Preferred brands for kitchen appliances

Faith · 14-08-2020 5:27pm #1

if you were buying a home, say, where you had to buy all of the kitchen appliances yourself (as opposed to a complete kitchen renovation where you can customize a lot more), are there particular brands you’d look for for certain appliances? Or features/functions that you’d want them to include?

Our current rental house has a Samsung fridge freezer and we’ve had loads of issues with it, so I know I’d stay away from that brand in the future for instance! But I love an American style fridge freezer, and I like the idea of a water/ice dispenser.

Charlie19 · 14-08-2020 5:32pm

I think it could be just down to luck sometimes, we have a Samsung American fridge and never had any issues. We also have a Samsung hob and oven and again no issues 11 years on.

I couldn't tell you the name of the washing machine and dishwasher as we're on our 2nd maybe third in the same time frame.

harr · 14-08-2020 5:39pm

Had you asked a few year back I would have said Zanussi ...but I honestly don’t think the brand is what it used to be. Never had any issues for years with the older appliances.
New kitchen a few years back with everything new and again Went with the trusted Zanussi but unfortunately out of all the appliances the oven is only thing we haven’t a problem with. So many brands now being made by the one company and I don’t think brand name matters as much it used to.
Unless of course you are going to the very top end brands .. neff and the likes would want to top class for the price you will pay.

Seamai · 14-08-2020 6:00pm

New house 7 years ago, so had to buy everything, all Bosch appliances except the fridge freezer(not American) which is Samsung which is the only thing we've had problems with (twice).
If we were flush we would have possibly gone for Miele, have one of their hoovers and it's way better than a Dyson.

henryporter · 14-08-2020 6:04pm

Siemens for all but the Liebherr fridge for me. Great ovens and hobs!

L1011 · 14-08-2020 7:59pm

Bosch. Reliable, serviceable, good parts supply. Decent warranties of up to 10 years based on price.

Siemens is Bosch rebadged - used to be a joint venture but Bosch bought them out. Bosch Serie 6 is going to be as good as the Siemens if not better but without paying the name licence fee

the beer revolu · 15-08-2020 10:27am

I'd buy another Electrolux oven.

Dizzyblonde · 15-08-2020 9:27pm

My washing machine, hob and dishwasher are Bosch and I'm very happy with them. I think this is my third Bosch washing machine. At the moment I have an Electrolux double oven (I had two Bellings before that) and I'm really happy with that too. I have a huge Fisher & Paykel fridge freezer the size of an American one, it's almost 13 years old and still perfect. It doesn't have the water/ice dispenser though. Something to bear in mind when buying a fridge/freezer is to make sure it's a frost free one because you never have to defrost the freezer, plus the fridge part never gets smelly. They're a bit noisier though.

Markcheese · 15-08-2020 9:42pm

the beer revolu wrote: »

I'd buy another Electrolux oven.

I've an electrolux gas hob,and it's brutal , I have to bang it to get the flame lit , and the metal pot stands crack ..
I have an ancient zanussi washing machine , 20 / 25 years old ,works perfectly ( looks rough out ) ,
Ancient Miele dishwasher , I miss my dishwasher ,ex-wife has it ..
And the cheapo philips hoover is way better than the corded dyson it replaced..( cordless dysons are handy but suction is poor and what a price )

99nsr125 · 15-08-2020 9:46pm

Nothing by Glen Dimplex, complete and utter shîte

Faith wrote: »

if you were buying a home, say, where you had to buy all of the kitchen appliances yourself (as opposed to a complete kitchen renovation where you can customize a lot more), are there particular brands you’d look for for certain appliances? Or features/functions that you’d want them to include?

