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Dishwasher Buying Tips

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Before you step into a showroom or start a conversation with a salesperson at your local home store, educate yourself about today’s dishwashers. Then decide what type will be right for you. Here are some thoughts to consider:

Decide on a dishwasher type before you begin. The built-in dishwasher, ideal for fitting into a specially formatted space within your cabinetry, is the most standard of all dishwasher types. The drawer dishwasher, which features several drawers for different capacities, is a relatively new style that allows you to wash only a few dishes per drawer when needed. For smaller areas, countertop dishwashers might be more feasible. A portable dishwasherworks where kitchen space is limited, but can be found nearby. What type of dishwasher you choose will likely be dependent on the size of your kitchen as well as your budget.

Understand capacity levels in dishwashers. While couples and those with small families might find an 18-inch dishwasher to be suitable for their needs, larger families will probably be happier with a 24-inch dishwasher.

Consider energy costs. Look for the Energy Star symbol on dishwasher models, which indicates that the dishwasher conforms to Energy Star requirements and will thus save you money each month on utilities. Energy Star-rated dishwashers not only save you money, but also leave a smaller carbon footprint over time. For more energy savings, look for features like quick wash, which prevents the dishwasher from overusing water and expending extra energy.

Compare dishwasher cycles. While most dishwashers will include standard cycle settings such as economy, light and regular, some dishwashers offer advanced settings, such as a rinse cycle, or settings for specific dishware, such as glass stemware. Although these settings are not necessary, they can add to the overall convenience of the dishwasher.

Look at exterior style and decor. If you would like your large appliances to match, exterior color and look can play a huge part in the dishwasher you choose. When you find a dishwasher with the features you desire, see if that dishwasher is available in various styles. If your dishwasher will set the stage for the other appliances, consider how easy or hard it will be to clean the exterior of the dishwasher. While stainless steel is a popular choice, it’s also more difficult to clean.

Check out the interior layout. Consider how much you like (or dislike) the stacking ability of your current dishwasher and the placement of the silverware trays. You can find silverware trays inside the door of the dishwasher or within the pullout trays located inside the dishwasher.

Read reviews and consumer tips. While you will ultimately have to choose a dishwasher that will conform to your individual needs, reading reviews will give you a grasp on which models don’t live up to their hype. This extra footwork can save you money on repair bills and annoyance with your new dishwasher in the end.

Read more…

Recall: GE Food Processors From Walmart Due to Laceration and Fire Hazard

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Name of Product: General Electric® Food Processors

Units: About 255,000

Importer: Walmart Stores Inc., of Bentonville, Ark.

Hazard: The safety interlock system on the recalled food processor can fail; allowing operation without the lid secured which poses a laceration hazard. In addition, the product can emit smoke, or catch fire, posing a fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Walmart has received a total of 58 incident reports: 24 reports of the food processor operating without the lid in place, of which 21 resulted in injuries to fingertips; and 34 reports of the unit smoking, including 3 reports of fires.

Description: This recall involves GE-branded digital, 14-cup food processors. The food processors are black with stainless steel trim, and model number 169203 is imprinted on the underside of the unit.

Sold exclusively at: Walmart stores nationwide and Walmart.com from September 2009 through February 2011 for a retail price of about $50.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled food processor and return the product to any Walmart for a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Walmart Customer Service toll free at (877) 207-0923 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s website at www.walmartstores.com/recalls
Picture of Labeling on Recalled Food Processor

Thermador’s New Steam Range

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Thermador’s Pro Grand Steam 48-inch range offers seven distinct cooking options — steaming, convection baking, burner cooking, simmering, grilling, griddle cooking and warming — with a combination Steam & Convection Oven, a large-capacity convection oven, a six-burner gas cooktop featuring the exclusive Star® Burners, and a fully integrated warming drawer in the all-in-one package. Additionally, it houses Thermador’s cooking exclusives, such as the ExtraLow® simmering technology, and a power Star Burner with 22,000 BTU.

“Judging from the recent success of the built-in Steam & Convection Oven, we believe the market is ready for another game-changing concept with the new Pro Grand Steam Range. Our new professional range empowers home cooks to achieve their best and experience the absolute finest in cooking, whether it’s healthy steam cooking, baking in the large-capacity convection oven, precise simmering on the Star Burners, or just keeping the family meal warm.” said Zach Elkin, director of the Thermador brand.

