I recently moved from a condo that still had the 30-year-old dishwasher from when the place was originally built. It worked great. I ran it before going to bed, and when i woke up, the dishes were clean and dry. The amount of dishes that ever had stuck-on food was less than one percent. So I just bought a house and fast-forward need a new dishwasher. I figured technology has improved over thirty years, so the dishwashers they make now should be even better. I thought the better brands are GE, Kenmore, Maytag, and Whirlpool. I saw a GREAT price on this (WDF750SAYW) Whirlpool model and got it. Boy was I surprised. I've used it about five or six times so far, and I have had to re-wash about 85% of the dishes by hand. I have run the dishwasher in the evening/night, and when I unload it in the morning, the dishes are wet and dirty! I miss the 30-year-old dishwasher that I left in my old apartment!

Buyer Beware: This dishwasher has a filter that lays across the bottom. What I realize is that any bits of food larger than a grain of sand will not pass through this filter and will splash around and get stuck on your dishes! So far, each time I have used the dishwasher, I ended up with dishes that were actually dirtier than when I put them in! The last load I did in this dishwasher, it couldn't even get yogurt off of a spoon!

PROS:
- very very quiet (although I did find the noise of the old dishwasher quite calming to go to sleep to)
- energy efficient, supposedly uses less electricity than the average dishwasher
- price point, this model costs less than a lot of other dishwashers

CONS:
- unless you have figured out the mystery of how to get this thing to clean your dishes, you have wasted your money
- stupid silverware holder. It's supposed to hook on to the door, but you can put it in one of the racks instead. In any case, one side of it is solid instead of mesh, so water does not reach the silverware as effectively (this problem is made worse when you attach the rack against the door). Also, there are slots in which to place the handle of each piece of silverware. The slots are too small for most of my silverware.

In the old dishwasher, I just used Cascade gel alone with no rinse aid, no problem! The manual for this dishwasher says rinse aid is REQUIRED! Also, it says it's highly recommended to use the single-use powder packs instead of gel. So I experimented with cascade gel and cascade powder packs (with cascade rinse aid every time). I have not overloaded the dishwasher. So far the results have continued to be unsatisfactory.

I just read a review on amazon of, I think it was the same model but with stainless steel front, that says try using Cascade Professional. I will try to find some of that and also play more with the settings... if I find a solution to the mystery of how to get this dishwasher to actually wash dishes, I will update!

UPDATE 6/29/14
I have had success with this dishwasher using the following settings: Sensor + HiTemp Wash - High Heat Dry + Sani Rinse (single-use powder pack plus rinse aid). When I forget to press Sani Rinse, the dishes still seem clean using the above. I wondered why Whirlpool would make leaving the dishes sanitary an option. It should be the default. On that note, evidently without using Sensor, the dishwasher will not think your dishes are dirty enough to wash them properly. I think it's foolish for Whirlpool to design the dishwasher so that the user must remember to select hot water. That should be default, too. Using "normal" for a load of normally soiled dishes should have worked, but instead it has resulted in a number of bad reviews of this model.

I'm satisfied with the dishwasher now. However, I'm back on amazon to look for a normal silverware rack that has mesh on all sides for better water flow.


The "Whirlpool Gold Series WDF730PAYM" is designed to fit is standard 24" built-in under-the-counter dishwasher opening and it fit into our opening rather nicely some adjustments were made.  The stainless steel unit is attractive, and relatively easy to use and operate and the features are nice especially the PowerScour (one of the reasons we chose this unit), which is designed to get stuck-on and or dried food off casserole dishes; and the delayed time start (another reason we chose this unit).

Another reason we choose this unit was the attractive design.  We liked having the controls on the front of the door and not the top where most manufactures seem to be placing them.  We found this to be inconvenient, especially if you want to make (control) changes without having to open the door to get to the controls.

For a little more green we could have opted for the stainless steel tub, but then the controls switched to the top of the door.  We wanted the controls on the front, so...The Whirlpool Gold Series WDF730PAYM is Energy-Star compliant.

Use

We ran the first load of dishes through the Whirlpool Gold Series WDF730PAYM and not unlike our other Whirlpool unit, I was struck by quiet this dishwasher is.  The lone exception is loud bang approximately 5 minutes into the wash cycle. I have yet to figure out what that is!  The unit has 6 wash cycles; in normal use I usually chose Normal; however if I include pots and pans I will choose the Adaptive Mode. Each cycle completes in about 2 hours and I noted that the wash cycle turned off and on several times during the operation.

Each control on the Whirlpool Gold Series WDF730PAYM has a small blue LED to denote its selection and when the dishes are washed and dried another blue LED illuminates next to a "clean" button.  The control panel is dark grey with white lettering, which makes the various controls easy to read, and like I stated above, the control panel was another reason we choose this unit.

