Author Topic: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?  (Read 28785 times)

brandino29

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Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« on: April 29, 2014, 10:26:23 AM »
We are considering getting all new appliances for our kitchen.  Currently we have a 15 year old refrigerator that is having trouble refrigerating (every 3-6 weeks I have to remove everything, pull the panel off the back of the freezer, and let the rock solid ice buildup thaw overnight, then clean up all the water), a 40 year old oven with only 3 of the 4 heating elements working (the one that doesn't work is the larger one in the front making it a bit of a pain to cook using two large pots at the same time) and we're currently dishwasherless. 

We went to a local furniture store over the weekend and they quoted us a package of Frigidaire Gallery appliances for $1,700, which includes a top freezer fridge (what we want, don't want to spend the money on a french door bottom freezer, plus they don't fit in the space we have available), a nicer quality dishwasher than we were originally looking at, a very nice 5 burner convection oven, and a "free" over the range mount microwave (we currently have a countertop microwave). 

The price was for white or black appliances, but if we wanted to go stainless steel it would cost an extra $300.  I prefer black, to keep the price as cheap as possible and because it will still look infinitely better than our current 'bisque' fridge and vomit yellow oven.  My wife, however, wants to go stainless.  Her argument is that it would look better (I agree that it would look marginally nicer than black) and that we would make the money back when we sell the house (which I'm not sure if I agree). 

Stainless seems to be the mode right now but I'm wondering if in 5, 10, 15 years when we may be looking to sell if it will be dated.  I believe black and, especially, white are more timeless.

In all honesty I am not displeased with the price of $1,700 for the four appliances, I had previously priced lower quality stuff for $1,500 at Lowes which didn't even include an over the range mounted microwave.  But should we buy into the stainless 'upgrade' and spend an extra $300?

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2014, 10:38:34 AM »
A few thoughts:
1)  Whether you go for black or stainless, don't pay full retail price.  Look at your local Craigslist or Bookoo (if you have one).  It'll make a huge difference
2)  If the cost difference is only $300, then you're basically paying for a cheap facade on the appliances.  It may look better on the surface, but the appliances are exactly the same inside.
3)  How long do you plan to stay in your current home?  If you're there for the long haul, chances are good that styles will change and your appliances will be outdated anyway
4)  There are some mighty fine-looking black appliances out there.  My parents just replaced their 25-year-old double wall oven with a new black model, and it is stunning.
5)  I'd recommend that you buy on features and reliability over appearance.  Spending the extra $300 won't do you a lick of good if you have to have lots of repairs or replacements in 2, 3, or 5 years.

nereo

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2014, 11:03:52 AM »
Quote
The price was for white or black appliances, but if we wanted to go stainless steel it would cost an extra $300.  I prefer black, to keep the price as cheap as possible and because it will still look infinitely better than our current 'bisque' fridge and vomit yellow oven.  My wife, however, wants to go stainless.  Her argument is that it would look better (I agree that it would look marginally nicer than black) and that we would make the money back when we sell the house (which I'm not sure if I agree).

You are correct that it's strictly an appearance thing.  So first decide whether you will get any satisfaction (or your wife) from having that SS look.
AS for resale value, in my experience most potential buyers will only pay more for appliances if they are "new" - generally less than 5 years old.  Otherwise it's not 'exciting' and they very any such appliances (regardless of the trim) as old and potentially prone to fail.

oldtoyota

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2014, 11:08:18 AM »
I think stainless steel will one day be the new avocado green/harvest gold, so part of the answer depends upon when you plan to move.

We had to buy a new fridge. I wish I'd bought black instead of white. Also, unfortunately, we bought a terrible fridge. Items have fallen off inside of it, so we'll need to replace it eventually.

We're also in the market for a stovetop. Our old one must be from the 70s….but one thing at a time for me!

Greg

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2014, 11:10:55 AM »
As a residential designer I can tell you that ss appliances are already dated.  So look for classic white or some other color that appeals to you personally.

Your fridge likely needs a new defrost timer or coil.  Not very expensive to fix.  The stove burner is a cheap fix.  Maybe it's time to flex your Mustachian repair muscles and save a couple grand.

