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jasonsull

Am I crazy to consider full Hestan suite of appliances?

6 years ago

Until a week ago, I was not familiar with Hestan. My contractor mentioned he was installing a range soon for one of his jobs and said it looked stunning. I did my research and really like their mission. Dishwashers are made by AGA and refrigeration by Fhiaba is what I found. Heard good things about both from limited research again. So I am thinking 36" gas range, 30" wall oven, 30" drawer microwave, dishwaser, 24" refrigerator column and 18" freezer column all by Hestan (dishwasher and microwave free per their 2020 promo). I would be putting a lot of eggs in that basket but the warranty looks solid. The question is, am I nuts? Anybody have experience with the brand? Thanks!

Comments (70)

  • 6 years ago

    Great info—thank you! Yes range plus 2nd wall oven. The Miele oven was so nice. Im not sure the aesthetic will work for me though. (I know, shallow) for the microwave, we just use to reheat and want something basic. We’re on our 3rd drawer style microwave (that’s what fits in our space) in 4 years in our current house so won’t go that route or Sharp made products again.

  • 6 years ago

    I’m in OR. Wolf is a very nice product. I can’t completely put my finger on why it didn’t make my top choices, but it just wasn’t my favorite so I didn’t do as much research on it either so can’t speak to the pros/cons.

  • 6 years ago

    Did anyone pull the trigger on the Hestan yet?

  • 6 years ago

    I'm about to pull the trigger on 48" range and the full size wine and 36" refrigerator combination , free dishwasher and draw microwave.


  • 5 years ago

    I pulled the trigger. 48” Range , wall oven, Dishwasher and microwave. Went with a 48“ Sub Zero for the fridge. Just ordered so will take some time .

  • 5 years ago

    I purchase every indoor appliance and I’m waiting to get them installed. This included 48” range top, double wall oven, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, beverage fridge and ice maker. I did a ton of research, went to a cooking school to check them out, and spoke directly with the regional rep. I feel good about my choice but only time will tell!

  • 5 years ago

    I forgot to mention because of the incentives offers the dishwasher and Microwave were free. Ultimately it was only about 5k more than a kitchen aid complete kitchen but significantly less than wolf/subzero.

  • 5 years ago

    We're building a house in Oregon and have decided to go with a Hestan kitchen. We also looked at Thermador, Jenn Air, Monogram, Viking and Wolf, and for us, the total package of the Hestan won out. Looks are a personal thing, but to me, they're the best looking appliances, full stop. The range specifically is out of this world. The deal was also good with the free hood liner and dishwasher with the purchases of the range and fridge. We are getting the 36" dual fuel range w. 30K BTU center burner, a 42" vent hood liner, the 36" top compressor fridge, and the dishwasher. We are also getting a speed oven, which Hestan doesn't make, so we went with Thermador for that as I didn't think the Miele was worth an additional $1200. The house isn't done until March, but I'll post more thoughts when we're in the house and living with them day to day.

  • 5 years ago

    Please let us know we are also in Hestan consideration mode- specifically for the range, but they are "giving" the dishwasher-- which I would not have considered- has anyone used the diswasher--

  • 5 years ago

    We have the dishwasher and we love it. It’s well designed and very quite. We weren’t looking either as we loved our top of the line kitchen aid. I will tell you that it exceeded my expectations!

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Following as well as I'm considering the 48" range. Can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts!

  • 5 years ago

    My only regret is going Sub Zero for the Fridge and its super backordered. Should have gone Hestan.




  • 5 years ago

    I cannot speak for other appliances for certain, but for the refrigerator, Hestan seems to be all about form and not function. The refrigerator we purchased has had lots of issues, including cracked eggs due to freezing on the bottom shelf (38°F setting), insufficient ice, and finally having to shut the icemaker off completely from dumping just water into the ice tray. The top shelf of the freezer automatically slides back, too, which is irritating.


    Not what I would expect from a $12k appliance. Should have gone Subzero. This looks nicer, but is much worse than what it replaced.

  • 5 years ago

    One of the things that most people don't realize about appliances is that only some of them are made in-house. All the appliance brands buy at least part of their products from other vendors and rebadge them. Sometimes this works OK. But frequently, there is a noticeable difference in quality.

    So, if you want best overall performance, you should mix'n'match different brands. Get the dishwasher and CSO from Miele, the gas range from LaCanche or Bluestar, the fridge from SubZero, the hood from VentAHood or ModernAire, ...

