1/2 the size. I.E. clean 12 plates per row vs 6.

Lower rack back tines fold down for placement of large items.

On the back side of dishwasher, lower rack, there are special jets. You put dishes, such as a lasagne dish that is badly soiled, tilted onto the back wall so that it is hit by the jets. You then turn the jets on with a special setting.

The upper rack raises/lowers so you can change the size proportions of the upper/lower racks.

The upper rack also has foldable tines for larger items.

But you pay for these features, which move you into the 4 digit category.

7) Reccomended washer and dryer, preferably stackable? I know front loaded washers were once a vibration issue if not located in the basement or concrete slab. I’m not sure I understand the difference between spending $<1000 vs $2000+ on washer and dryers.

If you have a high stack they you may not be placing things on top of the units. When I replaced my washer (again, a stainless steel interior) I made sure to have a ceramic top so that it wouldn't rust on top like my 20+ year old electric dryer. I like my HE washer, but as you mentioned it is front loaded so the spin causes up/down stresses, vs side to side which you get with a top loader. This can result in complaints from your neighbors if you share common walls as my whole top floor vibrates.

 

[jeyf]

large size tile
my 50year old house is not level. especially on transitions where the construction changes or there is significant more structural loads. these areas have settled over. It only takes 1/4" so difficult to find these areas and apply mediation. So if un-level floors best to go with a smaller size tile. 12x12 tile is a good compromise but we used 24x12 and your right; the larger size looks nice. I laid ~1,000 sq-ft and still alive to tell about it. Not all as perfect but cut a lot of cost doing it my slef. We found lite grey natural granite tile for $0.75 / sq-ft at Floor & Decor, a local flooring warehouse store. My pickup truck could not handle the weight and took 3 trips to hall the tile back home. Remember to use a white color thin set adhesive for lite natural stone flooring. If you walk wet bare feet; the foot print shows for a wile. All natural stone flooring, counter tops are this way unless treated and the treatment wears out in time. The grout lines were thinn, 1/8" and we used a super white grout, even in traffic areas it still looks nice.

 

[Gutwrench]

I prefer it laid at the 45; same with hardwood flooring.

 

[jeyf]

I was totally challenged doing it my self. Kept it simple. Parts of the house have existing tile and it is a diamond 45 degree layout 12x12" tile and looks super good.

might also suggest; if you tile the whole room(s) replace the wood molding with the same tile. If this is a plan, pick a natural stone or porcelain tile where the color is the same all the way through. A 4 or 6" high tile molding is a great way to use up the tile scraps from the main effort. If you want the edge of the tile to look polished put a lite coating of gloss urethane varnish on it.

on the front entrance way; i put a star burst design in the floor. Again used up the scraps. Took me more than expected time and no one notices.

 

[Gutwrench]

I was totally challenged doing it my self. Kept it simple.

Good grief I could not do anything close to this on my own. And I grew up on a farm too so you’d think I do some things. I admire people with DIY skills, even minimal ones.

When I had someone come to mount the tv’s and set up WI-FI in this place I told them I want WI-FI everywhere. Everywhere. I want the f’ing mice to even have WI-FI!

 

[chown33]

Good grief I could not do anything close to this on my own. And I grew up on a farm too so you’d think I do some things. I admire people with DIY skills, even minimal ones.

When I had someone come to mount the tv’s and set up WI-FI in this place I told them I want WI-FI everywhere. Everywhere. I want the f’ing mice to even have WI-FI!

Thanks!! An we lik yr snax to.

 

[jeyf]

I bought duplex houses when the market was low. told one tenant I am going to be moving in to their space once the housing market improves and i can sell my old 1acr single family house.

Market improved.
We moved back into the city into half of a duplex. We down sized quite a lot but now live in the Wash Park area of Denver. Not really the plan; but a blond brick house like i grew up in. A tank of gas lasts me 2 weeks here, utility bills are lower, I have the largest garage around but had to sell off much of the toys.

the tenant was rough on some areas of the duplex and never used other areas. Inconsistent. So things HAD to be replaced, some things best remain in place. Its an eclectic mix of steam punk, modern mid century.