NumberCruncher

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2014, 11:15:38 AM »
As a residential designer I can tell you that ss appliances are already dated.  So look for classic white or some other color that appeals to you personally.

Your fridge likely needs a new defrost timer or coil.  Not very expensive to fix.  The stove burner is a cheap fix.  Maybe it's time to flex your Mustachian repair muscles and save a couple grand.

Out of curiosity, what's the new trend?

Argyle

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #6 on: April 29, 2014, 11:16:34 AM »
A set of stainless used appliances won't get you $300 extra when you sell, even if they're still in fashion 10-15 years from now, which is a big if.  Some people dislike stainless.  It shows fingerprints all over it and so you have to wash it a lot, and you can't use magnets on the fridge.  People who are wanting to sell a house are advised to put things in "classic" and "neutral" colors and finishes as much as possible.  That would be a white fridge, not black, not stainless.  Just because your wife prefers stainless doesn't mean that every potential buyer will — especially some years from now.  It will be onto some other color or finish in an effort to make all of us pay for new stuff. Buying the stainless finish will also mean that when you replace any of those things, you'll have to get stainless again if you want the whole set to match.

So it depends on how Mustachian you are — is $300 a silly waste of money for a different and less flexible superficial finish, or is the look of the house worth dropping a bunch more money on?  Your call.

nereo

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #7 on: April 29, 2014, 11:24:48 AM »
As a residential designer I can tell you that ss appliances are already dated.  So look for classic white or some other color that appeals to you personally.

Your fridge likely needs a new defrost timer or coil.  Not very expensive to fix.  The stove burner is a cheap fix.  Maybe it's time to flex your Mustachian repair muscles and save a couple grand.

Out of curiosity, what's the new trend?
according to my non-mustachian sister, it's appliances that match the cabinets.  Refrigerators are no longer just single rectangular boxes, but can be multiple drawers above and below the countertops.  When people enter her kitchen for the first time they often cannot figure out where the fridge  or dishwasher *is*.

brandino29

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #8 on: April 29, 2014, 11:57:49 AM »
A few thoughts:
1)  Whether you go for black or stainless, don't pay full retail price.  Look at your local Craigslist or Bookoo (if you have one).  It'll make a huge difference
2)  If the cost difference is only $300, then you're basically paying for a cheap facade on the appliances.  It may look better on the surface, but the appliances are exactly the same inside.
3)  How long do you plan to stay in your current home?  If you're there for the long haul, chances are good that styles will change and your appliances will be outdated anyway

We always keep an eye on Craigslist but it's pretty slim pickins around where we live.  And yes, they're the same models, just different finishes. We really don't have a plan for how long we'll be in the house, no plans to move anytime soon but we'd also like to have another kid or two which means we'll need to start considering a larger place.

Your fridge likely needs a new defrost timer or coil.  Not very expensive to fix.  The stove burner is a cheap fix.  Maybe it's time to flex your Mustachian repair muscles and save a couple grand.

I've fiddled with the fridge and done some google research but haven't taken the leap to try to fix it yet -- that's definitely an option.  The stove burner may not be so simple, though.  It was on the fritz when we bought the place 3 years ago and since a 1 year home warranty was included in the sale I got a service tech out.  The guy spent about an hour working on it, came back the next day, spent another hour and then said "this thing's over 40 years old, I'm technically not even supposed to work on anything older than 20 years, and I can't get the replacement parts, so I'm just going to recommend a new one."  So for a $60 service charge, we got a check for $900 from the warranty company to replace it.  We decided we could live with a bum burner and paid down debt instead.

Erica/NWEdible

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #9 on: April 29, 2014, 12:01:40 PM »
Just something to consider: stainless can be a PITA to clean. Brushed stainless is a bit better. Polished stainless never looks really good unless it's polished regularly. Fingerprints, dust and stuff can show like crazy.

sunnyca

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2014, 12:15:29 PM »
Not to mention, you can't put magnets on stainless.  That was a deal-breaker for me :)

MayDay

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #11 on: April 29, 2014, 12:42:14 PM »
I am surprised so many say that stainless is out of style. I can believe that it's out of style for high end homes (those built in appliances are $$$$$$$). But for your average home, 100% of people I know prefer stainless.