The new 48-inch Pro Grand Steam Range features:

The Thermador Pro Grand Steam Range offers seven distinct cooking options with four integrated appliances: a full-function combination Steam & Convection Oven; a large-capacity Convection Oven; a six-burner Gas Cooktop and electric grill/griddle option with ProCoat™titanium surface; and a Warming Drawer.
The fully integrated 1.4-cubic-foot Steam & Convection Oven cavity is large enough for a 14-pound turkey, serving 15 people. (A 14-pound turkey takes only 90 minutes to cook in Combination mode, resulting in a moist inside and a perfect crust outside.) The steam oven offers 30 easy cook food programs, and its simple water tank design allows for convenient, spill-proof refilling, and eliminates the need for plumbing modifications during installation.
The Steam & Convection Oven enables cooking without using butter or fat, improves overall food quality and appearance, and preserves healthy vitamins and nutrients typically lost during traditional cooking methods.
Patented six Star Burners with QuickClean™base, which allow for more ports and flame distribution, greater heat coverage and a smaller cold spot than conventional round burners.
Power Star Burner offering 22,000 (Natural Gas) BTU, while the remaining burners produce 18,000 BTU.
Four Star Burners featuring ExtraLow®simmering technology that cycles the burners off and on to as low as 100 degrees (375 BTU).
Large-capacity 5.1-cubic-foot Convection Oven offers maximum cooking space and nine advanced conventional cooking modes.
Spacious 1.4-cubic-foot warming drawer holds up to 10 dinner plates.

Design features include:

Highest-grade stainless steel construction and handcrafted in the United States with signature bull-nose design.
Professional®Series handles and trimkits offer design consistency with any Thermador kitchen.
New hydraulic SoftClose™hinges prevent the slamming of oven doors, and SoftClose glide doors for the warming drawer.
Full Access® telescopic racks with integrated easy-grip handle.
Electronic oven display interfaces to cook timer, meat probe and preheat status.
Commercial-style stainless steel knobs.
Commercial-style temperature gauges and illuminated electronic displays.

The range will be available in August 2011 at high-end appliance retailers, for an MSRP of $13,995.

Mom Can Win New Appliances

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Indianapolis-based appliance and electronics retailer hhgregg (NYSE:HGG) announced that it will be celebrating Mother’s Day by inviting customers to enter its Frigidaire kitchen appliance package giveaway. From April 26th-May 5th, one contestant will be selected daily to receive $100 hhgregg gift card and all contestants will be registered for the chance to win the grand prize; a kitchen appliance package that includes a refrigerator, range, dishwasher and microwave.

hhgregg’s Mother’s Day giveaway will also support the heart health of moms everywhere. For each Facebook “like” hhgregg receives during this time frame, the company will donate $1 to The American Heart Association’s “My Heart. My Life” fund, up to $20,000. A minimum of $10,000 will be donated.

“We wanted to honor mothers everywhere this year by not only hosting an exciting giveaway, but by giving back to the American Heart Association, a wonderful organization that promotes healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke,” said Jeff Pearson, Vice President of Marketing, hhgregg.

To register for the Mother’s Day Giveaway, please visit www.hhgregg.com/hhgives.

To “like” hhgregg on Facebook, and have $1 donated to The American Heart Association, please visit www.facebook.com/hhgreg

Getting Emotionally Attached to an Appliance

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Some people have pets – dogs, cats, horses even iguanas and sometimes rocks – but Colleen Anderson seems to view her stove as almost a part of the family. She wrote about it for West Virginia Public Broadcasting:

In my twenties, I bought my first kitchen stove, used, from an elderly woman who advertised it in the classifieds. I loved the petite size of it: Twenty inches wide, with four gas burners and two narrow oven racks. It was perfectly adequate for any cooking project I could contemplate at that age.

And I loved its name, Vesta, so called for the Roman goddess of fire and the hearth, who inspired a cult of followers to take vows of chastity and live together in a temple. I was single and unattached at the time, so Vesta and I went to housekeeping together.

We’re still together. Like me, the stove is a bit the worse for wear. One of the metal burner grates is broken in half, and there are some rust spots on the oven and broiler door handles. And, at some point, about 20 years into our association, Vesta developed the mechanical equivalent of hardening of the arteries. Her pilot lights began to gum up.