I dont like working on houses but I am retired and it is my job now. We have lived here about 9mo and it still feels so new. It took a toll on our health and even the 9year old irish setter is just recovering. I kept the old kitchen black marble counter tops. Just noticed now there are globs of crud in a corner and am scraping as i type this...

 

[0388631]

I prefer it laid at the 45; same with hardwood flooring.

Definitely looks better. Herringbone is incredibly beautiful but difficult and costs you a hell of a lot more. Chevron is nice too, but it works better with distressed wood or dark wood with natural highlights.

I'm not a fan of that weird square pattern that reeks of the 70s. Just too dated for me.
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Then you don't want any of these refrigerators. Only Dacor is in the Consumer Reports top rated groups. I only purchase the CR top reliability brands, and have found that they usually need to be replaced every 8-10 years. I'm at 8 years now on my Samsung side by side and I can no longer get parts, such as for the cracked meat bin. But I love it's quick cool drawer and ice maker. Ice makers are often a problem, but the one I have now works fine, other than having to pull out the ice bin to clear ice jams which block the sensor arm.

The problem with Dacor is that their products have way too many gizmos. They're also made by a Samsung. I'm hesitant when it comes to CR because you have to read what their testing process was and how they went about it. I wouldn't pay attention to their reports on dishwashers because they crammed theirs with nearly full plates, chunks of food. I've never heard of someone not being able to get parts for a 15 YO Sub Zero refrigerator, for example. Stoves and cooktops only need one gizmo, and that's a timer, and even I don't see the point with modern phones these days. I can't speak for induction or electric, but gas cooktops and stoves are really easy to repair even for the average person. They all work relatively the same. The good ones just come with better build quality and parts.
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I think we’re probably going splurge on the Subzero, fridge on top, freezer on bottom. Still debating wood vs. stainless.

I think the painted wood to match the cabinets would look mighty nice, because I've seen that approach. I'm generally not a fan of the wood covers when it's just stained wood. This is what I've seen a lot over the years. If you guys have kids in the future and wait until upgrading, then the wood would be better when it comes to smudge marks and whatnot. Trust me, I know...

I may end up getting the Ubiquiti stuff. I keep seeing people mention it on a lot of sites while doing research on mesh. Do you have any experience with their outdoor broadcaster?

 

[Gutwrench]

Thanks!! An we lik yr snax to.

Lol. I love that picture.

 

[0388631]

Yes... Let them eat themselves to death.

 

[A.Goldberg]

Definitely looks better. Herringbone is incredibly beautiful but difficult and costs you a hell of a lot more. Chevron is nice too, but it works better with distressed wood or dark wood with natural highlights.

I'm not a fan of that weird square pattern that reeks of the 70s. Just too dated for me.
[doublepost=1515378840][/doublepost]
The problem with Dacor is that their products have way too many gizmos. They're also made by a Samsung. I'm hesitant when it comes to CR because you have to read what their testing process was and how they went about it. I wouldn't pay attention to their reports on dishwashers because they crammed theirs with nearly full plates, chunks of food. I've never heard of someone not being able to get parts for a 15 YO Sub Zero refrigerator, for example. Stoves and cooktops only need one gizmo, and that's a timer, and even I don't see the point with modern phones these days. I can't speak for induction or electric, but gas cooktops and stoves are really easy to repair even for the average person. They all work relatively the same. The good ones just come with better build quality and parts.
[doublepost=1515379153][/doublepost]
I think the painted wood to match the cabinets would look mighty nice, because I've seen that approach. I'm generally not a fan of the wood covers when it's just stained wood. This is what I've seen a lot over the years. If you guys have kids in the future and wait until upgrading, then the wood would be better when it comes to smudge marks and whatnot. Trust me, I know...

I may end up getting the Ubiquiti stuff. I keep seeing people mention it on a lot of sites while doing research on mesh. Do you have any experience with their outdoor broadcaster?

I think the wood looks nice. You get the panel from the cabinetmaker to match the cabinets. I believe there there are different door handle options too. It’s amazing how many people I see with scretched or slightly dented stainless fridges -whithout- children. Personally I think the side-by-sides look better in stainless, but for the space we’re willing to provide for a fridge the side-by-side just isn’t functional enough.

