Appliance Buying Guide
Dec 14th 2023
You walk into your new kitchen, and you immediately envision yourself scrambling to whip up stuffing, checking your Thanksgiving turkey in the oven, and placing a freshly tossed salad in the refrigerator. The only things standing between you and the fulfillment of your culinary dreams are a few appliances.
With such a wide selection of appliances available on the market, choosing the perfect match for your kitchen — and your needs — can feel daunting. Fortunately, you don’t have to shop alone. Let’s explore the top appliance buying tips in this appliance buying guide.
Cooktops
Do you have a spacious kitchen? Consider adding a kitchen cooktop and wall oven to the space. This is the perfect alternative to your standard kitchen range (more on this next), as it’ll free up your cabinet space beneath the cooktop. This makes it simple to store heavy pans and pots near your cooking space. Let’s explore the top cooktop appliance buying tips in this appliance buying guide.
Gas vs. Electric
Choose a gas cooktop if you’d like to make instant temperature changes when cooking and prefer instant heat. Gas cooktops make it easier for home cooks to gauge their heat levels. Another benefit of a gas cooktop is that the grates are durable enough to last for years, and cooking over flames may offer a gourmet experience you can’t duplicate with electric cooktops.
Electric cooktops are the better option for homeowners whose homes don’t feature gas lines. They’re also simple to maintain. You may also love their sophisticated look, which works well with many kitchen countertop designs. Home chefs find that electric cooktops maintain lower temperatures more effectively than gas ones, too.
Cooktop Cost
The gas and electric cooktops highlighted in this appliance buying guide typically cost between $300 and $2,500. You can get a basic gas cooktop with four burners at a lower price and a professional-style gas appliance at the higher end. A quality cooktop may last for 15 years.
Ranges
Ranges, which combine cooktops and ovens, are generally the best option for small to midsize kitchens. Modern ranges are excellent for broiling, roasting, baking, and boiling. Let’s take a peek at the leading range appliance buying tips in this appliance buying guide.
Size, Style, and Fuel Type
Residential ranges are typically 30 inches wide, although a higher-end range may reach 36 inches or more in width. These appliances’ oven compartments are usually five cubic feet, making them two cubic feet larger than standard wall ovens — a major benefit for avid bakers.
Several range styles are available, ranging from drop-in to freestanding and slide-in options. Freestanding ranges can go anywhere in a kitchen since all of their sides are finished. Drop-in and slide-in options aren’t finished on all sides, so they must be surrounded by cabinets. All of these options work well with both electricity and gas lines, with some having the ability to use both types.
Some ranges come with self-cleaning capabilities, which make it easier to maintain the appliances. Choose a glass-top model to make maintaining the cooktop easier, too (coil burners can especially be challenging to clean).
Range Cost
The ranges we’ve mentioned in this appliance buying guide may cost you $350 to $2,000-plus. Entry-level coil ranges are available for a lower price. Dual-fuel ranges made of stainless steel are offered at a higher price.
Washers and Dryers
Doing laundry may not be your favorite chore, but the right washer/dryer combo can make the task easier and more pleasant. Today’s quality washers and dryers are available in multiple styles and offer varying features. Let’s take a look at a few washer/dryer appliance buying tips in this appliance buying guide.
Loading Options and Capacity
Top-loader or bottom-loader: That is the question every homeowner must answer when shopping for washers. Top-loading washing bins may not be convenient for short individuals since you may have to touch the bottom of the bin to retrieve wet clothes. Front-loading washers are usually more costly and require more maintenance, as you need to wipe down the sensors regularly to keep them functioning optimally. A major benefit of these machines is that they have greater spin speeds, which will make drying your wet clothes more efficient.
Washer/Dryer Cost
The washers outlined in this appliance buying guide may cost you anywhere from $450 to $3,500, while dryers may cost $390 to $3,000. Washers and dryers cost $700 on average each.
Refrigerators
Your refrigerator is arguably the most important kitchen appliance since it helps preserve your food. Let’s explore the leading refrigerator appliance buying tips in this appliance buying guide.
Refrigerator Types and Features
Refrigerators are available in three core body configurations: bottom-mounted, side-by-side, and top-mounted styles. The top-mounted style features a freezer above the refrigerator compartment; it’s the best option for homeowners with budget and space constraints. Side-by-side fridges are among the most popular options due to offering easy access to your refrigerated and frozen items. They’re excellent for kitchens where the clearance between the refrigerator and island is minimal. Bottom-mounted fridges feature convenient pull-out drawers for frozen items on the bottom.
Refrigerator Cost
Top-mounted refrigerators typically cost between $400 and $600. Side-by-sides usually cost $700 to $2,000. Bottom-mounted appliances may cost between $800 and $1,200.
Shop For Quality Appliances at Fireside Appliance
At Fireside Appliance, we proudly offer the appliances highlighted in this appliance buying guide. We stand out for the high quality of our products, our exceptional customer service, and our family-owned business staff members’ expertise. Delivery and installation are available within 150 miles of our stores in Southern California.
We also offer a 30-day price match guarantee, where we’ll match a competitor’s price if you discover a lower price tag for an appliance on their site within 30 days of purchasing the same one on our site. Fireside Appliance also offers four convenient locations for local appliance shopping: Woodland Hills (Woodland Hills, CA), Conejo Valley (Thousand Oaks, CA), West Hollywood (West Hollywood, CA), and Chatsworth Showroom (Chatsworth, CA). Shop now!
