I know there are lots of threads here about refrigerators but I thought I'd ask the forum for some kitchen appliance brands that they were happy with in general and others to avoid?

We are going appliance shopping this Monday for a full kitchen gut and renovation scheduled for August of 2022. It's early but we were advised to start NOW and get our appliances ordered NOW with how bad things have gotten.

My in-laws had their kitchen done March-April of 2021 and it took them 6 months to get their appliances. My FIL insisted on a matched set and got GE but I'm not opposed to mixing and matching brands.

I know this:

Refrigerator brands to AVOID: LG, Samsung
Dishwashers: Isn't Bosch regarded as one of the best?

We will need a large refrigerator, a gas range and a dishwasher. Microwave will most likely be a counter top model as I'm getting a European style chimney hood and not an over-the-range microwave which I've never liked. Stainless steel.

Any suggestions on what to look for and what to avoid would be appreciated along with any anecdotes on how brands have held up or not held up for you.

Thanks!

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

Got a Whirlpool refrigerator a little over a year ago.

Bottom freezer, tons of room inside it, got the biggest one we could stuff in the available space.

Even the sales guy at the appliance store told me to stay away from LG and Samsung and they had some there.

I'd recommend working your microwave into a space under the counter or island top. The microwave opens like a drawer, and makes stirring/loading/unloading/cleaning very easy, especially with heavy items. Saves valuable counter space as well, and no unsightly microwave on top of it.
We went with Kitchen Aid a few years ago (ovens/microwave/dishwasher) and have been happy except for the oven alarm that just beeps once when done. (Problem solved with separate timer...)

Based on the existing appliances in our house, I'd say avoid Frigidaire. Gallery series.

Fridge lasted about 7 years (assuming it was included with the house for the prev owners, neighbors have the same unit)

Microwave was replaced under warranty by the prev owner.

Double oven has been fine, no complaints.

Dishwasher used to clog & would not drain properly, resulting in water spillage when opened.
Would have to disassemble the bottom sprayer assembly & clean out what I'm assuming is the tiny disposal system. And we pre-rinse all of our dishes.

Washer/dryer, we gave to my wife's brother, too small for our family of 3 (at the time, 5 now). Don't know that they ever had a problem with them.

Only complaint with the 5 burner gas cooktop is that the knobs aren't labelled, so took a bit to get it ingrained which was which.

Our garage fridge is a Kitchen Aid that we brought from our prior house. 10.5 years later, still running great.

Current fridge is a GE, works well, but the plastic 'auger' in the ice maker broke & it won't auto-dispense ice.

I believe the running consensus from what I can recall, is the Whirlpool group of brands (Whirlpool, Amana, Kitchen Aid, and I believe 1 other) are all pretty solid options.

My parents had a Thermador double oven in their old house & it was great. Had a temp probe that made meats a breeze.

My 50+ year old GE refrigerator finally died two weeks ago. It was like losing a family member to me. lol I lived with it well more that twice as long as I have any family member.

(of course it died while I was out of town, came home to a house stinking of rotten meat)

I will be following this thread. It's not the $1200-$2000 price I mind as much the fact I'll be lucky to get 8-10 years out of the new one.

For a few reasons, it's probably a bad time to be doing a kitchen. Can you hold out a year or two?

We redid ours earlier this year. Asked on here, did a lot of research and ended up just where we'd been-believing Whirlpool and Kitchen Aid were likely the best.

So, we got new Whirlpool stuff. The largest non-commercial refrigerator they made, a nice Whirlpool glasstop stove, a Whirlpool microwave and kept our "old" Kitchen Aid dishwasher as it matched the new stuff and just worka like the devil for us, at least so far (9+ years).

Bob

My cousin repairs appliance's for a living, he recommends Whirlpool and Kitchenaide. We have been very happy with ours!!

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
For a few reasons, it's probably a bad time to be doing a kitchen. Can you hold out a year or two?

Nope.

It's an awful, ugly cramped 1950's kitchen and we hate every inch of it and it needs to go. The only reason we aren't doing it right now is that the general contractor we are using is so popular he is booked out 18+ months. We got on his schedule back in April and August 2022 was the earliest he could even think about doing ours.

We did LG in our kitchen. Slide in stove/oven, microwave, fridge, and dishwasher. Total (not so cheap) junk. We've have the exact opposite experience with our LG washer and dryer.

We picked all KitchenAid appliances in our new house. Knock on wood, everything is still working after 2 1/2 years.

We did pick a Fridge without the water/ice in the door. We have had problems with those (other brands) in the past.

We've remodeled two kitchens and these are what we like.

Bosch fridge or Liebherr fridge.
Bosch dishwasher or Miele dishwasher
GE CAFE induction range
Wolf gas range

Everything Bosch sucks except our dishwasher. I’d go back and return it all if I could. Refrigerator sucks, freezes everything and buttons on door don’t work until pressed multiple times. Range shuts off intermittently and control board no longer available. Microwave led display goes dim for no reason and carousel inside falls off all the time. The microwaves, ovens and ranges are made in different places with buttons in different spots. Beware of Bosch. Oh the dishwasher control panel is mounted in cheap plastic that pops out if your pants rub it when emptying it.

GE Profile in slate finishes (good stuff). Wife picked the freezer bottom drawer (HATES IT). Next fridge will be side by side with water/ice dispenser.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigforall:
GE Profile in slate finishes (good stuff). Wife picked the freezer bottom drawer (HATES IT). Next fridge will be side by side with water/ice dispenser.

Yes we both hate the bottom freezer type fridges, it seems like you spend too much time digging for what you are looking for then it won’t close right until everything is put back just right.


It’s going to be a side by side or even an old school top freezer for us.

My house and appliances are only 6 yrs. old. every GE appliance has been a pos that I've fixed several times myself. In fact I've got my GE washer held together at this time with zip ties and duct tape. Fridge motherboard had to be R&R'd as did the washing machine. 2x. Hot water pump also shit the bed. I haven't had to screw with the dryer yet, but it's been making screwed up noises since the first year in. They certainly don't make them like they used to. I'll never buy another GE product. Bosch dw has been great, cant even hear it running.

I've had great service from Kitchenaid in two homes now.

If you can swing the price and space, and you plan to be in this home long term, consider a built in fridge. I have been amazed at the improvement in food longevity, and with no real issues of space limitations. The purchase price did leave a mark.....

Of course we do have a second fridge in the laundry for holiday overflow. A 12 year old LG, to boot!

I think we are going to go with GE Profile or GE Cafe here, does anyone have any experience with them?

My in-laws got the GE Profile package for their new kitchen this past year and are very happy so far. I like the fact that it's all built in Kentucky and not some foreign country, the appliance store saleswoman told us that they can get the GE in a few months while other brands like Kitchen Aid are taking a year now.

And instead of a range, I'm really liking the idea of a gas cooktop and separate wall oven.

^^^^ FWIW your money is going to china.

GE Appliances is an American home appliance manufacturer based in Louisville, Kentucky. It has been majority owned by Chinese multinational home appliances company Haier since 2016.
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We did this last year and here are some of my recommendations.

Pot filler
Island microwave
If you are going to have your sink in a corner, make sure you add 6-8 inches each side with a fauex drawer to give space.
Pop up electronic outlets in the middle of your island.

We run GE monogram and have loved them. I do like the zeypher hood though.

And a gun drawer