I remember my parents old house had a wood front Subzero... this was back in the early 90’s. The handles were basically integrated stainless ledges that was horozontal for the bottom freezer and verticle for the top fridge. Since the bottom section of the top fridge are sliding drawers, I used to climb on top of the freezer handle to try and get the milk off the bottom shelf (on top of the interior drawers) when I was little. It not surprisingly drove my mom crazy.

The wood front was obviously non-magnetic and my teachers would tell me to go hang my quizzes and artwork up on my fridge... o could never do that . No I am am traumatized.

Speaking of handles I really like the etched stainless handles of the premium Kitchenaid stainless appliances. It’s too bad they’re garbage these days with a massive failure rate.

Has anyone used the double drawer dishwashers? I believe the only company that makes them now is Fisher & Paykel. They’re pretty expensive and I guess the main complaints otherwise are reliability and limited depth. I feel like it’s smart to have two independent dishwashers/drawers. That way you never have to put dishes away. You just draw from the clean and put into the dirty. And visa-versa. I do however like how some of these new dishwashers have the the third drawer above the top glass rack, designed for things like serving spoons. Seems to be pretty handy. My work just bought an LG with this feature, as well as adjustable height racks, and WiFi (????). The thing does a good job cleaning but has already died 2x in like 6 months, granted it probably gets way more use than it should. I also read some pretty negative reviews of Viking dishwashers.

I came across a cool brand called Gaggenau, apparently a German brand also owned by Bosche. They make some cool looking stuff, but are extordinsrily expensive.
[doublepost=1515460258][/doublepost]After taking with some people today. The plan is to go with a Subzero fridge, Wolfe Oven, Microwave, Hood, and Cooktop with a Bosche dishwasher (or possibly Miele). If he we go a more cost effective route we will switch out some of the cooking appliances with Bosche.

@Zenithal As for the the UniFi system. They have two new versions new in-wall access points. They look as if they are meant to replace existing single gang Ethernet jacks in the walls. They probably won’t have quite the range of the in-ceiling AP’s, but if you have wired Ethernet this might be an easier upgrade for you. The in-wall AP’s stick out a little bit and offer two Ethernet jacks underneath (own regular, one with PoE- presumably for PoE phones) so you won’t lose ports. Note that unlike other most UniFi AP’s, you do need a UniFi specific PoE switch to handle them. If I remember the 24 port PoS switch is only like $185, less than $200. Not too bad for a fully managed PoE switch.

 

[Gutwrench]

We had two Bosch dishwashers in the last place and it was convenient but also added more places to look when trying to find things. Very handy in helping to keep the kitchen clean during cooking fests and entertaining.

I have a Bosch in this place and pleased with it. It’s silent quiet and cleans exceptionally well. Pretty comparably priced.

 

[0388631]

I think the wood looks nice. You get the panel from the cabinetmaker to match the cabinets. I believe there there are different door handle options too. It’s amazing how many people I see with scretched or slightly dented stainless fridges -whithout- children. Personally I think the side-by-sides look better in stainless, but for the space we’re willing to provide for a fridge the side-by-side just isn’t functional enough.

I remember my parents old house had a wood front Subzero... this was back in the early 90’s. The handles were basically integrated stainless ledges that was horozontal for the bottom freezer and verticle for the top fridge. Since the bottom section of the top fridge are sliding drawers, I used to climb on top of the freezer handle to try and get the milk off the bottom shelf (on top of the interior drawers) when I was little. It not surprisingly drove my mom crazy.

The wood front was obviously non-magnetic and my teachers would tell me to go hang my quizzes and artwork up on my fridge... o could never do that . No I am am traumatized.

Speaking of handles I really like the etched stainless handles of the premium Kitchenaid stainless appliances. It’s too bad they’re garbage these days with a massive failure rate.

