Most sensible approach to buying domestic appliances

mrochester · 26 Aug 2020 at 09:56

Hi all.

Would a broadly sensible approach to buying domestic appliances be to either pony up the big boy money and buy Miele or just buy the cheapest on the market?

Most of the mid-range stuff seems to basically be the cheap stuff with a few bells and whistles.

Many thanks.

M.

MrRockliffe · 26 Aug 2020 at 09:58

Buy one that’s well reviewed and has the features you want/need. Done

tedaC · 26 Aug 2020 at 10:00

when we first moved we couldn't afford the top brands. Everything we ended up buying was "Beko". all appliances still going strong after 7+ years, I wouldnt buy the big brands again and would probably stick to Beko.

mrochester · 26 Aug 2020 at 10:01

MrRockliffe said:
Buy one that’s well reviewed and has the features you want/need. Done

What I’m finding when looking for a heat pump tumble dryer is that all of the brands hovering around the mid-market (Bosch, LG, Samsung) are basically just glorified low-end appliances that may or may not last longer than a budget appliance. It makes me think I should just buy the cheapest I can find and save a few hundred quid or spend 6 times as much for a Miele.

UTT · 26 Aug 2020 at 10:01

Was that just pure luck that Mr Rochester's query was answered by Mr Rockcliffe?

Overclockers in pride and prejudice!

HungryHippos · 26 Aug 2020 at 10:22

Generally go for Bosch, but got a Samsung washing machine

booyaka · 26 Aug 2020 at 10:22

Ao.com - read reviews - buy.

Most appliances these days are much of a muchness.

Salsa · 26 Aug 2020 at 10:41

If you're an OCUK member then generally you should post the make and model you're thinking of buying then wait for @SexyGreyFox to appear and tell you whether its rubbish or not based on his experience working in quality assurance for Creda in the distant past

/Salsa

mrochester · 26 Aug 2020 at 10:42

booyaka said:
Ao.com - read reviews - buy.

Most appliances these days are much of a muchness.

That’s what I’ve done and ordered an Electra brand heat pump tumble dryer for £300.

Will Gill · 26 Aug 2020 at 10:46

booyaka said:
Ao.com - read reviews - buy.

Most appliances these days are much of a muchness.

That's what I did, started off looking at miele ended up with samsung and hoover, neither has had a hiccup in over two years

booyaka · 26 Aug 2020 at 11:01

Will Gill said:
That's what I did, started off looking at miele ended up with samsung and hoover, neither has had a hiccup in over two years

same - started higher brand suff - ended up with spending less that I thought, great delivery, ontime, great service and nothing missed a beat in 4 years. (dishwasher, american fridge freezer, washing machine, wine fridge)

M1k3H · 26 Aug 2020 at 11:10

Went for whatever appliance offered what we wanted and had a lengthy warranty. Ended up with Samsung washer/drier and fridge/freezer with 5 years overall and 10 year motor warranty, and a Bosch dishwasher with a 2 year warranty, which I believe that was either the maximum offered at the time by any manufacturer, or I had to spend more than double the amount I did to get something with 5 years.

They are all 5 years old nearly, and haven’t had any issues.

krooton · 26 Aug 2020 at 12:00

Only buy appliances from manufacturers that don't dabble in surveillance capitalism.

Semple · 26 Aug 2020 at 12:06

krooton said:
Only buy appliances from manufacturers that don't dabble in surveillance capitalism.

Yes, don't want your washing machine reporting how often you wash your underwear to the powers that be.

To the OP, as long as you're of the mindset that if you go for the cheapest model, you may have to replace it in a few years time, then take the gamble. Brands like Miele are known to be rock solid and last many-many years, but obviously come with a hefty sticker price.

Marky · 26 Aug 2020 at 12:08

It’s pretty typical of me to spend a good week or two reading up on a certain product category and reviews to make sure I’m happy with my choice.

I think I spent a good month looking through TVs before deciding on the one I wanted

Mr Jack · 26 Aug 2020 at 12:13

mrochester said:
Would a broadly sensible approach to buying domestic appliances be to either pony up the big boy money and buy Miele or just buy the cheapest on the market?

There's no one size fits all answer, it depends on the appliance and your budget. Paying for quality is usually worth it over economy brands; but paying for premium is only worth it if you're suitably loaded but there those lines lie will vary a lot by what you're looking at. A premium cooker can cost £2k more before getting into the really boutique stuff and for us, that's not really worth it, on the other hand a Miele hoover is only about a £100 more than the cheapest garbage from Argos and worth every penny IMO. IMO, a lot of the more mid-range stuff is worth it over the economy brands both in life expectancy and in terms of how pleasant it is to use day to day as well as energy efficiency.

Mr Jack · 26 Aug 2020 at 12:15

Semple said:
Brands like Miele are known to be rock solid and last many-many years, but obviously come with a hefty sticker price.

Another thing to consider is that these brands are built to be serviced and repaired; and companies like Miele stake their reputation on supplying spares for models they discontinued years, even decades, ago. So when they do break you can often get them repaired for a lot less than it would cost to replace them.

the shadow · 26 Aug 2020 at 12:17

mrochester said:
What I’m finding when looking for a heat pump tumble dryer is that all of the brands hovering around the mid-market (Bosch, LG, Samsung) are basically just glorified low-end appliances that may or may not last longer than a budget appliance. It makes me think I should just buy the cheapest I can find and save a few hundred quid or spend 6 times as much for a Miele.

Bargains are out there

200sols · 26 Aug 2020 at 12:19

Semple said:
Brands like Miele are known to be rock solid and last many-many years, but obviously come with a hefty sticker price.

Quality has fallen though, these brands are not what they once were. The also offer the same warranties as the cheapo brands which isnt great.

413x · 26 Aug 2020 at 12:22

booyaka said:
Most appliances these days are much of a muchness.

This.

I tend to get used stuff which is nicer than new lower tier stuff.

Got a nice hotpoint dishwasher that was nearly new for 150. (was 300+)
And a hoover 11kg washing machine thrown in with the house.
If you can pick stuff up you can get some great deals on nearly new items.

Would never go for the meile type brands. Unless you have a gucci belt of course

I've had no issues with beko cheap or the middling hotpoints/hoovers etc.

Ex showroom or outlets are always good.
I buy nearly everything second hand to be fair and very rarely have any issues. Warranties are so short now there's not much worth in when you save 50-90 percent used.

Biggest bargain was a 30 quid Indesit washer that I had for 4 years and sold for 30 when I moved!