That said, get whatever makes you happy.  if you are spending that much, you should like it.

But as an fyi, we have a two year old Frigidaire gallery dishwasher and it sucks donkey balls. It leaks constantly and the company has been useless. Have you checked consumer reports rankings on dishwashers?

brandino29

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #12 on: April 29, 2014, 12:59:40 PM »
But as an fyi, we have a two year old Frigidaire gallery dishwasher and it sucks donkey balls. It leaks constantly and the company has been useless. Have you checked consumer reports rankings on dishwashers?

Interesting.  I haven't researched the specific models yet, planning to wait until we've got it narrowed down and getting closer to pulling the trigger. 

Is there a way to see Consumer Reports rankings and reviews without subscribing?

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #13 on: April 29, 2014, 01:09:31 PM »
I have black appliances against cherry cabinets. Looks fabulous. Except for my range... I traded up a few years ago for a very non-Mustachian Maytag double oven/convection/cooktop in brushed stainless. I LOVE this stove and the ovens. Fabulous. I HATE the stainless steel ....needs constant polishing. Wish I'd gotten the same model in black.

Granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances have become stylistically dull... see it everywhere.


Thegoblinchief

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #14 on: April 29, 2014, 03:36:01 PM »
But as an fyi, we have a two year old Frigidaire gallery dishwasher and it sucks donkey balls. It leaks constantly and the company has been useless. Have you checked consumer reports rankings on dishwashers?

Interesting.  I haven't researched the specific models yet, planning to wait until we've got it narrowed down and getting closer to pulling the trigger. 

Is there a way to see Consumer Reports rankings and reviews without subscribing?

Library. Failing that, it's worth the money to buy a sub to avoid a $$$ mistake.

I have a Frigidaire Gallery fridge from 6-7 years ago and it's fine.

Do more research into repairing the existing units. Have a dedicated repair company come out, not a PoS warranty tech or manufacturer tech.

deborah

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #15 on: April 29, 2014, 04:04:23 PM »
Two thoughts:

Check the energy consumption of the new fridge - they vary widely. However, I would be replacing your old fridge rather than fixing it. I recently looked at the energy consumption of my 20 year old fridge versus a new fridge the same size - new one uses half the energy. You might save enough energy with a new fridge that it pays for itself.

Check out if any of your friends have stainless, and visit them together to see how the stainless product looks after it has had grubby fingers on it.

nereo

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #16 on: April 29, 2014, 04:10:53 PM »
Not to mention, you can't put magnets on stainless.  That was a deal-breaker for me :)
Nope.  Many newer models let magnets stick just fine.  So many people complained that manufacturers added a ferric backing so that people could use them as the household art-display-center that they have been for decades.
Either that or all my magnets on my fridge are disobeying some gravity laws.

sunnyca

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #17 on: April 29, 2014, 04:42:13 PM »
Not to mention, you can't put magnets on stainless.  That was a deal-breaker for me :)
Nope.  Many newer models let magnets stick just fine.  So many people complained that manufacturers added a ferric backing so that people could use them as the household art-display-center that they have been for decades.
Either that or all my magnets on my fridge are disobeying some gravity laws.

Nice, I didn't know that!  Of course, it's been a while since a bought a refrigerator, and I should have known that things probably changed.

MrsPete

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #18 on: April 30, 2014, 06:15:37 AM »
Out of curiosity, what's the new trend?
Nothing -- that's the problem with your question!  No good answer exists.  We're planning to build  a house soon, and I read a couple house-boards, and this question comes up frequently:  "What is the new stainless?"  No answer. 

Yes, people are saying, "Stainless is over!"  And stainless steel appliances have been "at the top" for as long as a trend tends to stay around . . . but nothing new has come along to take its place.  My personal opinion:  Stainless steel is "the new standard".  It's not Harvest Gold or Avacado Green.  It's not going anywhere. 

