High End Kitchen Appliances

[Lights_Guy3]

So we're looking to have the kitchen totally remodeled in the next year. The wife has already vetoed Thermador, Viking, Bosch & Monogram for various reasons. The two major brands we've narrowed down to are Miele and Wolf/Subzero.

I like the styling, features, and especially the interior fridge lighting that Miele has to offer. But I'm concerned that those same extra features, which include "smart" connectivity stuff, stored programs for cooking, push notifications for filter changes, etc., will be considered outdated or undesirable 15-20 years from now when it comes time to sell the house and leave the Bay Area.

Miele fridges have their compressors at the bottom, which makes the usable area of the fridge about 12" higher off the ground versus the Subzero and their top mounted compressors. A big plus for me and my bad back.

Wolf/Subzero.... Simple stuff, but really nice. I've been reading that their fridges are not tolerant to power cycles/failures and with CA rolling blackouts expected to continue this makes me concerned for the reliability.


I can mix and match too - Wolf stuff for ovens, cooktop, microwave/convection and then Miele for fridges (main, wine, and beverage). Since the fridges will not be directly next to the other appliances anyways, the small styling differences in handles will not be as noticeable.

At this point cost is not going to be a deciding factor. Both are expensive, and in the same ballpark. I've already accepted that. I'm going to make this decision on which is better in the long run, not which cost less.

Any input from people who have owned either of these brands?

And how do people feel about the aesthetics of panel ready appliances?

 

[afm199]

I spent decades installing high end appliances ( actually wiring the kitchen for them and connecting them.)

My heartfelt advice is to avoid the latest and highest tech digital controls at all cost. The circuit boards are insanely expensive ( and when they only make 75,000 a year, that happens,) and when it is replacement time, you will be spending a couple grand for that.

The other thing is that the circuit boards do go bad. At a minimum get the longest warranty you can. Wolf is good stuff, Sub Zero is good but not great IMHO. Miele is good as well.

What's my point? Digital appliances have pushed the realm of repair into the stratosphere.

 

[Blankpage]

Buy what you want for now. If I’m buying a place and the appliances are even ten years old I’ll be considering them throwaways.

 

[DannoXYZ]

I like the styling, features, and especially the interior fridge lighting that Miele has to offer. But I'm concerned that those same extra features, which include "smart" connectivity stuff, stored programs for cooking, push notifications for filter changes, etc., will be considered outdated or undesirable 15-20 years from now when it comes time to sell the house and leave the Bay Area.

Forget about trying to future-proof anything, you're never gonna be able to do it anyway. Get what's useful for you right now.

 

[Lights_Guy3]

I spent decades installing high end appliances ( actually wiring the kitchen for them and connecting them.)

My heartfelt advice is to avoid the latest and highest tech digital controls at all cost. The circuit boards are insanely expensive ( and when they only make 75,000 a year, that happens,) and when it is replacement time, you will be spending a couple grand for that.

The other thing is that the circuit boards do go bad. At a minimum get the longest warranty you can. Wolf is good stuff, Sub Zero is good but not great IMHO. Miele is good as well.

What's my point? Digital appliances have pushed the realm of repair into the stratosphere.

Sounds like Wolf may be a good option then. They have very little electronic stuff going on. I don't really want my oven to be sending texts to my phone to let me know a preheat is done anyways.

Heading to Friedmans after work today to look at options again in more detail.

Leaning towards moving away from Miele for the oven stuff cause of all the fancy farkles they have. Their fridge is still top of my list, but that is fairly feature free.

Revisiting Viking as well.

Buy what you want for now. If I’m buying a place and the appliances are even ten years old I’ll be considering them throwaways.

If I'm dropping 35k on just appliances, I think it's reasonable to expect a life of 20 years before even considering replacement. If this was GE or Samsung, then yea, I'm totally with you.

Forget about trying to future-proof anything, you're never gonna be able to do it anyway. Get what's useful for you right now.

That's a good point. Even with the expected life for this stuff when it comes time to leave it's okay for the kitchen to not feel modern. I do want to avoid getting stuff that looks trendy right now, just because trendy stuff basically always looks terrible in a decade.

 

[bikeama]

We did our kitchen two years ago, and still happy with it. The wife picked a 36" Wolf range and went counter depth Kitchen Aid fridge and a Kitchen Aid dishwasher. Sharp drawer microwave, Sharpe makes the guts on the Wolf drawer microwave. Did a high-end vent and that was $1,800. If you are looking at Wolf call Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Showroom Burlingame by Riggs Distributing, Inc they ave everything and you can see them running.