As expected loads come out clean and debris free!  There was a little water left on the top of the coffee cups (they are flipped upside down), but that is to be expected.  At least the water was clean and not swimming with small food particles!  Also noteworthy: our glasses actually look clean and spec free as they were meant to be.

The Whirlpool Gold Series WDF730PAYM has about the same room as our other Whirlpool unit our old unit, but it is slightly more flexible in that some of the rack rows are adjustable and fold completely down in order to accommodate pots, pans, and other large objects.  There is also a stemware holder on either side of the upper rack; nice touch; and clips that could hold more lightweight objects in place for washing.

I like that the silverware rack/holder is on the door and can accommodate large utensils with ease.  No more trying to find a place for them on the upper rack!  And I like that the utensil rack/holder is removable and can be placed anywhere in the lower rack, including the front, which is where we usually place it.

Closing Thoughts

Overall we are very pleased with the "Whirlpool Gold Series WDF730PAYM."  The dishwasher does what a dishwasher is supposed to do: get my dishes clean.  Another cool feature is the delayed wash timer that allows us to load the dishwasher and delay the wash until early in the morning when the electric rates are lower and we are asleep.

One complaint: the upper rack seems a little flimsy; when pulled out all the way it appears as though it is about to break loose.  Perhaps this is due to the adjustable nature of the rack.  Our other Whirlpool units' upper rack did the same thing, but as of yet the rack has not broken, so...


Hold that thought for a moment...

Mr Stefan was too kind with his 2-star rating, considering his year long experience! It gets one star from me only because I couldn't give it the -5- star rating it deserves. The earlier review only tells half the story. So here's the other half:

1. Inside of the first week, the glass top was chipped in two places. It's been a year so you should see it now! Plus all the scratches, stains and burn marks. I probably should have prefaced my review by stating that I'm a charter member of the "I-HATE-TO-COOK-CLUB" and I make an earnest effort to avoid the kitchen as much as possible so I don't ever put my hard-earned lifetime membership at risk. That said, this appliance only receives light use at most.

2. Apparently, I wasn't as dazzled as my husband apparently was by all the fancy buttons, bells and whistles, all neatly hidden behind an inaccessible panel, any of which could fail when you need them the most. Sure enough, a month later, the "0" on the number pad stopped working. Not too bad...setting the cook time at 399 degrees when the temp needed to be 400 was but another annoyance to be added to the growing list. But a couple of months later, the 9 stopped working. Then the 8. Try baking a pizza at either 377 or 411 and see what you get!

3. As for the list of other annoyances, here are a few that began on day one. The settings interface is counter intuitive. The oven is confusing to set. I shouldn't have to guess whether I set the time first, then Bake, then hit a start button too. Or first hit bake, then time, then start..it's an oven, for goodness sakes. Turning it on shouldn't be a game of chance. Same with the burners-- hit 3-4 buttons just to turn it on? I shouldn't have to slog through a support website to access the user manual just to figure out how to set the clock. The cooktop is hard to keep clean because of a recessed inside groove, (presumably a "feature" to catch boil overs of liquid) lined with some kind of rubbery surface that takes a jack-hammer to clean out. Honestly guys...it's a SMOOTH cooktop for a reason. The oven never reached the setting when the READY sound beeped. To test, I put the food in immediately, then could reset the temp 25 degrees lower and the indicator showed the temp below the reduced setting and didn't beep ready for another 3 minutes. The small rear burner never got hot enough to boil water. Within 6 months, 2 others weren't much better. There's more, but I'm exhausted just listing it all!

But, I saved the best til last. Chefs, man your fire extinguishers. Kitchen helpers grab your phones in case you have to call 911! We are about to self-clean this puppy. Lock, set and walk away. Easy enough. At the end of the cycle I expected to find a nice, neat little pile of ashes on the oven floor to wipe up with a damp cloth as I had done with all my prior ovens. But what did I find? A crusty layer of black soot splattered on the walls and CEMENTED to the floor. Took me over an hour to remove most of it. A couple hours later, when I set the oven to preheat ( 377 degrees, of course) I left the kitchen to take out the trash and returned to the chorus of ALL my smoke detectors and an oven streaming smoke. When I opened the oven, noxious fumes drove me outside for a gulp of air! The house was filled with smoke. Ok. First time use, but it happened 2 more times! My husband threatened to go out and buy ANOTHER range by himself if I didn't pick one out TODAY.

Frigidaire, a legacy American company with a proud history, should be ashamed of itself. As a corporate  tradition, it is now a public embarrassment to this nation! Do not patronize any company that has no respect for itself or its customers. They do not deserve your hard-earned dollars. Run away as fast as you can!


I'll first justify my rating here, before giving a detailed account of our ordeal.
- One star removed for GE being a company that treats its customers badly
- One star removed for Induction Range not being widely used in the US. (See ramifications below.)
- Two stars removed for this being a relatively higher end model of GE Induction Range. (Again, see ramifications below.)