Don't have scratches. Though they're easy to buff out and isn't expensive to call out for. Denting is a non issue unless you really slam into something, and even then, why? I think I have a good understanding of what their fridge was like. As far as KitchenAid goes, the issues with their mixers were short lived. However, every mixers, including ones used in bakeries will typically have a failure gear. That breaks so the motor doesn't break/cook itself. Also, people are generally beyond stupid when it comes to understanding how much force is on the mixer's motor when they've got 2 lb of chunky cookie dough or break with the paddle installed. Though, in any case, I recommend the KitchenAid Mixer Pro. It's much better than lifting the heavy top end all the time. Either that or the Breville, which is a solid hunk of metal. Bosch makes a very good mixer in a different format, but it's like a food processor. Very good, too. I'm not sure of the materials used, though.

 

[Gutwrench]

+1 for KitchenAid mixers (no experience with appliances) and Vitamix blenders.

 

[0388631]

Has anyone used the double drawer dishwashers? I believe the only company that makes them now is Fisher & Paykel. They’re pretty expensive and I guess the main complaints otherwise are reliability and limited depth. I feel like it’s smart to have two independent dishwashers/drawers. That way you never have to put dishes away. You just draw from the clean and put into the dirty. And visa-versa. I do however like how some of these new dishwashers have the the third drawer above the top glass rack, designed for things like serving spoons. Seems to be pretty handy. My work just bought an LG with this feature, as well as adjustable height racks, and WiFi (????). The thing does a good job cleaning but has already died 2x in like 6 months, granted it probably gets way more use than it should. I also read some pretty negative reviews of Viking dishwashers.

Personally, I'd rather have two dishwashers rather than a split one. We know people with two dish washers. Outside of our formal get togethers, ours doesn't see much use unless we're tired or ill and don't want to bother doing the dishes by hand (which I personally enjoy). Informal stuff like 4th of July? Disposable, please. Otherwise we'd end up with probably 300 dishes and cups and whatnot by day's end.

I'm not too fond of LG. I rarely recommend anything by them because I've never had a product by them that lasted or worked correctly after some time. A very disappointing brand.

 

[A.Goldberg]

Don't have scratches. Though they're easy to buff out and isn't expensive to call out for. Denting is a non issue unless you really slam into something, and even then, why? I think I have a good understanding of what their fridge was like. As far as KitchenAid goes, the issues with their mixers were short lived. However, every mixers, including ones used in bakeries will typically have a failure gear. That breaks so the motor doesn't break/cook itself. Also, people are generally beyond stupid when it comes to understanding how much force is on the mixer's motor when they've got 2 lb of chunky cookie dough or break with the paddle installed. Though, in any case, I recommend the KitchenAid Mixer Pro. It's much better than lifting the heavy top end all the time. Either that or the Breville, which is a solid hunk of metal. Bosch makes a very good mixer in a different format, but it's like a food processor. Very good, too. I'm not sure of the materials used, though.

My mother has had great luck with her Kitchenaid mixer, granted it isn’t used often. If belonged to my grandmother who did a ton of baking. The thing is pretty old- 1980’s? It’s heavier than the new ones, which are already pretty hefty. Nat has had one for maybe 4-5 years and hasn’t had any issues. We got my mom the spiralizer attachment a couple years ago (very cool that it fits the old Kitchenaid mixer) and loves it.

The Kitchenaid appliances (ie refrigerators) I believe are made by whirlpool. Whirlpool of o remember correctly made decent appliances a decade or so ago. Apparently that doesn’t seem to be the case right now. I forgot the repair rate on the Kitchenaid Fridges but they were pretty dismal.
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Personally, I'd rather have two dishwashers rather than a split one. We know people with two dish washers. Outside of our formal get togethers, ours doesn't see much use unless we're tired or ill and don't want to bother doing the dishes by hand (which I personally enjoy). Informal stuff like 4th of July? Disposable, please. Otherwise we'd end up with probably 300 dishes and cups and whatnot by day's end.

I'm not too fond of LG. I rarely recommend anything by them because I've never had a product by them that lasted or worked correctly after some time. A very disappointing brand.

I don’t really have the space to reasonably fit two dishwashers while having adequate cabinet space. It doesn’t really make sense that a condo my size would have two dishwashers. I do see a lot of houses now with two. First it was double ovens, then double sinks, then double dishwashers, now double islands. My aunt and uncle keep very kosher and have a kosher kitchen in their homes, so there’s basically two of everything to keep the meat and dairy separate. A bit ridiculous IMO but to each their own. Their NYC property has the Fisher Paykel double drawer due to space limitations. Their new main house in Florida has double everything, including dual-double ovens. It’s crazy.

