You've just discovered one of the realities of researching online: dissastisfied customers are usually much noisier than satistified ones. Not everybody likes Consumer Reports (you do have to be careful to read the details to see if they've tested what matters to *you*) but they're the only source I know of for objective brand reliability data. CR should work particularly well for you since you're looking at the brands they concentrate on. You can look for the right magazine issues at your local library but it's far easier to get up-to-date info by subscribing online. You can sign up for a year for something like $25 or month-to-month for $6 per - and then cancel after a month if you like. Be sure to check the reliability data for each type of appliance - GE might make great ovens but lousy dishwashers, for example.

I have subscribed to Cr. But then you see all the people who disagree with their ratings. ARGHH!!! :^) I finally have decided to look at their overall brand reliability ratings and kind of go from there. Good option?

Brand reliability could be misleading, I would tend to want as much data, as I could find, on their "Particular appliances" Ie Fridges, Cooktops, Ovens, etc etc.
Some companies can excell on certain types of appliances, but fall, way short on others. Couple examples, Electrolux, Wev'e had their 30 inch Convection/regular wall oven for 3 years now, trouble free--same for their Speed oven, and their wine cooler--but we see a lot of negative comments on their Fridges---that could be "Past Tense"-problems, but I sure would do my best to find out , before I bought one. I went with Jenn-air, was Top consumer rated both for function and reliability, but we see quite a few negatives posted here about their cooktops and stoves. About the only appliance maker that I see "Consistently" rated highly, here, (Not so much on Consumer Reports) is Miele Folks seem to be happy whether it is a Miele Dishwaser, Stove, or Induction Cooktop.
I do have a Miele Optima Dishwasher and We really like it,but I preferred the features and the cost of the Electrolux ovens better than the Miele, and it , (Like all of our appliances, cept a very expensive cooktop, all have beenh trouble free----and to finally answer your "original question" yes we are happy with our appliances and would make the same choices again!

Gary

My appliances are new but so far I love my GE Profile fidge, GE Profile Trivection double ovens and KA 30" 5 burner cooktop. I also got a new KA dishwasher and its good but the other appliances exceeded my expectations.

I LOVE love love my 36" GE profile induction cooktop. It is one of my favorite things. I'm also very happy with my electrolux double ovens, my KA counter depth fridge and my panasonic microwave. Also love my breville toaster.

Not crazy about my bosch dw, and it is one of their 'better' models. Go figure.

so yes, there are good mid-level appliances to be found. In fact, I wonder how much better the top-level commercial grade appliances truly perform. I've been making some pretty tasty dinners in our new kitchen!

When you look at CR's brand reliability ratings, for the most part you won't see significant variations. Median problem rate across all appliances except fridges with ice makers seems to be around 9%, with most brands not being too much better or worse than that. Fridges with icemakers, while less reliable than their non-ice counterparts, are again pretty close to one another. Each to his own, but such close reliability ratings wouldn't sway me. There are some outliers like F&P dishwashers that I'd probably avoid. Aside from that though, I'd be more interested in hearing people's take on practical performance, features, etc.

You make a good point Ya think.
Have read a few complaints about some of the newer ovens taking "Forever" to heat and some to cool down. Would be interesting to have a Thread (Post) like you said, "features" and real live performance out of our peoples choices here. We do have one on Blue Star, but I quit reading that, I gained 5 pounds after all that good cooking (LOL)

Gary

Well, the KA appliances (low end) would be at the top end of my budget. I've looked at those and they are still in the running but I'm also looking at other options. My local appliance store (I live in a small community about 2 hours from the nearest city so there are only 2 stores)also has some Frigidaire ranges I really like. I've had Whirlpool appliances and they've been fine but have had minor issues with all of them (nothing too big). DW I'm looking at include the lower end Bosch, KA, and Frigidaire. Fridge is where I'm really stuck. I want a FD but can't decide between having ice/water in the door, just water, or neither. I also would like stainless but am kind of scared about the fingerprints. (have a 5 and 8 year old). Frigidaire coats theirs with something that makes it not show but haven't found another brand that does (and Frigidaire doesn't make FD fridges). I"m looking at Kenmore, KA, LG, and Samsung.

