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The modern kitchen is home to a plethora of exceptional cooking appliances, from powerful cooking ranges and impressive ovens to convenient microwaves and more. But no kitchen is complete without an exceptional refrigerator. The ideal refrigerator will provide ample storage space for fresh ingredients and frozen items in one convenient appliance, but with so many choices, it can be difficult to find the right unit for your needs. A number of exceptional refrigerators have hit the market in 2017, and to help you find a great appliance, we’ve compiled overviews on some of the best refrigerators of 2017. Samsung RT21M6215SG Top Freezer Refrigerator Samsung has been at the forefront of the electronics industry for 70 years, and brings a similarly high level of quality in its home appliances. The Samsung RT21M6215SG top freezer refrigerator features 5.7 cubic foot freezer compartment above 15.4 cubic feet of refrigerator space, offering plenty of space for all of your frozen and fresh items. This unit shines thanks to its high level of thermostat control, helping you keep items at the exact temperature you need them. This refrigerator also offers very good noise performance and excellent energy efficiency, providing a quiet refrigerator that will keep your energy bills low. For more on this refrigerator, click here. GE GDE25ESKSS Bottom Freezer Refrigerator Consumers have trusted GE appliances for over 100 years, and the GE GDE25ESKSS bottom freezer refrigerator is certainly a unit you can rely on. This refrigerator stands out thanks to exceptional temperature performance and

Three tips for cleaner dishesTry these tips for cleaner dishes, or get a new dishwasher at UAKC Here are three suggestions to make sure you're getting the most out of your dishwasher:1. Don't pre-clean your dishes.Some people want to give their dishwasher a little help by pre-washing their dishes. While you certainly don't want to put your leftover for baked on food in your dishwasher, it is not a good idea to rinse off your dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. Dishwasher detergents contain chemicals that keep food particles removed from the dishes in suspension so that they don't get redeposited on your dishes. If you put only clean dishes in the dishwasher, the detergent will find no dirt particles and wind up as a film on your already clean dishes.2. Hot water gets dishes clean.Typically, dishwashers will heat incoming water to 150 degrees or more depending on the cycle selected. However, the incoming water needs to be 120 degrees for this to happen. Even if your water heater provides water at 120 degrees, if your dishwasher is located too far from the water heater, the hot water may not be hot enough by the time it gets to the dishwasher. My water heater is at one corner of my house, and my dishwasher is clear over at the other corner, as far as it can be from the water heater. We need to run the hot water at the sink near the dishwasher for a few minutes before we

Quiet Dishwashers at Universal Appliance and Kitchen CenterHow much will a good quiet dishwasher cost?Well, you knew this was coming. It depends! There are a lot of variables, depending on what is important to you. The average retail price for a dishwasher in the U.S. is around $500. However, to get the dishwashers with the best cleaning features, longest warranties, and the quietest ratings, you'll need to pay a premium. For example, the very quietest dishwashers available are 40 db or even less, and you can expect to pay near $1,000 and even more for a dishwasher in this category.All dishwashers are not created equal. It is true that better dishwashers cost more money, but there are also diminishing returns for most of us. At some point, the difference of the next $100 spent on added dependability, quietness, and cleaner dishes is not discernible. So, what we've done here is to leave off the entry level products that are advertised by the big box stores. Here are a few great dishwasher brands that have received terrific ratings from several sources and authorities. They'll not only get your dishes clean, they're built to last, and they're the quietest dishwashers in the industry.BOSCHBosch has made a lot of noise over the years, by touting how little noise their dishwasher makes. It's probably fair to say that they invented quiet as an important feature in dishwashers. They're part of BSH, and one of the largest appliance manufacturers in the world. Though they manufacture

