Recommendations for gas cooktop, oven, range, fridge and dishwasher?

Cooking Discussions Cookware
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OK- we’ll be re-doing our very old kitchen. And I am starting to look into appliances. From another discussion here, I am rather mortified that ‘modern’ appliances break so easily- range/ oven that lasts 10 years, fridge breaks frequently, etc.

While our budget is not huge, we’d like to invest in quality appliances that last, even if they cost more than average if it means an increased peace of mind. We don’t necessarily need well-known names like Subzero fridge, Viking range, Wolf cooktop, unless there is a compelling reason to. In general, we are looking for good quality to price ratio.

What are your recommendations for

  • gas cooktop,
  • oven, (should be combined with cooktop)
  • range,
  • fridge and
  • dishwasher.

How are the quality of Bosch dishwashers?

To provide a reference point on what we look for in appliances, we have a basic Miele canister vacuum cleaner at home. Pricier than average, but lengthy warranty and well designed.

Thank you in advance!

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If you are redoing the kitchen, I don’t know if you are thinking of a complete remodelling like electricity rewiring and adding outlets, changing tiles, new storage space, working space, work top, new big sink but I think it worths considering.

We bought all our appliances when we moved into this house in 2010, so all of them are 9 years old.

Hood - Neff is doing its job

Dishwasher - Siemens (same as Bosch), it’s getting a bit nosier than when it was new, doing alright. I heard there are some good feedback on Miele dishwasher, both friends have them for more than 20+ years.

Fridge - Siemens - some problems a few years ago, repaired by Siemens. Read more here. I talked to the repair guy, he said every brand has its problems, the point is how efficient and the price of the repair service. Look carefully when you choose fridge, the newer fridge has smaller space interior due to thicker insulation. Also maybe get a fridge and a freezer separately if you like to buy frozen food. My fridge is fine, but I think the freezer is too small to be of much use. (American style double doors fridge).

All my other appliances like convection oven is Siemens, recently I’ve checked the temperature, it is still accurate. Happy with it as it can go up to 275ºC/530ºF. Maybe you can consider an oven with steaming function if you like that type of cooking.

I have used electric range and gas one in the past, actually 2 of them, but personally, I prefer the cook top separated from the oven. My induction cooktop has a larger surface than the size limit imposed by a standard oven. And then cleaning is a bliss with induction. Oven built in the shelf is much higher and much easier for cleaning.

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I’ve had my Bosch dishwasher for only 4 years now - but have been very happy with it, super quiet and works great.

I have a samsung oven/range right now (came with the house) - not happy with the oven at all. Doesn’t keep a high temp very well. It is gas, so has a faux convection feature (which is fine for most of what I do but miss my true convection - dual fuel oven), but the fan only kicks on once the oven is at temp and the gas turns off (safety reasons I’m sure), but since it now has trouble keeping high temps, the gas rarely turns off so the fan never kicks on . . . . I’m just frustrated with it and want to replace it badly, just don’t want to spend the money right now.

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I don’t own one, but I also heard good things (from my friends who own them) about the Bosch dishwashers.

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I’m on my 4th fridge in 10 years:
#1 - Samsung with bottom freezer. Problems began within a month. Thought it was a fluke. Costco exchanged it.
#2 - Same model Samsung. Issues began just after the warranty ended. A drainage tube at the back of the fridge would freeze. After the 2nd professional service repair, I learned how to do this. No idea how long the fridge lasted - it stayed with my ex.
#3 - Frigidaire Gallery. The first issue under warranty. Needed a circuit board changed out. “Authorized” repair personnel were very limited in my area so it took awhile. Repair person had no idea what he was doing. Had no interest in looking at the schematics. While he was on terminal hold with Frigidaire I identified the issue through the schematics. Took 2 weeks to obtain the part.

Next time it broke it was no longer under warranty. I called an independent appliance repairman. He basically told me the cost to repair the piece of garbage wasn’t worth it. I asked which brand fridge he would purchase. His answer: Whirlpool or Kitchenaid. He also recommended going lower end since the more bells and buzzers the more things can go wrong.

#4 - Lower end French-door Whirlpool, purchased at a scratch and dent place. It’s been over 2 years and it has been a champ. It is a noisier machine than the others (no ice machine, this is just the cycling of the compressor). It’s my first side by side experience. I personally would not go that route again due to freezer space issues. I would purchase Whirlpool again.

Range hood: My range can only have a recirculating hood. I don’t care for ones that combine a microwave. After much research, I went with Zepher. It is worth finding a person familiar with them to install. I’ve been extremely happy with it. The only quibble is it is very difficult to change the light bulb. Even the electrician had a very hard time changing it. There are 10-year bulbs which fit the appliance. I would suggest installing them immediately!

Range: I’ve had a gas Frigidaire Gallery for 7 or 8 years. It’s been great. The only quibble is the control knobs which are located to the front below the stove get warm when the oven is on. Not hot enough to burn but warm enough to get your attention. This would make me hesitant to purchase this model if I had small children in the house.

