Choosing an Appliance Brand

Popular Name Brands vs Unfamiliar Brands

Make your choice at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center

When it's time to shop for appliances, choosing the right brand is an important part of the decision process. In spite of what you may have heard, they're not all made by just a few manufacturers. To sort this out let's first discuss the big brand names. GE, Whirlpool, and Frigidaire are the big 3. These are mega companies, home to a host of other name brands as listed below:

General Electric

Hotpoint
GE
GE Profile
GE Cafe
GE Monogram

Whirlpool

Amana
Whirlpool
Maytag
KitchenAid
Jenn-Air

Frigidaire

Frigidaire
Electrolux (Parent company)
Electrolux Icon

At the luxury end of the market some of the big names include Wolf SubZero, Viking, Thermador, and Miele. While all the brands referred to above are well-known and well-positioned in their market segments, there are other lesser-known brands that deserve consideration as well. Here are just 2 examples:

1. BlueStar

BlueStar is a brand of high-end cooking products – ranges, oven, and cooktops. The brand is focused on serving the consumer that wants restaurant style appliances for the home. A unique capability of BlueStar is the ability to customize your range. Over 190 colors are available and burners may be configured to your liking. Even though BlueStar is not a household name, their factory in Reading, PA. has been building stoves since 1880.

2. Speed Queen

Speed Queen is a laundry company headquartered in Ripon, Wisconsin. They are a leading manufacturer of washers and dryers in the coin laundry/laundromat industry. Laundry equipment is the only thing Speed Queen makes, and they provide an exclusive three year warranty on their washers and dryers made for your home. Like BlueStar, they may not be a well-known name to consumers, but they've been making washers in Ripon, Wisc. since 1908.

Certainly, it can get confusing when comparing the big name brands to the specialty manufacturers. A good idea would be to seek the advice of appliance specialists such as those at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center.

Two locations to serve you – Calabasas and Studio City:

Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center

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