Happy New Year

Pat has a well deserved vacation day, so the blog is done for the year. Next year, we will begin our fifth year of blogging...I didn't initially believe there was 5 months of posts

Happy New Year....we will return on Monday

Be Quiet

So Many Dishwashers...

But which one is the quietest. Quiet is important, especially if you have combined living and dining areas into one room.

Is it the closely held, quality obsessed Miele?

How about the popular Bosch?

The old faithful KitchenAid?

The plucky Asko from Sweden?

The answer is all of them are quiet, but the difference are not detectable by the human ear...Thus none can make the claim as quietest.

3 Good dishwasher questions:

1. How many cycles. A cycle is time and temperature and can be designed for specific items like crystal. You pay for more cycles

2. European Vs American: European is more efficient, but has a filter...American has a shredder and is less efficient

3. Integrated: Controls on the top are sleeker, but more expensive

The Last Of The Mohicans

There has never been more choice in cooking. Want Induction, Gas, Dual Fuel, Pro, Slide-In, Freestanding? No problem.

Want a downdraft for your new island? Your choice is this.

JennAir is the last company producing downdrafts. GE, Thermador, Roper and Modern Maid have exited a long time ago. But should you buy a downdraft? Maybe. Downdrafts have proximity to the actual smoke and are certainly better than no vent.

I would prefer you bought this...

Although downdrafts are aesthetically more pleasing, hoods provide better ventilation for the following reasons:

1. Typically they have greater CFM or better blower speed to move air

2. They have better capture area. Smoke can be captured and channel in greater volumes

3. Gravity....smoke travels up

Fix it

Appliance service has become increasingly difficult. Gone are the days where your Maytag washer was a simple repair. Back then, Maytag was a primitive workhorse. It had zero electronics, was front serviceable and belt driven.

Flash forward 10 years and every appliance is gadget laden. With the exception of Miele, companies are designing from one place, procuring from many other places and assembling in yet another place. Thus complicating effective repair.

Still, appliances last 8-12 years, which is good in comparison to cars or any other durable good. If you actually want timely, competent repair, the following steps will help.

1. BEFORE you buy an appliance, understand who fixes it, especially with more exotic brands like LG and Samsung.

2. Know the model and serial number: Serial number is especially important, because companies will use different parts for the same model number.

3. Exact nature of problem: Better descriptions allows the repair company to properly diagnose the problem.

4. Get a rough estimate...

5. Due your diligence. Check the company on the BBB, Yelp or ask friends. There is very good and extremely bad....

Shaban, our service manager, probably has the least enviable, but most important job in the company.