Keys to Buying a New Home Appliance Wisely
If you are in the market for some new kitchen appliances, that means you are going to have to do some real serious shopping to find replacements that don’t cost an arm and a leg. And if you’re like me, that isn’t something you are looking forward to! I’m not a really good shopper, so I like to do as much research first as I can and get some ideas. Here in this article I will give those to you, for free! Nice guy, huh?
The first thing you need to know is what brand am I going to purchase? Whether you are in the market for a refrigerator, washer and dryer, or a good coffee-maker you want a brand that is rated highly and has good customer satisfaction. Studies show that about 40% of people buying new appliances do considerable research before buying, so if you are in that category, it’s a pretty big club. What brands are rated the highest? If you listen to their marketing hype, they all are! That’s why you should go by customer satisfaction ratings instead.
If you do a bit of research on washer and dryers for example, you find that reviews put the following as the top-rated: LG, Electrolux, Maytag, and Whirlpool. This will depend on how much your budget can afford, but without regard to price these have the best reviews. There are plenty of sites online that have full reviews of each product, giving reasons why they are chosen best, how many reviews were written, and the numeric rating for each (usually number of stars given).
If you are looking for a smaller appliance such as a bread maker, espresso machine, countertop grill, sandwich maker, rice maker, waffle maker, or other specialized small appliance there are literally hundreds of sites that have reviews and ratings for these as well. Some of the top-rated brands for these are: Cuisinart, Sunbeam, Oster (blenders especially), Zojirushi (electric grills), Hamilton Beach (slow cookers and electric mixers), to name just a few. Even Black and Decker has gotten into the small appliance business, now making a pretty good toaster oven and also coffee-maker.
The key to finding the perfect appliance for yourself is to sit down and figure out exactly what you are looking for first. How big can the appliance be, not only physical size but power output? What price point are you willing to go to for this product? Is the brand of appliance you want available locally, and if so do they deliver? These and many more questions must be asked, because it will certainly save a load of time when you do finally make your way to the store. It’s always best to figure out exactly what you want before going to the store, as many stores (I won’t mention names) have high-powered sales forces ready to help you spend much more than you wanted to, and of course buy the warranty on top for an extra hundred dollars! Don’t fall for these, the are almost never worth it!
In conclusion there are many great brands out there, so do your home work first before spending good money on an appliance that may not be right for you. Save time and money this way, and you will probably learn a lot about small appliances in the process as well.
