[Badger]

Decided to buy my parents a new fridge and dish washer. Would like to know what you have and your likes/dislikes. Also- if you could "redo" your decision what would it be? Why? etc... The Fridge is going to be a side by side since that is what they have and like. Thoughts? For the dish washer - no clue. Their current one sits under the counter. Must be simple to operate. Thoughts? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Bob Ps 70's here in AZ. Tomorrow- South mountain hike. No rain gear required.

[Backpacker Joe]

I used consumer reports to find the most electrically efficient fridge and washer dryer I could. Its been good for me so far. I got a normal 2 year warranty, and for 100.00 I got a five year extended warranty from Lowes. Normally I dont take the extended warranty. But with Lowes, they replace the unit for five years. For 100.00 that was a great deal.

[ChinookPass]

Just a thought or two on fridges. The latest designs have the freezer below and wide, roomy fridge above. The narrow side-by-side design in our house never seems to have enough room for big items. This might be better. Also saw some designs where the fridge has access to items in the door without opening the fridge fully. Seems like overdesign to me but might be an attractive feature to some.

[Tom]

Make sure you measure cabinet depth before buying. Our cabinets weren't very deep so the only option for us was a counter depth fridge. See here: http://www.consumerreports.org/refrigerators/counter-depth-refrigerators-to-consider/ Unfortunately there are limited options for counter depth fridges and they can get pricey. We ended up getting a Samsung side by side which was the thinnest depth and reasonable cost. I think it's the same one in mentioned that report. It has served us well for the last 6 years. Of course, only go for a counter depth fridge if needed.

[Joey]

If they use ice very much get a fridge with an ice maker.

[Sore Feet]

All I can effectively say is avoid Samsung. I have a fridge, washer, and dryer from them. Fridge has had constant problems since the factory warranty expired a couple years ago: water no longer flows to the ice maker, and the heating unit around the condenser seems to have failed in the main bay of the fridge, so I have to empty it and thaw it out, then open the back up and pick the ice away from the blower fan every couple of months - still haven't positively identified the problem but chances are it's just a sensor that's not working, so it should be a fairly simple fix. Also the filter for the water line is expensive. I've read of similar problems on multiple different models of fridges from them. The washer & dryer have actually been fine (so far), but my dad has the same model but previous generation, and the washer has died twice now for him. Couple all that with their recent record with their phones and tablets and you got a pretty good idea.

[Malachai Constant]

A lot of the brands are made in the same plants. For example Kitchen Aid is a more expensive version of Whirlpool. Kenmore (Sears) is Whirlpool or Samsung. We got an LG after our old Kitchen Aid dishwasher died in a power outage fried the boards and replacements cost more than a new machine, so far so good. New ones do not last as long as the old ones. Costco has free delivery and installation at times. We also went to Lowes and they had free delivery and installation plus a credit if you got their no charge credit card which you did not need to use.

[Backpacker Joe]

I have never had anything but good experience with SamSung. Interesting. I chose them because they had the FEWEST warranty calls than any other appliance.

[Tom]

I would take brand specific feedback with a grain of salt. More so than model specific. I mentioned the Samsung counter depth model as it's pretty much the only choice you have if you need the thinnest counter depth. Ours has been trouble free, although the LCD display is getting hard to read. When it comes to dishwashers there are a limited number of manufacturers as MC points out. When I replaced our dishwasher 3-4 years ago I recall the European models (Bosch) tended to be smaller and didn't offer heated dry while most of the non-European brands did. I have found heated dry isn't as important as using a drying agent but your parents may care about heated dry. Of the non-European brands I recall there were 2 different disposal types. One chewed up larger food waste and sent it out with the water but tended to clog more. Pick that type if your parents don't rinse before loading. We rinse our dishes before loading so chose the type that catches large waste (since there is never any). You can also get fancier models with more noise insulation or better efficiency (stainless tub).

[DIYSteve]

[Backpacker Joe]

The two friends I know who have Bosch dish washers love them. It my next purchase.

[InFlight]

I have used GE profile series in both the houses we owned, and have had zero issues. I would stay away from the straight side by side refrigerator. I lived with one for a year and hated it. The freezer compartment is just too small. We have a bottom freezer and side by side doors on top. I like that format quite a bit. There's plenty of room in the freezer and two slide out shelf's as well. The side by side upper is nice as you can grab something quickly on one side. It also doesn't block access past the refrigerator at meal times as the doors aren't as wide when opened. The new dishwashers are quite a bit bigger inside, but it makes for a PITA install. There is very little room under the new dishwashers to connect the water and drain lines. If you get a free install on one of those, I would say yes in a hurry. (Unless you enjoy a 3/8 of inch of work space to jam you fingers into.)

[Schroder]

[DIYSteve]

Our new construction home came with Kenmore Elite appliances. The lineup: Kenmore Elite refrigerator = LG Kenmore Elite dishwasher = Kitchenaide Kenmore Elite slide-in gas range/convection oven = Samsung Kenmore Elite washer = LG Kenmore Elite dryer = LG Kenmore Elite chimney vent hood = some Italian manufacturer

[Tom]