Hotpoint

All appliances are not the same ...even when they appear to be Get the facts at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center One of the enduring myths about appliances is that if appliance brand A and B are manufactured by the same company or in the same factory, then those appliances are the same. Electrolux owns and makes Frigidaire, Electrolux, and Electrolux Icon brands. GE owns and makes Hotpoint, GE Café, Profile, and Monogram brands. BSH owns and makes Bosch, Thermador, and Gaggenau brands. Whirlpool owns and manufactures Amana, Jenn-air, KitchenAid, Maytag, and Whirlpool. At their laundry factory in Clyde, Ohio they build Whirlpool washing machines as well as Maytag washers. They're both great brands and each serves a specific niche in the marketplace. However, some people make the assumption that because they are made in the same factory a Maytag and Whirlpool washer are necessarily the same. Below are a comparably priced Maytag Maxima Front Load Washer and Whirlpool Smart Front Load Washer. MAYTAG MAXIMA® FRONT LOAD WASHER WITH STEAM AND POWERWASH® SYSTEMMHW8100DW Whirlpool Smart Front Load Washer with 6th Sense Technology: Stainless SteelModel: WFL98HEBU Are they the same? It's like asking if you and your brother or sister are the same as you. You may have a lot of similarities, but are you really the same? A leading consumer magazine rated the Maytag machine #1, saying that the Whirlpool performed nearly as well as the Maytag, and they gave the Whirlpool a "Best Buy" based on its price and

More Appliances for Small SpacesCooktops that are made to fitCommon Cooktop Sizes for appliances in the United States are 30" and 36". However, we've recently written about some odd sizes such as 42" and 45" cooktops. Also, Americans have an appetite for BIG appliances so several manufacturers produce 48" and even 60" cooktops. Now, we're going to examine cooktops and ranges made for small spaces.Many apartments and small living spaces are designed for 24" cooktops. Fortunately, there are some good choices available. This size also matches the common size for cooktops in Europe so there are several European brands in the mix.Gas 24" CooktopsMiele, Bertazzoni, Summit, BlueStar (Rangetop), Fagor, Verona, and Frigidaire (26"). The Fagor 24" cooktop pictured above features interlocking continuous cast iron grates and a triple crown burner that provides the versatility for super low simmer to maximum power on a single burner.Electric 24" CooktopsMiele, Bertazzoni, Summit, Gaggenau, and Frigidaire (26")Induction 23" (or smaller) CooktopsWolf (15"), Gaggenau (15"), Summit (12"), (15") and (23")Gas 24" RangesBertazzoni, Bluestar, Hotpoint, GE, AGA, Fisher&Paykel, Verona, Premier, and Avanti. The Bluestar 24" gas range comes in a wide variety of colors, and provides the performance and power of gas ranges typically found in professional kitchens. Electric 24" RangesAvanti, Hotpoint, GEIn some cases small kitchens have only a 20" space for ranges. Here are some brands that offer 20" ranges in gas or electric.Electric 20" RangesAvanti, Hotpoint, PremierGas 20" RangesHotpoint,

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

Appliances need to "fit" your home in more than one way. Sure the dimensions must be right, but appliances must also be "right" for your house in value perception. If you live in a mansion in a luxury gated community, you wouldn't show off a 17 cu. ft. top freezer mass brand refrigerator (Frigidaire, Amana, Hotpoint) in your gourmet kitchen. On the other hand, if you have an entry level production home, you probably should not be installing a $12,000 built-in refrigerator (SubZero, Miele, Gaggenau) in a galley kitchen. Admittedly, these are extreme examples. If the budget allows, consider "taking it up a notch" on your appliances. Let your kitchen sell your house by being the best available when compared to other homes in the same price range, but do not let your kitchen far exceed the kitchens in comparable homes or you will not get a return on your investment. Worse yet, is the luxury home with cheap looking appliances and brands that don't fit with high end buyer expectations. Real estate experts say installing bargain basement appliances in a luxury home, can greatly reduce the value of the home and make it hard to sell. Fortunately, Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center carries most major brands from economy mass brands to the most esoteric luxury appliances. Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center 12025 Ventura Blvd. Ste B-105 Studio City, CA 91604 PH 877 696-2987