Browse Forums Kitchen Corner 1 Apr 27, 2011 1:47 pm Hi, I just wanted to know if anyone could tell me if they thought that you got more value out of using higher end appliances vs getting more, less high end appliances for the same spend? DW and I are starting to go around in circles with which way to go in our new build... We want versatility and reliability first and foremost, and depending on where we go and who we talk to, the opinions change on what we should get depending what they have to sell us. We want to do a lot more entertaining, so I'm guessing the more ovens the better, but am I just better off getting a higher end package for my spend... around $12k We were initially looking at the following F&P 760mm 104 litre pyrolytic oven F&P 5 hob 900mm induction cooktop Schweign rangehood F&P double dishdrawer Totaled approx $8,749 Then we went to a place with some slightly higher end ranges and were shown the following. Highland 60cm 75 litre pyro oven Seimens 900mm induction cooktop Highland 900mm rangehood Seimens fully integrated dishwasher Totaled approx $12,642 But if I take make a package from both, I can get more versatility from my 12g, but I dont want to regret choosing the cheaper products if they start causing me grief a couple of years down the track... Eg F&P single 104 litre pyro oven F&P 900mm induction cooktop Schweign rangehood Siemens dishwasher and leaves enough left over to get a F&P 600mm (60litre+ 60litre) double oven for the butlers pantry.... Total $11, 473 We plan to entertain a lot in this kitchen, so the last scenario is the one I am leaning towards, due to the extra versatility, but I was hoping someone would throw their 2 cents in or steer me away from a bad decision.... Cheers, doogs82 Re: Same $, do you get more value from higher end appliance 2Apr 27, 2011 4:07 pm skip the F&P dishdrawer, ours only lasted 5 years before it gave up. and it had a couple of callouts in that first 5 years. I LOVED IT, dont get me wrong, the design is fantastic, but if it were made by anyone else but F&P, i would buy another in a heartbeat. i would go the higher end appliances over F&P. I would look into Bosch, Ariston, Gaganeau or Miele if the budget allows. and go fully intergrated with the dishwasher front so it blends in with the joinery doors. [just my opinion] Re: Same $, do you get more value from higher end appliance 3Apr 27, 2011 4:22 pm I am another who had a nightmare with the dishdrawers. I replaced the motor 3 times... apparently it kept burning out. Then I bought a bosch. It's amazing. Quick, quiet and it cleans the dishes... crazy concept for a dishwasher. Building with Life$tyle Homes in Perth SOR Key Dates on First Page of my Thread viewtopic.php?f=31&t=38761 Re: Same $, do you get more value from higher end appliance 4Apr 27, 2011 6:25 pm Definitely get a bosch dishwasher. Mines quiet and does a great job. My ovens and cooktop are bosch also. lovely to work with. Check out the reliability with appliance online au. You need to know how effective they are, how much power they use, and weather they will last Re: Same $, do you get more value from higher end appliance 5Apr 28, 2011 9:39 am I wouldn't get a dish drawer. Everyone I know that has one (7 diff couples) all hate them. The idea is good but in practice apparently not so good. I'd stick with the Schweigen range hood as it will be quieter that the highland (i assume) ad work better due to the vacuum created by the external motor. As for other stuff, We went with Bosch. Never look at Highland as they were much more than we could pay but I do know that Siemens is made by same company as Bosch and has more features and slightly better switched and buttons. I was told by appliance salesman that F&P are simply not as good as they used to be and he wouldn't buy one. HE recommended one more expensive model and 3 less expensive. Re: Same $, do you get more value from higher end appliance 6Apr 28, 2011 9:45 am My MIL loves her F&P dishdrawers even though the bottom one has had to be repaired twice in 11yrs. But the only thing she would do different would be to place them side by side rather then one on top of the other. We chose a Bosch as the drawers just wouldn't hold enough for our family of 5. Fine for the in-laws as there is only two of them. Some things are worth waiting for. Re: Same $, do you get more value from higher end appliance 7Apr 28, 2011 1:39 pm To your question, do you get value for spending more money on appliances....I think over time you do. Compare the build of a F&P oven with a Siemens oven and you can see immediately that the there is a significant step up in quality and after 5 years or 10 years your Siemens will still look contemporary and function well. The immediate value may not be so noticeable. We did our months of research and our conclusions were, Bosch had the best dishwashers (don't go dishdrawers, reliability reports are damning and you will not go close to fitting oversize plates in them). The Bosch 15 placesetter will take the most oversized plates at the same time as wine glasses and has a cutlery shelf and you can barely hear it running. Schweigan or Qasair for the rangehoods. We got Qasair but it was a tossup between these two and daylight to third place. Personally, I would not skimp on a range hood. For oven and microwave, we wanted a wall mounted matching combo. It was Miele or Siemens, Siemens won out because it comes with standard 5 year warranty. I think Bosch, Miele, Neff etc are all good options. I would rather buy one good oven than two average ones. We