    I don't know enough about Hestan to tell which of their appliances are made by them and which ones are outsourced. But that would be useful to research.

    Sometimes, it still makes sense to buy the rebadged product, if they add value by improving on the aesthetics. Sounds as if Hestan is really good about this. And that might sway the decision in their favor.

  • 5 years ago

    I hear you M . But yeah the Design element is huge factor for personal enjoyment and certainly the value of a well designed home .

  • 5 years ago

    You do know that Bluestar can make their ranges in any color you ask for? And if you pay for their precious metal series, you can get a nicely designed range with all the cool features of that brand. Or if you really want something unique, go for LaCanche.

    As for the other panel-ready appliances, you should be able to get them in custom colors, even if the manufacturer doesn't offer this out of the box (many do). A local metal fabricator can easily make you a panel that you can powder coat any color you like.

    I am not saying you absolutely shouldn't buy Hestan. But I just wanted to point out that you don't have to feel locked in, if design is a high priority. There are plenty of options, if you are willing to spend money on design.

  • 5 years ago

    So I’ve posted in another thread who is the manufacturer of the Hestan appliances. We have the refrigerator and haven’t had any issues whatsoever it or the ice maker.

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    How do Hestan, Fisher Paykel and Bosch compare. looking at 36" freestanding range Hestan or Fisher Paykel and then Bosch/Fisher Paykel for all remainder appliances. Hesitation on Hestan is price and too much color comparied to panel ready or black stainless.

  • 4 years ago

    All I can say is that we love our full Hestan Kitchen.

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    gorgeous! thank you for the vote of support :-)

  • 4 years ago

    I just bought a refrigerator from them and the freezer came not working. They said in the warranty dept that they just don't know anyone that does repairs because it is a closed loop system. It is a piece of junk!

  • 4 years ago

    I don’t know about their kitchen appliances, but I purchased a Heston grill and have been disappointed with it. It has inconsistent temperatures over the same element resulting in numerous hot and cold spots, which makes grilling a real pain.
    It is built like a tank, and has some thoughtful features, like lighting inside the hood which is great for nighttime cooking, but I wouldn’t get another one.

  • 4 years ago

    Could you please elaborate on the hot and cold spots? Over which burner type(s)? Do the ceramic/steel inserts not smooth out the heat level? Hestan is my current grill selection, so your comments concern me greatly.

  • 4 years ago

    @pattileone: "I just bought a refrigerator from them and the freezer came not working. They said in the warranty dept that they just don't know anyone that does repairs..."

    If you have the Hestan KRPR36/KRPL36 then it appears to be a lightly-modified Fulgor Milano F7PBM36S1R/L. Perhaps Fulgor can provide you the name of a company that can repair your refrigerator.

  • 4 years ago

    @TXGuy I have the 36" Built-In grill with the infrared sear burner and two trellis burners with the heavy diamond cut grates.

    I love the rotisserie, both aesthetically and functionally, I've had great results with it.

    The automatic stadium lights and the hood that will stay in the position you leave it in are some of the reasons I bought the grill, as well as the flippable briquette tray, grate heft, etc.

    I have had some difficulty with basic grilling because the heat does not seem to be distributed as uniformly across the surface of the grill as I expected. I do a fair amount of shuffling things around to keep them cooking evenly.

    However, I live near the ocean where salty air wreaks havoc on everything, and my grill, which is out in the open, looks fantastic after 4 years.





  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    @TXGuy, meant to say that the Sear Burner is great, it's over the trellis burner/Briquette area that I'm experiencing more temperature variation than I expected. Not terrible, but more than I was expecting from a grill with this price and reputation.

  • 4 years ago

    Thanks so much for the additional comments. I am glad your grill is holding up well; my salt water pool has my Viking grill looking rough. If I end up with the Hestan (likely) I will be on the lookout for for hot and cold spots. I wonder if this issue is less pronounced with the 42" model (the one I would get) since it adds a fourth burner yet increases in size only 6"? The burners are closer together, so perhaps the heat is more uniform.

