ᐅ Planning kitchen appliances: How to approach it. The market is overwhelming.
Created on: 11 Sep 2017 12:34
G
G-Star1988
Hello everyone,
I have an appointment at the kitchen studio next Saturday and I’m preparing for it. Specifically, I’m looking for the appliances I want to have later in the kitchen. I’ve been researching a lot from brands like Neff / Siemens, Miele, Bora, etc., but I’m not making much progress.
For example, the current selection at Siemens looks like this:
Dishwasher IQ300 SN636X03MD
Oven IQ700 HB634GBS1
Microwave IQ500 HF15M264
Cooktop with integrated downdraft extractor EX801LX34E
or
2 x Cooktop IQ700 EX375FXB1E with extractor IQ700 LF16VA570
(The cooktop with integrated downdraft is the only fixed requirement, unfortunately I don’t have any influence on that ^^)
I actually value quality, energy efficiency, and a balanced price-performance ratio. But how can I find out if what you pick is really good? Or if there are possibly cheaper but equally high-quality products from other manufacturers. For example, the cooktop with integrated downdraft extractor from Miele—according to the catalog, it’s cheaper but just as good or even better?
How do you approach this?
I have an appointment at the kitchen studio next Saturday and I’m preparing for it. Specifically, I’m looking for the appliances I want to have later in the kitchen. I’ve been researching a lot from brands like Neff / Siemens, Miele, Bora, etc., but I’m not making much progress.
For example, the current selection at Siemens looks like this:
Dishwasher IQ300 SN636X03MD
Oven IQ700 HB634GBS1
Microwave IQ500 HF15M264
Cooktop with integrated downdraft extractor EX801LX34E
or
2 x Cooktop IQ700 EX375FXB1E with extractor IQ700 LF16VA570
(The cooktop with integrated downdraft is the only fixed requirement, unfortunately I don’t have any influence on that ^^)
I actually value quality, energy efficiency, and a balanced price-performance ratio. But how can I find out if what you pick is really good? Or if there are possibly cheaper but equally high-quality products from other manufacturers. For example, the cooktop with integrated downdraft extractor from Miele—according to the catalog, it’s cheaper but just as good or even better?
How do you approach this?
IKEA has two main weaknesses. First, the appliance selection is mostly no-name brands, so only their own products are available. Second, their system is based on a 20 cm (8 inch) grid. If something doesn’t fit perfectly, you either add a filler strip or leave a recessed space. That’s just how it is.
They are working on a third weak point: the Hermes assembly service. I heard from HL that they fired Hermes because they were not capable of doing the job properly. Complete installation in one go, without any mistakes, costs $199.00 per meter.
What is definitely good about IKEA: the fronts, fit, drawers, gap tolerances, and hinges. We chose the Veddinge fronts in matte white lacquer—not coated or foil-covered—and this type of front costs a fortune elsewhere. At IKEA, it is one of the more affordable options. Even solid wood countertops are reasonably priced there, although they don’t offer any made from exotic materials. Karsten
They are working on a third weak point: the Hermes assembly service. I heard from HL that they fired Hermes because they were not capable of doing the job properly. Complete installation in one go, without any mistakes, costs $199.00 per meter.
What is definitely good about IKEA: the fronts, fit, drawers, gap tolerances, and hinges. We chose the Veddinge fronts in matte white lacquer—not coated or foil-covered—and this type of front costs a fortune elsewhere. At IKEA, it is one of the more affordable options. Even solid wood countertops are reasonably priced there, although they don’t offer any made from exotic materials. Karsten
Ikea has many more weak points.
The cabinet fronts, for example, are certainly acceptable, but compared to high-quality fronts from reputable kitchen manufacturers, the difference is quite noticeable, especially in open kitchens with plenty of natural light. Of course, if you don’t mind, it’s not a problem—it is cheaper after all.
Ikea Metod scores 1.9 out of 5, placing it in the lower mid-range. There are worse options, but there are also significantly better ones... logically, you get what you pay for in the end. Even Ikea can’t work miracles. But at least there is transparency. The price-performance ratio is also okay, although by comparing offers and investing the necessary time (if you’re willing), you can find better kitchens (according to rankings) at the same price.
The cabinet fronts, for example, are certainly acceptable, but compared to high-quality fronts from reputable kitchen manufacturers, the difference is quite noticeable, especially in open kitchens with plenty of natural light. Of course, if you don’t mind, it’s not a problem—it is cheaper after all.
