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CONSUMER REPORTS' MOST COMPREHENSIVE KITCHEN PACKAGE EVER RATES RANGES, FRIDGES, COOKTOPS, WALL OVENS
August 2002 issue
also advises on buying sinks, faucets, cabinets and countertops;
cooktops, wall ovens, over-the-range microwave ovens also rated
YONKERS, NY - With many
kitchen renovations running $15,000 to $25,000, it's clear that homeowners are
willing to invest in their vision of the perfect kitchen. Cabinets and countertops
account for about half the cost, but appliances represent a big investment as
well.
Over the past few months, Consumer Reports (CR) has tested hundreds of appliances
- refrigerators, ranges, cooktops, wall ovens, dishwashers, microwave ovens,
and high-speed cooking appliances - that cost from a few hundred dollars to
a few thousand. CR has also tested cabinets, countertops, sinks, and faucets
in all price ranges to determine the pros and cons of the major types. Whatever
your budget, we'll help you make smart choices and get the most for the money.
"In Consumer Reports' most comprehensive kitchen package ever, our tests
showed that you don't have to pay top price to get top performance," said
Mark Connelly, Consumer Reports' Director of Testing, Appliances and Home Improvement.
"In fact, pricey Dacor, DCS, GE Monogram, and Viking pro-style ranges were
among the lowest-scoring of the models we tested. And the premium-priced Sub-Zero
built-in was among the most repair-prone brands of refrigerators, offsetting
its fine performance. The package contains the three R's of Consumer Reports:
ratings, recommendations and repair histories."
In every category, we turned up very good performers that offer the basics at
low prices:
Ranges
CR rated 49 gas and electric ranges, including electric coil stoves and smoothtop
electric models with ceramic glass surfaces. Also included were seven dual-fuel
ranges, which pair a gas cooktop with an electric oven. As the ratings showed,
three CR Best Buys - two electric ranges, from Maytag and Frigidaire, and one
gas model from Hotpoint - outcooked the priciest models, yet cost less than
$600 each. CR identified smart choices in three price ranges:
Basic (About $400 to $800) Top picks for gas ranges include the GE JGBP35WEA,
$800, and Hotpoint RGB745WEA, $550, a CR Best Buy.
Midrange (About $800 to $1,500) The gas GE Profile Performance JGB910WEC,
$1,250, and GE Profile JGBP85WEB, $950, did notably well, as did the electric
smoothtop GE Profile JBP79WB, $850, Amana ACF4265A, $900, and GE Profile Performance
JB960WB, $1,400.
High-end (About $1,500 to $4,000) The top-scorer was dual-fuel KitchenAid
KDRP407H, $3,450. The dual-fuel Kenmore Elite 4683, $1,600, performed nearly
as well overall as the KitchenAid and costs much less, but has a smaller oven.
Cooktops & Wall
Ovens
A cooktop and wall oven combination is more flexible than a standard range,
but it requires custom or semi-custom cabinetry. The best electric cooktop we
tested this year and a very good electric wall oven, both Frigidaire models,
together cost $1,200 - comparable to some standard ranges. Both are CR Best
Buys. Other combinations may be more expensive, and not necessarily any better.
Spending $3,900 for the pro-style Viking models we tested would get you the
bottom-rated cooktop and wall oven. The best cooktops and wall ovens in CR's
tests were often among the least expensive, so they were not grouped by price
tiers.
Over-the-range (OTR)
Microwave Ovens
Of the 13 OTR microwave ovens in CR's latest tests, most are still available.
Among those CR recommends: the Kenmore Elite 6168, $460, and the Whirlpool Gold
GH8155XJ, $450; both capable, quiet performers.
Dishwashers
Getting the gunk off dishes is a breeze for most dishwashers - even basic machines
that cost around $350. If you want cleaning prowess plus quiet operation, flexible
loading, designer styling, and efficient use of water and energy, be prepared
to pay several times that. In CR's latest tests, the dishwashers that offered
the best of everything cost $800 and up. CR found that even low-priced dishwashers
did an excellent or very good job cleaning extremely dirty dishes. And they
did so with no pre-rinsing.
