Crown Heights Reno

« what's cookin' thank you & buried treasures!!!!!! »

March 25, 2007

good morning, mr. phelps...

one of the next big hurdles is appliances.

the reality is that 25 years ago i moved into a loft that had formerly belonged to a caterer. the focal point of the kitchen was a 10 burner commercial garland range with 2 ovens, no salamander, no broiler, a hood that wasn't hooked up and it was a bitch to clean.
the double porcelain sink had come off the street and when i left, the original kitchenaid dishwasher was still running. the only appliance that i replaced was a glass doored restaurant refrigerator and my criteria at that point in time for a new one was to get the largest freezer i could find (i was a photographer and i kept my color paper & film, yes film, in the freezer.)
i cook a lot and i was perfectly happy with this setup...

but now i am agonizing over every appliance
and this confuses me far more than tile.
i am not, at ♥ , a consumer

so,
your mission,
should you choose to accept,
is to weigh in on the previous 4 posts
with any feelings/experiences/wisdom you care to share:
stoves/ovens
refrigerators
laundry
fixtures

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.brownstoner.com/mte/mt-tb.cgi/805

Comments

Boooooooring

Posted by: aha at March 26, 2007 1:16 AM

@ aha

and so is life sometimes...
if you can manage to get one,
you will come to understand this
cheers

Posted by: ms. crown heights reno at March 26, 2007 7:04 AM

Despite aha's comment and for Ms. Crown Heights; I don't find any of this boring. I find it very exciting to see what choices you have to make, and I'm interested in what you will end up with. I don't have the time or knowledge to assist with these choices, nevertheless, I look forward to reading the results!

I never post but I think you should know your hard work and effort regarding this blog is appreciated by a silent few (or many?). Keep up the good work!

Posted by: Bonnie at March 26, 2007 12:49 PM

Having not yet chosen my own kitchen appliances, I can't offer any help on that, except to say that I hate the way range tops look without an oven underneath. But that's just me.

I do, however, have a strong opinion about washers and dryers. We went with the Whirlpool Duet HT, and I am LOVING them! The capacity is huge (think 15 bath towels or a queen-sized comforter), there are enough cycle choices without it being overwhelming, they are relatively quiet, and you can put the most delicate hand washables in there. I haven't used a single lingerie bag since we got the washer, because they're just not necessary. And, the dryer has a rack you can put in to dry sweaters and sneakers without tumbling them - great for all that "dry flat" stuff. There's also a two hour "wrinkle guard" cycle, great for when you forget to get the clothes out right away.

With my old front loader (a Maytag Neptune that was horrible and broke three times in four years), if we put laundry in at night it would smell mildewy by the next morning. No problems like that with the Duet. I've left wet stuff in for more than 24 hours and it smelled OK. You do have to absolutely, positively use HE detergent. I found this out the hard way when I tried using a small amount of regular Woolite, and I got the "SUDS" warning that stops the washer and keeps adding small amounts of water until the suds have dissipated.

If I had one tiny complaint, it's that bulky items (blankets, pillows) often do not dry completely when set on the driest sensor setting. Easy to fix, you just do a timed dry to get the extra moisture out. But normal loads - clothes, sheets, towels, etc. - dry the appropriate amount every time (there are three different dryness settings). Definitely not a reason not to buy it, just thought I'd mention it. But everything else is great. Everything goes in a dispenser - powder or liquid detergent, fabric softener, liquid bleach - and the dispenser is always rinsed out cleanly by the end of the load.

If only I could get the Duet to fold my clothes I'd be all set. Expensive, but worth every penny.

Posted by: Amy at March 27, 2007 9:33 AM

Previous owner of our house left behind a six-burner Garland commercial stove. Based on some of the markings, it was manufactured circa the mid-1950s or so and it's still going strong. It's a great looking stove, but not exactly a pristine beauty after years of real use. We cook a lot, and it's nice to have a stove you don't have to fuss over and worry about every litle spill. (My non-cook brother has one of those dopey glass-top electric jobs and is afraid to cook, or let anyone else cook anything.) I guess what I'm getting around to saying is, pick a stove that can be a real stove and not just a stainless steel art piece.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 27, 2007 10:08 AM

I bought everything at PC Richards in Astoria and there is a wonderful guy by the name of Mohammed there who has an encyclopedic knowledge of appliances and was extremely helpful when I had construction delays and problems and could not take delivery of the stuff I bought for a couple of months.

Posted by: donatella at March 31, 2007 11:12 PM

So funny-- we bought mid range whirlpool and GE appliances 8 years and have never had any problems or service calls. Maybe you pay more for the higher end models so that you can brag about them

Posted by: Anonymous at April 2, 2007 8:36 AM