  • 4 years ago

    I've never purchased Hestan kitchen appliances before and so I wanted to give them a try this time. I've ordered the Hestan Smart Induction cooktop, single wall oven, microwave drawer, and a dishwasher from Appliances Connection. Big mistake ever. Appliances Connection charged my credit card immediately even though the items were not available for shipping and are still on backorder as of today. My kitchen remodel project was put on hold for a long time because of. After waiting about 10 weeks or more, I've finally received the induction cooktop only. I was so excited and could not wait to try it out. Right after the installation, we did the test the very first time, and one of the back burners failed to power on. I immediately called Hestan customer service, they picked up the phone and advised me to email the information and someone will get back to me. Emailed them per their request and no one contacted me. I waited a few days and called them back. This time they promised to have a service agent to call at the end of the day. A month went by and still nothing. I then had to contact Appliances Connection to see if I can return the defective unit. I was advised that once the unit is installed, they don't accept the return even though it was a defective unit. Is this how people doing business nowadays? This is not just a few hundred dollars order. They took my money, 3 months after they shipped the defective unit, and didn't want to do anything to correct the issue or refund my money. What a rip off. I am going to report to BBB and hire a lawyer to get my money back. Save yourself money and headache, please tell your family and friends to stay away from doing business with Appliances Connection and do not buy any Hestan products. They do not stand behind their products.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Dishwasher 1 year-old


  • 3 years ago

    As a follow up to my comment above, I waited all this time for a new refrigerator, since my Hestan arrived not working over a year ago. They promised I would have the new refrigerator by the end of Jan of this year, 2023. Now they just changed it to Feb of next year., 2024 It is clear to me this company is going to go out of business at this rate. They have no one to service their refrigerators and don't stand by their products. My appliance company is going to have to eat this refrigerator cost and replace it with a Viking. I doubt they will continue to rep companies where they lose money.

  • 3 years ago

    @pattileone How could there possibly be a 2 year wait for a new refrigerator? What are they giving you as a reason?

  • 3 years ago

    @User Any additional information would be appreciated. My current plan is to get a Hestan grill, but this thread is making me reconsider.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    From what I learned in this forum, kitchen appliances are an interesting industry. You need metal working, you need electronics, you need expertise in making each type of appliance that consumers demand, you need a logistics network to get your product to the consumer, you need a service network, and you probably need a ton of other support infrastructure.

    And surprisingly, each one of these parts of the business can be bought from someone else. This means that almost every vendor outsources at least some aspects. Often, that's the service network. But just as frequently, that's buying designs or even fully functional appliances from third parties. Making something like a fridge or a dishwasher takes a lot of specialized expertise. It doesn't make sense for a small boutique vendor to make these appliances from scratch, even if they know how to make wonderful stoves, vent hoods, or grills.

    This is why this sub generally advocates against buying a suite of appliances from a single vendor. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I don't have any first-hand experience with Hestan, but I got the impression that they primarily started out with really good metal working. That's awesome. That's what you want for some types of appliances. So, I wouldn't have a problem buying this brand for appliances that are relatively simple from a mechanical point of view but benefit from attention to detail and higher-quality finishes in the metal. A grill probably falls into this category.

    But I would buy my fridge, dishwasher, microwave, or other more complex appliances from somebody who makes this their core strength, as opposed to from somebody who re-skins a generic product that they source from a third party.

  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Sharing my experience:

    I purchased a model KRG365-NG from an authorized seller with a good reputation.

    (A 36 Inch Freestanding Professional Gas Range with 4 Dual-Flow Burner System, 5.8 Cu. Ft. Capacity)

    Installation date: April 2022.

    My household's experience with Hestan has left us with a bad taste for the company. (And we are really good cooks ;-) )

    Their appliances look beautiful externally; internally... well that's a whole other story:

    The oven door has been causing issues since nearly the first time it was used. Some of the knobs at the top become extremely hot to the touch (enough that one requires oven mitts to adjust certain knobs while in operation if one isn't excited about a trip to the local ER). Unfortunately, Hestan's service repair technician has attempted to adjust the door but it seems to get misaligned and needs adjustment shortly after or he hasn't actually fixed the problem.

    Scheduling repeated service repair visits that take several weeks to implement, (no fault to the repair dudes) I assume is a deliberate business
    decision intended to string along disgruntled consumers until they get
    exhausted from keeping up with the saga, or they get deported,
    immigrate to Finland, convert to outdoor brick oven cooking, lose their
    memory, or other stuff happens making this recede into the background; dragging on the case by scheduling repeated visits for the same issue, interchanged with executing a non-response policy till the pesky issue
    of a valid warranty expires, is intentional. And brings to Case Closed.

    BTW: The repair technician is nice, polite, responsive, respectful, and
    sympathetic -- we're on a first-name level of familiarity at this point,
    on the verge of sharing a beer every first Tuesday of the month!)