The following is a simplified outline of events. Most phone calls were not fruitful and therefore not mentioned here.

We bought this range in early Nov. 2013, and it was delivered in late Nov. It broke down in less than a month. In the sense that it was totally dead. When we contacted the seller for returns, we were told that happy for us, the range was covered by GE's warranty. In other words, we couldn't.

We contacted GE for repairs. The first time slot a repair person was available was in three days. When the repairman came, he read the code on the range, and went to his van to check. Eventually he came back with bad news: not only he didn't have the part needed, it was on back order until January. He said that we'd be offered a replacement unit. But we had to call their 800 number ourselves.

It took another day for GE to "research" the case, in which time they verified that the part needed for repair was indeed not available, and the back order would be filled no earlier than mid-January. They offered us a replacement unit with a different model number. While on the phone, we did a quick research, and found that the replacement model was not available on Amazon, and on GE's website it was listed for $700 less than the model we bought. We asked for compensation of the price difference, and were told by the agent that day (Kaitlin) that she could only arrange for the replacement, and we had to wait until the agent whom dealt with our case first (Angela) to discuss monetary compensation. Considering that without the replacement we were set to go through the Christmas season without a working range, we agreed to have the replacement.

The replacement came in less than a week (i.e., we were without a range for more than 10 days total) and worked fine since then. We liked the fact that it heats very quickly. We didn't like the fact that we had to replace all our cookware, but are resigned to it.

Because the price we paid on Amazon Marketplace was less than the list price on GE's website, we also tried to find the unit on the Internet. It was available for about $700 less than what we paid for this unit.

In January, 2014, when we were in contact with Angela, she told us that GE guideline was that a replacement unit only has to be functionally equivalent; no monetary compensation was given. When we protested, she (yes, Angela herself) reviewed the case and found it totally satisfactory. She even sent us a letter to that effect.

In February, we complained through NYS AG's office. A different woman, Kelly J------, took the case. After some days of research, she came up with an offer of $200, plus a one-year extended warranty. I did not think the offer fair, and rejected it.

In March, we complained through BBB Kentucky. Again, Kelly J------ got the case, and replied that she made the offer of $200 plus one year extended warranty, which I rejected.

So now let me briefly explain my rationale for the rating:
- GE treated us badly. You could judge that from the fact above. I do not have experience with other brands because of the no-return policy, but I couldn't imagine another company treating their customers worse than this.
- Induction Range might be more troublesome to repair than other ranges, due to its unpopularity. The repairman came with a van full of parts and tools, and yet the parts needed to repair our range was not on it. Or anywhere in this country, for that matter. My guess is that the van did contain parts for repairing other, more popular, types of ranges.
- Lastly, if you had to get a GE appliance of any kind, get the cheapest one you could find! Our experience suggests that for economic reasons GE would only provide replacement units of like functionality but of the cheapest price.


UPDATE: The top drawer has failed. Fisher Paykel is being difficult to deal with. The unit has a 2 year warranty. The top draw failed within the 2 year period. However at first we thought it was just a blocked line. Made sure that it was clear, called FP and tried some other things with them on the phone. Nothing worked. So they said to find a local repair shop that would be willing to work on it.

We live in a small rural town and no one would work on it. So after a few days calling around, I called back to FP and they said they would find someone and call me back. But that was over a week ago and they never did. Today I call and I'm told I'm out of warranty (by 16 days). But in fact the unit was ordered 2 years and 16 days ago, but due to shipping and the time it takes to get a tech to install it, we are w/in the warranty period. Also the unit started this failing to drain or slow draining over a month ago with is well w/in the 2 year warranty. But FP has essentially said tough and they are not going to honor the warranty.

Original review:

Okay I really fell in love with this dishwasher based on it's design. However there are some caveats with it.

First we love the two separate drawers and it's very quiet. Having two chambers means we'll never have 2 day old stuff in the dishwasher or dishes on the counter or sink waiting for the dishwasher to be empty. These are the reasons we bought it.

However, where it falls down is cleaning. If all you ever clean is plates, stemware and cups like they show in the pictures, it's great. However if you have pitchers, mixing bowls, bakeware, or something like a blender, it's really a challenge to get them into the drawer and still be able to get the other items clean. It only has one spinning arm at the bottom. Nothing else. This means if you put your bowls, pitchers or bakeware in there, it's pretty much all you can clean because there is no way the water can get to the 2nd tier.

I like the adjustable side tiers, however they do not stick out far enough. And I don't really care for the angled floor rack.

I love the utensils basket with the closing lid, but it's small and does not hold very many items. (They do give you two, one for the top drawer and one for the bottom drawer.

