New Appliance Wisdom

Or you got the laundry mat option... They kicked out a guy I used to work for many years ago for washing greasy rags and horse blankets... He's the reason they got a sign up: do not wash horse blankets or greasy stuff... Let me tell you.. horse blankets is the equivalent of a dog blanket. Covered. Covered in hair.
 
a_kelley said:
Or you got the laundry mat option... They kicked out a guy I used to work for many years ago for washing greasy rags and horse blankets... He's the reason they got a sign up: do not wash horse blankets or greasy stuff... Let me tell you.. horse blankets is the equivalent of a dog blanket. Covered. Covered in hair.
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Well, duh, I'd never wash that in my own dryer! :D
Pretty much the equivalent of washing off the mud-bog truck at the DIY car wash!
 
We put GE Profile in the new house. All matching...until the 1st one dies in 8-10 years. Hopefully longer, but I am not holding my breath. I really think most of the brands/models are Ford/Chevy/Dodge...pick what you like, they are all gonna break sooner or later.

Scratched Samsung and LG due to the reported parts delays if (when) repairs needed. One retailer (appliance shop) we visited, I think it was in Raleigh, said be careful with Bosch if you live in a more rural/non-big-city area, as it's harder getting service for them. I called our local appliance service places, they don't touch Bosch. Talked to one place in Raleigh, they would cover our area, but said up front that we'd be low on the pole to get someone here...not necessarily FIFO. (Our last dishwasher was a Bosch, though...very quiet).

We got the Profile fridge with built-in Keurig. Don't know how long it'll last, but for at least a year or two, we have one less appliance cluttering the countertop. And engineer buddies have to take a pic...amazed that a fridge will make hot water, too. You'd think we had an alien ship in the kitchen.
 
We ended up ordering a few Samsung pieces through Queen City Appliance in Charlotte. I'm not nearly as concerned with parts availability locally since #1 we have our other house 10ft away with a full kitchen if we need to switch for a few days, and #2 I'm too cheap to buy stuff locally anyway and I'm gonna fix it myself no matter what.

For the refrigerator, we wanted external ice and water, french doors, and an interior layout that would work well for us. We pretty quickly narrowed it down to Samsung and LG from a design standpoint, because they are pretty much the only ones where you can fully open the right hand drawer when only the right door is open (same with the left). Also, we really wanted the "flex zone" which is an adjustable temp refrigerated drawer between the fridge and freezer to keep quick access stuff and kid grabbable stuff. Also, the freezers were wider and deeper. The LG was about $2400, the Samsung was $1620, and I figured it's probably all the same Chinese crap inside of it anyway...
Samsung 28.15 cu. ft. 4-Door French Door Refrigerator in Stainless Steel-RF28HMEDBSR - The Home Depot

For the range, just wanted a 12" burner and ability to cook stuff. I wanted a double oven because I think we would primarily just use the small oven 95% of the time, but thats not what the wife wanted, so I'll let her keep cooking 95% of the time :D Nothing too fancy, just a 12" burner and convection (which I've never used). $495
Samsung 30 in. 5.9 cu. ft. Single Oven Electric Range with Self-Cleaning and Convection Oven in Stainless Steel-NE59M4320SS - The Home Depot

We looked at Bosch dishwashers, but since we're coming from a friggin loud dishwasher, we figured anything would be better. There were quieter ones in the $800+ range, but the 44db option from Samsung was for sale for $520 and would match, so thats the way we went.
Samsung 24 in Top Control Tall Tub StormWash Dishwasher in Stainless Steel with AutoRelease Dry and 3rd Rack, 44 dBa-DW80K7050US - The Home Depot

We needed a countertop style microwave to put in the bar or pantry, and there were only 2 Samsung options, so $150 got us a 1.9ft^3 crowave:
Samsung 1.9 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave in Stainless Steel with Ceramic Enamel Interior-MS19M8000AS - The Home Depot

Those prices were all after the 10% rebate. It was ~$3050 before the rebate, and since it was over $3000 before rebate, there was another rebate for a free Samsung Powerbot R7070 vacuum cleaner. Still not sure how I feel about letting the NSA map out all the furniture in my house... Maybe I'll just sell it online and get another $300-400. If I do that, it would bring the total down to about $2400. FWIW, list price was about $4800 on the stuff.