Our current rental house has a Samsung fridge freezer and we’ve had loads of issues with it, so I know I’d stay away from that brand in the future for instance! But I love an American style fridge freezer, and I like the idea of a water/ice dispenser.

odyssey06 · 15-08-2020 9:58pm

Markcheese wrote: »

I've an electrolux gas hob,and it's brutal , I have to bang it to get the flame lit , and the metal pot stands crack ..
I have an ancient zanussi washing machine , 20 / 25 years old ,works perfectly ( looks rough out ) ,
Ancient Miele dishwasher , I miss my dishwasher ,ex-wife has it ..
And the cheapo philips hoover is way better than the corded dyson it replaced..( cordless dysons are handy but suction is poor and what a price )

Just watch out... what a brand was like 20 years ago can often bear no relation to its current quality.

phormium · 16-08-2020 8:04am

Also a lot of brands are produced by the same overall company, can't remember the list now but I was thinking of buying a dryer lately and was given the list to avoid by a friend in a related business. Bosch definitely wasn't on it though as that is what I have decided on.

theteal · 16-08-2020 8:14am

Normally Bosch is the first place I'd look. Had a bit of a gamble on a Hisense washing machine which hasn't skipped a beat for 3 years now so we'll see how long that lives. I would go as far as to completely avoid Samsung (for everything, TVs included) and having spoken to a local repair guy, he says the same.

Pkiernan · 16-08-2020 8:18am

Faith wrote: »

if you were buying a home, say, where you had to buy all of the kitchen appliances yourself (as opposed to a complete kitchen renovation where you can customize a lot more), are there particular brands you’d look for for certain appliances? Or features/functions that you’d want them to include?

Our current rental house has a Samsung fridge freezer and we’ve had loads of issues with it, so I know I’d stay away from that brand in the future for instance! But I love an American style fridge freezer, and I like the idea of a water/ice dispenser.

Instead of a combined fridge freezer, we put in a tall larder fridge and tall larder freezer side by side.
Both are Siemens, and were 1500 for the pair. Very happy with the look and the functionality. Much better than a single combined unit.

When it comes to appliances like dishwashers and washing machines, I place a significant value on how quiet they are.

limnam · 16-08-2020 10:43am

For the most part it doesn't matter too much anymore

A lot of them are just re brands of the other and for the most part the technology the same.

Like anything you might get unlucky and get a "Friday" one.

If you're getting a new kitchen some of the kitchen places have deals with some brands that you can get discounts on while buying the kitchen.

the beer revolu · 16-08-2020 10:58am

Markcheese wrote: »

I've an electrolux gas hob,and it's brutal , I have to bang it to get the flame lit , and the metal pot stands crack ..
I have an ancient zanussi washing machine , 20 / 25 years old ,works perfectly ( looks rough out ) ,
Ancient Miele dishwasher , I miss my dishwasher ,ex-wife has it ..
And the cheapo philips hoover is way better than the corded dyson it replaced..( cordless dysons are handy but suction is poor and what a price )

Funny, I put it a really cheap whirlpool gas hob 20 years ago and it's still functioning perfectly - even the ignition.

Toto Wolfcastle · 16-08-2020 11:26am

We changed our kitchen last year and I found choosing the appliances the most difficult part. Everyone has a different opinion so it gets confusing when one person is singing a brand’s praises and another is telling you to avoid it like the plague. We narrowed down our choices based on functions/looks/price and then checked Which for reviews which helped a lot. Ended up with a Bosch hob, AEG double oven and built-in microwave, Siemens dishwasher and Electrolux fridge-freezer. We’d originally chosen a Neff dishwasher but a really helpful salesperson in Harvey Norman pointed out an issue with it and we had limited choice with the fridge because we wanted a 50/50 one but we’re happy with everything so far.

meeeeh · 16-08-2020 11:51am

We picked whatever we liked. I'm pretty relaxed about brands but only thing I don't want to see in the kitchen again is Fischer and Paykel double drawer dishwasher. It was replaced after three years by Bosch something or other and that one mostly works fine (full wash twice per day). Other appliances are mix of cheap stuff and some more premium models but everything is working more or less fine for the last 11 years. We picked our fridge because we liked the look of it and some other things were picked because we liked the features they have (5 gas burners for example).

monkeysnapper · 16-08-2020 12:44pm

The one thing I have done a lot over the years is fix my white goods which at time mrs snapper thought they were for graveyard...

