Appliances

NuWave Precision Induction Cooktop 1300 Watts. Trying to #ElectrifyEverything? The toughest part is often getting off gas cooking. Before pooh-poohing that notion, get a hot plate and try this one. That way you can make a rational decision, not an emotional one. 

My business partner has a NuWave and swears by it. He loves that he can set it to 130 degrees and decrystallize honey without burning it. You can leave it at 130 all day. Find your ideal temp for cooking anything. 

Bosch WTB86200UC 300 4.0 Cu. Ft. White Stackable Electric Dryer. This condensing dryer vents out of a drain hose like your washer and condenses the steam into the drain. It does not vent outdoors, which means you can put it anywhere you can get a plug. It will increase the temperature and humidity where you put it. That can be ok in winter, but makes your air conditioner work harder in the summer and may increase the likelihood of mold problems. If you really want to geek out, check out this study on dryers. 

Broan APE130SS Range Hood, 30-Inch, Stainless Steel. One of the best range hood options I have found. Pretty quiet on low (0.7 Sones), efficient lighting, multiple fan speeds, and a deep design all lead towards a pleasant experience. This does have the Heat Sentry feature that I have seen bad reviews on (it automatically turns to high when it senses high heat.) Also consider the Broan CLDH130SS which isn’t on Amazon yet. These hoods are powerful enough to consider makeup air, here is Broan’s calculator page. 

Circulon Symmetry Chocolate Hard Anodized Nonstick 11-Piece Cookware Set. I bought these for our induction stove and really like them. The nonstick is still working amazingly well 7 months later, usually the bloom is off the rose by now. The saucepans have pour spouts and lids, so you can cook pasta in them and drain straight from the pan, no colander required. (Hold the lid, though! Ask me how I know this…) 

Frigidaire Gallery FGIF3061NF Induction Range. I’m a huge fan of induction stoves, this is the one I bought. I absolutely love it. I burn food much, much less vs. our old gas range, and think it is a step up in functionality, not down. This model is very well reviewed. They are all electric but can be turned up and down as quickly as gas. They boil water as fast or faster than gas. Range hoods vent fumes from this type better. If you are getting a new stove, at least consider induction. Fair warning, in order to work they need pots that a magnet will stick to.

Portable induction cooktop/hot plate. We love induction cooking. For $60, you can try it out. Be sure a magnet sticks to the pan you want to use. Can be turned up and down as quickly as gas. Boils water about as fast as gas. By my test vs. my old 1940s gas range with a big burner, a similar cooktop was 30 seconds slower to boil four cups of water (about 10 minutes each.) If you click through, you can see other options at Amazon.

LG WM3997HWA Ventless 4.3 Cu. Ft. Capacity Steam Washer/Dryer Combination. I’ve hunted for a well reviewed dryer that doesn’t have a vent. The heat pump dryers seem to be poorly reviewed. This machine uses cold water to cool down and condense the heat and moisture in the dryer exhaust. Probably not great if you live somewhere with really expensive water, but otherwise you put your clothes in one machine and they come out washed and dried.

Proline 30 inch Wall / Undercabinet Range Hood PLJW 185.30 600 CFM. It has everything I want except it’s still noisy. 5 Sones on high (like a noisy bath fan). I called the manufacturer, it’s 4.3 on medium-high, 2.5 on medium-low, and 1.5 on low. 1.5 isn’t that low. The other speeds will be tough to talk over. Broan’s high end range hoods are under 0.5, which is theoretically so quiet you’ll have to look at the switch to see if it’s on. This hood has dual fans, LED lights, a 3×10 duct in the rear, push buttons (presumably with fewer electronics to fail), and a high end look. 

XtremeAir Ultra Series UL10-U30 range hood. Really nice features, the best mix I found. Dual fan motors (both sides.) LED lights for less heat. Push button controls (not electronic, should be less prone to failure.) Non-magnetic stainless steel means it’s a high grade, lower grades are more prone to rust. Plan on makeup air or it is likely to cause Indoor Air Quality problems like backdrafting your water heater and furnace or sucking mold and critter poo from walls and attics. This has everything I wanted for my kitchen except a 3×10 vent (I know I won’t get around to changing to a round 8″ duct, so I didn’t buy it. We will see if I regret the decision.)

Broan E66130SS Elite Ultra Quiet Range Hood, 30-Inch, Stainless Steel. Broan’s top of the line for under cabinet range hoods. Awesome features: dual motors, extremely quiet on low speed (0.3 Sones). Still has halogen bulbs (why?!) and the widely panned “Heat Sentry” feature that automatically ramps it to high when it senses too much heat. You can’t turn Heat Sentry off once it activates unless you unplug the wire, which pops an error code forevermore. Perhaps if they ramped it up depending on temperature, rather than going straight to high. It does have dishwasher safe filters, which is cool. 

Broan QP330SS Evolution 3 30 In. Stainless Steel Convertible Range Hood. Very quiet at 0.3 Sones on low. This is the second highest range hood in the Broan line (the E66130SS is the top). Pretty good reviews on this one, lots of venting options. Misses my cut for several reasons. It’s only a single fan in a high end model. It has halogen bulbs which I don’t like (you can change them to LEDs.) Lastly, it has the “Heat Sentry” feature which automatically turns it to high speed, which is a noisy 5 Sones. You can’t turn it back down. You can disconnect a wire, but then an error code shows. Close, but no cigar. Shopping for these things is tough!

Broan QS130SS Allure Range Hood. Great reviews on this low cost hood. Only 1.5 Sones on low, which is pretty quiet, albeit a number of reviewers noted it doesn’t flow much at that speed. This does not have a centrifugal fan (with a squirrel cage) which are better fans. Tons of options for ducting. If you’re on a budget, this looks nicer than its price. 220 cubic feet per minute on high is on the low side, but can be adequate, and is much less likely to cause indoor air quality problems compared to higher flow range hoods.