Buying appliances

I always buy the branded ones especially for non-kitchen appliances, since most branded items are of course reliable in terms of durability. I will only consider buying cheap kitchen appliances like blender or a microwave oven since they won't be used often so I'm sure it won't break down easily.

 

It's more about the durability of the product for me, and not really the brand name or the price. I've bought some Cuisinart products in the past that were not only very expensive, but were very poorly designed and a huge waste of money, like their Rotisserie Oven. There is a Hamilton Beach stand mixer I've got my eye on these days and may purchase soon, which is only about $70 or so, and from all the reviews I've read on it, it's a fantastic mixer. A lot of people stated that they were really impressed by how well it worked for it's price. In comparison, I've heard some big complaints about the popular Kitchen-Aid mixers which cost like $300+ not including all the extra attachments. There are Youtube videos of people showing how the gears got all stripped inside easily, and the company was giving them the run-around when it came to replacing the units. Not to mention, they are heavy, so it would be expensive to even ship them out for service in the first place.

When I was on the market for an electric pressure cooker, I opted for a brand I had never heard of before, Nesco, that I got at Wal-Mart for $70. Other comparable units from bigger brands such as Cuisinart or Insta-Pot were running over $120. I was really really pleased at the quality of the device and how sturdy and well built it was for the price. It was just as good as the more expensive counterparts. I've been using it for over 3 years now with no trouble at all.

 

I usually do a lot of research before acquiring a new appliance. I want it to last for a long time and perform well. So, I regard it as an investment, and am prepared to pay a little more for the product that I want. Normally, brands are not important to me, but in some instances I prefer to buy well known brands, especially if they have had a good reputation for a long time.

 

There'd be no point in buying a cheap appliance that isn't energy-efficient for example. Most old appliances which they're trying to sell [or] which someone is trying to get off their hands might be cheap to buy but more costly because they consume more energy.

When buying an appliance, I try to find out as much as I can about it and compare that info against info about other similar [different brands] appliances and choose the one that will cost less to use or maintain.

 

I usually buy among the average to the above average range because I don't trust the cheap brands all that much, especially if it's going to be directly touching my food. I might give some of the cheaper brands a try if they have good reviews online but in general I try and stick with the more popular brands just because I know they have much more to lose if one of their products turn out to be faulty.

 

It very much depends on how much money I have at that time. Often, I will go for the cheaper product because I know that I could easily afford a new one if it were to break. I'm talking £5 for a toaster, and I could get a new one every day if needed! I don't like spending a lot on products because I would have to keep them for a long time to know that they were worth it, and there is a chance that they would need to be repaired at some point. Also, price doesn't always mean that you're getting any better quality; it's often just a trick by the big brands to make you pay more.