<input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/D1aAmijdu7S.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/01lo1N9XHtS.png" class="video-slate-img-url">  Keep your expectations in check - and you may get some value here.

 You will see very clearly in the video how much ice this can actually make in about an hour. It is all great and well to talk in terms of lbs of ice but what is the point unless you can relate it to what would go in a drink? I think if your are buying it to entertain more than 4-6 people you may find it lacking - as stated keep your expectation in check it can not perform miracles but it is very handy for small gatherings or just when you need some quick cubes. It makes 9 cubes per batch and they take between 8-10 minutes by my testing.

 Even though its rather utility in function it is a great design and looks rather expensive and would probably into most kitchens aesthetically (the older one functioned well but it was a bit of an eye sore) I tried to get some good angles on the video I did to show it off since it really is a nice looking machine.

 The design lines are good and the backlit LCD gives it a it of a modern appliance style (and very easy to use etc). A step up from the older model in design, and it makes a fair amount all things considered but its really only useful for a small gathering (Again Im estimating 4-6 people if you give it an hour to produce the first batch)

 The cubes were OK and it gave an option for three size although they are not hugely different. It will make the medium cubes in about 8 to 10 minutes but the large are probably best since the time taken is only slightly more  (although depends on the drink you want to make really - frankly they are not that different between sizes). Initially it took about 10 mins for a batch but it reduced to about 8 when the machine was into gear (it makes 9 cubes per batch so just enough for 1-2 drinks). The first batch is a little smaller also so in practical terms you are looking at about 20 mins from startup to get up and running with enough ice for two drinks from a cold start IMHO.

 This is quite a heavy unit so portability wouldnt be its strong suite. It weighs in at 24lbs! which means you make a considered discussion as to where you are going if its going with you - it might require a bit of planning it isn't something you can just throw in a bag over the shoulder.

 Its job is to make ice though and it that it does its job well. Fill it with water and choose your size setting and then just wait for ice - although its best to use it as it comes otherwise the ice can clump up a little bit when it is full. The ice is wet ice so it will water down whatever it is being put into a little even straight away. If you stockpile some in the freezer it should dry up a little but it will likely clump with the wet surface freezing to each other. It just requires a little planning - Eg. make batches and put it in your freezer to keep perhaps but it isn't something you really need to worry about.

 The design means that when you turn it off or stop it the ice will simply melt and return to the reservoir which is very cool, although not the smartest idea to be using still water after a day or so - Probably smart to drain it and start again if your not doing ice the next day.

 You only really need this kind of thing for a small party OR if you need some quick ice for a few drinks. The benefit being speed but it can only do so much and doesnt produce buckets of ice that might be required depending on the size of your gathering - and it also depends on the type of drinks your going to be making / drinking. It is just under two large glasses an hours which would make about 6-8 drinks perhaps so if your are an hours ahead of your party you should be able to keep up with your ice needs (or just have some backup in your freezer)

 With knowledge of what it can actually DO - not just the marketing hyperbole I still think it is pretty cool. It isn't enough for a large party but with its nice aesthetic I have no problem leaving it out on the counter - and using it when needed for a small gathering.

 Product provided for review - its just my opinion.


I live in an apartment complex where the cost to wash clothes for me and my 2 children was becoming very costly to use the laundry room. I was so happy to find this product since receiving it meant that I didn't have to carry laundry across 4 buildings to use the 1 laundry room in the complex. When the machine was first delivered, I unpacked it and used it the same day.

I immediately didn't like the flimsy little hose that's suppose to attach to the faucet but doesn't. I also didn't like the fact that there was no rubber seal around the lid of the washer, which caused water to seem out from the lid during the wash/rinse cycle so I always had water to clean up off of the floor, though not a lot at all...I usually could clean it up with a couple of paper towels. Lastly, I didn't like the fact that it doesn't have wheels on it to make it just a little bit more portable.

This machine was delivered on time, so I was happy about that. Overall, I loved the machine when I first used it and I was extremely impressed with how well it performs in terms of cleaning....VERY IMPRESSED!!  However, after using the machine about 3 times in one month, it stopped draining. I'm not sure if the pump stopped working properly or what, but none of the water drained from the machine. I had to transfer the laundry to spin dry without any of the water draining. By the time I was finished with my last load, I was stuck with a machine full of water and the only way I was able to drain it was to use a pot to pull most of the water out of it and then get somebody strong enough to move it with the water that was left and put it in my bathtub so I can level the other flimsy little hose and drain the water that way.

It still washes pretty good but considering the manual work I already have to put into it, which I really don't mind, I can't see having to struggle to move it with a tub full of water after every load just to get my laundry done. I'm returning mine in the hopes of getting a better, more durable and reliable portable machine from elsewhere. I'm so disappointed because in spite of my initial dislikes, I quickly grew to love the little machine after the first use.

***THIS IS AN UPDATE TO MY LAST REVIEW***
Customer service is beyond excellent!  They have gone above and beyond to help me get my issue with this machine resolved. I couldn't be more pleased with all that they've done. After my first review, I was almost immediately contacted by a rep and they sent another machine to replace the one that stopped draining. The second machine I received was damaged in transit and guess what....they sent me another one!!

I'm still super pleased with the performance of this little machine! I'm a mother who has raised 3 kids into adulthood and currently raising 2 elementary school-aged children and for as long as I've owned the standard size washing machines and dryers over those years (this is my first time using a compact washer), I don't recall my clothes ever being as clean as they get with this machine. My whites are brighter then ever and I've noticed stains come out of my clothes much better. I've never been a fan of washing machines without agitators but this one really gave me some faith in the capabilities of such washers.

There is a lot of manual involvement, but considering the money I would otherwise be spending to use the laundry room in the apartment complex I live it and the money I would be spending, I really don't mind the MINOR labor at all! I still say that the machine should come with more sturdy inlet and drain hoses, as they are extremely flimsy (I've found a way to use both so that I can use the machine as intended without much complication at all), a set of wheels so that I can push or pull it instead of carrying it to my kitchen from where I store it when not in use (I know it's not all about me, but I'm just saying :-) ), and it definitely needs a rubber seal of some sort around the wash lid.

Other than that, I don't think I could ever expect anything better than what I've gotten from the performance of this machine to the customer service I've received to resolve the issue I had with the first one, especially at the price I paid. I have to say that if it doesn't last beyond a year (I hope it does), I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one to get me through the next year simply because I know that any problem I have will be promptly taken care of.


My experiences, after 1 year of ownership:

When you get it home, you need to get the (included) CO2 tank purged and charged. I found a local fire suppresion company that would do it, and they have food grade CO2 there. I believe it was around $20 to do that. There was a little bit of assembly required, and the whole unit went together very easily. The CO2 canister can sit on the back of the fridge, or it can go inside the fridge. I originally had it on the back of the fridge, but that prevents the fridge from sitting flush against a wall, so we ended up putting the CO2 inside the fridge. Once the fridge cools down, set your line pressure regulator to 12 psi. The pressure regular is attached to the side of the CO2 bottle.

Locally (Canada) a 20L keg is $109.95+$20 deposit. I haven't purchased an 58.6L kegs, but I understand they may be a better deal per liter. The keg fridge above will hold 2x 20L kegs or 1x 58.6L keg. If you use the 58L kegs, you won't have any room for pop or anything in the fridge. That said, with the 20L kegs, you'd need to build a small stand in order to put a lot of pop in the fridge. I keep 4-6 beer glasses in there. Once you get the kegs in there, you need to let them cool and sit for 24-48 hours to reduce foam and let them truly cool.

Now you're set up: except that it won't work. This is where my learning came in. The kegerator has a digital display that reads the internal temperature of the fridge. The problem is that the temperature sensor is at the bottom of the kegerator (where cold air sinks to) and is within 6-8" of the cooling coil. Basically what happens is that when the fridge is set to 37-39 Fahrenheit, the bottom of the fridge is that temperature, but the top of the fridge could be 10-20 degrees warmer. The fridge is only set to get to a set lower temperature limit, so I ended up cutting my temperature probe out and soldering a small resistor in-line and then putting the temperature sensor back. This let me drop the temperature by another couple of degrees - so the fridge is actually colder than it thinks it is. You'll need to use your favorite search engine to find info on the resistor modification.

Once that was done, I had to combat the problem of the temperature disagreement between the top of the fridge and the bottom. This modification adds a fan to the bottom of the fridge and blows cold air up into the beer tower to cool it down and keep it cool. This is very important because if the beer tap tower is warm, then the beer will foam out. I purchased a pre-made tower cooler. You'll need to use your favorite search engine to find info on beer tower coolers.

This fixed our foaming problem for a while (except for a manufacturing defect in the 3/8" interior diameter clear hose -- it wasn't crimped properly to the connector and had debris in the line, that was causing the beer to foam). The next problem that arose is that the beer tap that comes with the Danby fridge works on a slide mechanism. The problem with this is that it gums up after about 10 days and becomes hard to slide. Not only is it hard to slide, but the "beer stone" or "beer store" that builds on the slide mechanism also taints your beer. I ended up buying a Perlick tap that works flawlessly.

When I purchased the faucet, I also purchased 6' of 3/8"-interior diameter beer line as it turns out that the standard line that came with my Danby fridge was too short. It works out that a 12-psi (as above) your beer will stay fresh for 40-60 days, and that a 6' beer line will provide enough resistance that your beer won't pour too fast causing foam.

Now you're ready to enjoy a nice domestic brew. But, should you decide to get a SteamWhistle, you'll need to pick up an A-style keg coupler. The domestic kegs generally all use a standard "D-style" keg couplers. The Dandy comes with a D-style one.

Oh, you'll also need to buy a kegerator line cleaning kit.