Having said that, I personally find it "cold" looking; however, if I were interested in buying your house, stainless appliances wouldn't stop me from making the purchase.  Harvest gold would make me pause, and I'd likely expect an "allowance" for replacement of the old stuff. 
according to my non-mustachian sister, it's appliances that match the cabinets.  Refrigerators are no longer just single rectangular boxes, but can be multiple drawers above and below the countertops.  When people enter her kitchen for the first time they often cannot figure out where the fridge  or dishwasher *is*.
Yes and no:  This is "the thing" for the crowd who are spending over-the-top amounts -- like 2K for one refrigerator drawer.  Yes, you can have your refrigerator door replaced with a front that matches your grey-blue coffee-washed cathedral-arched cabinets . . . but that's for people building $$$$$$ houses in $$$$$$ neighborhoods, not for people who are debating the difference between $1700 and $2000.  And if you do that, you NEED the 6-burner gas, double-oven professional Wolf or AGA (did I get those names right?) range to match your hidden refrigerator. 

From what I'm hearing, you're not playing in that ballpark.  I'm certainly not. 

Personally, I think you're fine with either the basic color OR the stainless.  The price difference -- for something that'll last as long as you stay in the house -- is not significant.  I do think you'll do better on resale if you go with the stainless, but I don't know whether resale is a concern for you or not.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #19 on: April 30, 2014, 06:22:23 AM »
Cleaning stainless makes me batty, but then black or white appliances can get nice scratches in them that are impossible to correct without paint. Kids....

Ottawa

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #20 on: April 30, 2014, 06:26:07 AM »
Cleaning stainless makes me batty, but then black or white appliances can get nice scratches in them that are impossible to correct without paint. Kids....

Our black appliances are pretty good at masking stuff.  Generally, it is the stove top of the gas stove that has carbonized stuff chemically fused to the enamel surface.  Who cares...like a cast iron pan - it's all good seasoning :-)


Thegoblinchief

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #21 on: April 30, 2014, 06:42:57 AM »
Cleaning stainless makes me batty, but then black or white appliances can get nice scratches in them that are impossible to correct without paint. Kids....

Our black appliances are pretty good at masking stuff.  Generally, it is the stove top of the gas stove that has carbonized stuff chemically fused to the enamel surface.  Who cares...like a cast iron pan - it's all good seasoning :-)

It's crayon and other things stuck in the dumb crackle texture on the enamel. Maybe with a buffer I could get it out, but I don't care at this point.

brandino29

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #22 on: April 30, 2014, 07:30:50 AM »
This is "the thing" for the crowd who are spending over-the-top amounts -- like 2K for one refrigerator drawer.  Yes, you can have your refrigerator door replaced with a front that matches your grey-blue coffee-washed cathedral-arched cabinets . . . but that's for people building $$$$$$ houses in $$$$$$ neighborhoods, not for people who are debating the difference between $1700 and $2000.  And if you do that, you NEED the 6-burner gas, double-oven professional Wolf or AGA (did I get those names right?) range to match your hidden refrigerator. 

From what I'm hearing, you're not playing in that ballpark.  I'm certainly not. 

Ha! I don't think these fancy hidden appliances would quite fit in our kitchen with its uneven roller coaster vinyl floor, decades old cabinets and scratched laminate countertops.

brandino29

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #23 on: April 30, 2014, 07:40:29 AM »
So the good news is that I believe I've convinced my wife that stainless isn't worth it (largely due to the smudge and cleaning factor I'm hearing).  On my way home from work yesterday I went to Sears to get a quote.  The salesman there knew his stuff much better than the guy at the other store we dealt with but he swore up and down to me that Sears' Kenmore brand was better quality than the Frigidaire Gallery we were looking at earlier.  I left with a quote for $1,500 for the four appliances. 

I got home, googled "Kenmore vs Frigidaire" and found that Kenmore is entirely made by other manufacturers, including Frigidaire.  Obviously this guy had to know that.

