When Miss Ginger and previous BF remodeled the house a few years back, they chose Kitchen Aid appliances for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, being gay boys, they liked the style and the way they looked in the showroom! But also, Momma G had a Kitchen Aid dishwasher that lasted for like 18 years, so they felt like they would be getting dependable appliances that last. Not so much!
Miss Ginger is not a big baker, so this wall oven does not get used that often- more during the holidays than any other time, when it is put into full service mode, making turkeys, casseroles, sides, etc, and keeping said dishes warm until meal time. After that big workout, it seems a good cleaning is in order, so she typically runs the self clean cycle after the holidays.
The first time she did it, the thing apparently overheated and blew an internal fuse that is located on the back of the unit. A quick, yet expensive service call later and it was back in the wall, working perfectly again.
Well, wouldn't you know, exactly one year later, after the holidays, the self-cleaning cycle blew the damn thing out again! Another service call. This time, Miss G determined she was going to watch the guy fix the thing, and sure enough, all he did was pull it out, replace a tiny fuse on the back, and shove it back in the wall. This guy was chatty, so Miss G decided to pick his brain a bit. "Why do you think my oven goes out every time I run the self-clean cycle?", she asks. "Oh, these things are pieces of shit!", he says. "I replace 2 or 3 of these fuses a month- more around the holidays!"
Just fucking lovely, right? It will cost Miss G +$200 every time she wants to clean the oven?! So he says "I saw a memo about some sort of workaround to keep this from happening. Let me move this fuse away from this vent hole over here to this solid area where it's less likely to overheat." GRRRRRRR! So Kitchen Aid built a weakness into the appliance to ensure a steady stream of service calls to make sure their products are paying them dividend long into the future!!! And if Miss Ginger had not forced the issue with the serviceman, he would not have performed the workaround to fix it permanently! What a crock!
It's a shame, really, since the oven heats quickly and cooks beautifully when it works. But, due to this fatal design flaw, Miss G gives it:
( )
no lipsticks!!
But wait- there's more Kitchen Aid shittiness coming your way!!
Miss G also bought this (incredibly expensive) dishwasher. She was forced to buy the overpriced top of the line, because at the time it was the only one available that could be retrofitted with a custom panel to match the cabinets.
Again, it works great when it works- you really can just throw the plates in there without rinsing them, and they come out clean.
But, it now sits in the kitchen almost dead- it's only sign of life is a tiny little green light that blinks faintly, saying, in a dying whisper "buy me yet another heating element! I'm on strike until you do!" This will be the 3rd heating element consumed by this 7 year old mongrel!
Miss G gives the Kitchen Aid dishwasher:
( )
no lipsticks
And finally, the Kitchen Aid side by side refrigerator. Actually, it's a relative neophyte in the service call arena, requiring only one in its short 7 year life, to fix the ice maker. That one doesn't irritate Miss G as much, considering it's a moving part that runs constantly and lives in sub-zero temperatures. Miss G did find it amusing, however, that the service man told her that the machine had stripped its gears because hard water had caused the teflon to tear away from the ice mold, causing the ice to freeze up the mechanism. Um, Miss G has a water softener that serves the entire plumbing supply- no hard water here, Mr.!!
( )
no lipsticks!
So, Miss G is gonna fix that damn dishwasher one more time- but if it breaks again, she's getting a new one! What kind of appliances do you have? Do you like them? Are they reliable?
7 comments:
Ours are all Whirlpool.
We remodeled the kitchen in Miami, and found we liked the looks and style of the Whirlpool--though, being a mo, I get exactly what you mean by KitchenAid--and replaced all the appliances with them.
When we moved to Smallville, we replaced the fridge and sihwasher with Whirlpool, and will soon switch from electric to gas for the stove and go Whirlpool.
We haven't had any problems at all.
i have never bought a new appliance and after reading all the trouble kitchen aid gave you, i won't even consider them as a choice.
i do have an old school kitchen aid mixer that was gifted to me when the original owner downsized her kitchen and i love it, but it was made back in the 50's so maybe it was made to a different quality standard.
ps i would volunteer to do your dishes anytime :D however, it may take me a few to get over to your place!
xxalainaxx
My stove is a Frigidaire. My fridge -- my true love -- is a Fisher & Paykel.
Frigidaire stove and fridge, Kenmore dishwasher. No problems at all.
Does that lemon law apply to appliances? When I called the Staples tech center (in America) about my HP laptop that has died again, he told me that it has to be sent back with the same problem 3 times to qualify as a lemon. Then HP will send me a new one or money to buy another laptop. Just saying. I hope that mine dies again after they replace the hard drive again, so I can get money and buy a Mac. I'm going to anyway, but that would help.
If you are looking for something interesting and practical to buy an appliance filing such an event is a difficult experience, even if you consider yourself a knowledgeable buyer. When you buy a new car, bike or at home, it is unwise to assume that the most expensive is the best choice. Guess what? Just because a brand is expensive does not necessarily mean that it is the absolute buy there! The same rule applies when you buy a new appliance for your home. Some owners have no idea that the more expensive products look the best in their homes, and work more efficiently.
I have the Kitchen ensemble Dishwasher, Micro, and dishwasher. Oven heats up too slow....no self clean it is a steam clean design that doesn't clean shit. I need a new frdge nit no way will it be Kitchen aid!! Wife has all Kitchen aid small appliances and they are great but their big $$ items suck!!
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