I'm to the point I need to get appliances ordered so I need to make some decisions this week--kind of stressing about it a little! Thanks for the input (and for letting me vent!)

Our old Fridge, A GE, had ice and water thru the door, even crushed ice---but that didnt work that long, even thou I fixed it myself a few times after finding out GE had no parts for it. It you study posts here, or do any kind of research, CR, Epinions etc etc, you will find most thru the door icemakers and water dispensers still leave a lot to be desired reliability wise and some have caused flooding in the kitchen our old one did spring a leak too and you always have water spots to clean up, We decided not to order that again when we bought our new Jenn-air 48" built in fridge and we dont miss either (ice or water) thru the door one bit. We keep bottles of water in the fridge so no biggie to grab one or the ice from inside the freezer. You usually "Pay dearly" for these options (Ice and water thru the door) and if you are budgeting, Here's a good place to save---spend the money on a larger fridge if you have the room.

Good Luck

Gary

Thanks Gary. We are thinking about just installing an under-the-sink water filter (DH drinks LOTS of water and I drink lots of tea). The ice dispenser in our current SxS fridge hasn't worked in about 5 years so I'm used to sticking my hand in the freezer for ice. Just would have to get used to bending down and pulling out a drawer instead!

LOVE my GE Profile induction cooktop that I paired with the GE Profile Convection wall oven and the GE Advantium 120. Great combo for my family of four....

All of my new appliance are less than a year old. We finished the reno in Nov '08.

Double-oven Maytag range met all of my expectations. I have been roasting and baking more often since the smaller oven doesn't heat up the kitchen as much. There were no reviews on it but I took a chance since it was the best option for me in terms of features.

The fridge is working out very well. It's LG CD FD. There is a thread here with really bad reviews on it though.

Kenmore dishwasher is a dud - unrepairable.

Advantium MW is great. Can't say I use the speedbake function that often but it works very well. I only bought it because of reviews on this forum.

This is a great thread! I'm going through the same issues, and it is a daunting task to pick out a kitchen full of appliances! I am getting burnt out from reading and researching!

We have a local, family-owned appliance business here that I feel comfortable dealing with. They deliver and service everything and give the best pricing. I asked the owner (the son) what he has in his kitchen, and he as all Kitchen Aid appliances. They have very little issues with these. I figured that is a good sign, and will probably go with KA (and maybe an electrolux gas stove) since that is where my budget is too.

Well, so far I have had slightly better luck with cheaper appliances. I really loved my Maytag dishwasher and have had nothing but trouble with the Kueberbusch (which evidently is a rebranded high-end Bosch) I now have. My new Samsung fridge is wonderful (the one with french doors and the large internal capacity), and I have actually never had a problem with a fridge. I've never had a high-end one.

I do like my Bosch washer and dryer a lot, I have to say, but they aren't noticeably more wonderful than the others I have had that were cheaper. The LG I also have (I have two washers, long story) is also really nice.

I think that (1) a few companies make everything these days, and (2) there is so much competition in the products, so honestly most appliances are really good. In fact, the only appliances I hear people complain consistently about are subzero and viking. You don't always get what you pay for...

Although my new appliances are still on order, I encountered an interesting thing when I started asking the "professionals" what appliances they had in their own homes. Although most of the appliances ran the gamut from Kitchenaid to Wolf, NO ONE had anything made by Viking and every single one of them has a Miele dishwasher...and loves it. These "professionals" are all the people at 3 different appliance stores, my builder, the lady we bought our cabinets from and 3 other cabinet place ladies. That's a lot of people in the business and they all have the same DW - says a lot!

Trying to decide on appliance brands (and I'm more of a Frigidaire/Kenmore/Whirlpool budget than Wolf/Subzero/Miele).

My Bosch dishwasher was about $850. Not as fancy as a Miele but it cleans well and quietly, and is less expensive. The stainless finish is very easy to keep clean. Also happy with my Bosch side-by-side fridge but I know most people don't want a SxS.