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #24 on: April 30, 2014, 08:20:50 AM »
Kenmore is a Sears brand that, yes, is re-branded stuff made by other companies. Personally I avoid Kenmore (and Sears in general.) We have a SS fridge and my wife found some wipes for SS that work really great.  I'd probably get SS again but would have no problem with black or white if they were in a house I was looking to buy, as long as they were in good shape and fit the look of the house.

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #25 on: April 30, 2014, 08:52:11 AM »
Keep shopping around for the best deal. Good job man.

I'm kind of tired of all the SS appliances as well.

Erin

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #26 on: April 30, 2014, 10:14:39 AM »
Stainless is definitely on the way out, but enough people like it that you'll probably be safe for resale for a while. White is getting popular again. But trendy enamel (that I covet but would never pay for) is the new thing. My husband and I paid about $1700 for stainless fridge/oven/micro combo when we redid our kitchen this summer. We got them on sale, used a Lowes card to get the 5% off, etc. If I had to do it all over, I'd get whatever was cheapest (probably used) and paint all of the appliances a color I liked. We are kind of wild and our walls are all insanely bright and fun, so I'm not sure what we were doing when we got stainless (we had a huge hole in the floor of our 140+ year old house due to broken pipes that needed repair, so many of our decisions on the remodel were quick and stupid). Neither one of us even likes stainless, but they were actually the cheaper appliances we found.

nereo

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #27 on: April 30, 2014, 11:05:23 AM »

according to my non-mustachian sister, it's appliances that match the cabinets.  Refrigerators are no longer just single rectangular boxes, but can be multiple drawers above and below the countertops.  When people enter her kitchen for the first time they often cannot figure out where the fridge  or dishwasher *is*.
Yes and no:  This is "the thing" for the crowd who are spending over-the-top amounts -- like 2K for one refrigerator drawer.  Yes, you can have your refrigerator door replaced with a front that matches your grey-blue coffee-washed cathedral-arched cabinets . . . but that's for people building $$$$$$ houses in $$$$$$ neighborhoods, not for people who are debating the difference between $1700 and $2000.  And if you do that, you NEED the 6-burner gas, double-oven professional Wolf or AGA (did I get those names right?) range to match your hidden refrigerator. 


Hmm.. ok.  I agree it's beyond the OP's original post, I was just responding to an earlier question about what replaced stainless.  As for cabinet faces being in the stratosphere price-wise, I completely agree.  But that's the way all designer trends begin.  Not too long ago, stainless appliances added well over $1k to the price.  Now it's a $200 or $300 upgrade.  Why?  everyone wanted it so it trickled down into the mid-range price points.  I'm certain that we'll see the same thing happen for cabinet faux-fronts in the near future.  Something like this: "buy your refrigerator at BigBoxLand and we'll match their fronts to any of our 30 different cabinet lines.  Buy the cabinets and appliances together and we'll do it for free!"
As always, the fashionable crowd will chase the new "it" thing, and manufacturers will find a way to market it to the masses.  Shortly after that happens something else becomes the new "it" thing because - hey!  we can't all have the same stuff, that wouldn't be fashionable at all!

My ss fridge came with my apartment.  I've never had a new fridge before and I don't ever intend to buy a new one ever again.  it is shiny though...

Eric

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #28 on: April 30, 2014, 11:09:46 AM »
If you're a Star Wars fan, SS may be worth it:


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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #29 on: April 30, 2014, 11:16:55 AM »
Don't worry about the finish, worry about the energy rating.    A 15 year old refrigerator is probably using twice the energy that a modern energy star or even LEED certified (I believe that's the designation) fridge will use.    The refrigerator is most people's number 2 electrical draw in the entire house so it really does make sense to go big on this purchase.


Want the most efficient fridge ever?    Here's what I would do.   Buy a chest freezer and put an external thermostat on it.    I have a kegerator that I did this with.   I set it at about 45 degrees F and I use $.43 worth of electricity a month (according to my Kill A Watt).

nereo

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #30 on: April 30, 2014, 01:08:14 PM »

Want the most efficient fridge ever?    Here's what I would do.   Buy a chest freezer and put an external thermostat on it.    I have a kegerator that I did this with.   I set it at about 45 degrees F and I use $.43 worth of electricity a month (according to my Kill A Watt).