Cooker ..... we had a lot of problems with our zannusi oven , which was weird because I knew 3 other persons with same oven and theirs worked perfect .....i replaced element and thermostat and it worked for while then went again within 12 months , I replaced thermostat again and it's worked perfect now for past 3 years.... I still reakon it was faulty out of box but it's fixed now.

Dishwasher ..... again mrs snapper started looking at new dishwashers and I told her out nordmende was expensive and we only had it 3.5 years ... should last way longer ....
Took it to pieces and found a gold bracelet tangled up around neck of a part...... she got 2 presents in one day.... worked perfect for past 2 years....

Tumble drier zanussi ..... 15 years we have had this beauty and it stopped heating .... this time mrs snapper had a bit of faith in me and I took it apart and belt was snapped .... 7 euros and about an hour work and it's going again perfect....

Washing machine Beko ....
Leaking a lot of water ... again was 5 years old, I'd imagine should last a bit longer .... this time I went to recycle centre and took a few parts off machines and fixed it for free ... it was a rubber seal.

I'd strongly recommend people try and fix there appliances, they are very basic inside really , take pictures and videos as you go for reference.... and youtube has saved me loads of money and grey hairs....

As for brands .... as with a lit you get what you pay for .... I like zannusi, nordmende. Beko are ok aswell.

We had a cracking fridge years ago and it needed a new circuit board and we were to impatient to wait for part and scrapped it and bought a new one, ...bloody hate that new fridge , my neighbor has that same old fridge and has lasted years years ...I thats one that slipped through net ... ... we both cant wait for this fridge to break....

Pkiernan · 16-08-2020 1:10pm

monkeysnapper wrote: »

The one thing I have done a lot over the years is fix my white goods which at time mrs snapper thought they were for graveyard...

Cooker ..... we had a lot of problems with our zannusi oven , which was weird because I knew 3 other persons with same oven and theirs worked perfect .....i replaced element and thermostat and it worked for while then went again within 12 months , I replaced thermostat again and it's worked perfect now for past 3 years.... I still reakon it was faulty out of box but it's fixed now.

Dishwasher ..... again mrs snapper started looking at new dishwashers and I told her out nordmende was expensive and we only had it 3.5 years ... should last way longer ....
Took it to pieces and found a gold bracelet tangled up around neck of a part...... she got 2 presents in one day.... worked perfect for past 2 years....

Tumble drier zanussi ..... 15 years we have had this beauty and it stopped heating .... this time mrs snapper had a bit of faith in me and I took it apart and belt was snapped .... 7 euros and about an hour work and it's going again perfect....

Washing machine Beko ....
Leaking a lot of water ... again was 5 years old, I'd imagine should last a bit longer .... this time I went to recycle centre and took a few parts off machines and fixed it for free ... it was a rubber seal.

I'd strongly recommend people try and fix there appliances, they are very basic inside really , take pictures and videos as you go for reference.... and youtube has saved me loads of money and grey hairs....

As for brands .... as with a lit you get what you pay for .... I like zannusi, nordmende. Beko are ok aswell.

We had a cracking fridge years ago and it needed a new circuit board and we were to impatient to wait for part and scrapped it and bought a new one, ...bloody hate that new fridge , my neighbor has that same old fridge and has lasted years years ...I thats one that slipped through net ... ... we both cant wait for this fridge to break....

Excellent post!

phormium · 16-08-2020 1:47pm

the beer revolu wrote: »

Funny, I put it a really cheap whirlpool gas hob 20 years ago and it's still functioning perfectly - even the ignition.

I had a 30 yr old Whirlpool hob until recently when a burner gave up, my favourite one

The guy I asked to fix it said it was no longer compliant with regs and he wouldn't be able to get parts anyway so I had to buy a new one, don't like it as much as I did my old one though.

Only got rid of my original Whirlpool 30 yr old fridge last year but the Whirlpool oven I put in when I built the house was rubbish altogether and is long gone!

daheff · 16-08-2020 1:53pm

Bosch, Miele, Siemens

Good German brands. Durable and long lasting.