One thing my family refuses to use is disposable plates and flatware and cups. The food never tastes as good and knives often end up braking. The chinet kind of stuff isn’t so bad, but whoever invented styrofoam plates should be shot- both from a quality/practicality standpoint and an environmental one.

I’m not a big LG fan either. The dishwasher was picked out by the program manager. I think he just went to Home Depot and spoke to some idiot. It was still fairly expensive- $800-900 or so. At least it has a decent warranty. Given it probably sees 4-5+ loads daily, don’t really expect it last. We had replaced the garbage original stove with a commercial/restuarant grade one (the brand is eluding me). It would have made sense to to go for a commercial grade/high quality dishwasher.

 

[0388631]

My mother has had great luck with her Kitchenaid mixer, granted it isn’t used often. If belonged to my grandmother who did a ton of baking. The thing is pretty old- 1980’s? It’s heavier than the new ones, which are already pretty hefty. Nat has had one for maybe 4-5 years and hasn’t had any issues. We got my mom the spiralizer attachment a couple years ago (very cool that it fits the old Kitchenaid mixer) and loves it.

Yeah, provided you're not aggressive and clueless, they will last. The spiralizer is a cool tool. I picked up ours, the 7 blade for just over half MSRP from Costco four or five years ago. They haven't brought it back since, but they do bring the 5 blade version from time to time, the last time being in November, IIRC. Grain mill gets used from time to time. The meat grinder one, and some others.

They do offer some stuff that I don't like, such as the pasta attachment. I bought a Marcato in 2006 or 2007 and it has yet to give me trouble. I use it maybe 30-50x a year. If I'm not feeling up to it, De Cecco is my only go to store bought. Anyway, I'd advise skipping anything over the top or things that won't get used much, because those expenses add up. It's a one time thing in your lives, though.

Toaster wise, get something decent and not overly expensive. A toaster is the most simple gadget ever made. It doesn't need to be complex. Drip coffee maker; just get any decent one and buy a gold tone/stainless steel filter. Juicer? Skip it unless you're actually going to use it.

As @Gutwrench said, get a Vitamix (Costco sells them or did). They're phenomenal.

 

[Gutwrench]

...get a Vitamix (Costco sells them or did). They're phenomenal.

We bought ours at William Sonoma because every other place sold it cheaper. Lol She got custody of it so I’m trying to be granted visitation. There’s nothing like a Vitamix making a margarita and leave it on too long and ending up with HOT margarita soup. Love it. It’s on my list to replace.

 

[0388631]

We bought ours at William Sonoma because every other place sold it cheaper. Lol She got custody of it so I’m trying to be granted visitation. There’s nothing like a Vitamix making a margarita and leave it on too long and ending up with HOT margarita soup. Love it. It’s on my list to replace.

So you paid a higher price just because? W-S is great for some things, bad for some. Sur La Table is the same. If you want a sweet quarter cup ice cream scoop, you get it from either store. For giant personal sundaes or giant cookies. I don't know if Costco is doing Vitamix again, but it is worth it.

Your gain, though. The newer ones are more powerful and better engineered.

 

[0388631]

I don’t really have the space to reasonably fit two dishwashers while having adequate cabinet space. It doesn’t really make sense that a condo my size would have two dishwashers. I do see a lot of houses now with two. First it was double ovens, then double sinks, then double dishwashers, now double islands. My aunt and uncle keep very kosher and have a kosher kitchen in their homes, so there’s basically two of everything to keep the meat and dairy separate. A bit ridiculous IMO but to each their own. Their NYC property has the Fisher Paykel double drawer due to space limitations. Their new main house in Florida has double everything, including dual-double ovens. It’s crazy.

I know, I was providing an example. Yeah, but if they sell in the future, it's mighty attractive. Twin, large islands and single very large islands are hot at the moment and have been for about 8-9 years in new constructions. They offer more cabinet space without sacrificing sweeping window space. Plus, more outlets, slide out storage, and bookshelves. I'm not a fan of split level islands, though.

