Due to 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' I am now in the market to replace all of my major kitchen appliances (refrigerator, stove, dishwasher).
I'm looking for recommendations on which brand I should go with in regards to overall happiness with the appliance in general (durability, functionality, reliability) and ease of integration into habitat (as much device status and control as possible).
Although my wife would like to go with something higher-end like Subzero and its ilk, my initial investigation has lead me to belive their API is pretty much locked down with an extremely limited smarthome user community available for support. So a non-starter. Unless someone here knows otherwise.
My primary use-case is status and the ability to shut things off (e.g burners and dish washer - the start of my unfortunate events).
I've been very happy with hubconnect for my existing Samsung products but have concerns when groovy finally sunsets.
I have zero experience with the ThinQ integration.
There are a lot of problems with some of Samsungs appliances (ie refrigerators). Samsung and LG are the top two manufacturers that have the most repairs. Many local repair companies won’t service them because the repairs don’t last and they can’t warrant them.
Well, I have a Maytag refrigerator that has been solid for many years.
I have a Whirlpool gas range that has been good.
I have an LG microwave that has been good.
I just purchased an LG washer and gas dryer that will be delivered in about a week, my 20 year old Kenmore washer needs repair.
Unless I have an issue with the LG washer and dryer, I plan to purchase an LG dishwasher in a few months.
LG leads the home appliance industry in customer satisfaction for 2018 and 2019, the latest years for which I have seen data. That is why I decided to go with LG for my latest purchases.
I understand that Samsung is also well respected, as is Whirlpool.
Here's the Facebook group for Samsung refrigerators:
My Samsung washer and dryer work great. My Samsung refrigerator has been a cluster. The ice maker freezes up, as well as the back behind the panel. Overall the worst purchase I have ever made.
Not for all appliances.
Ask any repair person and they'll say most repairs are LG and Samsung (and it's not just because they're popular).
Not universally true; some say the exact opposite.
Check out Yale appliance's blog with their 2022 take on reliability of the major brands they carry and repair (Yale is one of those rare dealers that services what they sell and has been tracking reliability for years 'based on real service calls, not surveys or predictive analytics'): Most Reliable Counter-Depth French Door Refrigerator Brands for 2022 (yaleappliance.com)
I went through the hassle of replacing an 11 year old Samsung side by side last May; swore I'd never buy another one. It was the quietest and best performing fridge I'd ever owned but after it iced up in 2020 (and eventually died outright in 2021) I swore I'd never buy another especially after reading all the internet horror stories.
After doing more research I concluded there is really nowhere to hide... no brand seems more likely than any other to produce a model that will run problem free for 20 years; the brands that are the quietest and have the most attractive features are the hardest to get repaired. The cheap & cheerful brands are easier to get service for, but who wants to settle for one of those... Ultimately my choices narrowed to LG & Samsung; LG's history of compressor failures was more off-putting than Samsung's icing/icemaker issues.
So I rolled the dice and bought another Samsung. I felt a bit more confident doing so knowing that my 1998 Maytag refrigerator in the basement was still in working order (it got me through the 6 week wait for a replacement last Spring). I also liked Costco's no hassle 90-day no charge return policy should the new model prove to be a dud. They also double the manufacturer's warranty, though I fully expect actually obtaining service for any Korean brand would be a major hassle, if not outright impossible.
Edit: I think my issue with it is that if/when it needs repair, they don’t have a solution that lasts. They will repair it, but like in my case, the design flaw isn’t fixed by the repair. So I wait 2-3 months and it fails again. At that point I want them to stand behind their product, and sadly they don’t. I’ve had 7 repair calls for two reoccurring problems. It still doesn’t work right. But, I’m nearing the end of the quest, such that the next fail will force them to refund the purchase price (or so that’s what is supposed to happen).
I think this is generally true, especially as electronics replace mechanical timers, relays, etc.
WOuld you mind sharing your experience? It may help others.
You may be better off finding yourself a good-quality appliance (smart or not) and then using 3rd party leak detectors, power monitors, vibration sensors, etc. I think this would be my approach.
We've had our "Kenmore" appliances for 13 years. Washer and Dryer are Whirlpool and have required new control boards, heating element, water valve, etc. My in-laws have the exact same set with similar experience. Fridge is LG and has been rock-solid except the door gasket design was iffy (french door style) and tore where the two doors meet. Dishwasher is also Whirlpool and we've been very satisfied with it, even though the soap holder broke almost 10 years ago and the button covers (membrane type) were coming off so I had to cover them with clear tape. Now the racks are starting rust out, so I expect replacement to be in our future. I guess we've been generally satisfied, although I've done all the repairs myself (including a dryer heating element just last weekend) and have saved the costs associated with a paid service tech. I've been very happy with the availability of parts for the Whirlpool stuff we've owned, and the frequency of repair seems reasonable to me.
I believe a lot of the problem is that all the appliance brands are trying to be Eco-friendly and earn Energy Star ratings. That has forced them to use less steel and more plastics and composites. They tend to weigh a lot less than the appliances of yesteryear. Also, they are now computer controlled so you cannot just replace the relays and timers that used to run the appliances.
The same thing has happened with cars. I rebuilt the engine in my Volkswagen Beetle, but I cannot even figure out how to change spark plugs in my modern vehicles.
For years we were sold on KitchenAid/Whirlpool. In the past, many years of trouble free service. When I remodeled the kitchen I put in a Bosch dishwasher...a mistake. After 2 control board failures, I went back to KitchenAid. BUT, the water filter on a Whirlpool refrig is under the unit and the bypass valve had un undetected leak for a long time before I saw the floor had rotted out. It cost me thousands to have the repair and remediation...mold, joists, etc. Junked that refrig and did a lot of research. A lot. Too many negatives with the Korean stuff and I vowed to never buy another Whirlpool. Finally ended up with GE, which isn't GE anymore but is made in USA. So far so good. Oh, the filter assembly is in the refrig, fully visible although some water piping is still hidden.