Most of your Zanussi/Candy/Whirlpool really just aren't going to last.

In my view buy the best your pocket can afford.

We had a Whirlpool washer/dryer and a dishwasher. Washer went 2 or 3 times. Guarantee isn't worth a damn...you still pay call-out fee. Dishwasher was ok, but gave up after 6 years.

the beer revolu · 16-08-2020 1:54pm

phormium wrote: »

I had a 30 yr old Whirlpool hob until recently when a burner gave up, my favourite one The guy I asked to fix it said it was no longer compliant with regs and he wouldn't be able to get parts anyway so I had to buy a new one, don't like it as much as I did my old one though.

Only got rid of my original Whirlpool 30 yr old fridge last year but the Whirlpool oven I put in when I built the house was rubbish altogether and is long gone!

Yup, I had a rubbish whirlpool double oven that I retired after about 7 or 8 years, I'd say.
Pure crap.

Muahahaha · 16-08-2020 3:16pm

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

We changed our kitchen last year and I found choosing the appliances the most difficult part. Everyone has a different opinion so it gets confusing when one person is singing a brand’s praises and another is telling you to avoid it like the plague.

I think thats the exact problem when asking questions about what brands of kitchen appliances are good. Some people will have Brand X for the last 10 years and rave on about it. But how the brand was 10 years ago is not an indication that it is the same now, it may not be as these brands can change hands often enough. Amazon reviews can also throw you as many people write them just a few weeks or a month after buying the appliance when naturally it is going to be working well with no problems. What they are reviewing after just a few weeks of ownership is its looks and performance, not its longevity. Its very rare you see a reviewer come back three years later and say it broke down and they had to replace it.

If I were buying new kitchen appliances I think the best place to get unbiased and well tested information is from Which? magazines website. Their engineers put kitchen appliances of all the main brands through the same tests so you get consistent comparisons of appliances that are on the market right now. They open up washing machines, dishwashers, etc to see the build quality inside them. They have a trial for £1 which allows you to get lots of thorough reviews and info on all their tests, I think its well worth it to get the most recent information.

16-08-2020 3:22pm

I re-did the kitchen about.. 4 years ago I think. At the time, my mindset was "a fridge is a fridge", "a hob is a hob", etc. and as a result, went with the cheapest options that had any kind of half-decent spec and looked like they'd go with the kitchen aesthetically. I think the majority of our stuff is Beko.

In the four years since, my mindset has remained that "a fridge is a fridge" - Never had a single issue with any of the appliances in the few years they've been there, and all are used daily.

Unless you've got money to willingly spend on brand names then I'd just do what I did. Personally, I'm not a "brand" person in any aspect of my life really; I tend to buy for practicality, and it worked out for me on the kitchen.

leahyl · 16-08-2020 3:58pm

We have a De Dietrich dishwasher and has been going strong now for about 17 years - the oven was same brand and was grand until about 4 years ago when had to replace - got a hotpoint this time I think, only recently had to have it fixed as the element was gone and turned out there was something wrong with the fan too - working again now though.

Cheshire Cat · 16-08-2020 4:04pm

Another fan of Bosch here. It's a reliable brand, but I wouldn't go for the entry level models. Very happy with all the appliances I have.

tscul32 · 16-08-2020 4:08pm

Moved house 9 years ago and had to leave a few built ins behind.
Oven - had an electrolux dbl for nearly 10 years which was great so got the corresponding one in a newer range and I can't wait to get rid of it. I bake a lot and has never been right, not wildly bad but just not accurate enough for me. Will get neff, miele or Bosch next time.
Had a Siemens fridge freezer which was fab, had it over 15 years but had begun to make a small bit of noise and then abuse from my 3 lads over the years had loosened the hinges a bit so we called it a day a few months ago. Replaced with a Bosch and delighted with it.
Have had an under counter freezer for nearly 15 years by Beko and never a problem. Dishwasher also Beko, 9 years now no probs. Got a Hoover washing machine which lasted just until a month after the warranty expired and hadn't the time to be fighting it with a new baby so replaced with a Beko and it's been great, about 6 or 7 years now. Electrolux gas hob no probs and picked up a Zanussi condenser dryer second hand about 8 years ago and never an ounce of trouble, although not used as much as other families I know. For small appliances I'm Kenwood all the way.