The repair guy said, “You know, I could just turn those things off. You’ll have to light the burners with a match, but you’ll save gas.” So I keep a pack of kitchen matches nearby.

Like me, she’s still cookin’. I can’t begin to count the saucepans of oatmeal and pots of soup that have bubbled on those burners. The Vesta has turned out cookies and casseroles and, last Thanksgiving, a twenty-seven-pound turkey, although I did have to bend the handles of the roasting pan to get the oven door shut.

Lots of people name their cars and get attached to them, but I don’t think I know anyone else whose kitchen stove has become so dear that they think of it as animate. And, yet, when an appliance serves well and faithfully, without complaint, for so many years, shouldn’t it be rewarded with something like affection?

My Vesta has outlasted a marriage and at least seven vehicles. I can’t imagine buying a new stove. That would be like betraying her.

So here’s my plan: When the time comes to leave home and move into assisted living, I’ll take out a classified ad, “Small used cookstove for sale.” But I won’t sell it to just anybody. Not my Vesta. I want her to have a good home.

Aging in Place – Appliance Placement

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If you are a retiree building a new home, you can plan your kitchen and laundry areas to accommodate your aging body. For those of us who plan to stay right where we are, some simple adjustments and purchases can make daily tasks easier.

So, let’s start with the easy ones, like the Washer & Dryer. Front loading models are very popular today, but bending over and getting inside for the very last sock can be a problem for those with mobility issues. Most brands, including Bosch, Whirlpool and Frigidaire make pedestals for all their newer models, and can retrofit them to older models.They range from 11″ to 17″, depending on the brand. The other solution is to pull the machines out, and have your contractor frame in a raised platform at just the right height for you, cover it with linoleum, and your washer and dryer will be much more accessible.

Another place to ‘right height’ appliances is in the kitchen. Here are more tips from HB Building and Design: One popular solution is a lowered cooktop with the controls on the front. If you have room to make this modification, and lower this part of the countertop with the adjacent required landing space, it really makes things easier for shorter people, or someone sitting in a wheelchair or using a walker.

The second kitchen appliance that should be considered is the refrigerator. A side-by-side refrigerator freezer is a much better choice, giving access to both the freezer and the refrigerator from a sitting position. In a more extensive remodel, a wall oven can be installed at a lower height as can the microwave oven.

A final consideration are countertops which should be smooth to allow you to slide rather than lift heavy pots and pans. Cabinets can also be prepared for someone with a progressive illness by specifying removable base cabinets for future wheelchair access.

Appliance Myths – Dishwashers

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Although we use our dishwashers often, sometimes daily, their inner workings remain a mystery to many of us. Here are some common myths busted for you.

Myth – My dishwasher is broken because there is some water in the bottom after the cycle is finished.
Truth – There should usually be some water left in the bottom sump of the dishwasher at the end of a wash. This water keeps the seals moist to avoid them drying out and leaking. When the dishwasher starts, it will first drain for several seconds to remove standing water, then it will fill with fresh water and begin the wash cycle.

Myth – A dishwasher pumps in water to fill it up.
Truth – When needed, a water fill valve simply opens to allow the household water pressure fill the machine. The pump is only involved in draining the appliance and washing.

Myth – A dishwasher stops filling when the float inside the tub rises high enough to represent a proper fill level.
Truth – Most modern dishwashers fill using a timing method, filling for a set amount of time. The float is usually for over-fill protection only, stopping a fill before it gets to the point of flooding. Under normal operation the float and float switch should never come into play.

Myth – If your dishwasher fails to function, you should call a plumber.
Truth – In most cases, no. Major appliances are considerably different from most other plumbing fixtures. Most plumbers are not familiar with the intricacies of the appliance itself and should only be called if the problem lies in the connection to the household plumbing.

Is Steam the Thing? – Ovens

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Here we have part three in our “Steam” series – Ovens.

Steam ovens harness the power of super heated steam to quickly cook foods without drying them out. Use a steam oven to create healthy flavorful meals while using less fat. Most steam ovens will allow you to adjust the humidity level inside the cooking chamber to create the right environment for the individual foods you’re cooking.

New steam ovens on the market offer conventional dry baking. Users also have the ability to defrost, warm up leftovers and even simulate a high heat grill to finish meats.