Hope that helps with what I went through.


I have a personal machine shop, maintain my vehicles and service Standby Generators. KEL 132 has been my constant
companion for over 10 years.  The Generators are subject to the worst outdoor environments 24 hours a day, 365
days a year.  Often the paint flakes, allowing the metal to rust.  Although it would look better if the Generators were repainted, that seldom happens.  I apply KEL-132 to prevent further rusting.  It generally lasts for years.  Be sure to wipe off excess to minimize attraction of dirt.  On the other hand, if attractiveness is secondary, leave a thick coating.  The dirt attracted will immensely add to the durability of the coting.  If there is little dirt to accumulate, the coating may last only a year or two.  With dirt, the coating is still good after 5 years or more.  You might want to rub in a little dirt just for fun.

Often bolts develop rust on the exposed threads.  Removing the nuts without lubrication twists off the bolts.
Applying a little KEL-132 allows the nut to be removed with little or no damage.  Even if the nut is rusted to the bolt, a little KEL-132 releases the nut.  (I normally use Freall for rusted bolts.  Apply a little then heat the bolt until the Freall just begins to smoke.  Apply more Freall and let the bolt cool.  The heat reduces the
viscosity for better penetration.  The cooling draws in the Freall.  The bolts often come out very easily.  Kel-132 seems to work nearly as well and can be used the same way.)

Often spark-plugs are hard to remove because the threads gall (metals weld together due to dry friction),
especially for spark-plugs without plated threads that are installed into Aluminum Cylinder Heads.  After
loosening the spark-plug a fraction of a turn, apply KEL-132 to the gap at the cylinder head.  Screw the spark-plug back in and allow a few minutes for the KEL-132 to penetrate.  The plug now comes out much easier.  If the thread had previously galled and has metal pieces welded to the thread root, applying KEL-132 will prevent further welding and allow the spark-plug to be removed with minimal damage to the threads in the cylinder head.

Always use spark-plugs with plated threads in an aluminum cylinder head.  I apply Anti-Seize to any spark-plug threads into any metal.  Keep the Anti-Seize away from the plug tip.

I use KEL-132 for drilling and tapping.  It seems to be as good as anything I have used.  For ease of tapping, HSS (High Speed Steel) taps work much better in high carbon steels than the typical HC (High Carbon) taps.  My [Craftsman / "A Major Department Store Tool Supplier"] 5/16 HC tap (4 flutes) took about 25 foot pounds of torque.  A HSS Greenle tap from [Grainger / "A Major Industrial Distributor"] (2 flutes) took just a few foot pounds.  2 flute taps take perhaps twice the torque before breaking as the typical 4 flute taps.

Wasps like to build their nests in or around generators.  Getting stung is not an option.  If a sting leaves me allergic, that would end my employment.  KEL-1322 is useful for killing wasps, but "Brakleen" is as good and evaporates instead of leaving a messy film,  The wasps must be relatively saturated, so wait till they land.  Many household cleaners will kill wasps.  Mr Clean from years ago was very effective.

Be careful when using any of these modern chemicals, they can be damaging to life.  The household cleaner products are less toxic to human life.  I avoid using insecticides because insecticides are neuro toxins and can lead to many neurological problems.

The Kellogg's discount schedule is un-attractive for small suppliers.  I found KEL-132 at an Automotive Parts Store, but they were a distance to drive and often out of KEL-132.  I have ordered KEL-132 in 12 can lots directly from Kellogg's Professional Products.  Call to verify price, then send in an order with a check.  In Sept 2009 it cost me $5.96 per can for a quantity of 12 cans.  $5.74 from Amazon is a good buy.


Amana Bisque Bottom Freezer Freestanding Refrigerator ABB2222FEQ

Our model refrigerator is slightly different: ABB2227DEQ, but looks the same.  We purchased our refrigerator at the Sears scratch and dent warehouse for $750, without an ice maker.  We love the refigerator, as far as space, accessibility of items, and flexibility of shelving.  We like the large wide drawer in the bottom, where we can adjust the temperature even further, to keep our meats very cold.  Pop cans or water bottles could go in this drawer, as well.

Problems: We had problems with vegetables freezing, and we spent a lot of time experimenting with changing the temperature of the refrigerator, the freezer, and the meat drawer, all to no avail.  Finally, we called for service before the warranty expired (we procrastinated almost a year).  The first service person found that the back of the freezer was totally frozen, and he defrosted the whole unit and didn't find a problem.  Problems continued, now the freezer didn't get cold enough, so we made another service call. This service person diagnosed the issue as a bad evaporator.  The evaporator was replaced, as well as a filter dryer, and the service person also added a dryer with dye, so that if it malfunctions again the next service person will be able to see where the leak is.  This service person also said that the refrigerator was turned into the "scratch and dent" warehouse because of a mechanical problem, not because of the scratches and dents. Lesson learned! Ask why an appliance was turned into the scratch and dent. Hopefully they will let you see the records.

Now, 2 months later, everything appears to be operating fine, temperature wise, but we are hearing a lot of loud gurgling sounds that go on for just a few seconds, usually when the refrigerator is bumped, such as when the refrigerator door is closed, or the freezer drawer is closed.

Unfortunately, it is now out of the original warranty period.  When we called to describe the problem, we were told that there were 4 noises that we'll hear with this refrigerator.  They said gurgling noises are normal when the refrigerator is in a defrost mode.  They couldn't tell us if it was normal for this to happen primarily when the refrigerator is jarred, such as when the refrigerator or freezer door is closed.

Now we're left with a decision to make.  If the gurgling noise is indicative of a problem, and it is related to the repair work done, it will be covered under the 90 day warranty of the repair.  However, if it is a normal noise, and not indicative of a problem, we will be charged $69 for the service call.

We didn't purchase the extended warranty ($350 for 5 years) on this refrigerator, even though the repair person had recommended we do so, as he said the warranty repair he had done would have cost over $400 if it had been out of warranty. However $350 is almost half the cost of our refrigerator; if we have that much problem with the refrigerator, I think we would rather just invest in a different model than deal with repairs under an expensive warranty.  But, we really should have started calling in for service soon after we bought the refrigerator, rather than procrastinating, thinking we just needed to figure out the correct settings.

Fortunately, we do have an additional year warranty, because we purchased the refrigerator with our mastercard gold card, which doubles a  manufacturer warranty, as long as the original warranty is one year or less.

Right now, I'm searching people's comments on this refrigerator to try to determine if the gurgling sound is normal, or not.  Seems like the manufacturer should be able to do a better job of informing us of whether or not there is a need for a service call.

Update January 8 2013: Refrigerator works great, and we are still very happy with it, even with the occasional gurgling. I'm updating the star rating to a 4 as after the initial problems, we've been very happy.


I agree that when the dryer worked, it was great...but when it breaks it's just better to buy a new one and who can afford that every six months? (just for your information: we probably avg. 4 loads a week, so we didn't over use it either).

Story: The dryer worked for six months and then died. The primary concern is that the dryer died in six months, but here is the full story and an example of how Whirlpool, their service contractors and staff operate (search the web for A & E (Whirlpools service company) to hear more horror stories):

I Completly Agree.  A &E and Sears/Whirlpool are a complete disaster. We're on week four for our service request on a Whirlpool Duet dryer that is only six months old. The short story is A&E came in to fix one thing on our dryer and blew out our Heating Element and that part is six weeks away according to A&E.  So between October 1st and Mid December we will be without a Dryer. (Keep these stories in mind when Whirlpool asks you if you want to extend your Warranty for $100+ a year...their service stinks and it's worth the frustration).

End Result is still to come..but we got tired of the run around and ordered the parts from Sears Direct (which is where A & E Sears gets their parts) and It should be here tomorrow not December.  There is a big difference between October 30th and December 15th when you're waiting for a part to fix your Dryer.

---------
Full Story: Our Dryer broke with an F 25 Thermister error and it took a week to get A & E Service (Sears and Whirlpool)  to our house between 8am and 12pm (arriving at 3:30pm).  They told us we needed X, Y, Z parts..The parts took a week to arrive and they were shipped from a place that was only 20 miles away (but we're not allowed to pick them up and they won't pick them up for us either).  Then another week for them to comeback to fix the machine (week 3).  In week three they finally showed up at 3:00pm (for a 8am-12pm window) and a different technician said "These are all the wrong parts. The person that ordered these didn't know what he was doing."

This guy said that all that was broken was a safety switch and that he could permanently bypass the switch so we never have the problem again.  I asked if it was safe to bypass this and he said that as long as I keep an eye on the dryer and make sure it doesn't get too hot it would be fine.  I expressed my desire to keep my house from burning down and would prefer he just fix the part.  After he tried to convince (bully) me for a few minutes, he finally gave up and said he could fix it a different way and replaced our Thermal Fuse.  I now know that this was a temporary fix for him to get out the door.

The Dryer worked for two loads and then died again...A & E came back a week later..Yet again a different guy and he said "the previous guy didn't ground your machine properly and blew out your Heating Element".  This heating element is out of stock and won't be available until mid-December.

HERE IS THE FUN PART:  After complaining to A&E (owned by SEARS) for breaking everything..we calmed down and did some research.  I figured out who they order parts from SEARS Parts and SEARS Parts Direct (.com).  I called SEARS and they can ship the part the same day and even overnight it to us, but A&E will only talk to FSP Appliance Parts (also owned by SEARS) and A & E says they don't have a phone number for FSP Parts.  So I found the address for FSP and did some web research..figured out that the number for FSP Parts (AKA Sears Roebuck Parts Dept.) in Glen Burnie, MD and called them...The part can be shipped from Texas and arrive in 7-10 days.  Still a long time, but much better than A & E six weeks + one week to get a techinician to come.