Dizzyblonde · 16-08-2020 10:29pm

meeeeh wrote: »

We picked whatever we liked. I'm pretty relaxed about brands but only thing I don't want to see in the kitchen again is Fischer and Paykel double drawer dishwasher. It was replaced after three years by Bosch something or other and that one mostly works fine (full wash twice per day). Other appliances are mix of cheap stuff and some more premium models but everything is working more or less fine for the last 11 years. We picked our fridge because we liked the look of it and some other things were picked because we liked the features they have (5 gas burners for example).

Same here - we had nothing but problems and it only lasted a few years.

Outkast_IRE · 16-08-2020 10:37pm

My parents got a kitchen about 10 years ago and it came with all Nordmende appliances as part of the deal.

Every single appliance had to be either repaired or replaced entirely within the first 4 years . Dishwasher , hob , washing machine . Never again and once the warranty was up the crowd who did the repairs and servicing didn't want to know cause the parts were so hard to get people would never wait and pay what it would cost. Biggest pile of ****e of a brand ever

Shenshen · 17-08-2020 9:04am

I'll be honest, brand would come far behind functionality, BER rating, price and look in my list of important boxes to be ticked. It needs to do what I want it to do, do so economically, and look right in the kitchen.

That said, there is one brand I'd go back to if ever I needed a new oven, and that's Neff. I've got one with the sliding oven door, and I don't think I'd ever want an oven that doesn't have that.
Other than that, I'd look at any brand for anything.

Seamai · 17-08-2020 9:15am

Shenshen wrote: »

I'll be honest, brand would come far behind functionality, BER rating, price and look in my list of important boxes to be ticked. It needs to do what I want it to do, do so economically, and look right in the kitchen.

That said, there is one brand I'd go back to if ever I needed a new oven, and that's Neff. I've got one with the sliding oven door, and I don't think I'd ever want an oven that doesn't have that.
Other than that, I'd look at any brand for anything.

I wouldn't be brand led either but when we were buying we did a lot of research, functionality was no.1 and for what we were willing to spend Bosch was coming out best.

That Neff sliding door oven is fantastic. I'd definitely fork out for that next time round.

tangy · 17-08-2020 8:13pm

Shenshen wrote: »

That said, there is one brand I'd go back to if ever I needed a new oven, and that's Neff. I've got one with the sliding oven door, and I don't think I'd ever want an oven that doesn't have that.

We are needing a new oven. Our current (and previous) oven is a Neff, but the sliding door on the new ones put us off Neff because
a) it feels gimmicky: something to break but with no advantages - I've not had a problem with an oven door opening normally into the kitchen
b) sometimes it's useful to put plates to warm on the bottom of the oven, and it looks like it stops you doing this.

Tell me more

Muahahaha · 17-08-2020 11:06pm

Shenshen wrote: »

I'll be honest, brand would come far behind functionality, BER rating, price and look in my list of important boxes to be ticked. It needs to do what I want it to do, do so economically, and look right in the kitchen.

That said, there is one brand I'd go back to if ever I needed a new oven, and that's Neff. I've got one with the sliding oven door, and I don't think I'd ever want an oven that doesn't have that.
Other than that, I'd look at any brand for anything.

Why the sliding door? I looked at the Neff versions with it last year and kind of thought it was solving a problem that doesnt exist (at least not for me anyway). In all my years cooking Ive never burnt my arms on a hot oven door so I didnt see the point of having one that could slide away. They were a fair bit more expensive than a regular oven so I just left it.