Queen City Appliance was great to work with. We went to Hendricks appliance in Shelby also, but there selection was much more limited, and they seemed to balk at price matching Home Depot. Queen City was already within $1 of Home Depot's black Friday prices, plus they had the rebate for the free vacuum, and will hold everything until the end of January. I also like to imagine that their guys know how to move stuff without beating it up too much.
 
Awesome!

Where are you getting cabinets, out of curiosity?
 
trailhugger said:
Awesome!

Where are you getting cabinets, out of curiosity?
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What are your opinions/ do you know anything about Charles Cabinets or Allens Cabinets in four oaks? I figure you might be familiar with either of them since my builder primarily works in the Raleigh market and normally uses Charles.
 
a_kelley said:
Or you got the laundry mat option... They kicked out a guy I used to work for many years ago for washing greasy rags
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Years ago I worked In a trans shop and the guy I worked for wouldn't say anything if he saw you were about to do something wrong,he would just let ya hang yourself and never say a word until it was over.One day he was goin around gathering rags to wash.Having already learned that lesson the hard way too I never said a word.Two days later I came in to work(shop was at his house) and the washer was laying in the yard beside the box the new one came in.
 
We’ve got the same fridge...or a really similar model. Had it maybe 5 years? No complaints, it’s served us well.

Was at my buddy’s house last night. They’ve got all Thermadore Professional stuff...I was going to come in here and suggest that :eek:
 
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Does everyone else really like the French doors over one large door? I have a old, like real old OG wirlpool french door, freezer on left, fridge on right. I don't care for it. Neither side has enough room. My parents have a fridge on top freezer on bottom single door that I like a lot better. I don't like reaching in on a half side, especially on the fridge side. I feel like you would always have to open both sides of a french doorfridge to find anything if you really use the fridge. If you're the kind of person that has milk, eggs and maybe a bottle of mustard in there I see it being fine. My wife cooks real food and we always have a ton of leftovers to sort through, nevermind 500 different condiments. Sorting through everything with two doors open and 6" of door drawers banging into your shoulders everytime you open the fridge seems like a real pita, at least it does at Lowes.
 
awheelterd said:
Does everyone else really like the French doors over one large door? I have a old, like real old OG wirlpool french door, freezer on left, fridge on right. I don't care for it. Neither side has enough room. My parents have a fridge on top freezer on bottom single door that I like a lot better. I don't like reaching in on a half side, especially on the fridge side. I feel like you would always have to open both sides of a french doorfridge to find anything if you really use the fridge. If you're the kind of person that has milk, eggs and maybe a bottle of mustard in there I see it being fine. My wife cooks real food and we always have a ton of leftovers to sort through, nevermind 500 different condiments. Sorting through everything with two doors open and 6" of door drawers banging into your shoulders everytime you open the fridge seems like a real pita, at least it does at Lowes.
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My folks had one of those freezer/fridge side by sides each side was about 14” wide with shelving top to bottom...it was a pain in the dick. My Samsung French door has the freezer below. Like I said above, unless I have 24” wide pizza box, it’s wide enough to get everything else out with one door open, including the drawers. Veggie drawer on one side, deli meats and cheese in the other drawer. Condiments go in one door, beer in the other...2 shelves and little clam shell looking things on each door. Beyond that, leftovers on one side, milk/water and jars on the other. So if you just want to survey everything available to eat, you’re right, you have to go through the effort of opening a second door...but if you’re on a mission and know exactly what you want, no biggie...unless the wife rearranges the fridge.
 
I like our French door fridge too. Importantly, typically the freezer has a basket on rollers as a sort of top shelf so you can layer stuff in there. After awhile you'll learn what not to cram on the bottom because it will drag or catch the basket.

IMO spending $150-200 on craigslist for an old school used stand up full size freezer is the real ticket, use that thing for the stuff you don't access often and storing freezer bags etc.
 
Iffin it we're all up to me, I woulda bought some stuff off of CL for cheap.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Custom. Got a quote last week for custom inset cabinets at $6700.
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Inset doors and drawers are not cheap! I hope you've seen their work and are happy they can do a good job on that big kitchen! It definitely comes down to taste, but full Shaker Overlay is always my personal go-to. They are cheaper but, really, I like the extra shadow lines.

awheelterd said:
What are your opinions/ do you know anything about Charles Cabinets or Allens Cabinets in four oaks? I figure you might be familiar with either of them since my builder primarily works in the Raleigh market and normally uses Charles.
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Charles' sounds familiar but I can't place them, if I've seen their work first-hand.

