The variety of appliances is stunning.
Stainless vs. a solid color ?
Energy Star or Not?
There are tons of questions, lots of ways to decide upon the right appliance. What may be the right choice for me is not necessarily the perfect choice for you.
So, Overall, I wanted:
~ Stainless: I am not sure why I wanted this, does it really matter? I went with stainless because that's whats in all the magazines. Part of me wanted the avocado color of the 1960's just for fun, but that is just not an option any more.
~ Energy Star: This was important to me. I can be a bit lax about recycling every single bit of paper, plastic or aluminum foil. Buying something with the Energy Star label made me feel like I was doing my part. But, honestly, almost every appliance had the Energy Star label. So, I think it might just be a marketing ploy? Or maybe we've reached the tipping point and every single manufacturer is producing efficient appliances?
~ Brand: Okay, so I don't really know anything about particular brands. One person told me there are only two manufacturers of refrigerators and they just stick a different sticker on it. Is this true? I have no idea. But, I am not loyal to any specific brand. My posh Project Manager steered me towards Frigidaire because that is whats sitting in his kitchen. Good choice? I have no idea.
~ Warranty: I know most people never take advantage of a warranty, but I am the Princess who felt a bowling ball sized pea in my mattress, took advantage of the Sleepy's warranty, returned a 2 year old mattress, then got a replacement, didn't like it and replaced that one within the 30 day Try It Out period. So, the actual warranty was kind of important to me. (No, I don't buy the store offered warranty. I did once with a paper shredder, then they wouldn't replace it when it started smoking, so anyway ....... The manufacturer's warranty is kind of important to me. But, it seems like most of the appliances had the same 1 year warranty. Maybe I didn't do my homework?
~ Size: Size does matter. I have a very specific (aka tiny) kitchen. So the appliances have to be the right size, shape, height, width, depth, etc......Luckily I had met with my General Contractor before appliance shopping; he gave me the exact measurements for each appliance. This was critical!
So, the Specifics of Each Appliance
Refrigerator:
I bought a Frigidaire Top Freezer, 18.3 Cubic Feet. I chose this refrigerator because:
* It opened the right way. If I end up using the wheelchair a lot, I really need to make sure I can open the refrigerator. This way when the door is open, the door will be against the wall, not in my way. (Many refrigerators can be switched, it can be switched from opening on the left side to opening on the right side and vice versa)
* The outside was stainless steel
I also bought the "Smart Choice Refrigerator Accessory", model 5305510264. This is the Ice Maker Installation Kit with Water Line kit. Seems important. If the plumber doesn't need it, I guess I'll return it, but for $ 16.97, seemed like a good idea to buy it just in case the plumber did need it. I'll find out this week.