End Result is still to come..but we got tired of the run around and ordered the parts from Sears Direct..It should be here tomorrow.  There is a big difference between October 30th and December 15th when you're waiting for a part to fix your Dryer.


I've always wanted a side by side, and finally saved up enough to purchase this one. I was told it was a good refrigerator, well made and all that. It did work for about 10 months before it started blitzing. Lucky for me it was before the warranty ended, not so lucky for me & 4 to 5 visits from the store repairman I believe my problems still have not been resolved. The weird thing is, my model number is GSH22JSXSA, yet its the same side by side using the model number GSH22JSXSS. No repair person can figure out why my model number ends in SA instead of SS, and yes my side by side is stainless steel so that's not it. One repair guy said he believes it is just a newer model as an explaination for this diversion, however plug the model in and nothing, absolutely nothing comes up as that model number. Ok, on to the problems. My s/s started freezing up every thing inside, and melt occured along the front of the door and along the sides which would of course freeze over. I had frozen drips hanging from the shelves and snow covered foods so thick you had to melt it off by running under warm water to know what was in those packages. The first repairman said the situation inside was our fault and occured due to leaving the door open. However, that was not the case, but he over-rode any thing I had to say to the contrary; was rude and very disrespectful. I work or probably would have noticed something that was happening with the s/s sooner. One day during the weekend I happened to open up the freezer section and actually felt heat. Now that was odd. I noticed moisture along the walls of the freezer section as every thing was melting and no evaporation of this moisture occured. The freezer section was really hot towards the top above the ice bin, melting the icecubes causing the half ice and water to coagulate around the auger. The defroster/heater wasn't turning off in a timely manner and melting everything. Weirder yet, after this thaw or what I called intermittent freezer hot flashes, the freezer would go to the opposite extreme of too cold refreezing all the foods stored there even at a setting of 1. Guess what, the door wasn't left opened and hey GE I discovered it wasn't our fault. On several occasions I smelled a burning scent and when I opened the freezer during an especially strong smell of something burning, the heat was more intense from within and the light bulb inside blew up. Not just burn out, it exploded and shards of tiny pieces of glass were on my food in the freezer and my feet on the floor. I still don't know why this happened, other than what the repair person said that the heater  wasn't working right and stays on too long.  Heat rises and ice melts. He didn't seem concerned that this might be a safety issue, the defroster running too long doesn't explain the burning scent and why the light bulb disintegrated. Not to mention what could have happened if I had young children under foot. Mother board replaced, thermostat & sensor replaced, heater replaced, ice cube maker replaced. Once these things were fixed, well sort of, after months of ice cubes melting to the auger so ice didn't dispense I was advised after the last fix that the cubes should dispense just fine. Well the ice cubes still aren't being dispensed. I noticed after the last fix last Friday, ice cubes are not melting, staying separate, and so far no intense heat aka hot flashes. I can't say the freezer is running optimally, not yet... its still running colder than it should even at a setting of 1 "but" I haven't noticed burning smells recently, no snow is covering my foods, there are no frozen drips hanging from the shelves or icecycles along the sides and front. Its only been 3 days so all I can say is we will see. But I have to admit, I'm a bit afraid of this appliance, whether it will possibly heat up again and maybe cause a fire, I worry that the light bulb will explode again, I wonder if it will ever work like it should, & I'm hoping I didn't waste the money I spent to buy it. I had a choice, and picked this GE model out of many other brands. All my appliances are GE and all have been quality. GE, what happened with this s/s, what's going on?


So I bought this dishwasher from my local appliance store's "floor model" section. I was without a dishwasher, had a house full of dirty dishes, and was about to be snowed in so I took a chance. I hadn't checked the Amazon reviews, maybe I would have decided on something else if I had.

First of all, my thoughts on price - this is NOT a $1000 dishwasher. I would never have paid that much for it. It is a perfectly good $500 dishwasher, which is what I paid. I could really see people being disgruntled if they had paid a lot for this unit.

This is, in spite of its price tag and appearance, a pretty mid-grade dishwasher in terms of features and performance - hence me being happy with the $500 price tag.

I want to address some of the common complaints I've seen on here:

Complaint: The handle hits the floor.
My Take: No, it doesn't. Where did you mount this? You would have to shove the front door all the way past fully open. Huh? The door doesn't hard-stop at horizontal, is that what you mean?

Complaint: Racks are unwieldy/fall out/come off the rails/etc.
My Take: Top rack has been rock solid. Bottom rack isn't actually ON rails, and the door does go past horizontal so ... but seriously? I haven't ever had a problem.

Complaint: No heating element.
My Take: It pretty much says in BIG BOLD LETTERS that it doesn't have a heating element. Really? You bought a Ford and you're complaining it doesn't have a twin turbo in it? Umm... yeah.

Complaint: Funny smell.
My Take: The first few washes I ran there was a "new dishwasher, hot plastic/rubber/metal" smell. It got better and better with each load until it went away. Occasional stink is handled with DISHWASHER CLEANER. You do know they make that, right? Of course you do.

Complaint: It's slow.
My Take: As compared to...?

Complaint: Fills with water.
My Take: It's a dish... washer. It fills with water. That's what it does.

But seriously now, here's my thoughts.

Cons:

1. No heated dry. This is also a pro, so it really evens out. But if you were looking for heated dry, this isn't going to make you happy. The dishes evaporatively dry. Everything on the lower rack is good and dry, everything on the upper rack that faces downward is dry. Anything with a concave top on the upper rack will be a little damp. That's pretty much to be expected with a unit like this.

2. A limited number of fancy features. You get delicate/normal/heavy wash, rinse only, top rack wash (that's a pro, though) and child lock. That's ... pretty ... much ... it.

3. The flatware rack is a little ... limiting. Not the worst I've seen, but not even as good as my old Whirlpool.

4. No steam. It has "sani-rinse" but it's unclear exactly what that does since there's no heating element. I suspect it just makes the water VERY HOT.

Neither Pro nor Con:

1. It's slow. This is to be expected from an ultra-quiet, ultra-efficient unit. A full wash SAYS it will take 2 hours but quickly senses load and dirt levels. With normal loading in my experience it takes about 85 minutes. Not too bad, but not a speed demon.

Pro:

1. Stainless tub. Really nice.

2. Super quiet. I feel the vibration in the floor more than I hear the noise of operation. And neither is pronounced.

3. "Top rack only" option. This is the one feature I was delighted to have because I really missed it in my old Fisher/Paykel - the ability to JUST wash glasses after you've had people over for drinks or snacks... or after your teenagers have wandered in and out and made every glass you own dirty.

4. High efficiency. Limited water use.

5. No heating element. Yeah, that means no heated dry. But it also mean no melted tupperware.

6. Load and soil sensing. The unit starts with a guesstimate for time and water needed, and adjusts from there. I'm pretty impressed, actually. A heavily soiled load took 95+ minutes, more lightly soiled loads as little as 70, the average has been around 80-85.


Ventahood is a old and sturdy brand. What is has going for it is that it's been around forever, and probably will be...That's important for parts and warranty issues - which are only of concern if something happens... and something always happens.  I've had many houses, and many hoods, and frankly, I never gave them much thought since they usually come with the house. However, when it came time to retrofit our newest home with a hood I had to get into taking a hard look at the things. A hood should do something. Most just get installed and turned on to take a lick at removing smoke from the kitchen. And, most don't work very well at all. Any hood that puts the air back in the room with you is just dumb - open a window, open the door... Ventahood makes an expensive ARS model now, that filters the air, but it's kind of pricey - and puts the now hot air back in the kitchen with you. But, they do work on the smoke and smells - at a relatively stiff price for the filters... We went for an exhaust-pipe-to-the-outside hood to get the "dirty and hot" air out of the kitchen/out of the house. Now, here's the thing... We actually installed two vent exhaust pipes during our retrofit - one pipe for the range top exhaust and another for the entire room. Hey, we bake, the OVEN puts out smoke too! Anyhow, Ventahood missed their ship date several times and left us with wondering what it would be like to move the room exhaust blower over to the range exhaust pipe. (Both are 8" pipes.) No big surprise, a fan is a fan and the steam and smoke went away very quickly. I put up a temporary "shell" over the range and it worked about as well as the $1,000.00 vent hood did later. Ventahood makes some sense in their basic design - a deeper hood catches rising air, smoke and steam - which tends to go up - and removes what collects in the hood. Flat surfaced hoods would need to, I tend to agree, have to do a bit more to "attract" the smoke and keep it moving. More "attraction" means more noise due to higher fan and air speeds - and it is the moving air speed that makes the noise, not the fan motors. We piddled with that "catch basin" idea a bit and made temporary shells that tended to prove a collector works better than a flat surface. (Can you catch anything with a flat hand?) So, we finally get the Ventahood - in white - and we're very pleased with the brightness of the white over the stainless steel look, etc. - especially on the inside of the hood which reflects more light to the work surface. We try the fans out and are very happy that the low speed is not all that loud, and that the unit "collects" smoke and steam very easily and gets the stuff out of the house. Cooking bacon has never been less of a chore... Our house smells better, our clothes smell better, and we'll wind up with our paint and furniture staying "new" longer. I'd probably give this unit, and those like it 4.5 stars if I could - nothing is perfect. But, maybe since we'll never have to worry much about parts we can't get, etc., 5 stars (.5 for the brand name) isn't too much to ask. "Buy the best you can afford" is usually good advice. On the other hand, keep in mind that ten minutes after you install your new hood you'll start forgetting it's there... A hood, after all, is just a hood. A hood that does what a hood should do, on the other hand, is something to appreciate - even if only when you actually need it and it works. We haven't had this long enough to have to clean it, but I'm over six feet and it doesn't seem like much of a chore. Actually, since it's just the collection pan most the time, and not "filters" it seems easier than it could be on other units. Nothing is perfect, but I tend to favor things with fewer moving parts. This thing only has a couple and it seems like a forgiving design in terms of not cleaning it all the time. We'll probably buy another one from Ventahood the next time around - there are lots of "knock off" units that are cheaper, but there are cheaper cars too.