“It’s a way to make nutritional food that tastes like it came from a restaurant,” says Portfolio Kitchen & Home in Kansas City owner Geri Higgins. “You don’t have to add butter or sauce to it to make it more moist or flavorful.” The design center demonstrates its Gaggenau steam-convection combination oven and in-counter steamer.

The steamer and the oven are self-cleaning; condensation needs to be wiped up after cooking. For an integrated countertop steamer, a plumber hooks up water and drainage lines. Because calcium can sometimes clog water lines, many models contain water cartridges. Ovens come with detachable water reservoirs and don’t typically require plumbing.

On a recent day, Portfolio made asparagus (3 minutes) and salmon with lemon and herbs (10 minutes) in an in-counter steamer. The texture was moist but not water-logged.

Portfolio baked bread in a Gaggenau combination oven using dough from the grocery store. Steam is misted on the dough toward the beginning of the cycle to create a flaky brown crust on the exterior with the goal of retaining moisture inside.

Steam-combination ovens cook fast, too. A 14-pound turkey takes 90 minutes.

Some opt to reheat food with steam instead of using a microwave. Leftover pizza, for example, tastes like it’s fresh out of the oven.

“You’re starting to see steam ovens as a second oven above a conventional one,” Higgins says. “Instead of a microwave.”

Is Steam the Thing? – Dishwashers

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Here is the second in our steam cleaning series – Steam dishwashers.

Conventional dishwashers produce steam in the drying cycle when leftover water is converted into vapor. But steam dishwashers use steam in the washing phases.

“One of the main reasons you’re seeing more steam dishwashers is because detergent manufacturers have eliminated phosphates,” says Stephen Wright, appliance manager at Nebraska Furniture Mart . “So (conventional) dishwashers aren’t as good at breaking up debris, especially the caked-on stuff.”

According to How Stuff Works, steam dishwashers don’t exclusively use steam as a cleaning method, the user has the option to add a steam cycle to clean a load of dishes. But steam dishwashers can use steam differently and at various times. For instance, some steam dishwashers, such as LG’s models, have a special setting that uses steam to clean fragile dishes. Because steam doesn’t need to use force to get dishes clean, it’s a great tool for cleaning fine china and other easily breakable items. Adding a steam option to other, more rigorous cycles also will help it clean more effectively. It’s like adding an extra boost of cleaning power to the traditional cycle.

Consumer Reports is lukewarm on steam dishwashers. They found the addition of steam does make dishes cleaner, but only a little bit. In fact, they found that the spray jet features of some dishwashers worked more effectively than steam, as long as the dishes were loaded to face the spray. A downside: they take a lot longer to get through a wash cycle, adding as much as 45 minutes. The upsides: they’re quiet and energy-efficient.

Recall: Sunbeam Products Wine Openers Due to Laceration Hazard

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Name of Product: Wine Bottle Openers

Units: About 159,000

Distributor: Sunbeam Products Inc., of Boca Raton, Fla.

Retailer: QVC, of West Chester, Pa.

Hazard: The wine bottles can break when opened with the recalled opener, posing a laceration hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Sunbeam has received 52 reports of wine bottles breaking while the opener was being used on them, including 22 reports of injuries. Injuries include lacerations to the hands.

Description: This recall involves the “skybar™ Air Pump Wine Opener” model number NBSKWA2600. The wine bottle opener was sold as a four piece set in the following colors: gray, blue, red or silver and black-colored with a black storage box. “skybar” is printed on the side of the wine bottle opener. Model number NBSKWA2600 is printed on the bottom of the wine bottle opener.

Sold at: QVC retail and employees stores nationwide, QVC’s televised shopping programs, and online at www.qvc.com and www.skybarhome.com from November 2010 through December 2010 for between $30 and $60.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled wine bottle openers. Consumers who purchased the wine bottle openers at a QVC store should return them to any QVC store for a full refund. Consumers who purchased the wine bottle openers through QVC’s televised shopping programs or at www.qvc.com were mailed instructions for obtaining a refund. Purchasers who have not received the mailed instructions should contact QVC. If the wine openers were not purchased through QVC, contact Sunbeam for instructions to obtain a full refund.

Consumer Contact: Contact QVC at (800) 367-9444 between 7 a.m. and 1 a.m. ET daily or visit the firm’s website at www.qvc.com. Consumers can also contact Sunbeam toll-free at (888) 759-2279 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s website at www.skybarhome.com