When we remodeled our kitchen back in 2004, I went with GE Profile for all of our appliances. In 18 years, I have had to replace the handle on the microwave once and the ice-maker in the fridge once. Other than that, we've been very lucky. None of my appliances are "smart", but I really don't know why I would want them to be? Maybe it would be nice to track the temperature of the fridge and freezer, but there are easy solutions for that if desired.
I've been using Samsung appliances for the past 10 years or so without any issues at all, and just bought a new set for our new house about two years ago. But my experience with two sets of appliances is hardly indicative of the company's overall reliability. We recently replaced our washer/dryer and I would have bought Samsung but we got a deal on GE that was too good to pass up. I'm not fiercely loyal to a particular brand as much as I am to my wallet.
One thing I really wasn't concerned about was connectivity. I really can't fathom any reason why I'd ever have a need to control my dishwasher, stove or microwave remotely. I have one of those Samsung refrigerators with the big screen; got it at less than half of its normal price, it's insanely expensive at normal price. It reports its status to SmartThings, but I really don't even find that terribly useful. We're in the fridge enough times a day to know if there's a problem, and if it goes south while we're away there isn't much we could do about it anyhow.
I can see the benefit of detecting if burners are on, especially if you have a gas stove. Although a temp sensor and a water shutoff valve on the gas line could be an alternative solution. Likewise for the dishwasher. A water sensor and water shutoff valve would be a better solution to protect against water leaks.
Same. Kitchen remodeled in 2005. I did have to replace the fridge, but everything else purchased at the time has remained functional.
I do have leak sensors underneath the fridge, the dishwasher and the sink that are tied into Hubitat to turn the main water off if there's a leak.
Outside of those, I do have one other "smart" device in the kitchen - a shutoff for the electric stove. But it operates independently of any home automation system. It is called a "Fire Avert".
That's an interesting device. I've got monitored smoke alarms and the firehouse is only about a mile away, or else I'd probably get one of these. Then again, the added protection might be worth it, especially at our rental property.
I have a Samsung stove with an induction cooktop. I had the repair people out for two years and they could never fix it 100%. They even left a brand new induction top as a spare. The only problem is with the main front element when you set it to (ie) 7 it will drop to 5.5 usually within 2 minutes. You can set it back to 7 or any level and it will be fine the remainder of the time. It is really just an annoying situation that we live with. I'm guessing this stove is now 5 years old and has otherwise been a pleasure to use. I have a couple Samsung TVs and they work perfectly. My Maytag W/D , DW and Ref work perfect.
Suprised. Running an 800 Series and couldn't be happier. The only issue I have is with our fridge (also 800 series) It can be finicky on the touch sensitive controls where you have to hit it twice to dispense something. I think it because of oils on our fingers. Other than that been pretty good (also stove and hood)
Had mine (800- series dishwasher) for 3 years and really pleased. Incredibly quiet (literally cannot tell it is running except for a few gurgles when it drains) holds a ton of stuff and everything comes out clean. Also like the idea of the 'leak stop' mechanism and built-in drip tray/bed that it comes with (though that makes putting a leak detector below it a bit of an issue). Also agree on touch sensitive controls-- so easy to accidentally set off. I suppose they are a net reliability improvement as opposed to a dozen switches.
After literal months of back and forth with SmartThings support I gave up trying to get my Samsung's wifi to connect to the ST app. I can connect to it in AP mode, supply credentials and watch it get IP address from router; after a couple of minutes 'registering to the SmartThings cloud', app throws ST-200 error and suggests wifi connection is poor-- it isn't. Tried 3 different routers and phone as access point with same result. My OCD is the only reason I kept trying; I monitor fridge/freezer temps with HE, it has a built in door alarm, so ST integration was no added value. Googling ST-200 error turns up other 'ST ready' devices (from washers to sound bars) that are having same issue... something in their cloud seems to be dropping the ball.
One of the reasons I liked my previous 2010-vintage Samsung fridge (a side-by-side with dual evaporators) was that it was remarkably good at preserving food. Stuff like bagged spinach (which would turn to mush after 4 or 5 days in the previous fridge) stayed fresh twice as long. But I suspect the dual evaporator complexity was part of what eventually killed it; it used a stepper motor-driven valve that apparently stuck and left refrigerator temperature too warm. Doing anything to the sealed system on a >10 year old machine with no spare parts availability was the death knell. The new model that replaced it doesn't mention dual evaporators.
I did like the way the old Samsung was put together; I became familiar with it when I took it apart to de-ice the fridge evaporator the year before. That was a one-off problem for me but a evidently a chronic issue for a lot of people. I also had zero issues with the much used ice maker; it had through-the-door ice/water, but as it was mounted in the freezer side did not suffer from the french door issue of maintaining frozen ice in the middle of non-frozen space. I also liked the ice maker's simple mechanical design; it got a lot of use and never failed. I was glad to see the 2021 model I bought last year uses the identical ice maker design (but is completely different in all other aspects).
I called it a series of unfortunate events because it was totally avoidable.
The long and the short of it is, I never got around to mounting the leak sensor after I added it to my system. There was always just a higher priority smart home project to do until there wasn't. So when my dishwasher started leaking I didn't notice it for several days until it had already damaged the stuff in storage underneath it and warped the floor's base boards, as well as the hardwood flooring. Luckily the joists seem okay.
As someone mentioned above, this time I'll be diligent in putting in the leak sensor before I install the new appliances.