Some standouts to consider: The Kenmore 1563, $420, and Kenmore 1552, $350,
were among the lower-priced units offering excellent washing, but we found them
- like most basic machines - fairly noisy, with limited loading flexibility.
Two CR Best Buys were quieter and more flexible: the Whirlpool Gold GU1200XTK,
$520, and the GE Triton XL GSD6600G, also $520. Among the best models overall
was the Bosch SHU995, $900, an excellent, quiet performer with a stainless-steel
tub. Its equally high-rated sibling, the SHV680, accepts a custom front panel.
It costs $1,200 plus the cost of the panel.
Refrigerators
Today's refrigerators do a good job of keeping things cold. They're also about
30 percent more energy efficient than fridges were just a few years ago, thanks
to new federal energy standards. Within any one category, model-to-model performance
differences are minor. Your deciding factors will probably be type, exterior
dimensions, storage capacity, convenience features, styling and price. Smart
choices include the following:
Basic ($600 to $850) The Maytag MTB1956GE, $825, is feature-laden and convenient.
Nearly as good, and quieter, is the Kenmore 7118, $750; it offers a lot more
storage space. Among bottom-freezers, the Amana Distinctions DRB1801A, $695,
is a good value, at several hundred dollars less than the other bottom-freezers
we tested.
Midrange ($850 to $1,800) The real bargain among side-by-side refrigerators
is the GE GSS25JFM, $890, a CR Best Buy. If you're looking for a bottom-freezer,
the GE GBS22LB, $1,050, offers the best combination of performance, capacity
and flexibility.
High-end ($1,800 to $5,000) Two side-by-side, cabinet-depth refrigerators
are less expensive than true built-ins and performed well overall: the Whirlpool
Gold GC5THGXK, $2,300, is slightly more efficient and quieter than the GE Profile
Arctica PSI23NGM, $2,300. Whirlpool is also among the more reliable side-by-side
brands.
The Sub-Zero 650/F, $4,600, is the ablest bottom-freezer built-in that we tested.
It's very energy efficient. But it's noisier than the others, and reliability
is a concern with the brand. The GE Monogram ZIC360NM, $3,900, is almost as
good, and it's quieter.
- 30 -
Other ratings in the
August 2002 Consumer Reports that may be of interest to consumers thinking about
do-it-yourself kitchen tasks include tests of 25 circular saws and tests of
18 dishwashing liquids. With circular saws, CR learned that, for cutting speed,
the blade is just as important as the saw itself. Two CR Best Buys represent
an excellent combination of performance and good price: the Makita 5740NB, $90,
and the Craftsman 10842, $80.
Among dishwashing liquids, all the tested products were effective at cutting
grease. What differentiated them was how well they handled tough food soil.
Ivory Ultra, $1.62 per 100 uses, and Palmolive Original, a CR Best Buy at $1.25
per 100 uses, were the most likely to save consumers time and effort at the
sink.
A story on kitchen planning will be available free online at www.ConsumerReports.org.
The August issue ($3.95) goes on sale July 9 and is generally available where
magazines are sold. Single copies of the magazine may also be ordered online
at www.ConsumerReports.org/home.
Consumer Reports' special interest publications for the home-Shop Smart Home
& Yard ($5.95), Best Buys for Your Home ($9.95), and How to Clean and Care
for Practically Anything ($16.95) can also be purchased online. To subscribe
to Consumer Reports, call 1-800-234-1645. Information and articles from Consumer
Reports can be accessed online at www.ConsumerReports.org.
AUGUST 2002
The
material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be
used for commercial or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports® is published
by Consumers Union, an independent, nonprofit testing and information-gathering
organization, serving only the consumer. We are a comprehensive source of unbiased
advice about products and services, personal finance, health, nutrition, and
other consumer concerns. Since 1936, our mission has been to test products,
inform the public, and protect consumers.
OPI:DPL:6/26/02
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