Thanks for the information in the Replies. Knowing the same crews & the same lines are used helped me make a decision.

Bob


We are purchasing a new fridge, stove and microwave in stainless. Since the fridge is the most expensive of these appliances, I am talking about the fridge.

We almost got Whirlpool (actually, they were in our front yard ready to be delivered to the house when a "glitch" caused me to send them back-but that has no relevancy to my question).

We are set on Whirlpool or KitchenAid (I know-same parent company) and are trying, without success, to determine if the KAs are likely to work better and longer than the W'pools.

We know the KAs are a bit more expensive, but are willing to pay IF the KAs are "better."

Anybody know?

Bob

This message has been edited. Last edited by: straightshooter1,

IIRC, Whirlpool & KA are both under the same parent company.
I believe both have come recommended by the SF appliance guru.

Our garage fridge is a KA & its still going strong after 10 years.
The Frigidaire we got when we bought this house gave out after 6 years.
We were about to order a Whirlpool, when we got a great deal on a GE locally.

It is kind of like comparing Buick to Cadillac. Same company and the KA will have a few more bells and whistles. We did a complete home remodel in 2018 and chose Whirlpool versus KA. Just could not see spending the extra $$$ and we are very happy with decision.

We ordered a KitchenAid and it should be here next week. Saved about $500 going through Costco when you add in delivery hook up and hauling away the old one.

Not sure if it still holds true today, but back in the old days, Kitchen Aid was built to a better standard (even though same company and almost identical).

We have KitchenAid washer, dryer and fridge that we bought in '95. They are all going strong with a couple minor repairs to the washer and dryer along the way.

We just outfitted our new old house with a new kitchen, including appliances. Went with a suite of Whirlpool models, which admittedly was partially due to price and availability, but overall, I'm very happy with them and they would have been on my short list anyway.

There are a few things I'd like if they were a little different. The buttons are a little stiff and the displays on the OTR microwave and range/oven are a little dated. I'd like it if the refrigerator felt a little more "solid" - specifically, the drawers. That said, they all work great, look good, I love the design and features, and the fingerprint resistant SS finish is fantastic.

-Rob

On refrigerators for example some of the KA and WP share a lot of common parts . That is really not that unusual. Look at the warranties. KA gives a longer sealed system warranty.
Some of the KA use a dual evaporator system.

KA will have more features and longer warranty than WP and a higher price too. They mostly likely use the same compressor so expect both to last the same time.

Add Amana into the mix if you are doing price comparisons. They are also made by the same company.
I got a nearly identical Amana at a big discount relative to the Whirlpool.

I worked at Amana Refrigeration in the early 70's in maintenance when it was a premium product. You could easily see the quality of the parts and engineering that went into the product. It was built to perform and last for the long haul. The folks that worked on the assembly lines had pride in building a superior product. For some reason, when Whirlpool bought the company from Raytheon, Amana was relegated to a lower tier. I believe the quality is at least equal to Whirlpool today, but Kitchen Aid is the premier product of the corporation.
FWIW, all three of them go down the same lines and are built by the same crews but the components are what changes.

I have owned my KitchenAid fridge now for about 20 years. I had to replace the ice maker. Would I buy it again.....most definitely!!

My KA fridge crapped out after 5 years. Out of warranty, shop wanted a minimum of $50 to just look at it, cheapest repair would have been $450 but could be as high as $900. Sounded like a gamble to me and couldn’t help wondering how long it would last before needing another repair.

It was a $1600 fridge to start with, I decided to just replace it. Got a good deal on a Samsung through Costco, with an extended warranty. Peace of mind was worth the added cost and fridge was an upgrade as well and that made my wife happy.

KA range, microwave and dishwasher all still going strong.

All made in the same factories, bottom freezers in Amana (worked there 12 years ago) and SxS in Mexico. KitchenAid does have premium components, and often some higher end features. I like the quietness of their top of the line dishwashers. The rest of the kitchen suite regardless of brand (Whirlpool or KitchenAid) are USA made, as is laundry. Check your email for some possibly useful information. Good luck in your decision.