Agree with you on functionality. In the end I bought a Kitchen Aid combi oven, its a microwave as well as a regular oven. Its great because it means just having one appliance rather than two. You just have to be careful though not to run the microwave with the ovens metal tray inside it but other than that it suits me great. Picked up in that Gas & Electric store on Camden St, it was ex display from Harvey Norman in Tallaght for 1,600 full price (HN sticker was still on it, took me ages to get it off with the glue underneath) but he was trying to sell it on Adverts for a couple of months for 900. As he hadnt sold it in almost 3 months I chanced my arm and offered 600 and he accepted, was very happy with that.

Anyway it has a function I wasnt even aware of but now I have it I would never do without it. Its an internal temperature probe connected to the ovens software. So you just stick the probe into the centre of a leg of lamb, set it to 55 degrees C and the oven stops when it is perfectly medium rare inside. I think its great, any joint of meat or full chickens get cooked perfectly every time by cooking by the internal temperature. For me it completely eliminates any guess work on timings when you cook by internal temperature. Before you even carve the joint you already know it is going to be perfectly cooked inside every time. Theres none of the usual 'I hope its cooked right' because you already know it is.

Blowheads · 17-08-2020 11:16pm

Bosch, Siemens & Neff are all made in the same place, just a different badge.
We have all Siemens appliances and apart from the washing machine all still going strong. WM lasted 7 years with the 5 of us giving it hell every day of the year.
Think Miele give you 17-20 yrs, Siemens 15 and the rest less.. then again you can always be hit with a bad one

cubatahavana · 17-08-2020 11:19pm

harr wrote: »

Had you asked a few year back I would have said Zanussi ...but I honestly don’t think the brand is what it used to be. Never had any issues for years with the older appliances.
New kitchen a few years back with everything new and again Went with the trusted Zanussi but unfortunately out of all the appliances the oven is only thing we haven’t a problem with. So many brands now being made by the one company and I don’t think brand name matters as much it used to.
Unless of course you are going to the very top end brands .. neff and the likes would want to top class for the price you will pay.

Bought an apartment in 2007 with everything Zanussi (fridge, washing machine, dishwasher) they lasted about 6-7 years

We bought:
Fisher and Paikel fridge-freezer
Siemens dishwasher
Bosch washing machine

Not a problem with them. Super happy

Shenshen · 18-08-2020 9:17am

tangy wrote: »

We are needing a new oven. Our current (and previous) oven is a Neff, but the sliding door on the new ones put us off Neff because
a) it feels gimmicky: something to break but with no advantages - I've not had a problem with an oven door opening normally into the kitchen
b) sometimes it's useful to put plates to warm on the bottom of the oven, and it looks like it stops you doing this.

Tell me more

I think the reason I'm so enamoured with it is that when you open it, you can reach into the oven really easily. It also makes cleaning the oven easier, as it's easier to get at the back.

I would say if you wanted to warm up plates in an oven you've just switched off after taking your food out, this is fantastic for it. You can sit them in the bottom, and leave the door open to make sure they don't get too hot, and the door won't be in your way as you move around the kitchen.
We've had this oven for well over 7 years now, and the only thing that went so far was the inside lightbulb (easy to replace). The sliding mechanism is really simple and sturdy, and always made me wonder why others haven't thought of this before.

When I was growing up, my parents had a Bosch oven that kind of pulled out - you hooked the shelves onto the front door, and the whole thing worked like a trolley. It was similarly great for easy access, but you had to get special shelves. I'm not even sure they make these ovens any more. But maybe that's why I liked the idea of the easy access so much?
I first saw these ovens on the Great British Bake off, maybe 10 years ago now? I just fell in love with the functionality. It might seem gimmicky to others, granted, but I just love it.

