5 Must Have Features When Shopping For New Appliances

Last Updated on February 13, 2012

Keeping up with appliance trends can be difficult since most of us do not shop for appliances on a regular basis.  Appliance companies have made some big improvements to appliances over the last 5-10 years.  New appliances have more technology than ever, and they use much less energy than they did in the past.  But, what should you look for when shopping for new appliances?  Here are five must have features when shopping for new appliances.

Fully Integrated Dishwasher Controls
A common new feature that you will find when shopping for dishwashers is fully integrated controls.  What this means is that instead of the buttons being located on the front of the dishwasher, they are now located on the top part of the door.  With the controls on the top side of the door, it gives the dishwasher a nice clean look on the front panel.  It also makes cleaning easier because there are fewer grooves for stuff to get into.  To select and start the cycle on an integrated model dishwasher, you will open the door, select the cycle, hit the start button, and after you close the door the dishwasher will start the cycle.

Steam
Have you heard the buzz going around about steam washers and dryers?  You may be thinking to yourself, I don’t need steam in my washer or dryer.  Steam washers can be very useful for removing stains in clothing, and on some models the steam will even remove allergens.  If you don’t like ironing, then a steam dryer is just for you.  Steam dryers have a short steam cycle (usually around 15 minutes) for you to throw a garment in the dryer and it will remove odors and wrinkles, almost getting rid of the need for ironing.

Convection Oven
If you bake a lot, then getting a convection oven should be on your top priority list.  Convection ovens use a fan or multiple fans on the back side of the oven to circulate the air around the inside of the oven.  Doing this shortens the time things take to bake, and evens out the heat inside the oven.  There are two kinds of convection ovens that you will find, one has a fan on the back of the oven, and the other has a fan with a small heating element that goes around the fan.  The fan with the heating element around it will do the best job of baking and giving you consistent temperatures.

High Efficiency Washers & Dryers
Washers and dryers have changed a lot in the last ten years.  They used to be something that people would hide in their basement, but now people are showing them off on their main floor of there house.  Not only do they look a lot differently, but they also work and perform a lot differently too.  Washer and dryers now come in “High Efficiency”, HE for short.  The high efficiency washers have a larger capacity drum, use less water, and have a faster spin speed to cut down on drying times.  High efficiency dryers use sensors inside the dryer to sense when the clothes are dry to prevent over-drying and use less electricity.  A high efficiency washer/dryer set can really help cut down on the utility bills and save you money over time.

French Door Refrigerators
The old side-by-side style refrigerator has been popular for years, but lately french door model refrigerators have become increasingly more popular.  French door refrigerators put the refrigerator section at eye level, so you don’t have to bend over to access the items in the refrigerator section.  Since most of us use the refrigerator section more than the freezer, this is a big benefit.  Ever had trouble fitting something wide into your side-by-side refrigerator?  Pizzas, platters, and anything wide will easily fit into a french door style refrigerator.  And now the french door models even offer the ice and water dispenser in the door, so you won’t loose out on any of the features that your side-by-side model had.

This article was provided by www.partsdr.com, an appliance parts retailer.

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