Al Carrell: Shopping an appliance store can be an overwhelming experience. There's so many makes and models to choose from, and spending your money on, say, a dishwasher or microwave, you're hoping deep down inside that you won't have to buy another one for 30 years. That's why when you go shopping for a new appliance, take your time. Look the items over carefully. Manufacturers have made tons of improvements in new appliances. Deciding on what new appliances you're going to put in your new house ca n be a lot of fun and very exciting. A lot of people though, go in with just the style and the color that they have in mind, and that's the only thing they're looking for. You ought to look for a lot of other things, because there are really some great things that will knock your socks off in the appliances. We have a gentleman with us, Mark Tye.
Mark Tye: Al. Good to be here.
A.C.: Who is a specialist in appliances. And I first of all want to find out about this refrigerator. I think it looks great.
M.T.: This is a refrigerator made by KitchenAid. This is actually the number one rated refrigerator on the market today. This particular ...if you haven't bought a refrigerator in the last 5 or 10 years, I'll just touch on some features that are going to be new to you, you're not going to recognize. One thing is that all refrigerators, basically come with glass shelves now days. And they're spill-proof and they pull out. If you do spill something on them, it keeps you from having to clean the bottom of your refrigerator if you spill something on the top shelf. They also have gallon door storage in them. Places to put biscuits and soft drinks and stuff like that. You can just put a lot more in the door. Another thing you may notice is the floor of this refrigerator extends just about six inches above the ground. It goes all the way down, where as the old units didn't start until further up. This unit, the compressor is so far to the back of the unit, and it's hidden under the freezer compartmen t. If you had a refrigerator, the one you have now may have a compressor the size of a basketball in it, this has a very small compressor about the size of my two fists and it's very, very efficient.
A.C.: And this profile is made so that all of the refrigerator is back like it's built in, right?
M.T.: Right. It's cabinet depth, so it doesn't stick out into the kitchen and it just opens up space in your kitchen that you may not have had with an older refrigerator.
A.C.: Sure miss all those magnets. Let's go look at some other appliances. Mark, one of my favorite appliances in the kitchen is the dishwasher. Anything new here?
M.T.: Oh yeah! First thing you're going to notice in dishwashers is the availability of stainless steel for your interior. That conducts heat a little bit better and aids in drying. Another thing is the fold down tines and the things that you have up here for fitting more items into the dishwasher. These dishwashers use less soap, they use less energy, they use less water than their predecessors. And they're just generally much, much quieter also, than an older dishwasher.
A.C.: What else is new in appliances?
M.T.: Al, one thing for someone who's remodeling, they need to know about the fact that they have combined two household appliances now. The microwave, which used to sit on a countertop, and the vent-a hood, which goes above your cooking surface. This appliance serves as your microwave and your vent-a-hood. It has a 3 speed fan so that you can utilize it as both.
A.C.: What a great idea. In addition to all the bells and whistles you're going to look for in buy an appliance, I also want you to look for the yellow card that goes with it. It tells you about the energy efficiency. For example, this is for the dish washer. It tells you that if you have an electric water heater it costs you $60 a year, $40 a year with a gas water heater. Compare this with the other brands around there and you'll be picking out the most efficient. It will make a big difference in your utility bills.
Episode 41 1996 - 97 Season
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