Meet The New Boss (Tomorrow)

Had a great blog set for today...I was posting the new introductions on appliances from an industry show held at Foxwoods yesterday, but I forgot the pictures. So now the post is about: How to buy appliances now:


Some of this is a review

1. Look for rebates: Its still number one. Sears, Lowes, Home Depot and every appliance store has some kind of rebate offer. Example: Viking and Thermador pro ranges have similar specs, but Thermador is also adding a dishwasher for free with purchase...advantage Thermador.

2. Have a Bottom Line Mentality: 30% off $1,000 is still more expensive than $650. As consumers, we pay with dollars not discounts. The price at the bottom of the invoice is the only relevant item

3. Free is...?: Free Delivery is a great idea, unless there is a charge of $30 for removal, another $60 to walk up two flights of stairs and $25 for a range cord(which costs $3). Ask these questions before you buy

4. Buy what you use, will use and more importantly understand: The over the range GE Advantium is a great piece cooking at 4-8 faster than a regular range. If you use just the microwave only feature, you have overspent by $400-500...same with convection or any other step up feature.

5. Be Social: Angies List is worth the subscription, some free resources like Yelp and Citysearch will have reviews. Quick Note: There are issues with every store...Look at the responses from the stores to the problems as an indicator of your future experience...Also, ask friends, neighbors and tradespeople where they shop

6. Selection is good: Meaning you want to see it. Do not be pushed into store brands without a reason as salespeople typically are paid a higher commission for selling a store brand

7: Service: Establish who will fix it BEFORE you buy. Appliances are not cars. Every major car dealership has service, not every appliance store does the same. You will need service on a new product 15-18% of the time, so prepare beforehand

8. Walk: There are plenty of stores who want your business if someone is being unreasonable or unaccommodating(or both)

Dryers

We spend a ton of time explaining the vast difference between EnergyStar front load washers and the conventional top loaders. In the long term, the cost of operation of a top load is way too expensive...

Dryers are the same story just with different terminology. Couple of pointers on buying the right unit:

1. Dont worry about size. The smallest dryer is larger than the biggest washer.

2. Look for a moisture sensor: Moisture sensor will shut the heat when it senses a level of moisture in your clothes. Total win/win. Clothes are not shrunk and energy is not wasted.

3. Don't buy on cycles: It's just a timer anyway. Cycles are writing next to the knob. Total waste of your dough if you are buying a machine only on this basis.



For no extra charge, following are a few operating tips:

1. Do multiple loads at once...Dryer is already hot, and there is no energy wasted.

2. Clean the lint filter often...Dryer operates more efficiently.

3. If you do not feel like ironing (I actually like ironing), throw the wrinkled garment into the dryer on an air fluff cycle.

How To Light Your Space...Kitchens

Ok, now how do you light a kitchen?

This is a much hard question, because lighting is not direct replacement like appliances. There is so much more to proper illumination as well. First, there are 4 sources of illumination: Task, decorative, accent and ambient. I will cover task today, and the other three in separate posts.

Task is general illumination or backbone of any lighting plan and is most commonly track, recessed and under-cabinet lighting. I will provide the basic framework for a lighting plan. Ceiling height, angles, stud locations, etc. can alter the standard.

Basic recessed placement is 18 to 24 inches off the cabinet or at the edge of the counter. Place them 4-5 feet apart.





Couple of aesthetic tips: Use a 4-5 inch can rather than a 6 inch and for kitchens buy the white trim (industry term for decorative).

Second important part is the under-cabinet lighting. Typically an under-cabinet light is available in 7,16,24,30 and 37 inches. This type of task application will illuminate the shaded part of your counters and provide accent lighting as well.





Sample of one of our lighted kitchens....Don't worry in the next couple of weeks, you will be able to engineer your own lighting plan.

The Great Outside

Outside lighting...so many types, finishes and styles.



So how do you pick one? Take this easy test.

1. How much illumination do you need
2. What does your entrance look like
3. Do you have garage or other landscape lighting

A couple of tips: Hang the light roughly 66 to 68 inches from the ground. Typically, the front door should have the largest light (average size 17 tall by 8 inches wide.)

Free With Purchase.

You remember Cracker Jacks. Back in the day, I would buy boxes of that stuff just for the free prize (still love caramel popcorn).

Anyway, in a recession manufacturers have two solutions to declining sales. They could build more compelling products, which is a long range fix.

In the short term, however,they could package current products and bonus an item at no charge. Have a look...

Dacor..Buy a wall oven and a cooktop, and the $1300 warming drawer is yours for no extra charge.



Thermador...This company seems to have a whole bunch of promotions. For simplicity sake, buy any 36 or 48 inch professional stove, and receive a integrated $1300 dishwasher with their compliments.



Starts in February....