I like this machine a lot and would not hesitate to buy one again. After almost 20 years of flawless service our Kenmore top loader started to act up and we knew it was time to replace it. We did not like the new generation of high efficiency top loaders so that led us to look at the recent crop of front loaders and there are a shocking amount to choose from. Each brand has a ton of 5 star rating reviewed machines and those reviews that were negative were very few. So we narrowed down our selection to front loaders that did the basics which ruled out steam, and water heating. All I wanted was some basic cleaning cycles for normal, perm press, delicate and heavy duty. Most of my washes are done using cold water and I only use hot water for washing whites so my requirements are simple.

There were not a lot of reviews for the Speed Queen Front Load washing machines, but the internals used in the Speed Queen home washer are also used in their commercial laundry mat washers except that the laundry mat version has a coin collector/credit card reader and a commercial looking outer shell. So this gave me the opportunity to do a few loads with a Speed Queen front load machine before buying. That convinced me to get one and after washing many a load at home I have no regrets.

I am not going to go into the details of what I like about my Speed Queen AFN50F for I suggest that you decide that for yourself by going to the local laundry mat and give one a try. Be aware that you need to look for the particular commercial models that have the same internal design as the home model. These are typically the smallest Speed Queen front load washers in the place. Speed Queen also has some larger more heavy duty all stainless commercial models that are not the same. Bring your worst washing problems and let the Speed Queens have at them. By the end of the first few loads you will know if this machine is for you!

Update: 8/4/2014 - Some usage experience: The published capacity is 2.84 cubic and the laundry capacity in weight of dry clothes is 18 lbs.  This should work out to be two loads of laundry assuming a load of laundry is defined as 9 lbs of dry clothes or one bushel basket in size. The volume of a bushel basket is 1.244 cubic feet. In actual practice, however, I find the capacity to be around 12-13 pounds or 1-1/2 loads or about 1.9 cubic feet of laundry which is equivalent in size to the machine it replaced.

Update: 8/16/2014 - With only two of us we typically do laundry every two weeks. Our laundry is divided into four batches which are sheets and towels, whites, darks and light color clothing. The size of each batch works out to 9 lbs. or one laundry basket, 8 lbs. or one laundry basket, 15-17 lbs. darks and lights respectively filling two plus laundry baskets each. As you can see the lights and darks are the biggest loads. My early estimates on load size in selecting this washer indicated that my largest loads should have fit but with my first uses I was a little hesitant to completely fill the drum causing me to do multiple loads to wash the lights and darks. However having re-read the manual I filled drum completely per the manual's instructions which meant not stuffing or compressing the clothes when filling. This allowed me to fully load all the dark and light clothing into a single load each upping the load size stated in my 8/14/2014 update above, thus increasing my load capacity experience to the full 2.84 cubic feet. Once wet the fully loaded clothes compacted to allow for a good washing action. In addition the washes took just 45 minutes to complete which is much less time than the other front load washers I had considered also meaning that even with the extra loads it potentially takes less time to do laundry than with the other front load brands. This machine delivers the full rated load and makes short work of the wash. I hope these details help all of you in making your next washer selection.

Update: 2/4/15 - It has been five months since I purchased this machine and it is still going strong. No mold or mildew problems, hiccups or complaints. Just load and go! As an FYI, for 2015 Speed Queen has introduced a new design front load washer with larger capacity and more wash cycles and with a 5 year warrantee on the entire machine. So if you are in the market for a new front load Speed Queen I'd suggest the 2015 model.


I bought this to replace the Fox Run Garbage Disposer Screen (Fox Run Garbage Disposer Screen, Plastic) I'd bought four months earlier, which broke. This white strainer is 3 1/8 inches, best I can measure, which gives it the perfect amount of wiggle room in my Insinkerator garbage disposal.

Right from the start, I like this strainer much better. First off, the plastic is thick all the way around. I have no worries that it will break as the Fox Run one did. Secondly, the center grasping tab sticks out on both sides so that there is no right side up. The Fox Run screen had a holding knob on only one side. That was a problem because the strainer would easily get flipped upside down when a large amount of water was dumped down the drain, and then it was very hard to remove and flip over because there was nothing to grasp to pull the strainer out.

One disadvantage to this strainer is that the center grasping tab is not flared at all toward the top but is straight like a dowel. That makes it hard to pull out sometimes, especially if any slick substance is poured down the drain. Flaring the tab is the one main way to improve this product, so far as I can see.

The holes are smaller than the Fox Run strainer but still allow water to drain down well enough even when food particles are trapped above. The hole-size is another advantage over Fox Run. The Fox Run strainer allowed my kids toddler cup plastic straws to fall through the larger square holes in the strainer. Also, the thicker plastic and smaller holes do SOOOO much to block the sound of my garbage disposal -- it's amazing how quiet it sounds with this strainer in.

Overall, it is a much better product than Fox Run, and I'm pretty sure will do the job without breaking. If I were purchasing again, I'd now look for one that also has flared grasping knobs. However, I haven't found any reversible strainers like that on Amazon. There are a few buying options for this same strainer:

LASCO 02-4021 White Plastic Disposal Sink Strainer Fits Most
LDR 501 5120 Garbage Disposal Plastic Strainer - High Impact, Fit All Design
Plumb Shop Div Brasscraft 322-115 Plastic Garbage Disposal Strainer
Garbage Disposal and Sink Strainer Guard - White Plastic - Manufactured in USA

Given my own concerns about which strainer to buy, and my initial bad choice, I thought I should try to help others do better. I even like the white color better than the black, and it hasn't gotten stained at all despite all the staining liquids that have gone through it. If you want a simple, reversible plastic strainer, I don't know that you can get better than this. Though if you find one with flared handles, comment to let me and others know.


This washer fills a very important niche, and does it well.  If your home is not outfitted with hookups (or doesn't allow washers), this is great model to consider for the following reasons:

1.  Quality build
I had a Haier before this, and I honestly didn't trust it very much.  I really think you get what you pay for, and with this one I can set and forget with confidence.  Of course, it is more expensive than other models, but considering the premium you would have to pay to get an apartment already fitted with hookups, you may still be saving money in the longrun.

2.  Great faucet adapter fitting
First, don't make the mistake I did when setting up.  The adapter has threads on both the outside and inside to accommodate basically any faucet aerator connection.  I didn't notice the inside threads because there is a double rubber washer covering it.  Take the upper rubber washer out to expose the inner threads!  I felt very embarrassed at the hardware store when looking for another adapter.  It turns out I didn't need one!

The adapter has a water bypass switch.  Just push the red button and it allows water to flow thru the bottom.  You can use this to test water temperature, or to otherwise use the sink while running a load.  Great idea!  The faucet adapter also houses the drain so that you basically have just one connection to worry about if you're hooking up and detaching frequently (like I am).  The ridge connection to the faucet ensures that the drain cannot slip out and end up on the floor (happened with my Haier once.)  Also, it allows the release of line pressure so there isn't an explosion of water every time you disconnect.

3.  Reasonably quiet
I've heard quieter washers (like the ones in Japan, where all you hear is the swish of water, like a river is washing your clothes), but this one isn't terribly loud.  Basically a rhythmic hum during the wash cycle and you can guess what spin sounds like.  I did some tests from outside my apartment, it can be faintly heard on the other side of the wall, but I don't think I'd notice it if I wasn't intentionally listening for it.  It can definitely be quieter, but was satisfied with the sound level.  (My complex doesn't allow washers so I have to be very sensitive to this issue).

4.  BIG, but portable
The washer is big (nearly full sized).  I consider this washer to really be the upper limit of capacity for an apartment-type portable.  My previous Haier was pathetically small.  Although it scared me when they delivered it, (OMG this box is big!) it is surprisingly light (only about 100lbs).  The casters are fairly decent for rolling front and back.  I think GE should improve the casters to make it easier to change angles.  After all, being a "portable" implies that it should move easier.

5.  Other
Agitator-less: I think this is a necessity for all portables space saving purposes.  However, it also has the benefit of being much easier on clothes.
Reasonably energy-efficient
Easy to setup

Overall, I'm very happy with the washer.  It's been enormously convenient, and much more pleasant than using public laundry facilities.  I would definitely purchase again!  As my impression develops with use, I will update this review.  For now I give it 4 stars, but as I've only had for 1 month, I would like to use it longer before giving it a 5th star.  If it continues to serve me as it has without problems, it very well could achieve it.

UPDATE 12/7/2013:
Still very happy with the washer, and glad I got it!  It's been almost 6months and not one problem.  I still think the casters could be improved more, but it hasn't been too hard to move.  The water level does seem parsimonious, (consistent with other reviewers' experience), but I trust expertise at GE as they know alot more about washers than I ever will.

I will update again if the situation should change but I'm giving this washer it's 5th star.  It's simply the best out there for washer-less apartments!


