The latest Consumer Reports magazine has a number of items of interest to the future homebuilder. A sizable part of the mag is dedicated to nearly everything associated with kitchens, especially appliances, flooring, and countertops. And there are some interesting findings. For example, it seems Viking can only make good stoves. Refrigerators? Nope. Bottom of the list despite being tops in pricing. A Miele dishwasher that, after more than two hours of dishwashing, leaves dishes dirty. And for Gawd’s sake, don’t put in a bamboo countertop unless you like scratches, burn marks, and stains.
Engineered quartz countertops are the tops for counters (followed by granite), but stay away from the Eco line by Consentino: it’s the only countertop that cracked after placing a hot pan on it (this is a serious bummer to us because we had selected [drum roll please] Eco countertops for our house…). Of the wood for wooden floors, engineered woven bamboo by EcoTimber was top ranked for being resistant to wear, scratches, stains, and dents. Brandwise, Whirlpool appears to make the sturdiness stuff, topping the “fewest number of repairs” list.
Pick up an issue for all the gruesome details. Better yet, get a subscription. It’s well worth it.
Good point, montanna. And some counter choices (such as concrete, especially thick and chunky concrete) may require beefier cabinets.
ReplyDelete