PS – One thing I did not mention in the video, as far as differences are concerned, is that the “60″ models use IQ Touch and the “70″ series uses Wave Touch. Not a big deal, video to come re: those differences as well.

2012 rolls in and Electrolux decides to get all funky with their laundry prices.
Prices have been cut about $200 on every model.
This is huge.

Electrolux had always priced themselves above the competition, and in some cases WAY above them.
First they had that UMRP thing (the policy which mandates that dealers can’t sell below a certain Electrolux-set price) which inflated prices to begin with. Then you had Elx’s mindset that since they were bringing more to the table – larger capacity, steam in the washer and the dryer, more cycles including the 14 min wash/15 min dry and the 2nd floor guarantee, why the hell not price yourselves at a premium?

Here is the Electrolux Washer/Dryer Pair That We Own. Sexy, huh?

When Electrolux ran a rebate, my sales would spike. When the rebates expired, sales would plummet. I think alot of people just couldn’t justify spending $400-$500 more apiece on a washer and dryer when they could just rock a Whirlpool Duet or Maytag and know they were going to get a quality machine for much less.

Electrolux got smart, the prices have been chopped and I expect the laundry line to start rocking now. It’s closer to the comps and is still bringing more to the table from a feature-set. And who knows, they may even tag them with a rebate which would then make these absolutely NO-BRAINERS.

BOTTOM LINE – You can diss ELX for their refrigerators all you want but they have ALWAYS gotten laundry right. Hell, I own a pair so I should know!!!

What a bummer! Since I had pretty much written Elux fridges off only to have my opinion reversed by the straight-on sexiness of their new fridges, you can imagine my dismay to hear that the new products have been delayed into 2Q 2012.

I guess Electrolux is playing it conservative and saying to themselves, “hey we need to get this right which only makes sense
considering how the previous generation of dispenser models bombed out.

So we wait….here’s a sneak peek I shot in September on one of the new fridges. Hardcore New York accent courtesy of Anthony.

Note: Episode 1 of Curto’s Appliance Show where I get a little more granular on this fridge can be found below.
The lighting is weak and I look like I am half asleep but bear with me folks, the info is good!

It’s no secret that Electrolux’ first generation of French Door Refrigerators with dispensers turned out to be bombs due to issues with their ice maker.
To this point I am still swapping out fridges (2 last week!) from customers who purchased these fridges as far back as 2 years ago.

End result – I swore to my Electrolux rep that I would never put another external dispensing Electrolux model on my showroom floor again. Ever!

However after attending my Fall buying show, I have once again drank from the well of Electrolux kool-aid and decided to put their new 23cu ft French Door Fridge (with dispenser)
on the showroom floor. Call me an idiot, but I was thoroughly impressed by not only the refrigerator but by Electrolux’ confidence that this fridge will make everyone forget the disaster of their Version 1.0 french door refrigeration.

The new fridges are sleek, sexy and stripped of all traces of what caused the problems in version 1.0. I’m confident they have it right this time.
And if they don’t, I will be parking my display model on my rep’s front lawn!

Call Me a Dummy, But I'm Taking the Plunge Again on Electrolux French Door Refrigeration With External Ice Dispensers!

My intro on the new refrigerators (lighting is weak…working on it!)

The Electrolux sales guy takes us inside the box of the EW23BC85KS….

Buy an Electrolux Icon french door refrigerator and freestanding range, get a free Icon dishwasher.

Guess they’ve been drinking at the same till as the folks from Thermador.

Icon is a line that I just can’t figure out. I’ve always liked it, always thought it brought such tremendous value…I just feel like it’s kind of lost in the wake of Kelly Ripa hawking the regular ELX line.

If you’re thinking about this piece and need to be convinced for reasons beyond the stylish looks and the Wolf-imitation cobalt blue interior, then turn your attention to
the E30EW85GPS’ door. Yes, the door my friend.

The reason I like to highlight the door is that it is vastly superior to any other wall oven door in its price range (or even a bit higher).

If you open the door, you will notice that it is completely flat when laying open. Most wall oven doors have a bump that’s notched out of it.
Icon decided to create a completely flat door so that it would be easier to lay dishes on it. This is such a cool design that KitchenAid has now co-opted it for their Architect II
line of wall ovens.

You’ll also notice black circles on the inside of the oven door. They allow you access to remove the glass so you can clean the inside in case any condensation gets trapped in the door. Nice, huh? Can’t do that with other models!

Electrolux Icon E30EW85GPS

Electrolux Icon E30EW85GPS Oven Door

The Electrolux refrigerators, both in the regular line and in the Icon imprint, are not only pleasing to the eye and chock full of features, but they are made well. I’ve been selling the Icon line for about 5 years and the regular Electorlux line for about 2+, and problems have been sporadic at best.

However any discussion of the potential for problems with Electrolux French Door fridges must mention the microchip issue that both lines experienced earlier this year (2010). The information I have is that there was a defective microchip in both Icon and regular Electrolux fridges which offered a water/ice dispenser on the outside door. This chip was creating problems with the icemaker. To Electrolux’ credit, they pulled thousands of refrigerators from warehouses across the country and held up distribution of new models until the problem was rectified. As of Spring 2010, the problems seem to have been rectified.

As for Electrolux, the action of pulling all of the refrigerators and halting production of newer ones was an incredible sign of their unswerving customer service. Most other manufacturers would not have assumed the expense of taking product back, making changes, then shipping the product back out again, an expensive endeavor to say the least. Many other manufacturers would have just waited for the defective refrigerators to reach consumer homes, then make the changes on site. To Electrolux’ credit, they wanted everything fixed prior to home delivery so there would be no chance of staining the brand equity of their name and of their line of french door refrigerators.

So as I tell the many people who visit Curto’s appliance store shopping for Electrolux French Door refrigerators, buy with confidence. They look great, come in a variety of styles, are built well, plus you have the added benefit of knowing that Electrolux stands 100% behind its product.

I’ve had a bunch of people inquire about the Thermador combination steam convection oven since I wrote about it last week.
Please keep in mind that this oven won’t be available until August and from what I’ve been told Thermador hasn’t shipped any models for dealer floors.
This oven seems to be a hot little number…I’ve already sold a few sight-unseen…as soon as I more info about release date I will post immediately…

Electrolux is talking up their new frontload washers…they’ve made them larger and have now cut wash times down to 15 minutes. I asked my Electrolux rep how they are able to continue to shrink wash times down and he answered with an emphatic “I have absolutely no clue!”. I guess it’s magic. At this rate, in another year Electrolux will have this wash-time thing down to the point where all you will have to do is wave your soiled clothes in front of the Wave Touch Panel and they will be all fresh n’ clean. Geniuses at work!

Electrolux Washer EWFLS70JMB at Curtos.com