Over the years my DMT400RHS became much, much louder and developed two kinds of squeal/while/high-pitched noises/sounds: one during washing cycle, another during drying. Internet is full of complains about both, there are different recommendations on what to do, but here is the fix/solution to both. Noise during drying cycle comes from the drying motor that is in the door, the motor has two cage type fans that circulate cold and hot air loops for the condensation drying. Each fan has with parallel fins attached to a round disk on one side, I had to disassemble the door (easy) and remove the motor from the plastic ducts (not so easy). I could immediately see that hot air look fan fins got melted and shaped into more of an open cone instead of a cylinder and I could see edges ground by the housing they started to catch. To fix it I created a notch about 10mm from the end of each fin on the outward edges by rotating the fan and touching them with a tip of soldering gun. Then I put a thin copper wire into the notch and around the fins to pull them back into the cylindrical shape and re-assembled the motor/ducts/door. Note that motor and ducts have some sealant in the connections, I used some silicone caulk to seal it back. This fix gets rid of the noise completely in my case. Being an engineer I can tell it's a design flaw, saved 5 cents worth of plastic and didn't check for temperature resistance, or it was done on purpose to make people buy a new one in 2 years.
The washing cycle noise came in from the pump pulley being too low on the shaft. I unscrewed all the screws and removed all the covers that are layered above the motor pulley (easy) for cleaning and also unscrewed and removed the pulley. I noticed, that there is some circular abrasion under it. Being familiar with design approaches and/or manufacturing defects, immediately realized this is the issue, to fix it put a 1mm thick stainless steel washer between the disposer knife and the pulley. I also added a smaller washer of the same thickness on top of the shaft in order not to create a strain on the plastic pulley (manufactured this washer myself with the use of a drill and a rotary tool, since the shaft has splines) in order not to create a stress on the top of the pulley from the pressure of the screw, but it may be a bit of an overkill, I guess a big flat washer under the screw could take care of it. This took care of the second noise in my case.
These two problems were on top of the very first problem that I had with this dishwasher right after warranty period expired. It developed a leak through the corners of the door because of splitting of the plastic halves of the lower spray arm. Samsung even had a warning about it on their website. When this happens it starts spraying water really hard horizontally and it's forced through the seal on the sides. Had to order a replacement arm which has been holding ok since then.
The verdict - crappily built piece of appliance, designed to make owners waste their money and suffer for an extended period of time.
Samsung really frustrated me with the quality of their appliances, out of a set of 4 (fridge, hybrid induction range, OTR microwave and dishwasher) EVERY single one had issues/repairs over 4 years I had it. Induction range inverter module had to be replaced 4 times during the first year and was finally fixed by "revision B" of it. Microwave hi power circuit relay fried and stuck in an ON position, causing it to turn on by itself when you close the door. I'm glad we were home when it happened, fixed it with replacing a $10 relay. Fridge stopped cooling at some point and stuff would go bad in no time, until we noticed. They have some kind of magnetic type switches on the top of the doors that are affected by any piece of metal coming into proximity and when that happens it thinks that the door is open, turn inside light on and stops the fan that runs air through the evaporator coil. Why do they have to stop the fan when the door is open, I have no idea. To save me 3 cents of energy a year? To not suck me in? In any case, by the time I found out what was happening, I spent hours on troubleshooting and had the cover/fan partially disassembled.


The number of cycles, and options per cycle, are just staggering. At first, it's even confusing, since there are so many.

You select the cycles with the main central dial. From left to right, the cycles are: Favorites specialty, Deep clean sanitize, Heavy duty, Whitest white, Colors, Normal, Casual, Active wear, Fast wash, Delicate, Hand wash, Rinse & spin.

Then in the LCD window, you get the water temperature (7 levels), the spin speed (6 levels), the soil level (6 levels) and several other options that include: Add steam, Eco friendly, Allergen, Extended fresh, Shrink guard, Add more water, Stain pretreat, Fresh rinse, Extra spin, Pre wash, Warm rinse, Delay start.

But that is not all. When you select the Favorites specialty cycle, there are even more cycles available from the LCD window. There are two options displayed in the LCD window under the Favorites specialty cycle: My Favorites and Specialty cycles. Select the latter, and there you get more cycles by rotating the main dial: those are Jeans, Fast sanitize, Stuffed animals, Pet beds, Clean washer, Steam pretreat, Kids wear, Fast steam and Wool. Impressive, as would say Darth Vador!!

And then the fun begins, as you can combine all these options. But not always. For example, if you select the Deep clean sanitize cycle, you will obviously not be able to deselect the steam option.

You can wash almost anything in this appliance. The wash drum is big enough to easily wash a comforter.

The washer is very efficient on water consumption compared to a top-load appliance and the spin cycle removes a lot of water, so that the time in the dryer is well reduced. The clothes are very well cleaned, in a very soft manner that certainly helps protect them in the long term.

But the feature that impress me the most is the quietness of the appliance. The washer is in my bathroom, next to my home office. With my previous top-load washer, I had to close the door of the bathroom to be able to work. With this one, even with the bathroom door opened, I hear nothing. In the first few days, I even got up from my desk a couple of times to go see in the bathroom if the washer was still working. There, I couldn't believe that it was indeed washing!

The reason I give 4 stars rather than 5 is related to the Electrolux after-sales service. When I installed the washer, I made the mistake of placing the drain hose too deep inside the wall-pipe. That caused the washer to stop working on the very first wash I made with it, because it couldn't empties at the end of the cycle. An error message displayed in the LCD window said that the washer needed a service call, labelling the trouble Code 13, and displayed also a 1-800 number. It was on a saturday, so I called... Of course, nobody answered. The recorded voice message rather said that Electrolux office was closed and there was no option to leave a message... When I phoned back on Monday, the lady could only offer me to give a call to the store where I bought the washer... This is not an emergency phone number and it's totally useless...

Anyway, the appliance is just great and washes very quietly and so far, I am very pleased with it. As for the long term reliability, this is the only question I can't answer yet.

Yes, I would recommend it to a friend.

UPDATE 2014-01-12
I raise the rating from 4 to 5 stars for the following reason: I have a set of white satin bed sheets that had become yellowish with time, no matter how I washed them in my previous top-load washer. I have not count the number of times I washed this set in my new Electrolux washer, because I wasn't expecting such outcome, but after, I would say, 5 washes at the most in my new washer, they are white again.

It struck me the last time I took them out of the dryer: they were white again! I've never seen anything like that in my whole life, and I am over 50. I did not change the detergent or the fabric softener, I use the same popular brand of liquid detergent and liquid fabric softener. So it means the washer makes the difference. Very glad I purchased this set (washer and dryer), it has so far surpassed my expectations.


The truth about appliances

Do you want to know why most machines in the market today only last 7 to 10 years at best? Quite some years ago, manufacturers had a revelation. The average home-owner was only keeping his house for about 7 to 10 years and they would replace every appliance when they moved out. Also, the divorce rate means any machine today will outlast a marriage 2 or 3 times; and who buys major appliances most of the time? - married couples. I know this because I worked at an appliance store myself. So the big manufacturers thought: "Why spend extra money on quality components when we can make more affordable - aka cheap - products with just the right amount of life expectancy? It would create more business, more jobs right?" Well, it doesn't help us when those jobs are shipped overseas. Unfortunately, if you want a quality product that will last the ages, there is only one choice on the market. And I don't say unfortunately because I don't like Speed Queen; I say unfortunately because the market for quality products is not preponderant.  The mind of the great majority of consumers still thinks that cheap and full of gizmos is good. Just like in their houses and their marriages, they are not partial to making a long term commitment.
Fortunately, for those of us who still believe in long term commitment, and expect it so from our machines, there is Speed Queen.

Here are a few examples of why Speed Queen is a good product for reasons other than the product itself.
- By buying this product, you are supporting Americans who built this product right here in the USA. This benefits everyone; the more money we keep here, the better off we all are, and the transportation costs are all kept nationally.
- They are better built, so instead of going thru 10 units in your lifetime you might go thru 3 our 4 at the most. Think of the resources saved.
- They are more efficient, so more resources are saved there too, not to mention your own savings on electricity, gas and water.
- You buy from local merchants who invest in your own community, pay taxes and employ local people. No single major retailer out there carries Speed Queen. They know there's no money in servicing these machines because they rarely every break down, and the discounts they get for buying in massive quantities save them even more money but they rarely pass those savings on to you.

But, let me give you the best example of why you should "invest" in a Speed Queen as opposed to "spend money" on another brand.
I worked at a furniture/appliance store for 6 years. We sold Crosleys, Frigidaires, Whirlpools and Maytags; and would consistently get a number of calls on washers / driers that failed within the first year. No official record was kept but I would say 1 in 10 failed, regardless of brand. By the way, the brand of those machines is irrelevant, odds are, some other manufacturer makes it and they just rebrand it.  Last time I checked, Whirlpool manufactured Maytag and Crosley, and Frigidaire  manufactured Kenmore. This is not the case with Speed Queen, they are thru and thru, Speed Queens to the last bolt.
Anyway back to the story, in 2006 we started selling Speed Queens. We still we got a number of calls regarding first-year failures, but NONE, not even ONE, EVER, involved a Speed Queen. I left the store on 2008 and four years later called them to see about getting a set for myself, because guess what failed at my home after 9 years? - my Kenmore dryer. Its matching washer is still going, but is inefficient and has had many repairs. I asked the owner if to the date they've gotten a call regarding a Speed Queen. The answer is still "No".

There is no denying, those color-coordinated appliances with their fancy electronic buttons and with more features and options than a BMW I-drive system are pretty to look at. But if I want something pretty to look at, I'll put my money on the rest of that BMW and take it for a spin; while I let my washer / drier - that nobody gets too look at but me - spin my clothes clean in a reliable, consistent, trouble-free fashion, year after year.