Edit: Talking to the wife and she really likes the Wolf, 5 burners have a high and low heat setting the 6th burner is a simmer and low simmer. You can melt chocolate on the low simmer and it will not burn. 36" oven is big and holds a lot. We did buy extra ball bearing racks. The broiler is infrared gas and gets hot quickly and does a great job.


My kitchen here.

 

[Blankpage]

Unless your future potential home buyer is into vintage appliances it seems needless to consider how stylish something will look in 20 years. Your money though.

 

[bikeama]

Unless your future potential home buyer is into vintage appliances it seems needless to consider how stylish something will look in 20 years. Your money though.

Hell, I don't plan to be here in 20 years. If I was I probably would want to change it.

 

[Eldritch]

I spent decades installing high end appliances ( actually wiring the kitchen for them and connecting them.)

My heartfelt advice is to avoid the latest and highest tech digital controls at all cost. The circuit boards are insanely expensive ( and when they only make 75,000 a year, that happens,) and when it is replacement time, you will be spending a couple grand for that.

The other thing is that the circuit boards do go bad. At a minimum get the longest warranty you can. Wolf is good stuff, Sub Zero is good but not great IMHO. Miele is good as well.

What's my point? Digital appliances have pushed the realm of repair into the stratosphere.

While we are talking shit, do you know a good guy I can use to wire and install a 504 compliant door opener at a commercial property in San Francisco?

 

[afm199]

While we are talking shit, do you know a good guy I can use to wire and install a 504 compliant door opener at a commercial property in San Francisco?

These days we're all retired, in jail, running from the IRS, hiding in Mexico, or cooperating with the DA.

 

[bikeama]

These days we're all retired, in jail, running from the IRS, hiding in Mexico, or cooperating with the DA.

Signature material.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

My cooktop is only 8 years old and all parts are discontinued. Same with my oven. Didn't these things used to last 30 years?

 

[Agent Orange]

My Sears bought Kenmore fridge and stove have never failed me yet. Ive had the stove for 5 years and the fridge for at least 4 years. My dad bought a fancy Samsung fridge and the old 80s GE fridge hes got downstairs outlives the new Samsung.

 

[Lights_Guy3]

Tentatively going with Wolf/Sub-zero. Deposit given.

It's a few bucks but has minimal fancy gimmick stuff. Has a classic look that hasn't changed in many years and should be reliable with minimal maintenance for at least 20 years.

36" Range top w/integrated grill
30" m series oven
30" microwave/speed oven
36"built in french door fridge
Dishwasher - panel ready
Hood
Wine fridge
Beverage fridge


Definitely made the sales guy's day. I'm sure he's getting a fat commission

 

[afm199]

My cooktop is only 8 years old and all parts are discontinued. Same with my oven. Didn't these things used to last 30 years?

Thirty years ago or more.

My mom had a Kenmore dryer from 1965 that was going strong when she died in 2000. I should have kept it, gone through two since then.

 

[Blankpage]

My mother had an Electrolux vacuum when I was growing up. She might still have it, seemed to last forever. Making stuff last forever (30+years) isn’t good for business.

 

[1footdown]

We have a Miele dishwasher. Mrs.' absolute favorite appliance ever. they make their own electronics boards in-house. German engineering!

If you are into baking at all, i've heard it's worth is to get the electric oven with your gas range. ours is gas/gas and the oven temp varies in up to 25 degree swings.

 

[lizard]

My Sears bought Kenmore fridge and stove have never failed me yet. Ive had the stove for 5 years and the fridge for at least 4 years. My dad bought a fancy Samsung fridge and the old 80s GE fridge hes got downstairs outlives the new Samsung.

I bought a new GE fridge in ‘86. Gave to parents in ‘88. Parents gave back to me in ‘94. I gave it away in 2012 when I bought a goddamn Samsuck.

BTW, subscribed!

 

[tzrider]

My cooktop is only 8 years old and all parts are discontinued. Same with my oven. Didn't these things used to last 30 years?

If they last 30 years, you shouldn't need parts.

 

[ctwo]

I miss my Wedgewood. The only reason I replaced it was so I could bake an 18" pizza. The stove with griddle were awesome.

I got an Amana that lasted about 5 years before the oven became unreliable, barely 300F one day and over 500F the next.

Then I got a Samsung. One of the stove racks already broke, right where they put a score line on one side of the only cross-member (+). Wish I'd noticed that but at least I'll have something to weld when the other side breaks. And, all of the chintzy plastic knobs are broken at the stem socket. I should have bought Wolf's 30" gas range but this was less than 1/10 the price...