I love the screen on the bottom, however it's very difficult to get out and kinda yucky to do it. You have to pull the utensil tray, and then this little floor piece has to come out, and the you have to wiggle around the strainer/filter to get it out. Not at all well designed.

I love the controls on the door, however the childlock is not very effective. Too easy for the child to figure out and a bit of a pain for the parents. I would prefer some sort of code or something instead of just holding the button down.

Love the detergent dispenser. You use about 1/4 as much detergent as you do (per drawer) in a normal dishwasher.

The bottom rack is really hard to get out. Of course that is a rare situation, but it's a pain if you have to.

Also we bought the tall model, but there is still a 1.5" gap at the top. The installer said they'd have to get some wood trim to match our cabinets to cover it. The one we took out was a generic big box $400 special and it fit the space perfectly. I don't understand why this one does not.

Like I said, if all you wash in the washer is plates, cups and stemware, it'll be great. And once you get used to running a drawer with just 3 or 4 items it works well. But it really does take time to get used to the new loading methods.


We purchased this range because it had all the features we wanted.  High power burner, large oven, 5 burners and more.  What we got was and is a nightmare.  After about a month, the LED display(which controls everything except the burners) goes blank.  We called Customer Service (CS) and they informed us to "just reset the breaker".  Which we did, and the display came back.  We were happy until it happened again about 2 weeks later.  We did the reset, but again it happened again not much later on.  We called CS back and they told us that this range had to have it's own circuit breaker and it had to be a time delay.  This is a must.  Yet it does not say that in the installation manual.  It does recommend it but does not require it.  We inquired about a time delay breaker, and were informed by Square D that their breakers are time delay.  So we took the time to wire in an electrical 120v outlet just for this range.  We figured we were now good.  NOPE, a few weeks later the LED went out again.  So much for CS advise.  We called again to CS and were told that there was nothing more they could do.  Yes we had the range for 4 months and under warranty and this CS rep tells us they will do nothing to help us.  WE reset the breaker again and again and again over the next couple of months.  Then again call CS, and again they tell us there is nothing they can do.  We lose count as to how many times we reset this breaker.  Finally in Jan, being totally irate, we call CS again and find a rep that tells us she will call a local authorized service center and they will come out to fix it.  A repair man comes out, tells us we have a bad circuit board and orders a new one.  A week later, the board comes in and installed.  The next day we notice the oven light is not working.  I replace the bulb but that does not help.  Light will not work.  Call local factory rep.  He comes out looks at it and calls KitchenAid.  They tell him that it must be a bad board.  He orders a new one and when it comes he installs it.  Problem does not go away.  So a third board is ordered over night and it is installed.  All is well.  This was last Friday.  Today 6 days later.  The center burner will not light.  Igniter works but it will not light.  Waited for 15 sec. but no gas coming.  2 hours later I try it again, and it works.  4 hours later, it stops working.  Called local authorized repair guy back to come and fix it.  He will be here tomorrow.  Also called KitchenAid CS.  told them with all the issues we had and all the calls we had made to them in the past 7 months, that we want a replacement range.  They said that the problems are fixable so their is nothing they can do.  Also they tell us that they are not aware of what we are talking about when it comes to all the calls we made.  They have no records of our calling them before except once.  We asked about the 7 to 8 calls we made previous to this one.  And they tell us they have no record of that.  The factory authorized repair people told us we have a lemon, but it is up to KitchenAid to replace it.  KitchenAid told us that we had to go back to the store that sold it to us, and that is not KitchenAid's problem.  I told them that the store we bought it from didn't make the product, you did, and it is defective.  We are still arguing with them.. Please save yourself  tons of headaches and stay away from KitchenAid ranges.  And remember, KitchenAid  Maytag, Fridgitaire, Amana are all Whirlpool subdivisions.


I absolutely LOVE this Panda Washing machine.  3 years later and its still going strong, a little
workhorse that never disappoints.  I wanted to maximize and prolong its life, so watched several youtube videos for any pointers.  I read in the manual NOT to run water through the spinner when its spinning, but I saw the inlet hose and was confused, so I called Panda, who told me if water is placed into the spin section, it can seep into the motor and it will no longer run, and that it was a product flaw thats damaged many units.  PLEASE DO NOT RUN WATER THROUGH THE SPINNER, or do so at your own risk.  Here are some tips Ive used if this can help anyone.

1)  Even though it has a strong pump, I decided to drain the water into a 5 lb bucket I keep on the floor next to the washer, then manually dump it into the sink.  When I first tried the washer, I extended the drain hose to the sink, but found it struggled when draining the last of the water.  I don't feel its much of an inconvenience to take the extra step of using the bucket if it puts less pressure on the pump and extends its life.  I added a picture below.  Also, I attached the drain hose to the bucket with a strap so it doesnt go flying off  I learned the hard way when I got water all over the floor because I didn't initially secure it.  I cut 2 holes in the top of the bucket to hold a small strap that holds the hose in place. It was not hard at all to cut through the bucket with an exacto-knife.

