When you build your modular home, one of the things you are going to pick out is an appliance package, assuming you don't have appliances you want to move with you. We happened to have all stainless steel appliances that we were going to move with us. However, Ritz-Craft, the builder of our home, offered such a good deal on the new appliances, we couldn't pass it up.
Our stainless appliances were beautiful. But quite frankly, although we loved the look of the stainless, it took a lot of work to keep it looking good. For the majority of the time they looked more like a cloudy mirror with finger prints and dog nose smears all over them. If anything dried on it (like a lil blob of ketchup), I had to channel the strength of the Incredible Hulk to get it off. I know some people swear by stainless, and that it's easy to clean. Maybe, but did they have 5 kids and a dog?
Plus, because we could sell the old house with appliances included, it was better for our asking price.
Anyway, in the end, I'm glad we went with the package offered to us - in black - easier to clean, and doesn't show the grime and slime as much! Plus the black matches the paint of our distressed black kitchen island. It's a win-win!
Now, as you may have guessed, I am no expert on kitchen appliances, but I do have a couple of thoughts on picking them out (which probably will not land me a job in the appliance section of Home Depot):
Dishwasher: They have all kinds of upgraded dishwashers now. I'm pretty sure I saw an expensive model that had a "warm bath" setting for the kids, and a button that said: "steam lobsters to perfection". However, our dishwasher is the no bells and whistles kind. It may not have clever settings, but it gets the job done well, and FAST. I mean like 30 minutes and it's done. Plus, no pre-rinsing, and it gets pots and pans and casserole dishes clean. (Disclaimer: it will not get peanut butter off a knife, no matter what. But I'm pretty sure that's not just me. That makes me think... if the dishwasher can't get rid of PB, then how does your stomach?)
Refrigerator/Freezer. We have the side by side frige/freezer. When we moved in we thought we'd never have enough room in the refrigerator. After all, we have a house full. BUT, upon deep reflection, I realize it's not to bad. The shelves in the doors are wide and hold all of my condiments. (I'm not talking ketchup and mustard and a bottle of dressing. I'm talking I have a lil problem with buying every condiment known in the Western World. See:
(And that's only 3 of 6 shelves.)
Also, the shelves in the fridge are deep, so you can pack a lot of food and drinks. A 12 pack of
The freezer, however, is another story. I admit, I don't have a lot of extra room. We buy a lot of meat in bulk, but luckily (is that a word?), we do have an extra upright freezer in the basement where I keep club packs of meat, pizza, etc. Just something to think about if you tend to need a big freezer, you may want to consider a different style.
Oven. Here's my thought. Big fancy ovens like this from dreamstoves.com
look super cool! And I want one! But I can't afford one. And, unless you can afford it, why spend extra, cuz in general how much do you need? I mean, I was a caterer, and I managed just fine with a plain old oven! I'd set the temp, pre-heat, put the food in, and cook. Presto! The best thing about my current oven is that it pre-heats really fast, so that's handy, and makes me happy.
Stove top. I have a large enough stove top. But for holidays and big parties, I would like 6 burners - maybe some day.
Microwave. Well this is where we ended up with the king tut of microwaves. It can do almost everything. It bakes and roasts, has convection (whatever that is), and you can put metal in it. It also has the following buttons: steam, simmer, kids meals, baked potato, filet mignon with a red wine sauce (just joking on the filet) .... Whatever. I just use it to heat stuff up, mainly my coffee!
So there you have my expert opinion on kitchen appliances. Sears and Home Depot, if you're reading this, I'm sorry - I would make a terrible sales person!
Oh, one more thing: you should buy appliances with energy star - for the planet, and for you and your wallet! For more info, go here.
And, and one last thing (really!), please check out Ritz-Craft and the appliance packages they offer here. While you're on their website, check out the rest of their info! (I love my new home and want to give credit, where credit is due!)
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