By the way, I am investing on a new Speed Queen ADE4BRG Electric Dryer and a Speed Queen AFN50RS front load washer. I could have spent the same amount of money buying twice as many machines from Kenmore, but I don't want to revisit the subject in at least 20 years or so. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Robert T.
Dallas, TX


We got this locally in white, but it's the exact same as this black one, so we're posting here too in case this can help someone...

We got this adorable little gas range for our new place this past autumn. Our old one was on its last legs, and even though it was a full size range, we decided to opt for this 20" model.  We don't plan on cooking a 20lb turkey or anything, so this was plenty big for us (though some talented soul probably could pull off a 20 pounder to perfection in this thing.)

Need More Room In Your Kitchen?

Sure, there's only 10 inches difference in the width of this one compared to a standard 30" range, but sometimes, a small variance makes all the difference in the world.  Getting this compact range allowed us to rearrange our kitchen so we could fit a compact LG Washer Dryer Combo, and THAT, my friends, HAS made an E.N.O.R.M.O.U.S impact on our quality of life for sure!  All of which would not have been possible without this small and mighty range!  To help you visualize it, just imagine a standard range with the 2 columns of burners, on the left and right.  Between them, is the empty center column, which we all basically use for spoons and trivets.  Well, if you remove that center column and then squish the 2 sides together, you get this little range.  But don't let the size fool you, it's still plenty spacious in there.  Yes, we do have to put our large cookie sheet in sideways now, but it still fits just fine.

Inside Dimensions

This range is deeper than it is wide, and it's just as deep as a standard range; only the width has been condensed. The approximate inside dimensions of the oven are:  14"w x 19"d x 16"h.  It has 2 adjustable racks, so that gives 2 levels of cooking space. Perfect for us.

Heat Accuracy & Performance

The temp dial for the oven seems pretty accurate to the actual temperature.  No, I haven't measured anything scientifically, but going by instinct and compared to the other ranges I've had in my life -- this one beats them all.  I learned how to tweak my other ranges up or down to accommodate for variances, but with this little guy, 400 means 400; and so on, down the line of temps.  We've had this about 4 months now, and use it daily.  So we have plenty of experience with it and are very happy with how it has performed for us.

Auto-Ignition Oven & Burners

It took a couple of months before I stopped instinctively reaching for a lighter to ignite the burners for my morning oatmeal. This thing has an auto ignition that does NOT require a lit pilot; not for the oven, and not for the burners.  Sounds like no biggie?  Guess again.  Those tiny little burning pilots go a long way in heating up the entire house during a blistering summer, which in turn, makes us ramp up the A/C.  So not having any lit pilots that stay on 24/7 is a huge deal.  These electric ignitions work like a charm, each and every time.  It took 4 months, but I've finally stopped reaching for that darn lighter.

Broiler

Yes, this does have a broiler and rack on the bottom.  We haven't used it much, but like that it's there.

Oven Light

Another H.U.G.E improvement!  Our old range did have a window on the oven door, but no light inside; another 'little thing' that's actually a B.I.G thing.  We love being able to look inside at what's cooking without opening the oven door.  We use the light all the time.  Fantastic!

Bottom Line -- We LOVE our small and mighty little gas range.  Amana has been around for years, so we trust our little gas range will be too.  And it looks really good too. Nothing but love here for that little guy!! Thanks to him, we now get to do laundry at HOME for the first time in 25 years!  Thanks little cutie; you've helped make a big difference in our lives!!


I am new to kegorators so this will be helpful to anyone having concerns about the unit performing as intended. First 1/2 1/4 kegs will fit.  The 1/4 kegs can be tall or short.  The short ones may be housed in black rubber. They will fit tightly but must be raised about 6 inches so the door closes. But try to avoid the rubber cased kegs.

Customer Service:
I had to call customer service.  yes a few screws were missing.  I had no problem reaching someone and they had them to me in just a few days.  The operator knew the product and knew what to send.  She helped me register it too.

Beer Kegs and hookup
A 1/4 keg of beer cost about 90.00 so let it be the last thing you buy.  (Or you might end up in Reviewer Lisa's situation. Sorry Lisa.) Set up the fridge first. Even though the directions are not crystal clear you can hook up the hoses without a problem just don't rush.  There are o-rings you may or may not need.  My suggestion is to look at the fittings that screw together.  If there is no o-ring then add one.  Mine had all o-rings in place.  the ones in the bags were probably extras. When hooking up hoses i did not use the plastic hose clamps instead i used steel micro clamps.  I used Teflon on the screw on parts and if it had a nut i used a wrench.

Run the fridge at 1/2 temp for about 2 days.  If it dies with a keg in it you just lost about 40.00.

Fill your co2.  Welding shops, Fire extinguisher service, ect. will charge the tank for about 15.00.

Hook up your co2 and regulate it to 8 psi. Yes you can hook this up without a keg attached.  The regulator is adjusted with a screw.  After you have tightened everything including the co2 tank turn off flip valve leading to keg, Turn the adjusting screw counter clockwise until it stops. Open co2 tank valve all the way.  The gauge on left is for tank capacity. It will read GOOD (or be in the green area) SLOWLY adjust the screw clockwise until it reads 8psi. It has a nut on it so lock it down to keep the screw setting. Now open the flip valve to the keg. Now test for leaks with soapy water. Wait a few mins and re-adjust tank pressure if needed.

Turn up fridge to full
Go get Keg. No rubber!

Open fridge and tap keg.  The handle on the tap will be locked in the up position. Locate and line up pins on keg with nipples on tap. Push down and turn to lock.  Unlock the tap to release beer by pulling out handle and pushing down then back in. place keg in fridge.

Wait!  about 20-30 mins.  Yes go take a shower you have worked up a sweat.

Serve beer. the first 3-5 glasses will have some foam but after that you should be good to go.

Now if you need additional help the fellas at your beer store may tell you all you keen to know.

My fridge ran for about 12 hours after adding the keg so i opened the door and lowered it till it shut off.  Beer is very cold.

AVOID
Beer line touching cold plate. it will freeze, you will panic and blame you momma. I did not do that.  I warmed up the lines with hands and life went on.
Rubberized kegs.  They look cool but will not fit well.
Cutting the Co2 hose.  4-5 feet is minimum.

WHAT does Co2 do?
2 things.
It keeps beer fresh. Ab out 1.5 months.
It also regulates how fast it pours.  adjust to low and it may not flow, adjust to high and you will get foam.
Do not adjust co2 too much after keg is attached.  The regulator does not work like a faucet.  It needs to be closed, drained of pressure before it can be adjusted.  So shut off tank, swing the flip valve horizontal (closed), and close screw valve (counter clockwise) until pressure reads 0. Now swing the flip valve to release pressure (open it)in hose leading to keg. Now swing flip valve closed again, open tank, adjust psi (clockwise) with screw valve, open swing valve, resume drinking beer.

I have found that light beer is good at 8psi and regular beer is best at 6psi

Cheers!!


This heating element totally works.

But.

It is NOT the most likely thing that will go out on your freezer. Learn from my experience!

If you have a freezer that *isn't freezing*, it is usually because it isn't defrosting. (The frost buildup blocks the airflow past the cooling fins.)
There are two *more likely* things to check and replace before replacing the relatively expensive heating element.

#1  The Defrost Timer ( Frigidaire 297318010 Defrost Timer) is VERY likely to give out eventually. It is just a mechanical timer, so it has a small motor that can go bad or its metal contacts can get fouled by the normal arcing that happens as it switches from refrigerate to defrost mode and back. This is super easy to get to and replace from the back of the freezer. It's about ten to fifteen bucks, so it's a cheap easy fix. (To diagnose, look for the little dial that you can turn. If you turn it, it will click and the freezer should turn off, then turn it just a little more and it should turn back on. If that happens, the contacts are fine. (If it doesn't turn the freezer off and on, then the contacts are fouled - so replace the timer.) If the contacts are fine, next mark a line on the dial and move it to the 12 o'clock position. Wait a few hours and come back and check it. If it is still in the 12 o'clock position, then the motor on the timer is dead, and you need to replace it. If however the timer has turned to, say, 2 o'clock, then the timer is still good and it is very likely that there is a different cause for the freezer to have stopped.

(I had to laugh when our 1960's refrigerator in our lab was freezing up and I quickly diagnosed it as the defrost timer...)

#2  The Thermostat ( Frigidaire 297318010 Defrost Timer ) is located inside the freezer, behind the bottom back panel, near the heat exhanger that looks like a radiator. (On mine, it was at the upper left corner of the heat exchanger.) The thermostat is fairly easy to get to, and you can replace it for about ten bucks. (Especially if it looks bloated or like it came apart at all, just replace it.) To get to it, remove the shelves, and unscrew the panel. Pull the dial for the temperature selector straight off, and unclip the temp selector from the panel. There will likely be a LOT of ice behind it, if you haven't already defrosted the unit.  If you still have to defrost it, unplug the freezer and place a fan inside of it (up on a couple boards to  keep it out of the melting water). Leave the door open and the fan going for a couple hours and the ice will all be gone, easily, except for the water all over the floor... I'd defrost it in the garage, or outside if possible.

#3  This defrost heater / heating element ( Frigidaire 216730700 Defrost Heater for Freezer ) is located under the heat exchanger, and is attached with some thin aluminum strips. It shouldn't really go bad, so I'd try replacing the above two items first. But if they don't fix it... well here's another forty or fifty bucks to throw at fixing the problem. Be careful with the aluminum strips that hold the defrost heater in place, and you can re-use them. (If they break, do NOT use a non-aluminum wire to hold it in place, or you could ruin your freezer!)