didn't get pyrolytic. This option seemed overpriced to me and when I heard you still have to remove all the racks and clean them by hand I decided it wasn't worth it. The cooktop is to me one area you can get away with a lesser brand. Unless you do a lot of high heat wok cooking (in which case we work out Highlands were the best options) most cooktops to a very adequate job and will hold up OK over the years. You will get a bunch of different opinions about brands and perormance. But in my opinion, one thing you can say is that there is general agreement about the best 2 or 3 in each category and it is worth buying from that group. Re: Same $, do you get more value from higher end appliance 8Apr 28, 2011 8:18 pm Not entirely related - but, if you do a lot of entertaining/cooking - I would definitely consider purchasing the 2 ovens as you briefly mentioned above - we went with two and have never regretted doing so - just so so handy to have! I can also say I have heard a lot of positive things about Bosch dishwashers! Building on the Sunshine Coast - Land settled 22nd July 2009 Building contract finally signed (after much deliberation on our part) 11th November 2009 Building commences 25th January 2010 - small local builder End of June - almost completed fit out 26th July - MOVE IN DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Re: Same $, do you get more value from higher end appliance 9Apr 28, 2011 10:13 pm Thanks all for the informative feedback! Went back to the showroom to look at it all with a fresh head and taking your opinions into account and we are seriously considering 2 Neff B46E64N0AU ovens side by side ($2999 each), and two F&P C1905DTB1 900mm induction cooktops side by side ($2100 each). That way we get the quality in the ovens, and the induction, as was once said only needs to boil water ect.... not really any other modes on different models, just power up and power down. ( Although the sales guy showed me a seimens induction model with a solid metal dial that you can place- or lose- anywhere and it just sits in the command position when you need to use it. Not worth me spending double the coin on though!) I know only I can really answer this, but is it overkill to have 2 900mm cooktops?? I find the single 900mm cooktop I have now seriously lacking in room, but I wonder if 2 600mm cooktops would be a better pick...I have seen a couple of 600 mm cooktops in a kitchen side by side, but have yet to find a set of 900's The other stuff, I will narrow down as in the next week or two, but are there any thoughts on my selections so far? I am also pretty sure I will get the seimens dishwasher as they also have it on special at the moment.... Cheers Re: Same $, do you get more value from higher end appliance 10Apr 29, 2011 10:24 am I can only think that 2x 900mm cooktops is an extreme over kill unless you are planning in having the next series of MasterChef/MKR at your place. Do you have massive pots and pans or are you cooking for 6+ and they all only eat different foods? ( I'm not taking the *** its a serious q as to why you want/need 2?) As for the Ovens, 2 is becoming quite common for people who bake and roast a lot. Again look at Bosh or Miele for something to compare to. But Neff is petty much inline with those. Back to the cook top. Take your pans with you and see they fit. We took ours to E&S and tried them on a few and found one with a layout that was great. Some can be cramped but it depend on spacings and layout. A well designed 600mm will have more "room" than a poorly thought out 750mm or even 900mm. Re: Same $, do you get more value from higher end appliance 11Apr 29, 2011 9:06 pm chrisandkate, we have a 900mm gas cooktop at the moment, and I find that after I put a large frypan on the main burner, that it pretty much rules out anything but the smallest of pots on two of the other burners. It would just be nice to have a little more room and the ability to get multiple things cooking for when we have friends and family over. Maybe a better designed 900mm or at most 2 600mm inductions in line with the two 600 mm ovens in the wall behind them. We are only a small family, but want to keep the kitchen space flexible for entertaining. Nothing worse than getting cluttered and cramped for space! Re: Same $, do you get more value from higher end appliance 12Apr 29, 2011 9:36 pm Personally you may get more satisfaction in the long run but as resale value no way purchasers will either ignore that or brush aside as they do not want to pay more for something they may change or dispose anyway Re: Same $, do you get more value from higher end appliance 13Apr 30, 2011 8:58 pm Another view: if paning to use yourself for considerable time (5-10 years) get quality staff, bet of what you can afford. If planing to sell/rent in few years, get mid-range items. BTW, I work for manufacturing company, most expencive is not always best. But guaranty that is can be at least second best. There is a lot of cheap staff out there that you do not want to know. interesting situation what happened after builder issued final invoice? did you list as defect or not does the building surveyor have any responsibility? ie. issuing… 13 46956 Minimum overhang into gutter must be 50mm, turn down tool should not split the sheet. it seems wrong tool for the profile was used, the flashing cannot slope back. Rib… 2 2117 Electrical just got back to me and said the most they can provide is a single power point on the Bedroom 1 side of that wall. After handover, your towel rail installer… 2 3837 |