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New Wolf Appliances and SubZero Dream Kitchen Savings
Glad to see SubZero and Wolf appliances have put together a program that will hopefully juice some high-end kitchen appliance package deals.
Program starts March 1, 2010 and ends Sept 30,2010
Customer will get $1000 off your purchases if you buy a Sub Zero 700 tall refrig series or a BI model or a 648 Pro48 series AND any Wolf range or a Wolf wall oven, cook top or range top.
If you add another Sub Zero or Wolf product another $250 off each product up to 6 for a total of $1500.
Max Discount could be $2500.
If you’ve been on the fence about putting in a high-end kitchen appliances, now is the time to jump!
NB – THE WOLF MICROWAVE DRAWER MODELS AND THE WOLF MW MWC MICROWAVES AND SUB ZERO 600 SERIES DO NOT QUALIFY. ALL OTHER MODELS QUALIFY
GE Smart Grid Appliances
Found this video report by Consumer Reports. GE’s new “green” appliances will operate on the “smart grid” meaning lots of energy and cost savings for consumers. They will cut power use during the most expensive energy consumptions parts of the day. Interesting stuff here.
GE Monogram Kitchen Appliance Packages
Still trying to get over the fact that the Jet’s unlikely playoff run has ended. Wow.
As I was watching the game I was perusing some literature that GE just gave me regarding Monogram kitchen appliance packages. Interesting things in there so let me get my mind off Gang Green’s loss and get back to the world of appliances…
GE has released a few Monogram package deals scaling from a MSRP price of $10,999 for a 5-piece package up to $37,299 for an 8-piece appliance package deal. Keep in mind that these are MSRP prices so odds are, if you are dealing with the right appliance store, you’re going to be able to buy into these packages at lower prices.
I wanted to take a few of these packages and dissect them and see what Monogram is bringing to the table. In the last two years I’ve become a very big fan of Monogram products as I like the redesign they performed on their cooking line and I NEVER hear from customers with problems related to the product.
Monogram kitchen appliance suite
I sent two of my employees to GE’s Monogram factory in Louisville, Kentucky (yes it’s American-made) and they were extremely impressed by the line. They received hands-on training with the product and also were given insight into the manufacturing process. Suffice to say I think Monogram is going to be a popular choice for customers who want to dip their toes into the high-end space but don’t want to completely blow out their budget. The one thing that Monogram appliances offers is price flexibility as dealers aren’t tied to UMRP policies (minimum pricing set by manufacturers).
I was particularly drawn to the Monogram kitchen appliance package that GE has dubbed “Metro”.
This suit of appliances is geared towards urban dwellers who may have space constraints. It includes:
36″ Free Standing Counter Depth fridge – ZFGB21HYSS
24″ dishwasher – ZBD6920PSS
30″ hood – ZV830SMSS
30″ gas cooktop – ZGU384NSMSS or ZGU384LSMSS
30″ single convection oven – ZET938SMSS
You’ll notice that the Metro package offers the thin, tubular-style handles popularized by another premium appliance manufacturer based in Wisconsin. Monogram also offers the flexibility to use Pro-style handles which are available on their cooking ranges.
Shop Smart for Kitchen Appliance Packages
A recent customer at Curto’s Appliance store was debating on whether to buy an entire kitchen appliance package now, or, just buy the one piece he absolutely needed now, and wait for the Spring for the rest of the appliances. The idea to wait a bit was provoked by his fear of the economy and thought that the manufacturers would offer better incentives on kitchen appliance packages in the Spring. My response…no way are you getting a better deal in the Spring than you are now.
The Spring time means home improvement season has kicked in, so the appliance marketplace will receive a boost from that. Plus, the govt looks like they are moving forward with Cash for Clunkers for appliances in late February, so the manufacturers won’t have much reason to provide further incentives with all that momentum going on. In the dead of winter, appliance manufacturers and dealers are looking to move product, pure and simple. Whether it’s to juice the cash flow, hit a volume quota or to clear the floor for the 2010 models, dealers are ready to deal NOW.
Plus manufacturers are offering great rebates – GE has it’s $500 back on a package of Profile or GE Cafe appliances (by the way we feel the GE Cafe line may just be the best value in home kitchen appliances right now). Thermador has its 1-2 FREE program.
Bosch is giving back $300 on a pair of frontload washer/dryer + additional monies for kitchen appliances.
The deals for kitchen appliance packages are there friends!
Frigidaire Professional Series Range Review
When I first mentioned this past summer that Frigidaire was revising its brand and introducing a “professional series” , a few people wrote to me and scoffed at the idea. Well a few months after launch, Frigidaire has a wide smile on their face. The Frigidaire Professional range and Frigidaire Professional refrigerators have proven to be the best sellers at this point…so good that availability is getting a little sketchy.