Other diagnostics:  (I haven't done these, but they came up in my searches and fixes.)
  If the fan doesn't run inside, that's a fairly obvious thing to replace, and looks to be pretty easy. Be sure to cycle the defrost timer to check it.
  If there is just not enough cooling, but there is no frost buildup and the fan works, then the temperature selector might be the problem.
  If the compressor doesn't run, there is a capacitor that I've seen come up as a replacement part.
  If nothing works at all - no lights, no fan, no compressor, then you might have had a power surge that blew out the computer board.


The dryer worked for six months and then died.  The primary concern is that the dryer died in six months, but here is the full story and an example of how Whirlpool, their service contractors and staff operate (search the web for A & E (Whirlpools service company) to hear more horror stories):

A &E (owned by Sears/Whirlpool) are a complete disaster. We're on week four for our service request on a new Whirlpool Duet dryer. The short story is A&E came in to fix one thing on our dryer and blew out our Heating Element and that part is six weeks away according to A&E.  So between October 1st and Mid December (2.5 months) we will be without a Dryer. (Keep this story in mind when Whirlpool asks you if you want to extend your Warranty for $100+ a year...their service stinks and it's not worth the frustration).

End Result is still to come..but we got tired of the run around and ordered the parts from Sears Direct (which is where A & E Sears gets their parts) and It should be here tomorrow not December.  There is a big difference between October 30th and December 15th when you're waiting for a part to fix your Dryer.

---------
Full Story: Our Dryer broke with an F 25 Thermister error and it took a week to get A & E Service (Sears and Whirlpool)  to our house between 8am and 12pm (arriving at 3:30pm).  They told us we needed X, Y, Z parts..The parts took a week to arrive and they were shipped from a place that was only 20 miles away (but we're not allowed to pick them up and they won't pick them up for us either).  Then another week for them to comeback to fix the machine (week 3).  In week three they finally showed up at 3:00pm (for a 8am-12pm window) and a different technician said "These are all the wrong parts. The person that ordered these didn't know what he was doing."

This guy said that all that was broken was a safety switch and that he could permanently bypass the switch so we never have the problem again.  I asked if it was safe to bypass this and he said that as long as I keep an eye on the dryer and make sure it doesn't get too hot it would be fine.  I expressed my desire to keep my house from burning down and would prefer he just fix the part.  After he tried to convince (bully) me for a few minutes, he finally gave up and said he could fix it a different way and replaced our Thermal Fuse.  I now know that this was a temporary fix for him to get out the door.

The Dryer worked for two loads and then died again...A & E came back a week later..Yet again a different guy and he said "the previous guy didn't ground your machine properly and blew out your Heating Element".  This heating element is out of stock and won't be available until mid-December.

HERE IS THE FUN PART:  After complaining to A&E (owned by SEARS) for breaking everything..we calmed down and did some research.  I figured out who they order parts from SEARS Parts and SEARS Parts Direct (.com).  I called SEARS and they can ship the part the same day and even overnight it to us, but A&E will only talk to FSP Appliance Parts (also owned by SEARS) and A & E says they don't have a phone number for FSP Parts.  So I found the address for FSP and did some web research..figured out that the number for FSP Parts (AKA Sears Roebuck Parts Dept.) in Glen Burnie, MD and called them...The part can be shipped from Texas and arrive in 7-10 days.  Still a long time, but much better than A & E six weeks + one week to get a techinician to come.

End Result is still to come..but we got tired of the run around and ordered the parts from Sears Direct..It should be here tomorrow.  There is a big difference between October 30th and December 15th when you're waiting for a part to fix your Dryer.


Run. That's all I can say. Run as fast as you can from LG. Mine was not an Amazon purchase but I feel obliged to help others make an informed decision, and all I can offer is my own personal experience with this product and manufacturer.

Purchased this dryer 11/02/13, with matching washer WM3470HVA.

The "steam fresh" and "steam sanitary" cycles stopped working. I got an "Ie2" error message. But at least it dried clothes. LG customer service said that either I'd have to A) "preheat" the drum for 5 minutes (which pardon me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of having an HE machine?) or B) select the "big" setting for those two cycles and just can't use the other two garment settings. Then they told me that the current cold weather is causing this issue and I should wait until it's warm outside before calling to complain again. I insisted that I was getting the error message when it was over 70 degrees out. I live in Atlanta. I'm wondering, according to LG, do people in colder climates just have to live with error messages 6 months out of the year if that's the case?

I insisted on a service call. They obliged. BTW, the service tech has been extremely sympathetic and professional. I get the feeling he's genuinely embarrassed by LG products and customer service. His first service call didn't fix it. So he ordered replacement parts and scheduled another visit a few days later. That still didn't fix it. He said my only recourse at this point was to call LG and see what they could work out with me.

I called customer service and remained calm, but the person on the other end ("Tish") was smacking gum or food in my ear and proceeded to read a prepared statement about the cold weather causing these issues. I got frustrated and told her that's unacceptable, that a $1000 machine should work top to bottom no matter what, especially 3 months old. And it isn't like I live in Siberia. I live in Atlanta. She got condescending with me (something I've read is not unusual for LG customer service reps). I was still calm, until....she said I was getting upset for nothing. So 2-1/2 hours on the phone with customer service, missed two days of work for service calls, and to her it's "nothing." Not only that, she said there was nothing they could do, and there was nothing they were going to do. She said it was my problem. I have cut out a lot of the terrible exchanges between me and LG. Suffice it to say every call but one was this bad or worse, and nobody wanted to help. By the way, this thing is under warranty until 11/02/14.

Today it just stopped drying altogether. Oh it will turn on. It just won't heat up. Ever. Called customer "service" and have a new error message, "H5." I now have a THIRD service call in a couple of days.

I'm out $1000, have had this less than three months, and the headaches have only just begun. I pray the washer keeps working.

Bottom line: Don't do like I did. Do your homework. Read up on reliability of dryers by all manufacturers, and please take into account how customers are treated AFTER the sale closes and issues arise. If you don't believe me, you can look up something called customer service score board and LG. Read for yourself the nightmares. Look them up in the better business bureau of Huntsville Alabama. I can assure you I'm not alone.

For your sake, don't make yourself their next victim.

UPDATE: 5/6/14

If you google LG TE2 error, you'll find a video of someone who fixed the issue with a $5 part from Lowes/Home Depot. LG never knew about this, or if they did they aren't owning up to the dryer not functioning properly. That small, inexpensive part (dryer vent valve) fixed the problems I've had with this blasted machine. However, despite it working fine now, LG customer service proved to be such a horrific, maddening, traumatizing experience that I'd sooner lock myself in this very dryer and go over Niagara Falls in it than ever speak to them again.


I was a bit nervous to buy our SMEG range, considering no one I'd talked to had heard of the brand. I'm SO glad we took a chance on SMEG. Our oven is the centerpiece of the kitchen, everyone comments on how awesome it looks.

I was discouraged by other ranges that had 'pizza' and 'chicken nugget' buttons as oven settings. Really?? I just need burners that turn on, can simmer and can go med-high temps. I just want an oven to turn on, and heat to the temp I want. I broil things now and then, and can honestly say that I don't need a high and low broiler - I just move the rack to the right spot and go from there.  I use the convection fan when I'm baking. I bake my own gluten free bread, and the results are perfect - even in my gas range! There aren't any hot or cold spots in the oven - I was worried there would be since I've heard bad things about uneven heating in gas ovens. Bonus: I have been keeping my range very clean - because it looks go good, why not clean it after every time you use it? The lights in the oven are very bright, I love the easy-to-use knobs (though they were hard to figure out for the first month or so of use as the symbols aren't quite familiar). We had quite a bit of air in our brand new gas line after the install, so burners kept going out randomly and I was frustrated and wondering if it was the ranges fault or if it really was our new line. Well, it was just the line - everything works perfectly now and burners never go out.

The range has been in our kitchen for 5 months and I love it just as much as the day it was delivered. We purchased the range online with an extended warranty (10 years) and we're hoping since the range is very simple in design, that it lasts a long time and proves to be reliable for years and years to come.

Things I love:
- simplistic design
- the middle burner
- the knobs (modern and easy to use!)
- broiler runs from side to side, not back to front like I've seen on other gas ranges (back to front broiling creates uneven heat - as the sides of the oven don't get heat)
- the oven light
- the retro style timer (60 minute timer, turn to the time you want and wait for it to tick down and buzz)
- racks are easy to move around
- the manuals are really helpful! I learned a lot about my range by reading the manuals. :)

Things that could be improved upon:
- The cast iron grates on the range don't hold small pots very well (like my teeny 2 cup pot - which is rarely used, but when I do use it, I have to play a little balancing game to get it to sit on the range without tipping over).
- The fan is a bit annoying and it runs whenever the oven is on and it's kind of loud (a low hum). Once you turn the oven off, the fan stays on until the oven is cool....to minimize how long it's on, I leave the oven door open a crack to cool off. I wish there was a switch to turn the fan off. Of course, this is just a small complaint. I still love my range, even when the fan is on.
- Fan failure light... we had the light come on once...I had forgotten to turn the broiler off (it was on for about an hour) and I also had convection on - whoops! The fan failure light turned off as soon as the oven cooled down a bit. It seems odd that there is a light for fan failure. Do fans go out often on gas ranges? If so, maybe the light is helpful.
- the timer buzz isn't very loud or long. If you set the timer for a longer time, it will buzz a little longer in the end...but it's easy to miss hearing the timer if you are in another room.

Even with these small issues, I still rate this range a full 5 star rating - because I'm simply in love with the design and it's been a great addition in our kitchen!

If you are considering this range and have further questions, leave a comment and I will try to come back and answer them as best I can.