Shenshen · 18-08-2020 9:20am

Muahahaha wrote: »

Why the sliding door? I looked at the Neff versions with it last year and kind of thought it was solving a problem that doesnt exist (at least not for me anyway). In all my years cooking Ive never burnt my arms on a hot oven door so I didnt see the point of having one that could slide away. They were a fair bit more expensive than a regular oven so I just left it.
<snip>

I haven't burned myself on a door yet, either, but I have burned myself on racks and shelves trying to pull them out at an angle. I just love the easy access, how easy it is to get stuff in and out and how easy it is to clean.
It's different strokes for different folks, I guess. That probe you mention would be utterly useless for me as a vegetarian, but I can see how it would be a godsend for people who like a nice roast.

Alun · 18-08-2020 9:26am

I have one of those probes in my oven but I rarely use it. The problem with it is that you never really know how long it's going to take, so trying to get other things ready at the same time like potatoes and veg is a bit of a guessing game. It does try and predict when it's going to be ready but gets it spectacularly wrong. It estimates way too long to start with and then reduces the time very quickly as it gets nearer. It's an Electrolux.

raxy · 18-08-2020 9:43am

We bought a Bosch dishwasher & it's been terrible. Constantly having to wash dishes that come out of it.
After about 9-10 months it started making noise & a burning smell from it (it wasn't in use at the time).
They came out to repair it & since they fixed it it's had check warning lights on it. When I tried to get them back to look at it again they were very aggressive saying the original repair was fixed & this couldn't be related & they'd charge me for the repair.
The programmes seem off too, says drying when its still washing.
I won't buy Bosch again after it. Terrible customer service.

meeeeh · 18-08-2020 10:10am

Two separate tradesmen told me that the dishwashers to buy are Miele. One said only Miele and the other one also mentioned Beko as good quality. Everything else is supposed to be more or less rubbish. I don't know how accurate or reliable that is. Anyway just about all appliances in our kitchen are different make (Miele, Simens, BOsch, Waterford, Whirpool, Gorenje, Samsung) and except Fischer and Paykel dishwasher (probably the biggest waste of money of all the stuff we bought for the house) only Waterford single oven that had to be replaced because glass on the door shattered. I'm sure we could just replace the door but for some reason we had an unused new standard oven in the garage (as you do). The Waterford gas range cooker with two ovens is still going strong with no issues. I'm pretty sure Siemens washing machine will have to be replaced soon but I'll be happy getting 11 or 12 years out of it considering the amount of washing we do. I don't think anything we have is particularly stellar but I think everything is reasonably good quality. Funny enough Gorenje Pininfarinna fridge is probably the biggest extravagance despite probably being the least regarded brand.

Anyway many 'German' appliances are made just about anywhere so there often isn't much guarantee for quality. I don't think brand loyalty makes any sense. There is no guarantee that brand which makes good oven will make good fridge. You wouldn't want to buy a bicycle from VW just because you like VW Golf.

foodaholic · 18-08-2020 10:57am

Any washer dryer recommendations
My whirlpool one is 8 yrs plus and giving up the ghost

gamblor101 · 18-08-2020 12:01pm

We went through two Bosch washing machines in five years. Never buying their WM again.
The oven, hob, fridge & tumble dryer are Bosch too and can't fault them.

rubadub · 18-08-2020 1:03pm

limnam wrote: »

For the most part it doesn't matter too much anymore

A lot of them are just re brands of the other and for the most part the technology the same.

They can have the same technology but lower spec components. I would prefer to get a model which is on the market for a while, I hate the fact there are so many different models of machines, I would rather they focus on a few and them right.

Components will have expected lifespans, they want to to last past warranty. Under heavy usage some parts might fail so they improve them as time goes on, this is why a later machine would hopefully last longer.

It would be good to find a shop which has its own extended warranty, they might have insider info and know which models are not likely to break down. This is why I would check the likes of richersounds if buying a TV, they give their own 6 year warranty there is no way they would just randomly put TVs on sale, they are around since 1978 and do repairs as a service, they would obviously make sure to be confident about their warranty offer.

Does anybody know of a shop like this for kitchen stuff?

Fixing stuff was mentioned, I do this, you can replace with higher spec components, there are loads of guides on youtube these days. If an old mixer from the 70s or 80s goes you might be able to buy repair kits, they can be worth fixing as some components are pretty much supposed to have broken, like capacitors, you might want to replace several other ones as they will likely be gone too. The old stuff has big chunky electronics that is easy to solder and identify, compared to the stuff nowadays with micro size stuff.