Ikea Metod scores 1.9 out of 5, placing it in the lower mid-range. There are worse options, but there are also significantly better ones... logically, you get what you pay for in the end. Even Ikea can’t work miracles. But at least there is transparency. The price-performance ratio is also okay, although by comparing offers and investing the necessary time (if you’re willing), you can find better kitchens (according to rankings) at the same price.
I once had the IKEA kitchen option as well, and it was perfectly fine for its time. Over time, however, my expectations increased—especially regarding the aesthetics, particularly in my own home. Of course, this is quite subjective and hard to capture in a comparison focused solely on objective quality.
For example, can IKEA and furniture stores install undermount composite sinks (Fragranit, Silgranit) flush with the countertop surface? No one offered us that... it’s a bit more complex than just cutting out a hole, gluing the sink in, and calling it done. The countertop surface needs to be milled down to the core material under the laminate, and the sink must be glued underneath with epoxy resin to make it waterproof. No “real” kitchen contractor had any problem with that...
For example, can IKEA and furniture stores install undermount composite sinks (Fragranit, Silgranit) flush with the countertop surface? No one offered us that... it’s a bit more complex than just cutting out a hole, gluing the sink in, and calling it done. The countertop surface needs to be milled down to the core material under the laminate, and the sink must be glued underneath with epoxy resin to make it waterproof. No “real” kitchen contractor had any problem with that...
K
Knallkörper15 Sep 2017 18:04For example, we chose real ash wood fronts and are comfortable with the 20cm (8 inch) grid. The appliances are from Miele, Neff, and Siemens, and the sink is a Blanco Axia. For me, this avoided the major weak points. I am still missing dust seals on the doors, but I can live with that flaw. The carcasses, drawers, and fittings from Ikea are above average in quality.
Besides, I don’t believe it is realistic or precise to have the installation done for 199 euros per meter. Too much carpentry work is required for that.
Besides, I don’t believe it is realistic or precise to have the installation done for 199 euros per meter. Too much carpentry work is required for that.
People who buy Ikea kitchens often convince themselves that they got top quality at a low price.
- Fittings are average quality
- Damping is below average
- Hinge mounting is poor
- Final adjustments for optimal use are not possible because certain options simply aren’t available in the range
- Cabinet carcass is good
- Front panels look comparable to the lowest price segment of good kitchen manufacturers, but far from higher price segments (which makes sense)
What was a dealbreaker for me: We wanted handleless cabinets (okay, whether that's good or bad is up for debate), but with Ikea you can forget about that. The grips are incredibly unergonomic, and other kitchen manufacturers do this much better (Leicht, Häcker, etc.). We had an Ikea kitchen for a long time ourselves, but for the house it just had to be a step up in style.
Everything works, after all an Opel runs fine, but it’s still not a BMW. Some people care about that, some don’t. I still can’t get a BMW for the price of an Opel.
- Fittings are average quality
- Damping is below average
- Hinge mounting is poor
- Final adjustments for optimal use are not possible because certain options simply aren’t available in the range
- Cabinet carcass is good
- Front panels look comparable to the lowest price segment of good kitchen manufacturers, but far from higher price segments (which makes sense)
What was a dealbreaker for me: We wanted handleless cabinets (okay, whether that's good or bad is up for debate), but with Ikea you can forget about that. The grips are incredibly unergonomic, and other kitchen manufacturers do this much better (Leicht, Häcker, etc.). We had an Ikea kitchen for a long time ourselves, but for the house it just had to be a step up in style.
Everything works, after all an Opel runs fine, but it’s still not a BMW. Some people care about that, some don’t. I still can’t get a BMW for the price of an Opel.
The installation and after-sales service: the Hermes guy did not properly secure our wall panels. He glued them with silicone instead of anchoring the frame into the wall. Of course, they only held for about a week. I took a photo and emailed it to IKEA’s store in Lübeck. That was yesterday. Today, I received a call. On September 29, a technician will come to replace all the panels with new ones. This will be free of charge for us. That is satisfactory.
Handleless, dustproof, flush sink – my wife doesn’t care, and neither do I. It’s a kitchen, not a work of art. It will be used and should be good.
I hope the IKEA appliances last their expected lifespan....Karsten
Handleless, dustproof, flush sink – my wife doesn’t care, and neither do I. It’s a kitchen, not a work of art. It will be used and should be good.
I hope the IKEA appliances last their expected lifespan....Karsten
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