Dishwasher: I’ve had a fairly basic Bosch, purchased at a discount from a big box home repair store since it was a floor model. It does a great job cleaning. There is about a cup of water that doesn’t drain. I use a turkey baster to remove it. This may be due to improper installation (used an enthusiastic handyman who turned out to be less than experienced). I’ve forgotten to have it checked when I’ve had a plumber around. I would purchase Bosch again.

I had researched, checked Consumer Reports, etc. My appliance repairman noted that the reviews are about the current year’s models so most repair issues have not yet begun. I think it is worth chatting up a repair company and ask what brands they would buy.

I really believe that the more bells and whistles the more headaches you get with a fridge. Water dispensers and ice machines often have issues. I can live without those features so I no longer will purchase models that have them.

In my area the scratch and dent store prices are basically the same as a really good sale price from Best Buy. If you have the time to wait for a yearly sale it is worth it. I have also had excellent experiences with Best buys delivery/installation people.

If you have the time, access to a truck and helpers with strong backs you might consider checking estate sales. I see newer, very good quality appliances going for a song at estate sales all the time. But you have to be prepared to haul it away that day.

Good luck!

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We are nearly 3 years post kitchen remodel. Walls came down and the total footprint was changed. We went with all Fisher & Paykal (DCS) excepting our main dishwasher which is a Bosch. Best dishwasher I’ve ever owned or used! We’re pleased with all the new stuff. The refrigerator with bottom drawer looks big, but doesn’t really hold that much because it’s shallower. But we do have another fridge, as well as freezer in the garage. The duel fuel wall oven is great and we probably use it more then our main oven. Both ovens have convection mode, so we sometimes tweak cooking times or turn down the heat a few degrees. We love the 6 burner top to our oven. It has 2 super burners as well as 2 simmer burners. Most impressive is the hood which has an 8 inch vent to outside. It can pull a lot of CFM’s thus keeping the smoke alarm off.

The microwave which is above the wall oven works well too.

In the island we have a two drawer dishwasher, where each drawer can work separately or together at the same time. Handy to have. Oh we bought on a special sale, so the drawer dishwashers were gratis & they also threw in a Miele vacuum. We were and have been happy with everything.

2 more things to consider: we opted for one big sink by the dishwasher and are so happy with it for large trays, pans & racks.

We put a small prep sink in the island which has been really helpful. We have gone from a barely 2 person kitchen to one where 5-6 people could comfortably work.

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+4 on the Bosch dishwasher.

We remodeled/upgraded our flat about 5 years ago. Pleased to say that aside from some minor easily fixed annoyances, all our appliances continue to work very well.

Dishwasher: we have a Thermador branded Bosch DW. Same company, same manufacturer, different badge. Everything, especially glassware, comes out spotless. Not a minute of downtime or any problems whatsoever, yet. The DW was “free”, with the purchase of our Thermador range.

Range: Thermador 30". No bells or whistles, no CPU, not even a clock. That’s what we wanted. The selling point for us was that all four burners with 18k BTU’s.

Hood: Pacific, Zephyr brand. A general contractor told us once to buy the most powerful hood we can comfortably afford. Best advice, ever. For our apartment, we didn’t buy the most expensive hood, but a Pacific Hood unit sucking 1,000 CFM with outside vent. The self steam cleaning function very nice. Aside from changing one LED light bulb (no charge from dealer), has worked flawlessly.

Our contractor directed us to the SF distributor. Got a good price, and a free tabletop water heater/jug which I now use often.

Pacific Range Hoods, 390 Kansas St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Refrigerator: like @meatn3, we also have a Samsung refrigerator. Very roomy. Easily holds the two boxes of frozen fish we bring back periodically from Taiwan. :slight_smile:

Same issue with the leakage. I YouTube’d the fix, took a couple of hours to reach and defrost the drainage tube behind the back panel. There is a tab that is supposed to keep the drain pipe warm and free, but obviously the Samsung OEM tab does not work all that well. I’ve seen better aftermarket versions on the internet, will install one of them if the problem arises again.

@sck, best of luck with your remodel! My wife was a designer in an earlier life, and really enjoys the process. The both of us actually had a great time, hitting up all the building supply, appliance, contractor, etc… in the Bay Area and online. Did that for 8 months, good to be able to kick back now and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

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Just chiming in here to give this thread two thumbs up. Very helpful. I’ve even bookmarked it. :nerd_face:

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Great recommendations all around- thanks everyone! Please keep them coming if you have any thoughts.

I have heard some not so flattering comments about Samsung appliances (and LG) in general about their reliability. Perhaps corners got cut when they try to compete on prices?

@meatn3 i wasn’t even aware of such things as scratch and dent place. I am more than happy to take advantage of deals if there are such places around me. Thanks.

Our current fridge that came with the place is a Frigidaire, not a Gallery I believe, but it has given me zero issues except the handle broke off. Its made by Electrolux. Whirlpool is GE I believe.

I personally don’t need bells and whistles features. I think the problem with fridges are that most fridges seem to come with them, making the available choices if I don’t want them quite limited.

