help us grow up our appliances

December 28, 2010 1:05 PM

help us get big kid kitchen appliances.

it's time to get rid of the toaster oven that smokes constantly (even after vacuuming crumbs and cleaning) and the microwave that sets of sparks every third turn. throw in a crockpot / slowcooker.

we're not yet ready for adult furniture and lighting, but we're ready to fix up the kitchen. any recommendations for mid-price (ie., microwaves around or under $100, not $300) appliances?

looking for:

toaster oven (fits at least four pieces of toast)
microwave (countertop, fits at least a dinner plate)
crockpot

recommendations.

thanks and happy holidays!
anya

posted by anya32 to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

for most of my counter top appliances i go to the box store of my choice and take a look at prices - you'll find a couple super cheap, a couple super expensive, and most right there in the middle. then i look at the mid range stuff and decide what's best for my family. i look at motor speed, capacity, perks, etc. then i do a quick amazon review to make sure the one i'm leaning towards isn't all 1 star with "EXPLODES SUDDENLY" in all the write ups.

lately i've been using consumer search. i don't always agree with them, but they do always give me something else to think about. for instance, they changed my mind about what crockpot i wanted (seriously, different sized pots with one base?? that's PERFECT!).

having said all that - for most appliances i don't like hamilton beach. i think they just make shoddy products.
posted by nadawi at 3:34 PM on December 28, 2010

I do much the same as nadawi although my first stop is often Consumer Reports online to see it they've reviewed the desired item. But almost always check the Amazon reviews and if it's computery then the nerds at Newegg.

Now if said item has like a thousand reviews I sometimes go to those that gave it 3 stars figuring they're not swept up in the wonderfulness hype a product may have, they think it's ok but with some (sometimes significant) reservations.

Coincidentally, I just bought a Hamilton Beach slow cooker called a "Set and Forget" I think, a large one. I like it generally (I think it may not get quite hot enough) but sometimes it's too large for what I want to do. Wish I had one where I could swap the pot size.
posted by PaulBGoode at 7:11 PM on December 28, 2010

i've done the reviews, but i still worry that they are not an accurate sample (i never review products, for example). do folks have any actual recommendations, beyond these helpful hints for searching?
posted by anya32 at 11:31 AM on December 29, 2010

you'd have to give us a detailed brief on exactly what you want in a product. the perfect microwave for my house is in no way the perfect microwave for my dad's house, for instance. there aren't really that many one size fits all kitchen appliances. one of the things i love about consumer search is their handy "what to look for" section - it points out what features are necessary and which would just be for fluff.

also: we both recommended specific crockpots.
posted by nadawi at 11:51 AM on December 29, 2010