2)  The inlet hose did not fit my kitchen faucet, so I am using a large soup pot that actually works better for me.  I immediately start filling the pot while I am setting up my washer, separating my loads, etc, so by the time Im ready to start my wash, the pot is full.  Also, I am able to re-fill the pot for the rinse cycle and have it ready to go while the wash is going, so I wasn't too disappointed that the hose didn't fit my faucet.

3)  I find 9 minutes for a wash is sufficient.  After the wash, I place  the load into the spinner to spin out most of the soap, while I drain the wash bin, then repeat with the 2nd  and the laundry.  I don't drain the rinse water since I feel its still fairly clean and use it for my next load and repeat the process.  I only drain the dirty soapy water after each wash.

4) I agree with everyone else that the lint catcher is useless.  I bought a floating lint catcher for $1.99 at the dollar store.  Its in the photo below if that can help anyone.  I couldn't believe how much lint it catches!

5)  Out of curiosity, I took the plastic backing off the unit to see the inside (when it was unplugged of course).  The drain hose is secured in place with a strong hardened silicone gel that was impressive.  I checked for leaks and there were none.  Not too crazy about the actual hoses themselves  they are thin and flimsy, but theyve lasted 3 years so far with no issues after constant use.

I can quickly wash a load of clothes.  The wash takes 9 minutes, then I spin the clothes to get the soap out for not very long, approx. 1-2 minutes, then return it to the washing bin with fresh rinse water for 3-4 minutes, then finally back to the spinner for 2 minutes max.  I find 2 minutes is enough to leave the clothes 80% dry, unless of course, you have jeans or thick sweaters, although I have never found the need to spin the full 5 minutes.  I absolutely love it and recommend it and hope this review can help others.


BUYER BEWARE!

I purchased this product. It arrived BROKEN (as well as the Sonya dryer, which ALSO ARRIVED BROKEN).

I have phoned the toll-free number and received the sweet and sincere-sounding outgoing message requesting the caller to leave a message and someone will return the call.  No ... no one EVER returned my calls.

"Sonya" and I have exchanged MANY emails through Amazon, and the Company simply apologizes profusely but does not address the problem of the broken products ... except to say "return them."

I kept the shipping in case I would need it, so I was prepared to return both products, BUT each crate requires professional (plastic?) strapping to hold the top of the box to the bottom (more like a platform) of the box.

I have no way to STRAP the shipping cartons together, and I have no way to transport the machines and shipping crates to a professional shipper.  Sadly, the expense to professionally strap the cartons falls to ME and is not covered by "Sonya."  Additionally, I based on my experience I do not trust this seller any farther than I can throw it -- How do I know they will ACTUALLY refund my $750?

Also, I have found ZERO "authorized" repair persons ... in the entire United States. The authorized repair persons are in CANADA, not in the U.S.

BOTTOM LINE: "Sonya" has taken $750 of my money, provided me with two broken machines, will not return my phone calls, has no authorized repair persons so I can maintain their warranty (rendering the warranty USELESS if you live in the USA), and I am unable to ship the machines BACK to "Sonya" because to do so I would have to HIRE a trucker to transport the machines/cartons to a professional shipper PLUS PAY for each carton to be STRAPPED together (the top strapped to the bottom "platform").

RETURN SHIPPING NOTE: The seller CLAIMS that it will pay for the "postage" expense to return faulty merchandise, but what they DO NOT TELL YOU is that the BUYER PAYS for transporting and re-packaging (strapping) the faulty merchandise ... which is VERY espensive.

The Amazon problem-solvers "can only say that the Company is willing to refund your expense if you will kindly return the merchandise."

I contacted my attorney about being RIPPED-OFF by an international company. His response? Legal attempts to recover my financial loss will cost me MUCH MORE than what I paid for the merchandise.

MY ADVICE BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE IS THIS:
 - DO NOT PURCHASE FROM SONYA.
 - THERE ARE NO AUTHORIZED SERVICE REPS IN THE USA SO IF YOU CAN FIND SOMEONE (UNAUTHORIZED IN THE US) TO REPAIR THE PRODUCT, THE WARRANTY IS INVALIDATED.
 - IF YOU GET BROKEN MACHINES, YOU MUST PAY TRANSPORT AND PROFESSIONAL STRAPPING IN ORDER TO SEND THE MACHINES BACK.
 - SONYA's EMAILS DO NOT ADDRESS MY QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS, THEY GUSH WITH SO-SORRYs AND RECOMMENDATIONS BUT THAT'S IT.
 - The seller is not in the United States and is not a U.S. company, so taking INTERNATIONAL legal action to recover your purchase price and shipping is likely to cost several times what you have already lost, AND your chances of successful INTERNATIONAL recovery of your funds is practically ZERO.

