ᐅ Planning kitchen appliances: How to approach it. The market is overwhelming.

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?

Consider what you really need. Think about what is just nice to have.
Brand doesn’t matter to me at all. The appliance must be functional, and quality is measured by the length of the warranty, not the name.

And as you’ve probably noticed, cooking on the island requires a downdraft ventilation system, which is one of the most expensive options you can choose.
The selection is also pointless if the kitchen showroom doesn’t carry the brand or charges excessive prices. In the end, only the total price counts.

Frugality doesn’t really matter much when it comes to kitchen appliances (except for the fridge and freezer). For the cooktop and oven, you simply need the power required for cooking. With cooktops, more power means better performance, in my opinion.

At first glance, I found the microwave in your selection visually mismatched with the oven. But maybe the appliances won’t be installed next to or above each other? Of course, there’s always room for improvement—I consider two combination ovens the best solution, one with a microwave and one with a steam cooking function.

The dishwasher could be a bit quieter if needed, especially if you have an open-plan living and dining area. Also, the Zeolite technology is hardly noticeable (I had it before), but dishes do dry more thoroughly with Miele machines that have a drying fan (which I have now).

We purchased the kitchen for our house two weeks ago. When choosing the cabinet fronts and so on, we focused on quality, so we saved money on the appliances, getting everything from Zanussi. Currently, we have an Ignis oven that has been serving us well for 7 years without any issues. What’s the use of the most expensive Miele oven if you don’t know how to cook? Besides, appliances are easier to replace than, for example, a countertop.

Go with the Siemens appliances.

Choose Neff

Seriously: all visible ones from a single brand!