Buying Kitchen Appliances the Smart Way

What to Consider when Searching Out and Buying Kitchen Appliances

By Mark J. Donovan




Buying kitchen appliances is all about stainless steel now days. However, before just going out and buying any stainless steel kitchen appliance it’s wise to do your homework first. Kitchen appliances run the gambit when it comes to price, performance, and quality. You can get away as low as around $1,500 for a new refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher, however don’t be surprised if you have problems with at least one of the appliances within 1 to 2 years. On the other hand you can spend $10,000 or more for the same appliances if you buy “top of the line” from the who’s who of appliances such as Sub Zero or Viking.

But again, even with these appliances you could also find yourself paying for maintenance on them in relatively short order, albeit it may take an extra year or two.

So when buying high ticket price items such as kitchen appliances it’s wise to do your homework upfront, both in establishing a budget for the appliances and for determining what kitchen appliances are reliable and meet your budget. If you don’t do your upfront homework don’t be surprised if you feel like you’ve wasted your money down the road on over-rated and over-priced kitchen appliances.

As is the case when buying any material for a home remodeling project or room addition, it is important to do your research on kitchen appliances prior to buying them. Make sure to read consumer reports and reviews on any of the kitchen appliances you are considering buying. See how the particular kitchen appliance holds up against the competition, and the various test and real-world situations that your appliance will most likely experience in your home. Also, make sure the particular kitchen appliance model has been around for at least a couple of years to get a sense on how well the product is holding up in the field. Kitchen appliance suggestions

Also study the energy consumption of the kitchen appliances you are considering to purchase. Any quality kitchen appliance worth its weight will have an Energy Star rating indicating how well it compares to its competition in regards to power consumption. Look for appliances that have the highest Energy Star ratings to ensure low home energy costs. Your kitchen appliances get used a lot, thus the high Energy Star ratings will translate into major energy savings over the months and years ahead while operating the appliances in your home.

Prior to visiting the kitchen appliance store, always make sure to accurately and precisely measure the spaces for your kitchen appliances. Even 1/8th of an inch off could be a problem when the appliance shows up on the job sight. So make sure to make several width, depth, and height measurements for each area where you plan to buy and install a kitchen appliance. Always use the smallest measurement when ordering an appliance. For example, if you measure 3 width measurements for your kitchen stove, use the narrowest width when selecting and buying your new kitchen stove.

When buying kitchen appliances make sure to ask about each product’s warranty. The longer the warranty the more comfortable you should feel about the appliance. The option to buy extended warranties is very common with kitchen appliances. I personally do not buy them as I believe they are just a prey type marketing ploy by appliance manufacturers and retail sellers. My view is if the product fails within the first five years, I will never buy from that manufacturer again and I make sure to tell the product reseller that when I decline the extended warranty policy.

I always find it ironic how the sales person always tells you how wonderful the product is, up until the point that you actually decided to buy it.


Then their messaging decidedly changes to topics of warnings, risk, and ultimately fear, as they convince you to buy the extended warranty. I always feel compelled to ask them do they really believe in this product and manufacturer based upon all of their reasoning on why I should buy the extended coverage. That usually shuts them up.

Also ask about delivery costs. Don’t be surprised if you’re required to pay a “nominal” delivery fee for shipping the products to your home. If you get lucky you may be able to negotiate the deliver fee to zero, if you ask.

With these simple tips buying kitchen appliances should be much easier and lower risk. In addition, you should end up saving money in the long run on both energy costs and maintenance costs.


For help on your kitchen remodeling project, see my Kitchen Remodeling Bid Sheet. The Kitchen Remodeling Bid Sheet provides a request for quote checklist section that you can provide to prospective kitchen remodeling contractors. It also includes a comprehensive kitchen remodeling cost breakdown table, in Microsoft Excel format, that allows the contractor to include his projected remodeling costs for every phase of the project.

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