GOOD LUCK TO HAPPY BUYERS:

I have read the positive reviews of these products, and made my purchase based upon them.  Apparently, there are buyers who received merchandise in working order, and good for them ... but ... when the machine breaks, I wish them luck in finding an appliance repair person who is either "Sonya authorized" or even not "authorized" but willing to attempt repair.

I have contacted several major appliance repair service companies in my area and each refused to attempt repair because the internal workings of the machines (Sonya washer and Sonya dryer) are not standard in the U.S. and for that reason the repair service reps have no experience or knowledge of "where to even begin."


I've owned this range for about a year now.  I was nervous about the purchasing decision because of the scant and often negative reviews on this range.  After a year of use I'm still thrilled with it.

In person, the range is great looking and seems solidly built.  Nothing about it feels flimsy to me.  Of course it's gorgeous.

Size wise, this range is not as deep as other high end options.  For me, that's great because it fits nicely into our smaller kitchen, and doesn't jut out from our countertops like a larger range would.  The oven size has been fine for me, though I don't cook a lot of turkeys or larger items.  I do have one baking sheet that I have to rotate 90 degrees to fit in the oven, as the oven is not deep enough to accommodate it length wise.

I saw lots of complaints about the oven, especially temperature consistency and uneven baking.  I've been quite happy with it.  First, you _need_ to get a good oven thermometer.  I grabbed a good magnetic one and stuck it to the side of the oven wall.  There is no electronic thermostat on this, not even a light that goes out when the oven is at temp, so you will not have any way of knowing when the oven is at temp unless you have a thermometer.  I suspect that a lot of folks' complaints are because they put things in early, when the oven wasn't at temp.  I usually bake anything delicate on the middle/top rack, if you bake on the very bottom rack things can get over done on the bottom, but I think that's par for the course especially with gas.  The convection setting is great.

The burners are awesome.  The controls are very precise.  It's easy to dial in the right amount of heat.  The large double burner puts out plenty of heat.  I use it often with a round bottom wok and it's perfect for that.  I don't use the double burner as much as I thought I would.  When cranked all the way up the flames are pretty wide, and they come out beyond the sides of all but my largest stock pot.  I find the second largest burner is the best for medium sized pots and pans, if high heat is necessary.  The beautiful brass burner and "button" will tarnish over time.  I've not tried using brass cleaner on them yet.  I suspect that would bring back their original shine. It seems to be mostly soot that's accumulated over time.

As some others have mentioned, when the oven is running a fan kicks on and blows warm air out the front of the stove.  This doesn't bother me, in fact my wife loves standing in front of the oven when it's cool out.  It's never gotten hot to the touch (on the front).  There is a vent in the back of the range though that gets quite hot when the oven is running.  Not a real issue for me, but something to be aware of.

I really appreciate the simplicity of this range.  The thermocouples on the burners are a great feature.  It's only happened a couple of times, but when a burner went out and I didn't notice, I've never smelled gas.  It shuts off the gas flow very quickly.  Plus the whole range top will operate safely without electricity.

Overall, I'm super happy with it.  I'd definitely purchase it again if I had to make the decision over.  I would caution anyone buying it for the looks to consider other options as well.  This range offers a lot of control and precision, but it also takes a bit more attention to detail while you're cooking than other options out there.  Depending on how you like to cook, you may be much happier with something that has digital temp control, self cleaning, timers, etc.  Despite it's good looks, and hefty price tag, this is really a no-frills piece of kitchen equipment and could feel like a step down if you're used to those bells and whistles.


About 10 months ago, the original icemaker stopped working in my ~15 year old Kenmore refridgerator.  The icemaker was labeled Kenmore p/n WR30X0307.  I typed in p/n WR30X0307 on Amazon and found it available for $84.25 from North American HVAC.  I ordered it and received it a few days later.  The part number on the paperwork was p/n WR30X10093.  I researched it on the internet and found that Kenmore had replaced p/n WR30X0307 with WR30X10093.  I didn't think much of it since the icemaker seemed like it would fit / work, and it did install and (somewhat) function.  At the time, I thought I had received an equivalent Kenmore part.
The icemaker never quite worked like the original one:
- The ice cubes were sometimes ejected before completely frozen, and cracked open / were hollow after landing in the ice tray
- When the water valve was triggered by the icemaker to fill the ice cube tray, my water valve occasionally made a sputtering sound like it was being cycled on / off several times during the file process
- Eventually the intermittent water valve triggering stopped, and the water value was triggered for a longer.  The ice cubes were larger (more water = larger ice cubes) which was nice, but sometimes the  ice cube tray was overfilled, causing water to drip into the ice cube tray and freeze.
- Overfilling the ice cube tray gradually got worse, and was so bad that the bottom of the ice tray was a sheet of ice.  The last straw was the overfilling was so bad, all newly formed ice cubes quickly from to the bottom of the ice tray and water was even running out of the ice tray and dripping down the side of my freezer before it froze.