WORST....DISHWASHER...EVER, this dishwasher is so bad I seriously want to boycott the purchase of all further GE products.  I don't even know where to start with what is wrong with this thing.  Clearly the designers on this product never did a load of dishes in their life.
It feels like it was made by Fisher Price (which honestly is probably it's only positive quality because I expect it to break within a year or two and I can get a new one!)

Don't let the "hybrid stainless steel" description fool you - It's a stainless steel door with a completely plastic tub.  We told the salesperson at Home Depot that we absolutely wanted a stainless tub, she directed us to this model we opened the door and didn't bother to bend over and stick our heads inside to see it was not - our bad for relying on salespeople and deceptive model descriptions.

Silverware trays are the worst - first thing I had to do was tie wrap them to the rack because anytime you tried to pull out the rack they come flying off.  The flip down tops are ridiculous - who wants to stick silverware in one by one in little slots.  The openings in the bottom & sides of the silverware rack are so huge that silverware constantly falls fully or partially through the openings.  The bottom tray has a middle section so wide everything falls sideways in it - yet it is so narrow it is a complete pain to dig the fallen items out, so I just avoid it all together & lose half the bottom tray.  I will never buy a front silverware tray model again - I reach in to pull out the top rack (usually without looking while I am rinsing dishes) and constantly poke myself on silverware - live and learn on that one.  Oh yeah and be careful what you put in the bottom silverware tray - it will prevent the soap dispenser from opening - that's always fun and energy efficient.  Although even when the soap compartment does open I still find residue - usually about a quarter of the soap still in the compartment after a wash cycle.

I don't even know how to describe how bad the bottom rack is - other than it simply is not functional...period.  I don't know what kind of dishes the designer(s) used but clearly not regular plates & bowls - nothing fits correctly, bowls especially just fall to the sides, belly up - it's a constant balancing act to get them to stay in there correctly.  Coming off of my previously dishwasher I had for 10 years (a wonderful Frigidaire model - oh why did I change!) I never had an issue like this - how do you ruin the design of a dishwasher rack so horribly?  I finally had to push and bend the wire supports to make them at least somewhat usable.

The top rack is nearly as bad - the sides are much to wide for glass, everything falls over (again - where the heck are the designers from and what do their dishes look like?), there are huge opening along the sides so any small items fall right out - I'm talking big enough for small prep bowls, sauce dipping cups etc. to all fall through the sides.  And I don't know what it is but a good 75% of the time the top rack will not push in completely and the door won't close - I don't know what causes it because I usually walk away in disgust after about 3 minutes of messing around with it.  My husband spends another 3 minutes opening and closing the rack (I'm guessing to get something to align correctly in the back) before it will finally close.  Makes dishwashing time even more fun than usual!

The cleaning ability of the dishwasher is mediocre at best but the drying is worthless - everything is still wet after a full drying cycle - what's the point?

The really sad thing is that my parents actually went out and bought a dishwasher within days of ours and amazingly managed to get the same exact model (I'm thinking Home Depot was making a heavy push to offload these pieces of garbage) and he hates it just as much as I do (but it was his idea to tie wrap the trays on after he had done the same!).  So now we are both stuck with a near useless dishwasher.  At least we'll have some fun placing bets on who's breaks first (or who takes a sledgehammer to theirs first...!)

*Update 8/19/16 - my dad's dishwasher broke first - I think I saw him skipping all the way to the store to buy a new one.....


I tried to post review on Whirlpool site but it never was approved. That would explain majority of the positive reviews on their site. We purchased our washer/dryer set at Costco since they have a wonderful return policy. This set is going back because of the washer. The actual washer model is 5810BW which is made specifically for Costco. It is the same as 5800 BW sold here. This washer does not rinse the detergent out of our laundry. After the first use whole family was itching because of the detergent left in the laundry. We have been using the same detergent for many years and in fact we used up most of this bottle with our old washer. I also am aware of differences between HE and regular machines and specifically checked instructions on the amount of detergent to use. It is Kirkland Signature HE detergent so it is designed for this washer. After the first fiasco I started using less detergent - 1/2 to 1/8 of recommended amount. The itching stopped but if our laundry had any stains they would not come out.  With our old washer (also Whirlpool and also from Costco) I just had to pre-treat with a Shout spray and toss it in the washer. All stains would usually come out. With this washer I had to wash one t-shirt 3 times to get a stain out. How is this saving water? I also use additional rinse cycle for all of the loads because I have no desire to itch again. How is this helping with the water use?
I took a video of the washing cycle since the washer has a glass lid. You can clearly see the white item sitting on top of the load throughout the whole washing cycle. Small items do circulate through detergent but larger items stay in one position and do not move. When I hand wash items I also do not submerge them in to the water and rub. I use a little detergent and rub the item against itself, but this is not what this washer does. The washer just moves its "washplate" back and forth and wet items just vibrate on it.
I use dress shirts from Costco which are treated with water repellent. This washer cannot get this shirt wet on normal cycle. I have to use deep water cycle to even get the shirt wet. First time I did not believe my eyes - had to open the lid and make sure that part of the shirt was dry at the end of the wash cycle! The heavier items like bath towels do not get clean and stink after the first use. This rarely happened with our old washer. And don't get me started on the "spray rinse". I am not sure who came up with this concept and what it actually rinses. If you watch videos of Samsung or LG HE top loaders, these washers have a nozzle which sprays water ON your laundry that is stuck to the sides of the drum after a spin cycle. I can see how this can do something like rinse. This washer just pours water at the center of the drum from where it happily drains in to the holes in the bottom. How this can possibly rinse anything is way past my understanding. There is no way to overwrite any of the settings or add a little water.
The sensing process is unreliable. If I put few small items, the washer will add a lot of water, 5 inches or more, and the items would be swimming. It I put larger item, like a towel, it will absorb all the water and there would be almost no water in the tub. Ether this technology is bad or Whirlpool's implementation is bad.
The only good thing I can say about this washer is that it spins laundry very well. The laundry comes out much drier and therefore dryer does finishes much faster. This is well compensated by washer taking more that twice as long as our old "inefficient" washer did. I should have fixed our old washer instead of buying this new one, more so since I already diagnosed what the problem was. We thought to update our 14 year old set with the new one - what a mistake.

As I understand it is the government that is mandating these water and energy savings. How about starting from the government itself? On my way to work I see on-ramps being watered every morning, being that it is drought in California and all. How about saving water there? Also mandate more water efficient landscapes instead of planting grass everywhere. I wish the government would stay the heck out of my laundry room.


For nearly $800 in November 2014 I bought a new Kobe Range Hood model CH2230SQB-1, which was dropped shipped to me directly from the Kobe warehouse in Arcadia, CA. It was defective out of the box. During the temporary power up test suggested before installation, the fans seemed to work fine but the LED lights did not work. Looked to see if there was a loose connection but all wiring looked intact. Began moving the hood to put it back in the shipping box, and the lights temporarily flickered and even stayed lit for a few seconds, but the lights quickly stopped working and couldn't get them to come back on. Started a service call with Kobe's ADCO warranty division and they were distant. Had to be proactive and provoke them into moving the service order along and give me status updates. Kobe then refused to send a repair technician from the company that ADCO usually contracts with in my region, and the only other trained servicer in my area would not take the repair call because I did not buy the unit from them. Requested KOBE to reconsider sending the alternate servicer or send a replacement working unit and they refused to do either! They would not honor their stated warranty to repair or replace a defective unit!  Asked the vendor to step in, but he insinuated that I may have compromised the hood during testing the unit, and even said "what's the big deal; it's just the lights; go ahead an install it." Wow! I turned to pressing Kobe to resolve the issue, and they only offered to refund my money if I returned the hood. But I don't want to return the hood, as this model would fit best in my remodeled kitchen. I was able to talk to a manager at Kobe, but he said he could not authorize anything more than a refund. He said there was no one in the entire Arcadia office that could authorize repair or replacement of the defective hood, including the head executive! He said all they could do is send an email to the Kobe headquarters in Japan to ask if there is anything they may be willing to authorize in relation to this warranty issue. So the American headquarters of a global manufacturing and supply company cannot make a decision on a simple customer service issue to repair or replace a malfunctioning unit as per the terms of their warranty. I don't see how a global company does not delegate a simple customer service issue decision to its American management staff. If Kobe's weren't the only 30 inches wide x 22 inches deep x 6 inches high hoods I could find with baffle filters, LED lights, and supposedly quiet fans, I would run from this non-customer centric company as fast as I could. Problem is, this is the model that fits my space. All I want is a functioning CH2230SQB-1. It's not too much to ask. I cannot understand how Kobe has been unwilling to resolve this simple issue. Kobe's behavior toward this matter is quite the opposite of how the company markets itself on its website: "KOBE Range Hoods has experienced tremendous growth throughout its history due to OUR ATTENTION TO QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. We INVITE YOU TO JOIN US and play an important part in the innovation that KOBE creates for the kitchens of the future!" Do not believe it for one second. Kobe has poor quality control and the worst customer service I've ever experienced. BUYER BEWARE!

Update 12/7/14:  Along with this Amazon post on Friday night I also posted to Facebook and Gardenweb. And before these posts I emailed the company telling them I was going to post to social media, and I cc:d a consumer columnist at the LA Times on that message. Lo and behold on Saturday morning I get an email from the vendor saying that Kobe had decided to not require the hood to be returned, canceled the shipping tag, issued me a full refund, voided the warranty on the hood, and said happy holidays. Great. Got my money back after a bunch of grief, and if I can repair the malfunction, which is hopefully likely, I get a free hood, but with the baggage of this experience. It's also weird because I didn't ask for a free hood; I just wanted it fixed. And it's sad that I had to get extreme before Kobe would do the right thing. I guess this should remind us all that if we feel we are getting mistreated as customers, then turning to social media may help.