Our appliances are all over 4 years old and work just fine.
Refrig - Maytag S x S stainless steel, ice and water dispenser - 26 cubic foot volume. Works great, cleans easily. Most don't like side by side but it works for us and we like it.

Range - Bosch slide in electric, smooth surface cooktop, convection/ regular oven with warming drawer - stainless steel. What a fantastic unit! Convection is the only way to cook and the warming drawer is great for parties and holidays.

Dishwasher - Bosch. Absolutely the best. Quiet, efficient.

Micro - Bosch OTR. Works very well and is used quiet a bit in our household. Exhaust fan is a little noisy but not bad.

Purchased all the appliances at a Mom and Pop store in our local community. Got a great price on all units and service is exceptional.

Enjoy the journey.
eal51 in western CT

I'm waffling between the Bosch dw, KA dw, and Frigidaire dw. I'm also having the most trouble deciding on a FD fridge. LIke one of the above posters, I'm also burnt out from reading and researching! THanks for the continued responses.

I have the bottom of the line Bosch DW and dislike it. It started off great, and cleaned well, but now has gotten fickle. I have to dry out the detergent cup completely before I add the powder, and sometimes it gets stuck on "1" on the digital display and won't finish the cycle. Also, the regular cycle takes two hours, which to me is ridiculously long. I wouldn't spend the money on a Bosch DW. I have a Kenmore dryer and I paid extra for the "moisture sensor" feature which doesn't even work.
I do love my SubZero (was in the house when we bought it). Just purchased a Wolf gas cooktop but can't comment on it as it is only a week old! Good luck!

To be frank we do love our Electrolux Icon appliances (so far). Our kitchen before had all the high end brand (Thermador, Sub-Zero, Gaggeneau). You know what they were all repair prone. The sub zero needed at least an annual fix of at least $250+. The Gaggeneau needed a nearly $1000 repair and the Thermador just decided not to work one day... We've had much better luck with mainstream appliances (GE, etc).

Well, I am in refrigerator love with my Kenmore Elite FD with water on the door. Love it. Food stays fresher in this than anything I've had before. It's less than a year old, so still crossing fingers.
I'm probably going with Whirlpool for the DW cause I want room in the bottom and you can put the utensil bin on the door or anywhere else you want. And they have a good track record. I'm getting the one with stainless interior. Range will likely be the Kenmore TOL slide in. It has the most features for the money if I buy during one of the friends and family sales. If I don't hit the F & F sale, then I'm getting the KA slide in. Costs the same as the Kenmore.

ooh, this is good! It is sooo hard to pick - I am in the same boat - really looking for the dual fuel around 2,500 and under - seeing now KA - hmm, off to check on that.

We bought a CD Samsung fridge for $550 canadian & an Electrolux propane range, so far I love both of them. The fridge is the perfect size for us & I like the 3 drawers in the freezer. It makes it easy to keep things organized.

I didn't get the dual fuel, I didn't want to pay the premium for it. Also the repair man I spoke to warned me against 2 different technologies in one appliance. Apparently he feels they are more repair prone.

IMO they are sort like cars. I have the money, I drive Volvo's. Some people buy Hyundai's. They both get you from one point to another. But the Volvo, BMW, MB, etc is gonna cost at least twice as much.

Five years ago we purchased $18,000 worth of Viking Appliances - fridge / 6 burner range & grill / hood and roof mounted exhauster / disposer. They have great fit and finish, have top notch construction, from quality materials. The controls / lighting for the hood / refrig / oven are spectacular. The Miele dishwasher is great, as is the Smeg oven.

The other thing you can say for Viking, Wolf, SubZero, etc is that they are made in the US. I personally wouldn't buy applicances made in 3rd world countries (Whirlpool is made in Mexico.)

However more expensive equipment requires more expensive repairs. If you want the Mercedes, then you will pay for Mercedes repairs.

Due to globalization and corporate greed, you can no longer depend upon a nameplate. These 'names' are regularlly sold. One factory may make three or four different branded appliances, from essentially the same internal parts.