Yikes(!)  45ºF?  Thats a lot higher than is recommended for storage of meat.  Wouldn't worry about it if you are a vegetarian but I personally wouldn't want to store chicken for 2days in a 45ºF fridge.  Just my personal comfort level though.

brandino29

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #31 on: April 30, 2014, 01:39:54 PM »

Want the most efficient fridge ever?    Here's what I would do.   Buy a chest freezer and put an external thermostat on it.    I have a kegerator that I did this with.   I set it at about 45 degrees F and I use $.43 worth of electricity a month (according to my Kill A Watt).

Yikes(!)  45ºF?  Thats a lot higher than is recommended for storage of meat.  Wouldn't worry about it if you are a vegetarian but I personally wouldn't want to store chicken for 2days in a 45ºF fridge.  Just my personal comfort level though.

Even worse than meat at that temperature, it was beer!  (Just kidding, I'll drink beer at any temperature).

greaper007

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #32 on: May 01, 2014, 08:25:54 AM »

Want the most efficient fridge ever?    Here's what I would do.   Buy a chest freezer and put an external thermostat on it.    I have a kegerator that I did this with.   I set it at about 45 degrees F and I use $.43 worth of electricity a month (according to my Kill A Watt).

Yikes(!)  45ºF?  Thats a lot higher than is recommended for storage of meat.  Wouldn't worry about it if you are a vegetarian but I personally wouldn't want to store chicken for 2days in a 45ºF fridge.  Just my personal comfort level though.

Well, it just houses my homebrew kegs and maybe a couple extra loaves of bread.    Still, I don't think lowering the temperature to the 34f range would significantly raise the cooling costs.    If I was redoing a kitchen or building a house, there's no way I wouldn't go with chest freezers for refrigeration needs.   They're just way more efficient than normal standing refrigerators.

To the other poster, beer near the freezing point of water?   You must not like beer or only drink American macro brews. :)  The point of getting beer that cold is that macro brews have highly undesirable flavors that you can taste when cold temperatures aren't numbing your taste buds.     Good beers shouldn't be served below about 44f, you miss out on all the wonderful complex flavors at colder temperatures.    British beers are served at European room temp about 55f and they're carbonated to a much lower level also.   

Greg

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #33 on: May 01, 2014, 08:37:41 AM »
Out of curiosity, what's the new trend?

Like was mentioned, cabinet matching appliances are a thing.  I prefer the classic look of white appliances with clear-finish wood cabinets.  Black appliances look good with darker woods.

Stainless got popular in the '90's and it's still going, but folks are looking for something new (like always).  My biggest concern with trends like ss appliances is that they will at some point appear dated.  I see that point coming and so recommend away from them for a longer lasting, classic look.

They can look great especially if stainless is used in other areas like the countertop, sink(s), backsplash, stove surround etc. as part of a materials theme.  Having just the appliances in stainless is another strategy, it would allow them to be replaced in the future without messing up a larger scheme.

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #34 on: May 01, 2014, 11:43:07 AM »
Next trend? I've been seeing a lot of vintage style, mid-century modern appliances lately. Lots of white with chrome. Love MCM.

greaper007

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #35 on: May 01, 2014, 11:49:21 AM »
Adam Carolla always talks about how he painted his SS appliances with automotive paint.     An option for when the stainless looks dated.

MrsPete

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Re: Worth the upgrade to stainless steel appliances?
« Reply #36 on: May 03, 2014, 05:43:57 PM »
Next trend? I've been seeing a lot of vintage style, mid-century modern appliances lately. Lots of white with chrome. Love MCM.
I believe plenty of people will like this style . . . but, again, this is NOT cheap.  It's not something that the average middle-class family will be buying.  A website selling these items was discussed on the home-building site I frequent, and I couldn't believe the prices:  Think 4K for a refrigerator or a range.  Not many of us can afford that, no matter how much we like the idea of a cool red or turquoise 50-s looking appliance.