More thoughts on Black Stainless SteelChoices about at Universal Appliance and Kitchen CenterIt looks like almost everyone has jumped on the Black Stainless bandwagon when it comes to appliance finishes. KitchenAid introduced a Black Stainless Steel refrigerator only a couple of years ago. Since then, Samsung has launched an entire line of Black Stainless Steel, along with LG. However, Dacor, a Samsung owned company, appears to be the only luxury brand to enter the Black Stainless fray with their new Modernist collection.Frigidaire appears to be jumping into the Black Stainless appliance pool with a full-line offering. Parent company, Electrolux, has yet to announce its intentions with their premium Electrolux offering. Similarly, Bosch has introduced a dishwasher in Black Stainless, presumably to be followed with a full line. However, Bosch's high end brands, such as Thermador, and Gaggenau have not made a move in this direction.It seems clear that this finish has a definite appeal for Millennials, and will find a home not in the entry level, but in the upgrade offerings of the popular brands GE, Frigidaire, and Whirlpool; as well as the Korean brands Samsung, and LG who have carved out a strong offering for Millennials.Notably, Whirlpool's super premium brand, Jenn-Air does not have Black Stainless, nor does GE's luxury brand, Monogram.Here's the good news. Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center is your headquarters for major appliances regardless of brand or finish. They carry all the major brands as well as most of the specialty brands, and an interesting selection

Get the Latest Appliances at UAKCSee the Newest Appliances at Universal Appliance and Kitchen CenterIt seems like there is a long time between trends in appliances, and then suddenly everybody has something new going on. Now is one of those times when new trends seem to be taking off. Here are two big trends that could be with us for a while.Black Stainless Steel We've written about Black Stainless Steel before (see link below). It's got a good chance of being successful. It's very doubtful that it will replace Stainless Steel, but that doesn't mean that it won't carve out a niche of its own. Probably the biggest downside is the lack of consistency among brands. KitchenAid's Black Stainless Steel is a true black finish on metal. Samsung's Black Stainless Steel has a shiny luster (seems like a clear coating). LG's Black Stainless Steel looks more like a gray than black. Nevertheless, consumers seem to like these finishes. Time will tell.NEW APPLIANCE FINISHESConnected (Smart) AppliancesIt's happening folks. Smart appliances are here. There isn't just one solution, but a whole range of features available on appliances that "connect" our appliances with us or other devices and perform a variety of functions. Unlike a new appliance color or finish, there is less of a need for brands to adopt a common platform (though it would be nice). We're seeing appliances that connect with your smart phone, appliances with cameras inside, and appliances that will email you if you leave the door open.

Appliances in LA LA LANDGreat Deals on New Appliances in the Heart of LA LA LANDIt's a colorful, award winning movie about making it in LA, but there are many other true stories about finding your way in La La Land. If you're looking for new appliances, Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center is LA from beginning to end.Our locations are in Studio City and Calabasas, so we're definitely LA. With humble beginnings in the LA area, UAKC is now one of the leading retailers of appliances and decorative plumbing fixtures in the greater Los Angeles area. In addition, UAKC is also a successful national appliance internet sales business headquartered in LA. Think about it: LA owned and based, 2 LA retail locations. LA warehouse and national internet sales operated from LA. We are proud to be part of LA LA LAND. When you shop and buy from Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center you're not only spending your money here, but your money stays here and helps support not only our LA business, but our LA sales, administrative, delivery, and installation staff. Our ownership and employees spend their money, raise their families, attend the schools, and places of worship here, and your money stays here and goes back into the LA economy.Compare this to the big chains, the no service home improvement operations, who base their businesses in the East. They may employee staff here, but their operations and profits wind up back East. UAKC features the 3 big name brands:

Review of the Latest Appliance FinishesChoices of Appliance Finishes Abound at UAKCThe last half of the 20th century began with most appliances having porcelain enamel on steel cabinets. Porcelain was durable and easy to clean, but the manufacturing process was expensive, porcelain was subject to chipping, and was not environmentally friendly. Eventually, porcelain enamel disappeared in appliance cabinets to be replaced by steel with powder coat painted exteriors or stainless steel. In the last decade, we've begun to see some different choices in appliance exteriors. While painted surfaces remain a standard for base appliances, more expensive stainless steel is enormously popular. In recent years, we've seen new smudge-proof Frigidaire and fingerprint resistant stainless steel in Maytag brand and others. They're still stainless steel, but they have properties that eliminate or greatly reduce the possibility of smudges and fingerprints. European luxury brand, Miele, has introduced a fingerprint resistant steel called CleanTouch, as a replacement to stainless steel.Even more recently, Black Stainless Steel has hit the appliance market and appears to be taking off. Black Stainless Steel is essentially stainless steel base metal with black painted finish. KitchenAid was the first to Black Stainless Steel, and it seemed to take off slowly. But now, it is available in more brands and seems to be rapidly taking hold as an alternative to the shiny stainless steel we see everywhere. Here are some of the brands that are now offering Black Stainless Steel appliances:Brands offering Black Stainless SteelKitchenAidSamsungLGDacorMaytagFrigidaire