This is a link I found on who manufactures the premium brands:

I had not thought of estate sales, I will start paying attention now.

@Lambchop how do you like the Fisher & Paykal fridge besides the size?

For range, I believe from another discussion here on the Chambers antique stove, there was comment that modern stoves last only 10 years because of electronic circuitry gradually wore out because of the stove heat. @google_gourmet, for the Thermador no CPU no clock range, does it mean that there is no circuitry inside for the heat to fry? If so, I am likely to go that route also with the hope of increased reliability. The annoying thing is that they only make the no frills version for 30". I think the space drawn is 36" so far.

Pacific is made by Zephyr you meant? Is the Pacific noisy? The one complaint about our current hood, aside from it not sucking too well, is that its a bit noisy on the high setting, which we need when we sautee anything in higher heat. So I am looking for something that sucks air and not be too loud.

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I use : https://www.estatesales.net/ for alerts of sales near me. Most of the companies provide photos 3 - 5 days prior to the sale. This gives you a chance to do some research.

You can sometimes obtain the floor model at a store at a scratch and dent price - especially when a new model is close to coming out. If you are willing it can be a great negotiating point when you need the price to drop a bit more. When I purchased my floor model dishwasher the store indicated that it would not be covered by warranty and no paperwork was provided. Since it had never even been hooked up and the price was right I decided it was worth the gamble.

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Sck, like the fridge for the two of us; when we give parties we rely on an outside garage fridge too. The ice maker works well and it keeps everything else to the temp it should be. It’s realatively easy to clean with the big wide plastic shelves. It runs fairly quietly, and with proper inventory control, it would accommodate a fair amount of food. And I’ve never had the repairman out in nearly 3 years for it or any of these appliances! Hope this helps.

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@sck
https://www.appliancesconnection.com/thermador-prg364gdh.html

This is the 36" newer version of our 30". Free dishwasher deal also. Shouldn’t be any embedded silicon, just a hot burning 18k BTU x 4 burner workhorse. Our 30" was only $4,500 all in, including the dishwasher. Only about $2,500 OVER budget, but well worth it amortized over the last 5 years so far.

http://www.2pacific.com/en/product_detail1.php?id=22&no=TruSteam%20SC88

The parent company of both is the Pacific Zephyr Range Hood, Inc. Don’t know if one name is superior to the other? This has 6 power settings, so is quite quiet at the lowest level. When generating lots of smoke, the sucking power performance is nice to have, I kinda actually enjoying hearing the fan working hard.

Our Cuisinart tabletop convection oven and steamer is a neat little multi-tasker. DW was looking at the in wall Miele steamer oven, for beaucoup bucks. I was very relieved to find an affordable alternative to throw her off the scent. :wink:

Works well for heating up leftovers, and even steaming a whole fresh (small) fish.

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cuisinart-combo-steam-and-convection-oven/

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I’m going to comment on our other appliances: the cooktop with stove is pretty great. I couldn’t be happier with their range of burners and outputs! It is a duel fuel as well. The ovens are both good, we can get low enough temps to make jerky, dried tomatoes & etc. The ovens have the self clean option, which I will probably never use!

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I have been thrilled with our +/- 5 year old Bosch 3-tier dishwasher and 5 burner gas cooktop. GE double ovens work well after 15+ years. I would not want to live without our Breville smart oven and 12-cup FP

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Oh I missed that particular Thermador. Not having shopped for appliances ever in my life, I am actually a bit shocked at how pricey good ones are…! How do they perform better than the cheaper ones?

How’s Thermador compared to Wolf in terms of performance?

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The dishwasher in the breakroom in the office is actually a Fisher & Paykal. Two drawer type. It is very quiet I have to say even though I don’t really pay attention to the performance.

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Can’t really rate performance relative to Wolf, Viking or cheaper ones.

I can readily say we are very happy with our 30". We had a mid-range GE range some years back. After 5 years, the oven door latch locked up because of a computer fault. The repairman quoted us hundreds of dollars to switch out the circuit board, and basically told us we’d be better off buying buying a new unit. That hurt.

Since that bitter experience, we decided no fancy gizmos. Just buy the range for its basic utility. On the Thermador, we were quite taken with the BTU’s rating. Now, we would not want to cook with less heat on demand.

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A friend of mine has a Viking range. She is on year 15 of Viking hell. She is quite reasonable, intelligent and patient. So when she complains I know it is compltely legit. She’s never had a working broiler with the thing and has gone months and months before repairs could be made.

Do a search on CH for Viking + Lulusmom for more details.

In her home the word Viking is used when anyone else would say " that f#cking stove is broken again"!

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That’s interesting about the Ficsher Paykal in your lunch room. I suspect they have a light industrial division for heavier use. As to its performance it must be doing well as it doesn’t seem like you’re having to re wash the "clean"dishes.

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Performance is hard to say. Sometimes I see dried food crumbs on dishes and utensils. But I don’t know if its because of the dishwasher’s performance of if its because the dishes are unwashed for a bit long before the cycle starts. (I am not even sure who starts the washing cycles)