Bar appliances

[corn18]

We are getting estimates for a built in bar in our basement. We need appliances and my wife would like them all to match. We need a below counter wine fridge, beverage fridge and ice maker. Also need a built in microwave. I like the Hisense wine and beverage fridge and I can get them at Lowes where I get a 10% discount. But they don't make an ice maker or microwave. My wife insists that buying different brands = they won't match. I am not as negative.

Anyone know a brand that makes all 4 of these that doesn't cost a fortune?

 

[OldShooter]

We just went through this discussion re a new home we're building. In our case we want the best products ref Consumer Reports and our other criteria. We see no value in buying possibly lesser products just so they all "match," whatever that means.

 

[corn18]

We just went through this discussion re a new home we're building. In our case we want the best products ref Consumer Reports and our other criteria. We see no value in buying possibly lesser products just so they all "match," whatever that means.

X10000000000000000000

I hope we go that route because the KitchenAid stuff is $2,500 for each and they do not get great reviews. If I mix and match, I can get all good stuff for $2500 total.

 

[Teacher Terry]

If you get stainless they will match. My new appliances are from different makers and match.

 

[brett]

Like others I would ignore brand. Go for match, but with the best/most reliable manufacturer. Not hard to do with SS.

Our GE Professional series fridge packed it it last year. It was a dog and we had no intentions of buying another simply to match brands.

 

[SnowballCamper]

For our home a few years ago I scoured the Consumer Reports ratings, initially wanting the best for each appliance. Even back then, it turned out availability was much more of an issue than I expected. With today's shipping delays, you might have to wait a year for a particular model...but won't know for sure until you order it and start waiting...

We ended up going with one brand to get the consistent look (Kitchen Aid), and were able to get everything within a month from a local dealer, except that we went with a cheapo microwave, and a different brand in the laundry room (Miele).

Five years later, the cheapo microwave has died, and the gas cooktop needed new electrical controls (available online for a couple hundred).

 

[rodi]

Dumb but semi related question: Do you need a dishwasher? If it's a bar, theoretically you'll have glassware. Do you want to schlep that upstairs to use your kitchen dishwasher?

 

[OldShooter]

If you get stainless they will match. My new appliances are from different makers and match.

As we were shopping this question came up and the salesperson said that some customers think "match" is important with respect to handle design, logo placement, and other details. A mystery to this engineer.

Many OEMs do offer package discounts of maybe a few hundred bucks, but this is still not enough to change my best-of-breed goal (2nd post).

For example in our direct experience and Consumer Reports evaluation, Bosch wins the dishwasher prize hands down. LG, though, appears to make the best refrigerators. We opted for a GE wall oven because they had a side-swing door rather than making DW lean in over a hot bottom-hinge door. Lots of things to think about.

 

[MC Rider]

Get all stainless or all black. Close enough.

If it bothers you or DW maybe you can remove the name tags so they match better.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Old shooter, that’s also a mystery to me).

 

[ncbill]

Back in the 1980s the built-in ice maker in my parents' bar broke all the time.

So nowadays I'd also buy a nice countertop 'wet nugget' ice-maker like the GE Opal.

 

[Chuckanut]

After a few failures, and the cost and hassle of repairs, even non-matching but more reliable appliances start to look a lot better.

 

[Music Lover]

It's a bar, not your kitchen. Why not get a fridge like this instead of something ordinary? FYI...I have one and everyone that sees it loves it.

https://marshallfridge.com/

 

[ivinsfan]

Are you saying she is concerned about the logos matching? Otherwise her concerns don't make sense. If it's a logo thing then I got nothing.



Have you gone to Lowe's and eyeballed the appliances in person?

 

[MarieIG]

Dumb but semi related question: Do you need a dishwasher? If it's a bar, theoretically you'll have glassware. Do you want to schlep that upstairs to use your kitchen dishwasher?

Actually, I think this is a great question.

 

[MarieIG]

I would take DW down to Home Depot/ Lowes to look at the appliances in person.

 

[ivinsfan]

Dumb but semi related question: Do you need a dishwasher? If it's a bar, theoretically you'll have glassware. Do you want to schlep that upstairs to use your kitchen dishwasher?

I always dreamed that if I did something like that I would stick in an extra oven.

 

[corn18]

Back in the 1980s the built-in ice maker in my parents' bar broke all the time.

So nowadays I'd also buy a nice countertop 'wet nugget' ice-maker like the GE Opal.

This is where we are headed with the ice maker. Built ins cost $1000. Very good countertops cost $250. It won't be used often enough to justify the cost or degraded reliability.

So now we are down to a microwave, wine fridge (2 zone) and beverage fridge. We will go to Lowes and look at what is available. She isn't worried about the logo. She insists that stainless steel from different manufacturers does not match. A trip to Lowes might cure this.

BTW, my wife is not OCD, she's CDO. That's OCD in alphabetical order. I bought her a t-shirt that has that on the front.

 

[Goldendoodlebug]

I think if the appliances don’t match, it will look like a deliberate choice and people who are into kitchens will be impressed. It some people it looks much more “chefy” (something a cook or chef would do)

However, if it’s an OCD thing then it will probably bother her each time she sees it

 

[steelyman]

BTW, my wife is not OCD, she's CDO. That's OCD in alphabetical order. I bought her a t-shirt that has that on the front.

I’m going to steal that for reuse.

Much funnier than “collateralized debt obligation”!