Categories: Uncategorized Tags: appliance store nyc, curtos appliances, kitchen appliance package deals
Part 1: The Myth of the Free 10-Year Appliance Warranty
A free 10-year warranty if you buy your appliances from “X” appliance retailer?
Don’t believe the hype!
More to come…
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Appliances 2012 – What We’ll See, According to Me
The Crystal Ball says…
- We will have new major product releases from Wolf / SubZero sprinkled throughout the year – 36″ French Door fridge, steam oven, 42″ and 48″ side by side fridges with internal water dispensers
- Electrolux will release a new line of appliances, which will be priced somewhere between Icon and the Kelly Ripa stuff.
- High Efficiency top load washers will continue to cut into the market share of front load washers
- Entirely new laundry platform will be released by GE, sometime later in the year
- LG and Samsung will continue their assault on the domestic brands, but new tariffs on their refrigerators will make the playing field more level.
- The housing market will still be in the doldrums, which will of course affect the appliance industry so that means that consumers are still in the drivers seat…look for more package rebates and more high-end promotions continuing throughout the year.
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Wolf Appliances: Unsealed Rangetops are Hereby Discontinued
If you were thinking of buying a Wolf rangetop and wanted to rock the unsealed version (which is about $400+ less than the sealed version) you need to act very fast.
They have been discontinued but I have been told orders will still be filled heading into the New Year. The sealed rangetops are quite different looking as they use the dual fuel range design, so if you want that traditional Wolf-look with the more chiseled knobs and individual grates, the time to act is now friends.
Wolf Sealed Rangetop - This is The Present and Near-Term Future of Wolf Rangetops
Wolf RT364G - Open Burner Rangetop...Au Revoir My Friend
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Dennis’ GE Monogram Kitchen: Pleasantville, NY
Looking for a home in lovely Pleasantville? Just down the street from the village and train station this lovely rebuild boasts a beautiful GE Monogram appliance package and a Sharp microwave drawer.
Appliances Used in This Kitchen:
- 36″ gas rangetop with griddle – ZGU364NDPSS
- 36″ insert – ZVC36LSS
- 30″ Double Wall Oven – ZET2PMSS
- 42″ Side by side Fridge, Panel ready – ZISB420DX
- 24″ Monogram wine refrigerator – ZDWI240WII
- 24″ Sharp Micro Drawer – KB6524PS
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- GE Monogram Wine Refrigerator
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- GE Monogram Kitchen – Curto’s
Buying Appliances Online…A Guide to Maintaining Your Sanity and Protecting Your Wallet
Are you looking to buy appliances online?
Then read the following folks…even though you are probably saying to yourself “What creditable information is a brick and mortar appliance dealer going to give me about when it comes to buying appliances online?”
Well, I’m a bit different. I have a robust online kitchen appliance business which accompanies our brick and mortar operation. So I can see things from both sides.
The reason I decided to write this is because I deal with DROVES of people who are so friggin’ confused when it comes to selecting and purchasing their kitchen appliances.
First they can’t decide on brands which sometimes dovetails into questioning features.
Then there is the issue about whom to buy from.
Do I shop local?
Do I go to a big box retailer or an independent?
Do I buy online?
Do I go DEEP online and buy from someplace outside the “reputable” sites just so I can save a few bucks?
The first bit of advice I’m going to tell you is that if you opt to go online, buy from someone reputable. How do you gauge this?
How prominent does their site show up in Google organic rankings? How many reviews are there? Then GET ON THE PHONE with a salesperson.
Do they know what the hell they are talking about? Do they sound professional? Are they an authorized dealer? Do they return emails promptly?
What I would avoid, at all costs, are the bottom-feeders who are the low price prostitutes. I know, it’s an ugly image.
But these are the entities that list ridiculously low prices and then end up nailing you by either
A) Not shipping product
B) Sending you refurbished or open-box merchandise, or items that are out-of-warranty
Here is a 100% true story that I recently experienced.
Customer from New Jersey calls up my showroom and asks to beat a price on a Kitchen Aid dishwasher – model KUDE40FXSS. New Architect II piece. Beauty. Best seller.
The price he has is $150 below my wholesale cost. I had dealt with this customer before and as usual, I am painfully honest.
“My man,” I told him “you need to take that deal. I won’t touch it. Just be very, very careful about where this is coming from and whom you are dealing with.”
So about 2 weeks later, I receive a phone call from same customer. He needed a dishwasher.KitchenAid, KUDE40FXSS.
I’m like…whoa…what about the sick deal you received on the web?
“Oh”, he says, “the dishwasher came earlier in the week…with an open box, no cushioning inside…and a leftover sandwich inside it.
NOT KIDDING.
Is it really worth the risk to LOWBALL and shop for absolutely bottom-bottom pricing?
The answer is no.