Save on Miele and Sub-Zero Wolf at UAKCMajor appliance brands are often divided into categories such as Economy brands Amana, and Mass market brands GE, Whirlpool, Frigidaire, and Luxury brands Miele, and Sub-Zero Wolf. Some brands cross more than one category, while others squeeze in between. For example, there is an ongoing effort among some brands to carve out space between mass and luxury brands. These brands fit into categories such as Premium, eg. KitchenAid or even Super-Premium. Today, however, we're going to briefly discuss two brands that proudly consider themselves Luxury brands: Miele and Sub-Zero Wolf.Miele is a German brand that has a history that can be traced back to 1899. Their motto Immer Besser translates to Forever Better and the Miele family follows that principle today as a worldwide high end appliance brand. One of my favorite Miele products is this dual fuel 48" wide range.Sub-Zero Wolf is a U.S. enterprise based in Wisconsin. They lay claim to inventing built-in refrigeration for the home. A hugely successful company, Sub-Zero purchased the Wolf brand for residential use (Wolf continues as a separate company manufacturing restaurant ranges). Now, Sub-Zero Wolf offers a complete line of luxury refrigeration and cooking products for the home. Sub-Zero is famous for this Sub-Zero Pro 48 refrigerators.As Premium brands, both Miele and Sub-Zero Wolf are expensive, but that doesn't mean you can't save money when purchasing them. Here are some terrific offers available now at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center:SUB-ZERO WOLFUpgrade and Save on a

Is it time for a new dishwasher?Houzz has published its 2017 Kitchen Trends Survey. For homeowners planning kitchen renovations, dishwashers are the most likely to be first on the list for replacement. It really isn't a big surprise considering all the changes in dishwashers over the years. Here are the top trends in dishwashers in our view.Sani-CycleHomeowners are increasingly concerned with sanitation, particularly in the kitchen. Some new dishwashers have sani-cycles that are certified by the NSF which requires that the water is heated to 155 degrees fahrenheit and kept there for a certain amount of time. This feature can be particularly important when someone in the home is sick, or if there is a baby to care for.Energy and Water SavingsWhile dishwasher manufacturers are all keen on having the EnergyStar label, some dishwashers are more energy efficient than others. They work with smaller highly efficient motors that run quieter (and longer) to get dishes clean while running at whisper quiet sound levels.In addition, though dishwashers may have long run times, they actually use far less water. That's one reason why they are more energy efficient because a big part of a dishwashers energy usage is the cost of heating the water.QuietToday's open kitchens make it critical that dishwashers run quietly, and appliance manufacturers tout their "whisper-quiet" dishwashers. In my opinion, to be considered quiet, a dishwasher would have to operate at a decibel rating in the 40's. The really quiet dishwashers are often in the low 40's with a

Latest Appliances at Universal Appliance and Kitchen CenterBlack Stainless SteelA quick look around the major appliance displays at the January 2017 *IBS/KBIS confirmed that the new color/finish Black Stainless is THE big trend in appliance colors. Of course, stainless steel is not going anywhere. In a recent survey, 72% of respondents opted for stainless steel. Truth is, there are tons of appliance colors out there. The custom high end range company BlueStar offers several hundred colors, many of them quite stunning. Luxury appliance brands such as Viking, Bertazzoni, La Cornue, and others also offer their appliances in a variety of colors. But for many of us these brands might not be realistic options, and the bright colors aren't for everyone.Voilà! Black Stainless is here to save they day. It's new and it's different. It really looks classy, but I wouldn't call it bold or risky. After all, it's a combination of the two most popular appliance colors. As near as I can determine KitchenAid was the first major appliance brand to offer Black Stainless steel. Recently, Samsung jumped on the Black Stainless bandwagon, followed now by Whirlpool, Frigidaire, GE, Electrolux, and LG. I do know that some supplementary brands are on board with this new finish such as Sharp (microwaves) and at least one of the vent hood manufacturers, Zephyr.I think Black Stainless looks good in the photos, but even better when you see it and touch it. Believe it