    Re: warranty service issue,

    Hestan hasn't been responsive with timely communications (weeks of being ignored or pat emails saying "your request has been transferred to the right dept blah blah" and then crickets...) or been honest regarding honoring their warranty coverage for malfunctioning systems. I have had multiple service requests to fix the oven after it stopped working, always sometime after the oven is used on high heat for several hours. I know. It's an oven, Watson. Foolish of me to expect it to operate on high heat.

    (Two times it was the internal sensor for the electric stuff - placed in the space between the oven and the high BTU gas range (???!) so when both functions are operating at full capacity, as when preparing a multi-dish formal dinner for many folks, the electric components get hot really fast and shut off to self-preserve - (I respect that instinct) triggering the oven-control shut off.

    This time the oven electric controls seem to be working but no heat occurs when turning the knobs on. The issue of an internal sensor getting overheated, triggering a safety mechanism, that shuts off the oven function has happened often enough that it reflects a serious design flaw, or a lemon.)

    To put it starkly: That's a non-working oven, folks, for a household that cooks a whole bunch for extended family and friends and does plenty of hosting on weekends. Significant levels of creativity and a whole lotta flexibility/patience are required to substitute on-range cooking for oven roasting.

    To be fair: No working oven does increase kitchen storage space when one takes out the racks -- on the bright side of things!

    Hestan didn't bother responding to a detailed letter sent to their warranty dept. delineating the issues in October of 2023. Nor did they respond to a follow-up letter 2 weeks later. This is the third time the oven has had the same issue amongst others.

    (Another interesting factoid:

    In Northern California's Bay Area, home to a population of over 7.5 million eating humans there is a dearth of authorized service technicians vetted by the company. It takes time for them to be available for repairs; anywhere between three to five weeks. Then when a part needs to be ordered -- an often occurence -- add another several weeks to your broken-cooking-appliance-saga aka. buddhist-exercise-in-patience.)

    Bears repeating:

    Our model had issues with the oven (whether heating up properly or heating up at all) since a few short weeks after it was first installed by a licensed electrician.

    As well, the oven door has issues closing fully so as to be flush against the oven cavity interior - to prevent escaping air, uneven baking temperatures, and hot, Hot, HOT, range/ oven control knobs.

    The gas range, contrastingly, has always worked well, except for one burner whose simmer function has stopped working.

    Informing others of the company reputation:

    I am filing a complaint with the BBB. Check it out!

    Found under Hestan Commerical Corporation, based in Anaheim, CA.

    (I wish I had read their reviews, and had read this site's threads before choosing the company. It does place the company in an unflattering light). I wonder if the company will magically become more attentive.

    Also looking at arbitration alternatives (warranty states either JAMS or the American Arbitration Association.)

    If anyone has gone the arbitration route, please share your experience.

    CONCLUSION:

    We would not recommend their appliances to others - based on
    their awesome lack of responsiveness to malfunctioning parts, coupled
    with their lack of honoring warranty assurances (by replacing or
    exchanging the model) in situations where several service repair visits have occurred -- with no lasting fix. I wish I had known that the ability to endure and practice stoicism is a requirement when purchasing from HESTAN.

    (Apparently, some products have quality issues -- that's to be
    expected. What isn't expected is not honoring their part of the warranty
    agreement. It's a lack of integrity and commitment, and feels like betrayal.)

    ________

    I am posting on this most useful thread for other consumers to let them (you, the reader) know that if one is dealt a bad hand with an appliance from Hestan, set really low expectations for warranty fulfillment. Or with timely service visits.

    (Easily over several weeks, up to 7 by me, until the issue is properly addressed: the repair tech comes, he/ she figures out what part needs ordering, the part gets ordered, the part gets shipped, the part gets delivered and another visit is scheduled, and the repair tech is available to swing by again, the part is installed, and that miraculously fixes the problem, leaving one with a working appliance -- at least until the Gods decide to amuse themselves again.)

    If you want to play "roll the dice" with individual appliances worth between $7,500 - $12,000 plus installation costs, plus purchase of a (useless?) extended warranty, go ahead:

    Sprint, don't shuffle, to your nearest HESTAN authorized seller.