I've worked with ALCO in Garner in the past and I've done a lot of work with Myrick's in Knightdale. Bill Myrick's shop built my kitchen and will be doing the laundry after the first of the year, I hope.

The biggest differences with full custom cabinetry isn't just better construction. The devil really is in the details. Wood shelves instead of foil-faced, more sizing options, and the ability to integrate power and lighting. A cabinet shop can build a skirt into the bottom of the wall cabinets so under-cabinet light fixtures are hidden:

20181202_082454.jpg


The infamous microwave:
20181202_082646.jpg


Clear finish maple, also my favorite.
 
awheelterd said:
Does everyone else really like the French doors over one large door? I have a old, like real old OG wirlpool french door, freezer on left, fridge on right. I don't care for it. Neither side has enough room. My parents have a fridge on top freezer on bottom single door that I like a lot better. I don't like reaching in on a half side, especially on the fridge side. I feel like you would always have to open both sides of a french doorfridge to find anything if you really use the fridge. If you're the kind of person that has milk, eggs and maybe a bottle of mustard in there I see it being fine. My wife cooks real food and we always have a ton of leftovers to sort through, nevermind 500 different condiments. Sorting through everything with two doors open and 6" of door drawers banging into your shoulders everytime you open the fridge seems like a real pita, at least it does at Lowes.
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Take a pizza box (frozen and take out) to the store, buy the one that they fit in.

Keep in mind that the French door fridges cost $600-800 more than a regular old side by side. Part of that is all the extra pieces and parts it takes to make something like that work. Check out how the astragal between the top doors works. Ya think that's still going to be working 5 years from now?

I like the ones with the big freezer on the bottom, and the single large door on top, but they have the same problems with ice/water in the doors that the French door fridges do, and don't see that layout much until you get into the luxury brands.
 
shawn said:
Take a pizza box (frozen and take out) to the store, buy the one that they fit in.

Keep in mind that the French door fridges cost $600-800 more than a regular old side by side. Part of that is all the extra pieces and parts it takes to make something like that work. Check out how the astragal between the top doors works. Ya think that's still going to be working 5 years from now?

I like the ones with the big freezer on the bottom, and the single large door on top, but they have the same problems with ice/water in the doors that the French door fridges do, and don't see that layout much until you get into the luxury brands.
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Let me be clear. I hate french door fridges, of any variety. The mechanism in the middle of the fridge doors seems like a ticking time bomb. I'm pushing for the single fridge door on top variety. I might not win but I will have a solid case for my "told you so's" when we have problems with the weird divider thing.
 
trailhugger said:
Inset doors and drawers are not cheap! I hope you've seen their work and are happy they can do a good job on that big kitchen! It definitely comes down to taste, but full Shaker Overlay is always my personal go-to. They are cheaper but, really, I like the extra shadow lines.



Charles' sounds familiar but I can't place them, if I've seen their work first-hand.

I've worked with ALCO in Garner in the past and I've done a lot of work with Myrick's in Knightdale. Bill Myrick's shop built my kitchen and will be doing the laundry after the first of the year, I hope.

The biggest differences with full custom cabinetry isn't just better construction. The devil really is in the details. Wood shelves instead of foil-faced, more sizing options, and the ability to integrate power and lighting. A cabinet shop can build a skirt into the bottom of the wall cabinets so under-cabinet light fixtures are hidden:

View attachment 281258

The infamous microwave:
View attachment 281259

Clear finish maple, also my favorite.
Click to expand...

I like the clear maple. I don't think it will go with the color scheme my wife has picked out but I like it none the less.
 
re: French doors, IMO also better for small kitchens. The way our kitchen is laid out, there is a doorway at 90 degrees to the fridge that separates the kitchen and dining room. With a full size single door it has to open on the right, because when you're getting stuff out you're unloading onto a counter on your left - but that doorway is on the right.
That also means if somebody happens to be walking into the kitchen when you open the fridge door, you'd clothesline them in the face. Since we switched to a French door style a person can still slip by while a kid is standing there like dolt letting all the cold out trying to figure out what they're looking for.
 
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