Muahahaha · 18-08-2020 1:09pm

Shenshen wrote: »

I haven't burned myself on a door yet, either, but I have burned myself on racks and shelves trying to pull them out at an angle. I just love the easy access, how easy it is to get stuff in and out and how easy it is to clean.
It's different strokes for different folks, I guess. That probe you mention would be utterly useless for me as a vegetarian, but I can see how it would be a godsend for people who like a nice roast.

yeah like yourself I first saw those sliding oven doors on the Great British Bake Off and thought what a great idea. But in the shop I saw the price of Neff and it was out of budget so gave up the idea then. I can see the advantage of them but the cost was prohibitive for me. They would be a good thing to have if you've small children running about as an hot open oven door is a hazard in that situation.

Alun wrote: »

I have one of those probes in my oven but I rarely use it. The problem with it is that you never really know how long it's going to take, so trying to get other things ready at the same time like potatoes and veg is a bit of a guessing game. It does try and predict when it's going to be ready but gets it spectacularly wrong. It estimates way too long to start with and then reduces the time very quickly as it gets nearer. It's an Electrolux.

My probe set up doesnt estimate exactly how long but it goes from 20c up to 55c for medium rare so you've a good idea of the pace of it by taking a look when first using it. Nonetheless when I do roast potatoes and veg these days I tend to cook them in the airfryer rather than the main oven, for the potatoes I jsut feel the airfryer gives them a better crisp plus theres no real need to be turning them as the hot air gets to them from underneath.

DublinCJM · 18-08-2020 1:14pm

Just kitted out a new kitchen, did a lot of research on Which? and also some recommendations from a family member who researches thoroughly buying appliance.

Went with Bosch for double oven, induction hob, cooker hood, dishwasher, washing machine (expensive but quiet and little vibrations (was putting in upstairs), and also dryer.

Went LG for American FF with plumbed water / ice dispenser.

Only gripe with any of these is the timer alarm on the oven is only about 10 seconds, and if you're not in the room, you won't hear it, it's quite low sounding. It was flagged by Which, but I didn't think it would be a pain, but it is. Use a separate timer now on my phone or Alexa if I'm not going to be in the kitchen.

Normal One · 18-08-2020 1:17pm

I bought a Siemens washing machine, dishwasher and fridge/freezer 17 years ago and never had an ounce of trouble with any of them. I use a cleaner in the washers every couple of months because I live in a hard water area.

CJhaughey · 18-08-2020 11:13pm

We bought a load of Siemens ex-display stuff when we built in 2006, Siemens full size fridge, compact dishwasher and Electrolux oven, and an Admiral Top loader.
I haven't had to do any maintenance on the fridge apart from cleaning the drip port every so often, I fitted a new filter to the dishwasher a year or two ago, as the plastic support rings had gone hard and cracked. The cost was minor I think maybe €30 for the complete assembly.

The oven fascia was smashed by accident a few years ago and the replacement glass was €80 or so and the element went earlier this year again, less than €30 and 20 minutes to replace.

The Admiral toploader is a beast its like a Maytag in build quality and just this summer I replaced the snubber ring and the springs because it was making noise on the spin cycle.
It takes a 10.1kg load and the cycle time is very short, plus if you forget to add something you just lift the lid and toss it in!

Baumatic 5 burner gas Hob, this has been the poorest of the lot but in fairness it still works even though its getting tired at this stage.
I would probably still buy another though as I find simplicity in appliances is better, the more bells and whistles it has the more it has to go wrong.
Maybe its the KISS principle but it works for me!

All of the appliances bar the washing machine are stainless and have held up remarkably well to children and the beatings they seem to be able to deliver to appliances.

I'd buy all of them again in a heartbeat, maybe if Electrolux do a sliding door model I would consider that.

Preferred brands for kitchen appliances

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