The OP seems to be down to DW & refrigerator choices, but I though I'd give a brief summary of our "mid-level" appliances:

GE Profile 36" Refrigerator (CD/FD w/water in door) (PFCS1NJWSS): So far, we've had no problems with it and other than adjusting to the smaller size have been very pleased with it. I like the bottom freezer better than our old top freezer as the bottom one has 3 drawer compartments so I see more and can arrange things better. I don't recommend ice in the door for two reasons (1) the ice dispenser in our old GE Profile refrigerator died after a year or two and (2) the ice maker & dispenser take up valuable refrigerator space. The refrigerated section of a 36" CD refrigerator is already small enough, the last thing you want to do is take up more space w/an ice maker & dispenser.

GE Profile 30" Trivection Double Ovens (JT980SKSS): Top oven has Trivection (speed cook/broil) and both have convection, I love these ovens! They are probably my favorite appliance! Trivection is wonderful, cutting most baking, roasting, or broiling by half to 2/3 or so...very useful since both my DH & I work outside the home.

GE Profile 30" Warming Drawer (PTD915SMSS): Does just what I need it to do...not much else to say! Note: install this next to or under your range/cooktop, not in an oven stack (unless that stack is next to your cooktop/range.) People who put them next to their range/cooktop use them far more than those that don't.

KA Dishwasher (KUDS03STSS): This is the one appliance I'm really disappointed with. We have to wash everything on "Heavy Duty" and even then the flatware isn't always clean.

GE Profile 36" Electric Smoothtop Cooktop (PP962SMSS): It performs well enough but the black surface isn't as easy to keep clean as my old GE Profile Convection range's was...it had a speckled top. Two features I really like about it are the warming zone (keep warm) and bridge element. The bridge element allows me to use a griddle to span the two 7" elements. The bridge element is a heating element b/w those two 7" elements.

Vent-A-Hood 42" Range/Vent Hood (SEPH18-242): This might not be a "mid-level", but I'm very pleased with it. Even though we have a less than ideal installation (interior wall w/probably 12 or 13 feet of duct run, conversion from round to rectangular ducting, and 4 turns), it really isn't too loud. Yes, it does make some noise and if you're standing in front of it while it's on high you do have to turn the TV up some, but it's so much quieter & effective than my old, ineffective hood!

Sharp 30" MW Drawer (KB-6025MS): This also is probably not mid-level, but it works great and solved a design problem (no tall cabinet space for a MW). Sensor cook cooks just about everything perfectly and has quite a few nice features like melt & soften. If you go w/a MW drawer, get the 24" one instead of the 30". They're both exactly the same size inside; the 30" just has more...

I honestly doubt that all of the high end appliances are made in the U.S. At least components of them are bound to be made somewhere else. Truly high-end stuff comes out of Korea and China-- it's just that a lot of low-end stuff does, too. I might decide something was definitely higher-end if it was made in toto in Germany or Switzerland, but I don't think that I would decide something was definitely low end if it wasn't made in a western european country, or in the U.S.

For that matter the BMW I had for a few years was awful. And don't get me started on the US-made cars I have known... I don't have one, but all the experts say Hyundai's are excellent these days.

I can't see a single difference in quality between my LG washer and my Bosch washer. The funny thing is I thought they were really different and that the Bosch was much nicer until I moved them side by side into a new laundry room (they were separated before-- long story) and now if someone told me that LG made both of them I would not be surprised. They are pretty much identical, including fit and finish.

Like with everything else, it's complicated!

I do know I would trade this expensive new German dishwasher I just got that has never washed a single dish and now has to be replaced after many service visits and "waiting for parts" with my Maytag that was a dream and always worked.

I hated my KA top of the line DW, and got them to take it back. I loved my Bosch, and when just recently put one in my new remodel. I agree to a point about very high-end stuff. To me, there's no value in a Miele over a DW half the price. How do you justify a $2k dishwasher?
Also hated my KA double convections, but I got used to them. Beware the "THE" hidden element thingy that helped me burn food for the first few weeks. YUCK.