  • 2 years ago

    Only if you are sure, they will have service reps in your area forever. I spent 10 grand on a Heston range. It was constantly in need of help from the tech. Then the tech moved out of the area and now there is no service for the range. Don’t be fooled by good looks

  • 2 years ago

    I have the Hestan Range , microwave and dishwasher.
    My range burners broke twice and I can’t name the amount of times my dishwasher was down. The entire electric board went out on it and wasn’t working for 3 months. Support from Hestan is almost non existent. My dishwasher door is now peeling , yes peeling. It’s 3 years old. For the amount of money it was should last a lifetime.
    Beautiful on the outside , not made to last. Go with a more reliable brand
    Service is also hard to find and I live in NYC

  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    I bought the col freezer, refrig, wine cooler, oven, range top, and microwave. I wish i hadnt. i posted this google review and since then replaced the wine cooler with a sub zero which i love. thankfully after a long time and much consternation and help from the distributor i got it done. I will run the freezer for while but likely replace it too. after repair to the defrost circuit it works ok but leaks water every few weeks when the circuit does its thing. stay away from hestan their service sucks and reliability is poor. google review below (1 star) .The gas cooktop is pretty good forgot to mention

    -------------------------------------------------

    I bought the full suite of indoor kitchen products at top dollar based on what I perceived to be the quality of the build and I guess they did a good job marketing their line up. We have a refrigerator, column freezer, column wine refrigerator, gas stove, oven, microwave and hood. We have had problems with 3 items. The oven control board needed replacing and that was done after a few weeks wait for parts. The freezer defrost circuit failed and iced up. Parts took longer for that at least 5-6 weeks. I've had to defrost twice and lost food due to freezer not cold enough. We will see how it works over the next year. All my stuff was brand new and purchased in 2020. The wine refrigerator cost $10k and failed. The compressor leaked, the interface sucks and was replaced and after 3 visits by a tech they gave up and said they will replace but it has been 9 months or more and I do not have a date for the replacement or confidence in the company to deliver. I am now pursuing a refund. If I get any pushback, I will take legal action. Customer service is really bad with no follow up and no pushing of any information to me the customer. I would avoid buying Hestan products and predict I will end up replacing the freezer later and definitely already looking at Sub Zero Wine Refrigerator and guess what? it costs less too. It has been extremely frustrating to deal with these problems and the company.

  • 2 years ago

    Please let me know where you are regarding taking legal actions with faulty Hestan appliances. Now, I am out of warranty and having to pay out of pocket upwards of $500 for a repair. They are awful.

  • 2 years ago

    @Teta Persi It is unfortunate to need to pay for repairs, but are there details surrounding your experience that lead you to conclude "they are awful"?

  • 2 years ago

    @TXGuy - I have the range and the fridge. I have all the issues that others have detailed on this thread. Range not working properly, ice maker not making ice, spring on the fridge door broke after 2 years, fridge temp uncontrollable and now, I've been out of fridge for over 2 weeks. The tech came back and added freon but he was not sure if that would fix the issue for $500. We will see if the temperature goes down below 70F in the next 24 hours. He says the next one is to replace the compressor which is north of $3500 (LG is looking good right now) to repair. This is a 3 year old "high-end" appliance and it has been a pain in the behind. I curse University Electric for recommending this **** ty brand.

  • 2 years ago

    i also bought at UE but they did helpe me get a refund for the wine refrigerator. i have not taken legal action and probably wont. freeezer seems to be working ok but ice maker is not so great. Refrig is ok but likely i will get a subzero down the road depending

  • 2 years ago

    @Teta Persi That all sounds quite unfortunate and I'm sure it's very frustrating. However, it sounds like you're getting some bad counsel. Why would a 3 year old refrigerator be getting filled with freon? Perhaps that is the issue? Is your refrigerator built-in or freestanding?

  • 2 years ago

    or should we collectively launch a legal dispute?


  • last year

    We have had all the above problems with HESTAN products & PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE….has caused us nothing but misery within our lives & if anyone had any success with lawsuits/BBB …Please reach out!!!

  • last year

    Again asking if anyone has any suggestions/ advice for dealing with this terrible company?

  • last year

    I was told by the salesman at UE that Hestan has scrapped its residential line and sticking to their commercial products that apparently they have more control over quality.

  • 6 months ago

    What a shame for all of us that paid a lot of money for truly a piece of junk… any more just use our apps oven

  • 6 months ago

    Ment speed oven by WOLF

  • 6 months ago

    yes it is very unfortunate. if I could go back i would get wolf and subzero

  • 2 months ago

    OMG did we dodge a bullet -priced out a complete Hestan kitchen, range, wall ovens, dishwashers, ref, freezer, wine ref, uc ref, etc…….-little over a $100K ……-ended up going w SubZero pkg mostly because we liked there flush fit multi function wall ovens & they had better size options for the ref units…….-pricing for both pkgs was very close overall.