Ge Monogram....Part 4

I have blogged about the new GE Monogram products over the last 2 weeks. Lets look at the range and hood. We also look at how to buy these products in general:


The Range:



The new Monogram has decent specs, but the desirable specs are:

1. BTU output: The average pro is 15-16,000 BTUs...GE is 18,000.
2. Simmer: A Good simmer is 500 BTU...GE measures by temperature at 140 degrees.
3. Surface has the ability to be purchased as 6 burner, 4 burners grill or griddle.
4. Oven is convection or double convection.


Ventilation:





1. CFM...Cubic foot per minute. For a 36 inch stove, the hood should be 600 cfm and 900 if purchased with grill or griddle
2. Capture Area: A Pro hood should be 24 inches deep in order to pool or capture the smoke

A few other tips:

1. Size the duct properly...Use at least 8 inch round for Pro installations.
2. Duct straight: Efficiency is lost with bends.

Venting...Downdrafts

As we have said in previous posts, islands have become popular with the merging of kitchen and dining area into one room. People not only cook, but also live in the kitchen. This shift in lifestyle has changed ventilation considerably.

Most consumers want their cooking products in the island. They can face their guests while entertaining or keep a more watchful eye on the kids while playing. There are two ways to vent an island properly: downdraft or overhead hood. We will focus on the downdraft for today.





The advantage of a downdraft is simple. It disappears. There are a number of choices with my favorites being Best, Broan and Electrolux. The actual CFM(cubic feet per minute) can range from 500-1000.

Unfortunately, a downdraft can never handle alot of smoke, heat and/or grease. It simply doesn't have the capture area. Ventilation is after all capture and CFM.

A couple of tips:

1. Downdrafts are for basic, not professional cooking only

2. Consider an induction cooktop. It is faster than gas and emits much less heat.

3. For heavier cooking consider an overhead hood

The Policy of Returns

You are looking at the Yale Outlet, my home for the next 5 days.



Our return policy is simple. If the product does not fit, we will take it back without any restocking charges under 30 days. The average return policy in the appliance and furniture industry is 25% restocking plus a handling fee. Some companies do not handle returns under any situation, particularly on the internet.

Most companies are now charging to restock even before delivering the product in event of a cancellation, so be careful.

Following are a few tips on how to avoid this problem:

A. Obviously measure your space, but also measure every hall and doorway as well.

B. Most products can be stripped down, look at this dimension to determine whether the product fits.

C. Inquire about the return policy. Negotiate before your purchase or shop the sale to a more consumer friendly company.

The Illumination of Cape Cod Lumber

About 7 months ago, I ventured into Cape Cod Lumber. When I think of lumberyards, my thoughts revert to Somerville Lumber, Grossmans' and Builder Square. These companies could not adapt to the changing times and went bankrupt.

Cape Cod is different. Their kitchen department is probably about 5,000 square feet, which is huge by industry standards. They have very solid people and decent price points. I like the company.

Their lighting was a problem. As I have described in previous posts, lighting should accentuate the space. Somehow their warehouse high pressure sodium lights detracted from their display.....So we sent our modern lighting specialist Nick to change the paradigm. For displays, good lighting should be clean and unobtrusive, whereas decorative lighting can be more pronounced.

Lets see how he did:

The $119 KitchenAid Dishwasher

You are the CEO of Whirlpool in 2003, and you just bought your biggest rival, Maytag. By all appearances, this is a great deal. You have acquired great names in Maytag, JennAir and Amana, and it finally affords a relationship with Home Depot as well as more in roads with Lowes and Sears....


Unfortunately, a good deal is also contingent on timing. Acquisition in the middle of an economic downturn is a recipe for financial ruin....So what do you do?

You panic. Then fund your distribution channel directly and indirectly, so we have manufacturers, national buying groups and regional chapters all funding the same products....Which is great for the consumer


After 4(so far) rebates, you can buy this KitchenAid dishwasher for $119 in black or white as long as you buy 2 other pieces for $399 or greater (or $219 with just 1 other piece through March.)


Have a look:



Now the math:

Cost of the unit $569

Less:
Local Warehouse 50
MVP National Buying Group 100
Northeast Office 300

Rebate Total 450

After Rebate $119








This is a $600 dishwasher

Boston.com And CFLs

Following is an article written on Boston.com about the potential dangers of compact fluorescent. Below is my response, which was written nearly a month ago.

Article:
Boston.com article

Response:
YaleAppliance Blog response

I am not minimizing any threats to you and/or your family, but lets be realistic...

Buy This or That...Electric Stoves

The readership of the Yale Blog is not a vocal bunch. From the analytics of this weeks "renovate for less" columns, the topic seems to be popular (until I hear otherwise)...

So let us continue




You are looking at a GE Profile range, and yes this is a good product. Aesthetically pleasing with two ovens, convection, 4 large burners and another warming burner, this range is well featured. Then again, at $1749, it should be...so why not try a....