If you took bids from contractors to do a major renovation on your home, you are never supposed to take the low bid. Why? Because an insanely low bid will ultimately bite your ass. The project overruns will mount up…”Oh we didn’t budget for this” says the contractor…and by that time it is too late to fire the guy because they are knee-deep in sawdust in your kitchen.
The analogy works here as well. Get a rock-solid, discounted price. Get free delivery. Just make sure to get it from someone who is going to be there in case of a problem.
You don’t want sandwiches showing up in your new dishwasher.
More to come…
Feel free to email me with questions at jonathan at curtos dot com.
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: appliance stores ct, appliance stores nj, appliance stores nyc, appliances online, discount appliances
Ramblings of an Kitchen Appliance Madman
My Random Thoughts on Various Kitchen Appliances, Discounts and Appliance Package Deals
Ready…aim….
- There are a hell of a lot more people asking me about ASKO dishwashers lately. Quiet, energy efficient, fat rebates, priced lower than other leading European dishwasher manufacturer. What’s not to like? And what about the Asko $100 rebate and the 3 year warranty. Winning.
- Speaking of dishwashers, I really like some of the new Bosch dw’s I saw at a recent buying show. The Ascenta model will be elevated from plastic piece of fill in the blank to a decent looking and feeling dishwasher for $499-$599. Will be a great buy and will not embarrass the Bosch name.
- More problems with Electrolux refrigerator ice makers? No, it’s solved, again. This time I have been promised, no, guaranteed, that the
issues are behind them. The solution was a software upgrade and the compromise is that you are going to get normal looking ice instead of those
sexy little cubes that looked more comfortable bobbing in someone’s glass in a NYC nightclub. If you are one of the 1 or 2 people out of a thousand that decide to plunk down over $2000 on a fridge because of what the ice cubes look like, be forewarned.
- About to put the Thermador steam oven on display after a 5-month delay. I actually sold one of these WAAAYYY back last summer when they weren’t even released and then my customer couldn’t wait for them to come out. They are larger and handsomer and less expensive than other steam competition. Check it.
- I like the Kitchen Aid ProLine series, another line of appliance packages that I passed on last Fall at their debut but will plan on doing gangbusters business with moving forward.
Not much different from the current KitchenAid Architect II series models but the fat handle certainly makes a statement. Aside from KitchenAid ProLine packages, you will probably see this find their way into packages with other appliance lines like GE Cafe and Viking Designer that show a pro handle.
- Attention NYC appliance shoppers – GE about to debut new Monogram 30″ Gas range with reduced burner output (now at 15k BTU) which will allow you to hang an OTR micro
above it. No need to vent out, and can’t think of another pro style range that you can match with a micro. Dig it. The ZGP304NRSS.
- The new DCS pro ranges look sweet. Real sweet. Just when I thought this company was going to get knocked out by upstarts like Capitol and the entrenched heavyweights in the pro range division, they step up to the R&D plate and roll out a true statement. Kudos to DCS for also changing what was probably the worse web site in the appliance industry. I can finally navigate around it without getting nauseous!
- Not officially a trend or a movement but it may start to gain traction – people moving away from front loading washers and dryers and going back to tried and true
toploaders with some semblance of sexiness – Maytag Bravos, GE Harmony, Whirlpool Cabrio.
- On a related note…people are asking for agitators again in their washers!
- $499 Whirlpool Cabrio. Wow. Details to follow.
Yabba Dabba Do…..
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GE Monogram Package Rebate Extended – Monogram Launches 30″ Fully Integrated Line
Lots of news on the GE Monogram front…
First, happy to announce that GE is extending the Monogram package rebate program from the end of March to the end of 2011. This program has been the most successful of the high-end appliance package rebate programs that were implemented after that market collapsed in 2009 partly due to the ease in which customers can qualify for the $2000 instant rebate. Simple as pie…buy a GE Monogram range and hood OR a Monogram wall oven – cooktop and hood – $1000 instant rebate. Add a built-in fridge and add another $1000 back.
GE Monogram Promotion at Curto's
More news on the Monogram front…looking for integrated refrigeration? Love that flush inset look?
Hate stainless steel? Then the new Monogram 30″ line of integrated refrigeration is a must check-out. Monogram is rolling with 6 models – 4 stainless that will offer both a glass door or solid stainless door and then your choice of thick pro handles or streamlined tubular ones.
Much to love here: energy-efficient interior lighting, heavy-duty hinges which allow you to open all the way without interfering with adjacent cabinets, and the coolest feature is that the lower drawer can be used for fresh foods, frozen foods or wine. Talk about flexibility.