So, it was time to replace this sketchy ice cube maker in less than one years time.  I went back to Amazon to find another and was reading some reviews that some replacement icemakers were not original equipment manufacturer (OEM).  It turns out that some companies are producing a form / fit / functional product under the same part number.  I went back and looked at the icemaker purchased from North American HVAC, and there is no Kenmore label on it.  In fact, there is no product label on it at all.  And then I realized even though the icemaker says By Kenmore on Amazon, it was not actually by Kenmore and was some equivalent counterfeit part made by another company.

At that point, I was done with trying to find this on Amazon from distributors and went to Sears.  I was able to find p/n WR30X10093 on the Sears website.  It was even in stock at a Sears near my home.  I went to pick it up, and while it cost a bit more, $143, I am much more comfortable purchasing an OEM product if it costs 50% more.  Oh, and this one does have the Kenmore label on it.  After installation, there is no sketchy performance either and after a couple days the performance is the same as my original WR30X0307.

My complaints are the following:
1) The part received from North American HVAC doesnt have a product label showing the true manufacturer.
2) North American HVAC should not show this product as By Kenmore on Amazon.  This part looks different than the Kenmore part I received at Sears.  There is no screw to adjust to the ice cube size and there is an on / off switch on the Kenmore part I received.  The product shown by North American HVAC on Amazon is not a genuine Kenmore part.  This is a deceptive business practice.
3) You should not claim to be selling one p/n (WR30X0307) and ship another (WR30X10093).  This should be clear at the time of purchase and not up to the buyer to figure out on their own.
4) The counterfeit part sold has poor performance in my case.

It is disturbing that counterfeit icemakers are being manufactured (and distributed) using the OEM part number.  This is a fraudulent and deceptive practice.


We purchased this refrigerator in February 2015 (after out 5 year old Samsung died), without being able to find very much information on the product or a comparison with the similar DCS refrigerator made by Fisher & Paykel's sister company.  On the exterior, the DCS handles are thicker, more robust looking and come in a choice of rounded or squared design.  The F& P handles are thinner and square - they are very easy to clean because, unlike Samsung refrigerators, the handles are not curved, creating tight spaces.  The exterior panels of both the F& P and the DCS are a smudge-free stainless that cleans very easily with soap and water - unlike our previous Samsung or our Bosch appliances.

We love the layout! The F&P refrigerator has two glass shelves which slide out very easily for cleaning.  There are 14 slots for positioning the shelves, making the interior highly customizable.  Unlike most brands on the market, the shelves are one solid piece - so the entire shelf is usable and there is no risk of something falling over and spilling between the shelves. The two fruit and vegetable bins and the two chiller bins, fully remove from the refrigerator for food prep and cleaning, as does the plastic shelf that these bins sit in.  The bins are dishwasher safe.  Strangely, the water filter sits OUTSIDE the refrigerator (the DCS model has an interior water filter), so we were able to set it up in the basement and feed the line up through the floor.  If you don't put the filter in the basement, you will need a spot to hang or sit the filter next to the refrigerator.  The external water filter increases usable space in the refrigerator and makes for easy filter changing.

Talking about water, both the F & P and the DCS models have water available in the exterior of the right refrigerator door.  Unlike all other refrigerator brands, the water is not recessed, making filling any size container or glass very easy.  We routinely fill an electric kettle, Kuerig water tank, pitchers and glasses straight from the door without any issues - unlike our old Samsung which could only take certain sized glasses.

The F & P and the DCS freezers are similar in layout: a top sliding shelf with three clear, removable bins and an open bottom drawer.  The bins can be completely removed to allow trays to be stored.  The bins are dishwasher-safe.  If the ice bin is removed, the ice-maker will not function until the bin is replaced. The ice-maker is extremely slow compared with our previous refrigerators; it took several days to fill the ice bin.  If additional ice is required, one of the larger bins can be placed under the ice-maker, which is a nice feature.  A small ice scoop is included with the ice bucket and, despite its size and shape, works very well for scoping enough ice for a glass (for larger amounts, the entire bin full of ice can be removed).

The F&P model has an up-down push button temperature change system on the interior right wall.  Unfortunately, there is no way to set a specific temperature, unlike the digital DCS model (which allows temperature changes using an exterior panel) or our old Samsung. We would have liked to be able to set a specific temperature instead of having to guess and make incremental changes over a period of days.

The reason this refrigerator gets four stars is simply because the F & P is extremely noisy.  There are frequent loud popping, cracking sounds emanating from the refrigerator as the components expand and contract.  This is the noisiest appliance we have ever owned and, 11 months later, we are still bothered by the noises.  Unfortunately, we have no idea whether the DCS would have been made of superior materials, resulting in less noise - but if it is, the $500 higher pricetag would have been worth it.

