What are the best kitchen appliance brands?
GE Cafe, the best electric range you can buy, according to Consumer Reports.
The May 2010 issue of Consumer Reports takes on some of the appliances we use on a daily basis, including some that live in the kitchen. Any homeowner may want to have a look-see at what they’ve determined are the best and worst vacuum cleaners, washers and dryers, laundry detergents, lawn mowers, tractors and weed eaters.
For our purposes, I would like to direct your attention to their take on kitchen appliances. They rated ranges, toasters, microwaves, cook tops, wall ovens, toaster ovens, nonstick cookware, mixers, refrigerators and freezers, water filters and more. I’m about to buy a new toaster oven (the knob broke off mine – why is it always some cheap little thing that breaks and renders an otherwise working object difficult or impossible to use?) so I paid particular attention to that rating. For the record, CR of course recommends a $170 toaster oven.
Here are a few other peeks at the ratings:
* GE scored high in ranges, getting the top spot in electric smooth top ranges, electric coil, induction and gas. The dual fuel range to buy, according to CR, is a Bosch.
* Kenmore beat GE in the wall oven category. Electrolux won the electric cook top category, with Kenmore edging out competition in the induction and gas cook tops.
* Kenmore and GE scored well in the microwave category, unless you’re buying an above-the-stove variety, in which case you should look at a Samsung.
* You can probably guess who won the stand mixer test: KitchenAid. And CR warns readers away from the $90 Sunbeam Mixmaster, calling it “a lightweight in performance and pounds.”
* The refrigerator ratings go on for several pages and encompass any combination of top-freezer, bottom-freezer, side-by-side you can buy on the market.
* Oddly, they did not rate dishwashers, which disappointed me. I was talking to a colleague last week about dishwashers and whether any of them really ever clean an entire load. Ours is in the neighborhood of 25 years old and still cleans like a champ, although I’m sure its energy efficiency would make a person shudder.
Pick up a copy of the May issue of Consumer Reports for much more information on kitchen appliances, if you happen to be in the market for something new. Got a product you would like to recommend? Speak up.
April 19, 2010 - 10:54 AM
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After we bought our house 4 years ago, we signed up for CR online. It helped a lot with the purchase of our washer & dryer (Frigidaire front load), dishwasher (Whirlpool) and electric flat-top range (Frigidaire). On each of those purchases, we did not buy the #1 rated, but each was highly rated and we also looked at brand reliability. Overall, we’ve been very pleased with our purchases!
I also have a subscription to Cooks Illustrated online, and love their equipment and gadget reviews. They tend toward the smaller kitchen appliances, and like CR, are very thorough.
I have a GE dual-fuel and LOVE it. My husband surprised me with it a couple of years ago for Christmas. Mine has a flat top that heats up in the middle to keep items warm while I’m cooking sauces at the end of a prep. Like you, I wish dishwashers were rated as well. I spent a mint on one a year ago, and it’s often hit or miss. Ugh.
We really like GE appliances. Our stove (ceramic cook-top w/ oven), OTR Microwave, and fridge are all GE, along with a toaster oven. I have a Black & Decker coffe maker that has worked like a champ for over 5 years. We did replace a GE dishwasher for a Whirlpool…the GE came with the house and just was not what we wanted, so we upgraded and have been very pleased.
The appliance repair guy who fixed our washer said that we would likely have to replace the defroster coil on the fridge around the 5-year mark, he said that was the only real knock on GE side-by-sides, but that otherwise they were good and reliable.
I had wondered about the stand mixers. The Sunbeam, seemed awful flimsy and cheap due to the plastic casing and how floppy it was, even though it boasted a more powerful motor. The Kitchenaid and even the Cuisinart seemed far superipr, though the Kitchenaid is much more affordable than the Cuisinart. When my tax refund arrives, the Kitchenaid is mine, finally!
As for the knob on the toaster, can it be fixed? I’ve had a few knobs break off things over the years, and a little epoxy has seemed to fix them each time, provided the internal workings of the dial are in good shape and only the plastic knob part is what broke.
Amy, I’m jealous of your dual-fuel! I adore my gas burners but the oven cooks slowly. I think I’ve whined about that before on here.
I’m probably in the minority when I say I don’t like side-by-side refrigerators that much. What happens when you need to put something big, like a tray of food in the fridge or a frozen pizza in the freezer? The ones with the fridge on top and freezer on bottom seem most popular these days. My mom just bought one and my in-laws have had one for a while.
OJ, I’m not sure the knob broke off in such a way that would make gluing it possible. I also suspect since it is a few years old and has taken on the grunge of a well-used toaster oven that he wants a brand-spanking new one to go along with our newly remodeled kitchen.