The hottest sellers in the Frigidaire Professional Series are the following two gas ranges:
FPGS3085KF – slide in, 30″, pro select controls, self cleaning, low simmer burner and warming drawer
FPGS3085KF - Curtos.com - Frigidaire Professional Gas Range
FPGF3081KF – freestanding gas range 30″, continous cast-iron grates, warming drawer, self clean
FPGF3081KF - Curtos.com - Frigidaire gas range
Frigidaire has upped the ante style and feature-wise, and so far we haven’t heard of any problems with the series. Of course since this is a new series, we’ll remained tuned in to that point and see if any problems develop. The new Professional Series has Frigidaire aiming squarely at GE Cafe and Bosch’s revised major appliance line. We’ll see what comes of this in the pitched battle for consumer dollars.
UPDATE: 1/13/10
So the Frigidaire ranges have been available for a few months now and I’m happy to say that the only issue that has cropped up is that there were some availability issues in the late Fall, but that’s been resolved now. One interesting trend that I have seen develop is that sales of the Electrolux gas ranges have dropped slightly since the introduction of the new Frigidaire Professional series ranges. We have them displayed near one another in the Curto’s showroom and consumers are saying “hey, they look pretty much the same, have similar features, yet the Electrolux range is over $1000 more expensive.”
Compare the Electrolux EW30GS65GS, 30″ slide-in range to the Frigidaire Pro FPGS3085KF. Here are the similarities:
- self clean ovens
- convection ovens
- 4 sealed burners
- 4.2 cu feet of capacity
However, the Frigidaire FPGS3085KF sells for around $1599 at Curto’s, while the Electrolux has a UMRP price of $2499. That’s quite a spread!
How to Clean Your Wolf Kitchen Appliances – Part 1
Wolf Dual Fuel Range at Curto's
Many of my Wolf appliance customers in Westchester County and beyond ask what are the best methods to clean Wolf kitchen appliances such as the cooktops, wall ovens and ranges. Curto’s Appliances has compiled a tip list to help you clean and protect these significant kitchen investments. Let it roll….
General Rule: When cleaning stainless steel, always wipe or clean in the direction of the grain.
Burner Rings:
- Soap & Water, Towel dry, make sure to blow out the holes.
- Do not use abrasives as they may remove paint
Porcelain coated grates, pressed steel tops, gas oven interiors and oven racks:
- Use soap & water and towel dry to avoid streaking
- Fume Free Easy Off – use for difficult cooked on food products which is great for ovens and can be used on any of the above in “worst case scenarios”.
- Also use mild abrasive cleaners like Soft Scrub Orange, Bon Ami, or Bar Keepers
Griddle Surfaces:
- While surface is warm, poor water on so that it bubbles, akin to a deglazing pan. Use a spatula to scrape off burnt-on food that now bubbles up.
- For stubborn stains you can use a Green Scotchbride pad with a cleanser like Barkeepers Friend or Bon Ami. AVOID PRODUCTS WITH BLEACH.
- Once the Wolf appliance product is clean spray or wipe on oil to protect surface from oxidation. If you get an orange color, this is rust and should be wiped/scrubbed off with a fine grade steel wool.
- Vinegar can be helpful for the removal of stains and discoloring of the griddle surface.
TOMORROW…Part 2 – How to Clean Wolf Appliance Stainless Surfaces and Wall Oven Interiors
Should You Buy Thermador Appliances?
I say yes…quite resoundingly.
I was working with a customer the other day who was doing a complete kitchen overhaul. We concentrated on the high-end space and even though I showed them multiple lines, they just kept coming back to Thermador. To be quite honest, I really hadn’t spent alot of time focusing on Thermador this year as I was following the wave of consumer sentiment that was moving (dramatically) away from the high-end lines and going for things like KitchenAid, Electrolux and GE Cafe.
But I’ve got to tell you, I think Thermador is a superb line that one can argue is the nicest looking of the high end lines.
More times than not, customer’s have remarked that when it comes to aesthetics, Thermador wins hands down, especially when it comes to their cooking ranges.
Undoubtedly, Thermador’s sweet spot is their cooking appliances. I’m not saying that the Thermador refrigerator line is shoddy, but I don’t think it’s at the level that their ranges, cooktops, rangetops and especially their ovens are.
A few brief notes on Thermador’s cooking appliances:
Thermador range – available in the Pro Harmony (flush with cabinetry) and the Pro Grand (bullnose) styles, I think these are the most aesthetically pleasing high-end cooking ranges on the market. Is it a Wolf from a performance stand point? No. But I think it’s nicer looking. The only annoying thing about the ranges is the simmer burner and it’s incessant “click-click” which has driven more than one customer out of their mind.
More to come…
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