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Do have a strong opinion about appliances (DW, W/D)?
Our dishwasher choked last night. We decided we will buy a new one and also thought it may be a good time to get a washer and dryer too.
For the dishwasher, short of looking for one that fits the space and picking a finish, I don't know how to narrow things down. I lean towards mid-priced things to be "safe" but if you have a brand or model that you love, please share your thoughts!
For the washer and dryer, I am considering moving toward front loading and a stackable set. How user friendly is a stacked set? We are a tall family if that matters....They are currently in a corner of our kitchen behind bifold doors with shelves holding most of our pots and pans and other random stuff. I was thinking that if I stacked the washer and dryer, I could use the new floor to ceiling space for more efficient shelves and maybe a space to keep a mop and broom (which are now hanging out in the corner of the kitchen or in the basement). Thoughts, experiences, opinions?
Re: Do have a strong opinion about appliances (DW, W/D)?
H and I are total appliance snobs.
We just got GE Profile front loaders and they are AMAZING http://www.gerhardsappliance.com/ge-profile-pfws460.html. You could definitely have them stacked. We live in the Philadelphia burbs (close to Newtown) and we bought from a local place called Gerhards. They gave us a great deal (lower than the online price - you can bargain with them) and their customer service is outstanding.
When we get a new dishwasher, we're going with a double like this one http://www.amazon.com/Maytag-MDD8000AWS-Semi-Integrated-Dishwasher-Stainless/dp/B001L6EENQ
I hate when dishes sit around dirty for too long, so I want two bins that I can wash at different times.
I cared a lot more about my dw than my washer/dryer. I've replaced all of them in the last 2 or so years.
For the dishwasher, things I looked for were:
- QUIET. They have decibel ratings; I looked for as quiet as I could get.
- I wanted the handle and SS to coordinate more or less with the appliances I have.
- The one we picked has a 3rd row drawer for odd size small things which I like.
- Adjustable height glass drawer is clutch.
- Stainless steel tub.
We ended up choosing a Kitchen Aid Architect series dishwasher that was on the high end. We also looked at Bosch, primarily.
For the washer/dryer, frankly I didn't care very much. They go in the unfinished section of the basement, I hardly ever look at them, and they're not very exciting. We bought a GE Profile gas dryer, and a GE Profile top loader. For the dryer, I liked load sensing, large capacity, gas instead of electric, a good reliability rating, and a reasonable price. (Ours happened to be a scratch & dent.) For the washer, I obsessed about top vs. front load, but went with top because it was cheaper, I didn't care enough about washers to spend $$ for a front loader, and I didn't want to deal with mildew around the seal that I hear so much about with front loaders. The w/d were uninspired purchases, but I definitely don't regret not going fancier.
For the dishwasher I needed 2 things:
1- Start delay
2- fit my big noritake plates
After that, it came down to price, finish and I liked that the buttons were on top. We ended up with a kenmore elite.
We have LG stacked washer and dryer and after 4 years have no complaints. The "laundry room" is under the stairs, so we went with stackable so we could make the other part a pantry, since the previous owners just had about 5 of those wall mounted can holder racks as the pantry in that room.
ETA: I'm 5'4" and have no problem with the dryer being stacked.
Wives Unscripted
I don't have a strong preference on dishwashers, so I picked the cheapest one in the finish I wanted at Home Depot. The guy selling it to us said that they had it in the breakroom there and it was pretty quiet. It's not real quiet, but it's not real loud either. I only really run it at night after dinner, so it doesn't bother me since bedrooms aren't right next to the kitchen.
I have a stackable set that we've had for 4 years and I really like mine, but I'm also 5'1. I would go and see if you can find some models that are stacked and pretend to remove laundry from the washer and put it into the dryer to see if it'll be awkward. The good thing about the stackables is that you can unstack them. I'm not sure if you can have them unstacked without the pedestals, but a salesperson would know. Another thing to consider is if you can leave the washer door cracked open because you have to do it to keep it from smelling nasty in there and getting gross. I have a "room" for mine (quotes because it's only wide enough for the washer/dryer plus about 10 inches) so I can leave it cracked open and just close the door.
TTC Baby #2 - BFP on 12/14/11 @ 10DPO - CP confirmed 12/18/11
BFP #2 on 1/13/12
FYI: on some of the front loading washers...they can build up a stink (mildew) inside them so you have to leave the door open after each use to let them dry on a lot of models. That might interfere with your bi-fold door closing properly.
I'm short, so stackable would be out for me. But are you tall enough to reach in without a step stool to grab the little things like socks and undies what will be on the bottom of the machine?
To me, a washer and dryer can be pretty generic and non-exciting, like PP said. I'd put the bulk of your money toward your dishwasher. Ditto stainless steel tub and quiet.
For dishwashers, I don't have a specific brand opinion, but I will just say that there is a huge difference in how much noise they make. My mom's brand new one is so quiet, it is unreal. Maybe they have noise ratings that you can check?
I was told by an appliance person at HD that all front load w/d's can stack. I plan to do this the next time we buy, and then just put a small shelf or table in the emtpy space where the dryer used to be, to fold laundry on.
Also, don't spend a lot of money on a fancy dryer, IMO. In terms of energy efficiency there is virtually no difference, so you are just paying extra for lots of buttons. I don't know about you but I use exactly 2 settings on my dryer- hot and medium with the sensor dry. So I don't need to pay extra for 45 other settings.
I had a Whirlpool Calypso top loading HE washer from the early 2000s when we moved into our house. You couldn't pay me enough to have another one of those things. Seeing the Whirlpool DW comment above makes me suspect it might be the brand more than the type of appliance though.
We've had our LG front loaders for four years or so, and they are great. Our Maytag DW is OK. Nothing special, and it's loud, so we love having the delay so that it runs while we're asleep.
I am never buying a whirlpool again. I have a whirlpool quiet partner dishwasher that I hate. Our dishes never come out clean and we've replaced the heating element in it already (it's 4 years old, element went out at 3).
When we buy a new dishwasher it will be a bosch.