This is the toaster oven recommended by Cooks Illustrated:
http://www.amazon.com/Krups-6-Slice-Digital-Convection-Toaster/dp/B0004JMR12/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1271703488&sr=8-13
Well, a new toaster would certainly be nice for a new kitchen…so that’s understandable. I like our side-by-side, except for the difficulty with storing large items. We bought a small 5 CF chest freezer for those items and for our bulk frozen vegetables. We keep meats and items we’ve opened and partially used in the side-by-side’s freezer, since they’re smaller and fit much more easily in it. We make our pizzas from scratch, so really the biggest things we have to store are veggie trays for when we host a party, or a case of beer or sodas for those same parties. Otherwise, for what we do…it works great for us. I’ve never really liked the freezer on the bottom designs though, it seems to me like too much of a hassle to have it all jammed into that pull-out contraption where it would be harder to see what all is in it. The side-by-side at least gives us an adequate view of our freezer’s contents. But, the one issue we’re now contending with is that despite our ample counter space, the addition of the stand mixer will greatly reduce what we have left. I may have to re-arrange everything and look at getting a baker’s rack to move cookbooks and other items to it.
I rent, so not much control over big appliances, but with small electrics I prefer Kitchenaid and Cuisinart. Unfortunately, usually (but not always!) the more expensive the better. The good news is that I’ve found great bargains on slightly used appliances at the Salvation Army and Goodwill. I guess a lot of people move in together, end up with two toasters, and have to get rid of one, so they’ll let them go for cheap even if they originally paid a lot for them.
That is a great idea, Emma.
Lori, thanks for the link.
OJ I have a very small kitchen and have a baker’s rack for pots and pans and canisters. I upgraded from a small toaster oven to a larger countertop rotisserie/convection one. Since that takes up precious counter space, I bought a rolling kitchen cart at Home Depot. It has a butcher block top, 2 large storage drawers and 2 large shelves underneath. I love it.
Debbie, our toaster is one of the same rotisserie/convection types, we use the heck out of it…especially for doing small roasts, turkey breasts, and a few other things. I thought about one of those carts, I’ve seen a few that I’ve liked, and we certainly have the floor space to accommodate one. I try to keep the pots and pans in the cabinets though, otherwise we’d have to clean out a handful of cat fur since it doesn’t seem to matter how often we vacuum, sweep, and brush the cats…it always builds up somewhere.
I have been very disappointed in each of the KitchenAid appliances that I purchased as part of a kitchen remodel about 4 years ago. The range lacks a number of advanced features I see in other brands similarly priced models and the broiler burner has come on several times during baking modes when the temp has dropped because the door was opened for basting/maneuvering/etc. – ruining a few dishes. The convection does work flawlessly and the varying self-cleaning modes have been favorable. The dishwasher is extremely quiet but again does not offer many of the variable settings and features of similar $1000 offerings and we have had the door that holds the detergent replaced/serviced twice (it only likes liquid detergent – no powder, no packets). The fridge has been fine outside of the ice maker liking to hold one or two partially dispensed cubes in its mechanism which either fall out about 30 minutes later or you find a puddle on your floor the next morning! The microwave was not even purchased as they only offered a very small model at the time (our Samsung purchased at the same time has been very good and has more features than I have been able to figure out).
I have been very impressed with the performance of the GE Profile devices that some friends purchased about the same time. I wish I had not been swayed by the cache of the KitchenAid name (or the pretty saleswoman at Ferguson) and done more research. Just my 2 cents.
Jeffro, I’m sorry to hear about the trouble you’ve had. That’s very disappointing. The only KitchenAid product I own is the mixer, which I’ve been happy with. It is a good warning to not rely on a brand name alone. And not a bad endorsement for Consumer Reports
Other John,
I rent an apt and don’t have adequate cabinet space, that’s why I use the rack for that. I love my oven too. I highly recommend the kitchen cart, for extra counter space. Mine also has long handles on each end, that I have put S hooks on to hang utensils. It didn’t cost much and is so handy.
Most of our appliances are in the low-mid price ranges. They have some nice features, but are a long way from the best available, and that suits us just fine. I don’t like overly complicated devices that can break in a near infinite number of ways or are so computerized that they try to outhink what I’m doing (like that oven seems to do to you jeffro). I like simplicity.
We have a more than ample amount of cabinet and counter space in our kitchen, I’m very happy we were able to get a custom-designed system put in our double-wide when we built it, it has made cooking extremely pleasant and fun, especially since we dealt with tiny galley-style and apartment kitchens for years before buying our home. A friend of ours who is a classically trained chef loves cooking at our place because the layout is very conducive and logical for prepping and cooking a wide variety of dishes simulateously. It truly is the social hub of our house.
Lindsey, I agree with you about the side-by-side refrigerators – absolutely the worst design I’ve ever had. Mine is 10/12 years old and I wish every day that it would die so I could justify buying a new (probably a French door) one. And if the model with the in-the-door ice and water dispenser would come down a little more in price, I might go ahead & buy one even if the current one is still working just fine – for what it does. That skinny freezer compartment is nearly useless…
Ellen
Hi, Lindsey
We built our new kitchen around our 36″ GE Monogram dual fuel range. It is by far the finest range I have ever used. The burners have plenty of power, yet offer full control down to the barest simmer. The oven racks are on rollers, and it has a griddle. You can even reverse the grate to hold a wok.
Lindsey, I know what you mean about side-side fridges. I just bought my first about six months ago, and find the freezer section pretty useless. Of course, I love the water/ice dispenser feature, and accept the negatives in exchange for that positive. I’ve really gotten to where I use my separate stand alone freezer for everything these days. It is a vertical unit, and fulfills all my needs. I actually only keep a few steaks in my freezer compartment of my fridge any more.