Kitchen appliances chat

Get a Hyundai or a samsung they make container ships.

Don’t want to tempt fate but my Miele washing machine is 18 yrs old and still going. Never had it serviced or repaired. It even lived outside in the garden for 9 months when I rented between selling and buying. Expensive upfront…but it’s done well. Thumbs up!

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I dislike the cutlery drawer things too, maybe I’m just not used to it.

We have a dish drawer from F&P which I also have a love hate relationship with, but we have a really old one that doesn’t have any of the features of the newer ones (paddle stall detection etc), when it works it’s great but there are various reasons it’s extra faff.

I also hate washing up so when I move I will probably invest heavily in the least shit dishwashing experience I can find

Looks very similar to the one we bought second hand. Hasn’t let us down so far!

Second hand quality appliances are well worth it.

Likely to save more money in purchase price than the touted energy efficiency improvements, and more environmentally conscious as you’re potentially saving landfill and reusing something already made.

Recently got a second hand top end Samsung heat pump tumble dryer for cheap to replace a vented one.
Other than needing a deep clean, it’s been excellent.

Supposedly more space efficient, and better cleaning as everything is seperated, rather than being bunched together in a holder.
Good for longer items like tongs, spatulas, knives (if you’re awful)

However, a lot of the time, you pull the drawer out and the spoons have rotated and retain the dishwashing sludge.

Doesn’t happen in a cutlery holder and everything is pointing up.

On the other hand, chopsticks and knives falling between the cutlery holder cracks and impeding the rotating jet can happen, as well being the perfect place for sliced onions to collect.

This might be because of the shape of our cutlery and YMMV.

I also hate washing up so when I move I will probably invest heavily in the least shit dishwashing experience I can find

This is where I'm at. And I've never had a cutlery draw so a bit hesitant to spunk a lot of cash on a machine with one, only to then hate it and regret the purchase every day (cc @Acliff and also my mum - but she has a lower their machine with a shitty draw I think). The Miele does seem a step above others with its cutlery draw and moving parts in it, it does also free up space in the bottom drawn for pots and pan. I guess if I hate it I can always buy a cutlery box and put it in the bottom draw and not much lost.

Second hand quality appliances are well worth it.

I did have a look, but how do you know what you're getting works well, it's a bit of a punt and not super easy to fix if something goes wrong. I figured it worth just buying new and then having a warranty.

A seperate cutlery box is a good shout.

The cutlery drawer is pretty useful for all sorts of fiddly smaller items, like baby milk items, bidon lids.

I might just need to get some flatter profile cutlery, as the type I have pinch very small before flaring out to the spoon/fork part.

We went new on the dishwasher, a 5 year warranty on something used daily seemed wise.
Same with the washing machine and hob.

Backup fridge freezer in the garage, tumble dryer, ovens, microwave were second hand.

I suppose we split it between requires plumbing/running water = new & warranty, and electricity/less moving parts - second hand.

Yes very much with your thinking on this. Our dishwasher and washing machine will get hammered, it also took 3 people to get the washing machine into the basement so I don't want to do that again for a decade.

Though fridges scare me, they're an item that you always read about causing fires.

Ovens - we are getting the kitchen done and getting rid of a rubbish gas oven; I now want something which just works really well (accurate temps, can go high enough which gas doesn't...) What else do I want? All the chat seems to be about sliding doors and stuff rather than just working really well

Get an oven with steam function

Makes a huge difference for roasting and bread baking.

Thanks - will have a look. Still wonder about general functionality (rather than features) though - what I really want most is just really accurate temps but there doesn't seem to be much info out there on just how 'good' they are (rather than what features they have)

Pyrolytic cleaning.
Sliding runners for the shelves.
Digital temperature setting not just a dash on the knob against the scale

Additional fancy options
Steam function.
Integrated temperature probe for roasting/baking

I bought the cheapest Miele with pyrolytic and it's been cracking so far

I design wall ovens, realistically, it depends what you want to spend - they can be full golf club chat spec.

I personally don't like pyrolytic cleaning - it consumes a huge amount of energy and even though they emit "safe" amounts of emissions, they still still release an amount of combustion gases into your house. If you do go pyro, use it while you're out and leave a window open.

If you just want a no-nonsense decent quality electric oven, you cant go far wrong with the Miele / F&P / Neff offerings.

I am a total convert to steam ovens - if you're re-doing your kitchen you could take advantage and get one that's plumbed into the kitchen at the same time. The cooking results for steam assisted roasting, bread baking and (if the oven you buy has it) sous vide cooking are really good.

There has been a two month passive aggressive bicker-off in the Hedge household.

My 10yo £20 rice cooker was at end of life. I wanted to buy another cheap one. Jana wanted to spunk £180 on a Yumasia induction one.

Well, it arrived about two weeks ago and I can confirm that I was wrong and she was right. Holy shit it's amazing!

Best bits? The slower setting that takes 1.5hr to cook white rice but develops its fragrance. And the fact it can keep rice perfectly warm without drying out of developing a crust for hours.

I appreciate there are many who think a rice cooker is a waste of money, this glowing review isn't for you. For the others...fuck me it's good!

This one

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I bought the equivalent zojirushi with equal effect.

My partner could not tell the difference between the rice I was making and the ride she had whilst in Japan for more than a decade.

(if the oven you buy has it) sous vide

Do go on

I have a sous vide capable steam oven (neff). But it is not a plumbed in steam oven. As such the oven floor slowly fills with water and needs emptying which is a faff as it has to be sponged out. Additionally the water tank only gives enough water for about 5 hours of sous vide function which was a ball ache on 48hour marmite beef short ribs.

A couple of cooks using the sous vide function on the oven made me buy a stick immersion water bath heater and plastic water tank.

I know an air fryer when I see one....

I love my plumbed in Gaggenau steam oven.
I use it mainly for steaming, and used it for sous vide although it is too old to officially support sous vide. The temperature control is fine enough to do a pretty good job. 5 degree increments between 35-75, and 2 degree increments between 75-100.

Also have an Anova stick immersion heater for finer control if needed.

I'm going to be in the market for a new oven - steam looks interesting. Is it a no-no to put a steam oven under-counter?

Also....jeebus... plumbed in steam combis are even more expensive than I'd imagined!

@skinny we have a dishwasher (a 10 Yr old Siemens) with the separate cutlery draw. I recommend it- Frees up a lot of space in the lower section and keeps sharp knives safely out of the way.