If you buy an unreliable appliance, you could soon end up shelling out on repair bills. But what matters to you most when buying an appliance? How well it works, the price tag, or how reliable it is?
In September, 14,770 Which? members filled in our online survey about the kitchen appliances they own that are up to six years old, including dishwashers, cookers and vacuum cleaners.
We found that top-end brand Miele excelled with our members, coming top in seven of the nine categories it appears in. Bosch and Neff also had good results with two wins each, while Hoover didn’t fare so well. As a result, I’ve made a mental note to explain the irony to my parents of referring to their Miele vacuum as ‘the Hoover’.
Performance vs reliability vs price?
Maybe one day I’ll have my own dream kitchen, picked straight from the pages of the Miele catalogue, but right now it’s out of my price range.
Usually I try to find the best appliance I can afford, while reliability comes top of my list of required features. I also know that sometimes it makes sense to stretch the budget a bit further if I know I can reduce the chances of spending loads on repairs in the future.
Looking after the pennies…
So, that’s me with my sensible head on – but now it’s confession time. Recently I had to get my malfunctioning integrated dishwasher replaced. The plumber warned me that if I chose a different model, I might have to pay a carpenter to get it installed as well. So for an easy life I invested in the same inexpensive dishwasher that I wouldn’t really recommend to anyone.
Then there are the appliances I simply had to have because it was love at first sight. My beloved iRobot Roomba vacuum has had a poor battery life almost from the start, and now can only manage my living room rug before sadly beeping to a halt.
I admit that if I put together all the money I’ve spent on unwise home appliances over the years, I’d be a good way towards being able to afford my ideal Miele kitchen. I guess that’s the price you pay for not putting reliability first. How do you weigh up performance, reliability and price when you’re buying a new appliance? Does your heart ever rule your head?