I cook a lot and got the AGA Legacy duel fuel. It works great, and my decision was based largely due to the look of it which was unequalled for my Victorian kitchen. But the ovens are so tiny that they are absurdly unpractical. A HUGE inconvience.

It's inherent in the process that when you get the thing home you find out what you don't like about it. I like my Kenmore Elite French door fridge, but WOW it's annoying that once you get some cold water from the door, it refills with room-temp water and for several hours, it's warm water coming out. Takes waaay too long to chill it.

We just remodeled our kitchen and got all new SS GE Profile appliances. (slide-in stove, counter depth fridge, dishwasher and microwave) I love them. The DW is so-ooo quite I actually had to open it to make sure it was on.

I'm extremely pleased with my top of the line KA dishwasher (KUDE60. KUDE70 is higher but only comes in stainless and custom panels).
I'm also very happy with my KA Architect I slide in convection range w/ warming drawer.
GE Artica fridge...eh. It's more than adaquate but I'm not giddy over it.
andreanewengland, would be interested in knowing what you didn't like about your dw and range.
I was going to buy a Bosch (shx68 Integra) but was not keen on how much smaller the tub was and lack of tine configurations.
Monica

I love my appliances! We (mostly) finished our remodel a little over a year ago, and I agonized over appliance choices. We went with a Jenn Air pro style range, so decided to go with same style OTR micro and FD frig. I love the style and functionality of the range-simmer burner works very well, broiler is excellent, oven heats quickly, and the top and front clean easily. I'm looking forward to experimenting with some of the other functions such as convection that I really haven't had a chance to try.
We chose a Bosch mid-range DW, and I love that too. It cleans even better than my old KA, which I thought was great. I did feel that it took some experimentation in loading it, but it does actually seem to be able to hold more dishes than the KA because they're closer together. I only scrape off any excess food and don't rinse the dishes.

Funny you should ask. I had just been saying that I should come back to this forum and post an update on our appliance choices (many of which were made based on these discussions) after four years of daily use.

The good: Love our KitchenAid ovens, especially the Ultima Cook feature on the microwave. You'll have to pry that oven from my cold, dead hands.

The Kenmore Elite French door fridge is great, just as advertised.

I also like our GE Monogram trash compactor. Never had one before - very convenient.

The bad: I will never buy another Bosch appliance, ever. The gas cooktop and the mid-range dishwasher were our "splurges", and they've both been a disappointment. The SS finish on the cooktop scratched immediately, and the screws
connecting the little round burner covers came loose and in some cases, disappeared. Not a major annoyance, but a quality issue that you might expect on a low-end appliance, but not on a higher-end one. The dishwasher is just plain awful. I have to SCRUB the dishes before I put them in the dishwasher. Never again!

The ugly: Our Futura range hood has a serious design flaw - the control buttons keep getting pushed into the housing, rendering them inoperable. We've already replaced them once, and now the same thing's happening again. This is not an appliance that will be easy or inexpensive to replace, so we're just going to have to keep fixing it until we win the lottery. DO NOT BUY A RANGE HOOD FROM FUTURA!

The merely annoying: A year or so ago, I posted here looking for a toaster. My needs were simple: I wanted something that would toast four slices of bread at once, would be reasonably consistent, and would not send pieces of toast flying across the counter. Several posters recommended the Breville, so I bought one. Big mistake. Ours is now the House of Flying Burnt Toast.

This has been great! Thanks everyone for your opinions. I too, have been frustrated with a lack of positive feedback out there (and have at times been that vocal objector).
BUT: I love my Kenmore Elite DW, as well as the Kenmore Elite double wall ovens. Unfortunately the DW got zapped by a lightning strike recently (not the ovens) and we just replaced it with the new version of the Kenmore Elite with the HE feature (I think its made my maytag) and I like it even better. The baskets slide much easier and its even quieter (if that's even possible) than the old one, plus with the HE feature it uses less energy!

The Kenmore Elite electric wall ovens get used almost everyday, have several racks with multiple placement possibilities, is super easy to program, the broiler is fantastic, and the convection feature works like a charm!

I love my GE appliances. From dishwasher to refrigerator. I am one of those people with sob stories about Kenmore.