So have just gutted the kitchen. Will be looking at all new appliances shortly. Looking at mid range or upper mid range products. Not Miele, and not no name brands. Kambos sales guy reckons Siemens, made in the same factory as Bosch products and come with a 5 year warranty. Probably buy all same brand dishwasher, electric oven, gas cooktop and rangehood. And possibly investigate different brands for a fridge (will be a two or three door direct water connection). samsung fridges seem to have a big hold on the market with 10 year warranties, but I am unsure?
Anyone have any advice with reputable brands in this range or brands to steer clear of?
We got 14yrs out of a mid-range Dishlex dishwasher... that was used everyday, and sometimes twice a day, but when we upgraded after doing all the research etc we went with ASKO - Swedish made competing with Miele. $200 off at the moment...
We did look at Bosch but were not that impressed with the build quality for the price... for another $300 you can get into a top tier product.
Check Choice for product reviews and pricing guides, speak to your friends and work colleagues, go on-line... then do the walk / ring around.
And do not believe the Sales guys... honestly, the BS we were told was amazing. I always go in having done a fair bit of research so that I have a better than average idea of what I am talking about and looking for... it can save you $'000 - we did a U-turn on one (senior) sales guy because he was simply wrong and even when I politely challenged him directly on the matter he continued to spin his BS... I feel sorry for some people who just take what the sales guys are saying as fact - then get the appliance home to find it does not do what they wanted...
PS - I know not all sales people are like this... but it still does not hurt to go in 'schooled up'...
Where are you located? If in Sydney check out Ole appliances at Sydney Best Value kitchens. Our cooktop died two years ago. It was a single unit with the oven though they looked seperate to each other. There were no replacement parts for the 15 year old unit. We don't have gas at home.
So after a lot of searching around Sydney we found the Ole brand. $250 for the oven. $600 for an induction cooktop. This was at a time when comparable cooktops were about $2000. Same features and looks as the expensive brands like Electrolux, Miele and Smeg. I think Ole has a dishwasher but I have no idea what it's like.
Since that time it's been great. No problems. Induction is great. It's safe and quick. I had to buy new pots though.
I'm not against buying brand name goods either. We bought an Electrolux fridge late last year. The main selling point wa the low power consumption for a big fridge. It's rated at using about 318 kw/h a year. Our power bill has gone down considerably since buying the fridge. I think it will pay for itself in around two years.
I've got Beaumatic appliances with an AEG dishwasher. After 15 years in the kitchen design and manufacture industry and after installing over 300 kitchens, that's my best advice.
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said...
Just buy Smeg
always a talking point 
Cant go wrong with asko and smeg stuff. Buy once and it'll last you for years. Buy cheap, buy twice
Mind you i've got a samsung fridge and its been good
We had a lot of Blanco stuff via Kleenmaid in our new house. The Blanco dishwasher worked quite well for something with Italian heritage but like an Alfa, just rusted from the inside out (after 6 years). Had a lot of trouble with the top sprayer pipe splitting as well.
So we upgraded to a Miele just 6 months ago. We liked the auto door opening feature. Big mistake. Such an overrated brand, if the performance of this dishwasher is anything to go by.
Best dishwasher we ever had was an Asko about 10 years ago. That was amazing performance wise. Unfortunately, we moved house. Wanted to get one again but our 13 year old veto'd it because the recessed handle 'makes it look like a rubbish bin'. Sigh. Couldn't disagree really.
We recently renovated. Went different brands for everything as we were looking for something specific.
For the rangehood we went Quasair. They're an Australian brand and the quietest and strongest we could find (and when I cook we need strong... Do you know how much smoke I can create when cooking). And to cap it off the filters go straight in the dishwasher without a problem.
We went with a Miele dishwasher and are very happy with it. Mind you its the first one we've ever had so we don't have much experience with them.
For the cooktop and oven we went a freestanding 900mm unit. Gas hob with electric oven. Came with four round burners of different sizes and a fishburner in the middle with a tepanyaki plate on the top. Bloody brilliant. It had the biggest oven of the 900mm jobbies because you can use it all the way to the bottom.
This type is good for a year or so then become to expensive to maintain
But this model is good for +10yrs with very low maintenance
Select to expand quoteStuthepirate said..
This type is good for a year or so then become to expensive to maintain
But this model is good for +10yrs with very low maintenance
...and the second model doesn't complain when you come home late from a long day on the water....
JIC - sign-on for emails about products ur interested in......
www.graysonline.com/home-and-garden/kitchens-and-bathrooms
Not sure where U live - likely too xee to goto WA from other side...
D/Washer Asko worked for us - originally bought when reno'ing and young family - because the kid lock was xlnt...
Choice has a best price service - if U do not have time / enough local competition - is good...
Cheers
AP
^^^ Hey Aqua, do you get called "Mr. Plow" very often? 
heck Hack - that is crap
However plowing would be appropriate - I was under done on an 8M and 136TT on Sunday and plough /plunge /phat / plop / plonk... for a 5km down winder 
--- For the first time our way I saw a class act having fun in the waves / chunks of water on a W/Surfer off Marcoola
But - it was grand to get out in it...
AP