We've seen some weird stuff when we peruse listings for ideas if we were to build out a home in the future. We've seen some weird choices and some cool ones. A fair amount of useless ones (that I thought were awesome), too.

One thing my family refuses to use is disposable plates and flatware and cups. The food never tastes as good and knives often end up braking. The chinet kind of stuff isn’t so bad, but whoever invented styrofoam plates should be shot- both from a quality/practicality standpoint and an environmental one.

Chinet plates and cups are the only thing we use. Everything else is traditional metal utensils. Those I can dump into the dish washer! I do keep a small stack of paper plates in my home office when snack on fruit or whatever. I can throw the scraps and the plate into the compost bin.

I’m not a big LG fan either. The dishwasher was picked out by the program manager. I think he just went to Home Depot and spoke to some idiot. It was still fairly expensive- $800-900 or so. At least it has a decent warranty. Given it probably sees 4-5+ loads daily, don’t really expect it last. We had replaced the garbage original stove with a commercial/restuarant grade one (the brand is eluding me). It would have made sense to to go for a commercial grade/high quality dishwasher.

If you go with Bosch, speak to a rep to get you a Made in Germany model. The NA made models and the China made ones aren't as good. Miele, Bosch, Asko.

Commercial/restaurant grade under counter machines run about $3800-6000 depending on feature set. The best thing is they're all metal internals. The other? They can finish a full load in about 4 minutes.

 

[A.Goldberg]

I know, I was providing an example. Yeah, but if they sell in the future, it's mighty attractive. Twin, large islands and single very large islands are hot at the moment and have been for about 8-9 years in new constructions. They offer more cabinet space without sacrificing sweeping window space. Plus, more outlets, slide out storage, and bookshelves. I'm not a fan of split level islands, though.

We've seen some weird stuff when we peruse listings for ideas if we were to build out a home in the future. We've seen some weird choices and some cool ones. A fair amount of useless ones (that I thought were awesome), too.



Chinet plates and cups are the only thing we use. Everything else is traditional metal utensils. Those I can dump into the dish washer! I do keep a small stack of paper plates in my home office when snack on fruit or whatever. I can throw the scraps and the plate into the compost bin.



If you go with Bosch, speak to a rep to get you a Made in Germany model. The NA made models and the China made ones aren't as good. Miele, Bosch, Asko.

Commercial/restaurant grade under counter machines run about $3800-6000 depending on feature set. The best thing is they're all metal internals. The other? They can finish a full load in about 4 minutes.

I think the twin island design has a lot to do with the kitchen being one of the main enterrainenre areas of houses these days. My mom regrets putting the cooktop on the island because everyone gathers around the island, which ends up being a pain if you’re trying to cook and everyone is hanging out on the island, despite it being quite large and two tiered. The upper teir is also wood (monogamy?) which puts her into OCD protection mode. Sinks in the middle of the island typically I don’t think are a great idea either.

I knew Bosche made a lot of their stuff in North Carolina along with their other bands .Thermador and Gaggenau. Any idea what models/lines Bosche still makes in Germany? Pretty weird how the world has become. As I said,! Hey parents have a Bosche (no clue where it was made) but it’s been great. Not only is it super effective and whisper quiet, but the sound it does make is not all all intrusive. There are some dishwashers that are technically quiet in terms of dB, but the sound can be distracting. It’s also never had a problem.

I wouldn’t buy any appliance made in China for the amount of money we’re spending on appliances.

 

[JamesMike]

I recommend using Consumer Reports for this type of info. I think you'll get a lot of good information about each of the brands and their stability

I agree, it is a good start for products and you should also check with the local Better Business Bureau to help determine a reputable dealer.

 

[Thomas Veil]

I’ll second the Bosch dishwashers. They’re pretty quiet — though not completely silent. We had to get used to the soft sound of water trickling in. Spent a lot of time listening carefully and going “What is that?” before we realized it was the dishwasher functioning as it was supposed to.

A word about French door fridges: you can put them into a corner of the room...just realize one of the two doors won’t open more than 90 degrees, limiting your reach-in. Not something we thought about, duh. When we redo the kitchen the fridge is getting more of a between-the-cabinets location.