GE monogram Integrated Refrigerators
and another shot…
GE Monogram Integrated Refrigerators at Curtos.com
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: ge monogram, ge monogram appliances, ge monogram prices, ge monogram refrigerator, ge monogram reviews
GE Cafe Gas Range – CGS980SEMSS – The Price is Right, The Range is Great
I feel like writing a letter to Jeff Immelt, CEO of General Electric, and telling him that whomever at GE came up with idea of the GE Cafe line of appliances should have a statue of themselves erected in front off the appliance division’s headquarters in Lousville, Kentucky.
Simply put, the GE Cafe line of appliance has been impervious to the Great Recession of 2008-2010. The 30″ gas range – the CGD980SEMSS – has been a particular smash for the GE Cafe series. The genius behind the CGS980SEMSS is that it delivers so much value to consumers without breaking their wallets in to pieces. For a little over $2000 consumers are getting a pro-style range (pro in looks mind you, not performance) that is technically a freestanding range but looks so sleek and polished that it actually comes across as a slide-in range in the looks dept. The CGS980SEMSS also offers a second baking oven on the bottom (not a warming drawer). It’s self-cleaning, has convection, offers a power burner at 17K Btu and dual flame stacked burners that range from a 140 degree simmer to 18k BTU’s.
Plus from a design standpoint the CGS980SEMSS offers thick pro-style handles thus giving off the appearance that you have an $8000 range sitting in your kitchen.
The only complaint that I’ve received about these the CGS980SEMSS range is that the knobs were getting too hot (some customers actually mentioned that they were melting!?), GE has addressed this by changing the knobs to a stainless steel “style” and since this change I’ve never heard or read about a knob complaint again.
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Wolf Appliance Range Buyer’s Guideven
Here are the most frequently asked questions I recieve from customers shopping for Wolf Appliances.
Q. My kitchen has a unique shape and I need to vent right out of the back of the hood. Is it true that if I buy a Wolf hood can I only vent through the top?
A. Wolf Hoods are made to vent directly through the top but there are various models that also have a horizontal discharge kit which can be obtained as an accessory. There should be NO CHARGE for this piece so don’t let your dealer rob you by charging for it!
Q. The dual fuel ranges are so much more expensive than the Wolf gas ranges. What’s the reason for the upcharge and is it worth it?
A. The upcharge depends on what is important to you. If you cringe at the thought of manually cleaning your oven than the dual fuel is your move since it offers self cleaning. Also, if you are a hardcore baker and frequently make pastries, you will probably want to opt for an oven that is powered by electricity (dual fuel) because the drier heat is more conducive to baking and the dual convection fan system will create a more even temperature within the oven cavity.
If none of those points apply to you, by all means snatch the gas range and potentially save thousands of dollars depending on what size Wolf range that you purchase.
Q. What color knobs should I buy?
A. Yes, I am asked this question, FREQUENTLY. The burgundy/red knobs are the Wolf trademark so if you were to walk into someone’s kitchen and see the red knobs, you’ll know right away that they are rocking a Wolf. It’s a brand thing. I would say 9 out of 10 customers buy the red.
Q. I am buying a 36″ Wolf range. Should I go with six burners or buy 4 burners + a charbroiler or griddle.
A. No brainer here. Go with the six burners, ESPECIALLY if you entertain.
You can never have enough burners on a 36″ and I’m not a fan of the charbroiler for reasons that I will explain next…
Q. I am buying a 48″ Wolf range. Should I go with 8 burners, or 6 burners and a griddle or charbroiler.
A. I think 8 burners are overkill unless you are running a catering hall out of your kitchen. If you are going to go with the griddle or charbroiler, run with the griddle. I don’t like the charbroiler b/c it’s anything but a true “grill”. It’s electric heat and in my opinion does not provide the charred sear that you should be acccustomed to on an outdoor grill. Secondly, the charbroiler isn’t wide enough to cook alot of food efficiently. When I used one in the Wolf test kitchen I was constantly losing the chicken, fish or vegetables that I was grilling over the side because the charbroiler cooking surface just wasn’t wide enough. If you must have an accessory on top, go with the griddle and enjoy your pancakes and bacon!
Q. What is the difference between the Wolf E-series and L-series ovens?
A. Aside from price? The E-series doesn’t seem to get the attention it deserves. Originally built as a value piece for builders, the E-series offers many of the features of the L-series at a lower price. The E-series only comes in 30″ flavor whereas the L-series is also available as a 36″ model. The big difference in my eyes lies in the looks. The L-Series is more powerful looking and offers the flip display panel which hides the controls with a mere touch. The L-series controls are always visible and from a design perspective I think they are just a little clunkier than the L-series look. What do you think?
Q. Do You Like the Wolf Gas or Dual Fuel Ranges?
A. I am partial to the traditional Wolf gas ranges. I like the looks, I like the lower price and I don’t really need the dual convection fans or self clean move.
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: wolf 30, wolf 36, wolf 48, wolf appliance prices, wolf appliances, wolf double oven, wolf dual fuel range, wolf e-series oven, wolf range