A Frigidaire Gallery Professional range PLEFMZ99: Its the same 2 ovens(just reversed), convection and similar burner configuration. This range actually has the best simmer control of any cooking product except for induction. It can actually lower the burner by 3.5% per turn, not just high, medium and low. It is a great price at just over $1200, but $1200 is still almost double the average of a range purchase in the US...So how about a.....




Amana...Stainless steel, good burners, big oven...Forget the bun just give me the burger. No buns at just over $650, but a good price.

For more info about electric cooking take a look at our Electric Cooking Buyers Guide, packed with info on features, brands and trends.

Energy Tip of The Day

Hard to believe that the year is almost over. The ole Yale blog will be closing next week as I head to an island for a little R&R. 305 entries this year. Hard to believe.

Lets end the year strong with an energy tip so obvious, you can start today.


The majority of energy expended for a dishwasher is in heating the water and the element for the dry cycle.

A couple of simple tips to save energy:

A. Do not use a pot and pan cycle unless it is necessary. Cycles really control time and temperature. A normal wash cycle is usually sufficient with less energy consumed

B. Shut off the heated dry cycle and use a rinse aid like Jetdry or Miele(shown below)...(as a side note European dishwashers are more efficient because they have no heated dry cycle)






Simple, easy tips guaranteed to save you money

Next Week

For once, I am at a loss for subject matter. I will defintely cover HE detergents, because they are designed specifically for front load washers. I have also been remiss in providing energy tips


If anyone has a suggestion, then I will oblige next week.....


Until then....Have a nice holiday shopping weekend(although its been Christmas since Labor Day in most stores).


Steve

Energy Tip Of the Day

Most of the energy tips have been simple: A change of a light bulb or an alteration of a habit....

In building, however, you have a wonderful opportunity to start fresh, invest a few dollars more and reap the savings daily


One simple upgrade would be insulated recssed housings. You place insulation over them and air does not pass: All kinds of air as in air conditioning or even heating


We will cover recessed tomorrow.

Energy Tip Of the Day

The following is an practical, sensible yet easy tip. Move chairs away from heat sources. The reason: Foam is a good insulator.

Well we have beaten kitchen lighting down pretty well. In the week ahead, we will talk about wine storage, how to light a bath, recessed cans, some energy tips, a rant or two and that will leave a day or two for any specific questions

Have a nice weekend,


Steve

Shutting Down Your Water Heater

Perhaps one of the best tips is to shut the water heater to 120 degrees. Children are not scalded, and you save a small fortune in electricity. Total win, right? I sent all of The Yale Blog Tips to 60,000 people on our mailing list expecting almost universal affirmation.

There seems to be one small risk, according to one of the Doctors on our list. At 120 degrees, there is a very slight chance of Legionnaires disease bacteria developing within older water heaters. To kill Legionaires, it seems, the temperature should be set at 123(please correct me if I am wrong).

Certainly, using less hot water is a key to saving electricity, but be informed of the risks.

Facebook, Towels And The Energy Tip of The Day

I truly adore Facebook, and encourage everyone to join up. Sure roll your eyes but its good fun and surprisingly informative. You can review books, music, travel and throw a sheep at your friends. I feel so young yet so hip. Try it. Send me an email if you need help.

So Shawn sent me a Green award, and I threw a potted plant at him in return(virtually of course). Because Facebook allows outside applications, they have cool edits. This one was on Green specifically critiques on your lifestyle and ways to improve your footprint.

They asked about towels...and I started thinking about towels. Paper towels and cotton towels, what if I stopped using paper towels in bathrooms and reused my towels after I showered. Well, I would use less paper, and less drying time which would lessen my footprint.

Some of these posts may sound a little earthy crunchy, but it is not an inconvenience. Most of these tips save money and require no real effort. If the 150 or so people reading this could convince 10 people, it would be a good start

Odd Green Facts

If you read the Yale Blog, so much of the energy efficient tips are incredibly easy. We are going out of the way to waste money. We will keep a car for only 3-4 years, but will keep our water heater until it dies.

I am not a paragon of virtue by any means as I was showering with lukewarm water for 3 months, but the following is a synopsis of the benefits of change to better technology just in our industry:

Refrigerators: 100% more efficient than 10 years ago

Washers: 62% more efficient with 62% greater capacity

Fluorescent versus Incandescent: Lasts 10 times longer, 4 times more efficient with less heat


There is an immediate payback to any Energystar product and yearly cost savings

My Green Tips

As you know from reading this blog, I have been using my apartment as a laboratory of sorts. It is almost time to shut off the air conditioning or at least curtail it sharply at night. You can save money with every degree.

I have written this before, but shut off the paddle fans when you leave the room. Paddle fans only cool using wind chill across your skin.

For next year, shade your central air conditioner. The unit will not have to work as hard without direct sunlight