New Product Recommendations: Best & Worst

Using the Charts | Cooking | Dishwasher | Dryer | Heating/Cooling | Microwave | Refrigerator | Washer

The Best Picks

While all manufacturers have cheapened their product quality compared with machines of 20 years ago,  I find these to be my best picks as far as consumer satisfaction and durability.

Clothes Washer

• Speed Queen - Any top load model.  This machine is the most durable currently.

• Whirlpool (Which is also KitchenAid and some Kenmore, and Maytag and Amana models made after Jan, 2007) suitable for smaller families, washes well.

Clothes Dryer / Gas & Electric

• Whirlpool  (which is also KitchenAid and some Kenmore, and Maytag and Amana models made after Jan, 2007)  29" Model (Look for lint screen on top by control panel)
• Do not buy the 27" model.  Many fires in this unit and service issues.

Dishwasher

• Whirlpool - Any model except bottom of line (has different motor). Look for two level wash,  silverware basket in door.
• KitchenAid (made by Whirlpool) fine but more expensive.

Gas Range

Less features will be more dependable.  Digital circuitry and sealed  burners have many service calls.

• Hotpoint           
• Whirlpool          
• Kenmore
• Electrolux

Electric Range

• Hotpoint
• Kenmore

Microwaves

Most are made by the same manufacturer (Goldstar,)  however stick with U.S. brand names for better part availability or service needed, ie: Whirlpool, GE, Kenmore, etc.

Refrigerators

Best - Top freezer models have most useful space &  least problems.

Good - Cafe door styles - premium price for no more cubic feet.

Worst - Side by Side styles - with water and ice dispensers - lease amount of useful space.     

            Most prone to service problems.

• Whirlpool,  Kitchenaid  
• Amana - Top or bottom freezer models ok.

The Worst Picks

Clothes Washer

I don't recommend any brand of front load washer at this time, too many dissatisfied customers with this product including: Neptune, Duet, Bosch, Frigidaire, Kenmore HT.

• GE - Top loader too many recalls to list.
• Maytag - Too many manufacturing problems.
• LG - Poor warranty support. No part availability.  I do not recommend any LG products at this time.

Dryers, Gas and Electric

• GE - Many service calls, short life.
• Maytag - Many service calls.
• LG - Poor warranty support. No part availability. I do not recommend any LG products at this time.  

Dishwashers

• GE - Many circuit board failures, short life, manufacturing defects.
• Maytag - Short life, many leaks.
• Frigidaire - Short life, poor quality.
• Bosch - Very expensive to repair. Lots of labor cost to disassemble.
• LG - Poor warranty support. No part availability.  I do not recommend any LG products at this time.
• Kenmore - Check the manufacturer.  The Kenmore label is used by various manufacturers.

Ranges, Gas & Electric

• GE - (Especially wall ovens ) Many service calls, frequent circuit board failure, short life, very expensive parts.
• Jenn-Air - Poor quality, customer dissatisfaction (especially downdraft products).
• Maytag - Frequent repairs, short life.
• LG - Poor warranty support. No part availability.  I do not recommend any LG products at this time.

Microwaves

• Sharp
• Panasonic
• Samsung
• Haier
• E Wave

Poor parts availability and quality issues on all of the above.

Refrigerators

• GE - Side by side models have the most excessive failure rate due to poor design. 
• Frigidaire - Many manufacturing problems and recalls.
• Maytag - Many dispenser service problems and leaks.
• LG - Poor warranty support. No part availability.  I do not recommend any LG products at this time.

Boutique Brands

• GE "Profile" or "Monogram" anything - Lasts only a couple of years.

• GE "Artica" Refrigerators - Many recalls, lots of design problems.

• Jenn-Air - Downdraft cook tops - Big disappointment.

• Miele (Germany) - Difficulty in acquiring parts and service data.

• Viking - Difficulty in acquiring parts and service data. Overpriced for quality of unit.

• Wolf Gourmet (SubZero) - Limited production and overpriced.

• Bosch (Germany) - Too hard to get parts and service data. Many service issues. Extremely expensive to service.

• Fisher Paykel (New Zealand) - Poor performance on drawer dishwashers. Many disappointed customers.

• Asko  (Sweden) - Difficulty in acquiring parts and service data. Many service problems.

• Haier (China) - No part availability.

• Samsung - No part availability or technical service data available.

• Panasonic - Very limited service data and parts availability.

• LG - Poor warranty support. No part availability.  I do not recommend any LG products at this time.

• SubZero - Worst rating from Consumer Reports in the last 15 years. Overpriced, frequent repair problems.