Overall, the manufacturer really thought out the design of this refrigerator and we highly recommend it - but take a look at the DCS model if it is available before making a decision.


I did tons of research on dishwashers before we made a purchase. Prior to this purchase we had had a GE nautilus portable dishwasher for 7 years or so and gave it recently to our oldest son for their apartment.  One thing we hated about that one was that it redeposited food quite regularly if dishes weren't fairly clean beforehand.  For literally 2 months or so, i researched dishwashers, everything from the cheapest ones, to the most expensive ones!  Options, no options, etc etc.  We finally decided to purchase this one because of all of the options; hard food disposal AND a self-cleaning filter, TONS of jets including 4 "bottle" jets which are just amazing. No more will you have tall glasses/bottles that aren't clean!  It has jets above the silverware holder that constantly dump water over the silverware.  Stainless tub will/should last a lifetime. No visible heating element, so you can put plastic on the bottom. It does have heated dry though, it's a hidden element with a fan.  Quiet, can we say quiet!?!  I didn't know dishwashers could be this quiet. Honestly if there is any conversation in the kitchen while it's running, or any fan running, then you absolutely cannot hear it!  The bottle jets are honestly the loudest part but they don't spray very long unless you select that option.  It has a leak pan/detector and if it detects a leak underneath it will immediately drain and shut off while setting off an alarm alerting you of a leak. We had that happen because we didn't get the water inlet tight enough at first.  I know this is a built-in dishwasher, but we had a portable dishwasher that had went bad that we'd acquired and so I gutted the case and put this one in it along with a new hose assembly.  So now, we have a top of the line portable dishwasher which is better than any portable dishwasher that the stores sell anywhere!  We have had this thing  a couple months now and use it every day or two.  We have yet to have any food get redeposited.  The filter literally does stop all of the food particles and then everytime it drains then it first backflushes the filter so that any food particles it has captured gets flushed down the drain which is easy to see with the portable hookup.  It then drains the rest of the water.  I do remove the filter every few uses to check and only once or twice did i decide to wash it because it had a few things that didn't flush out completely, but that was me being paranoid, it honestly wasn't that bad.  We use the "accusense" cycle which is the automatic cycle where it stops several times to detect the food particles in the water and will automatically adjust the cycle time/ # of rinses according to how dirty the dishes are.  This thing does have pretty much every option including extra rinse, rinse only, heated dry, stainless tub, jets upon jets upon jets. accusense, hard food "pirannah" disposal, self cleaning filter, drip pan with leak detector, top drawer is adjustable, adjustable/removable tines on both drawers, QUIET, sanitation cycle, etc etc.  I have never written this detailed of a review about anything online before, but this dishwasher just keeps on impressing us upon every use. I have it running a cycle as I type this!  It doesn't use much water at all either. I'm not kidding you when I tell you that filling one side of our kitchen sink just once uses more water than an entire cycle. Add rinse water to that and then the dishwasher's water usage is even more minute when compared to hand washing.  If loaded correctly, this thing will hold 16 place settings. I have loaded it down so much more than our older GE portable and everything comes out crystal clean, whether it be plastic, stainless, glassware, silverware, ceramic, etc!  I know that it's not cheap, that was our hesitation too, but we are so glad we bit the bullet and bought it!  If you have any questions about this dishwasher, please ask them as I might have an answer for you!


On March 16, 2016, I called Electrolux to request a warranty repair of my then 10-week old dishwasher.  The phone rep asked numerous questions, including what, exactly, was wrong with my dishwasher.  She then instructed me how to try to "reset" the dishwasher (which failed), and then she scheduled what I thought was a repair appointment, five days later on March 21.  The rep asked me whether I preferred a repair time window of 8:00 a.m. to Noon, or Noon to 5:00.  I said I preferred morning as I had an afternoon appointment.  The rep then told me that Whitman Appliance Repair would contact me the day before to tell me my specific appointment time.  The day before, sure enough Whitman called, only to tell me that would see me between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  I said that Electrolux scheduled me for 8:00 a.m. to Noon.  Whitman said they could come between 10:00 and 2:00, or they could reschedule for a later date.  So at the last minute, I had to schedule an entire vacation day off work, and reschedule my afternoon meeting.  On March 21, Whitman arrived as scheduled.  The repair technician walked into my house, looked at my dishwasher, and said, "what's wrong with it?"  I said, "didn't Electrolux tell you?"  The technician said, "they don't tell us nothing."  I explained the problem.  He then said, "you need a new blah blah blah" (a part).  "We'll have to order it, it will arrive in 3 to 10 business days.  Then we will call you to schedule the repair."  He then took a few pictures of my dishwasher, including a picture of the serial number.  He was in my house for all of about 30 seconds.  I said, you mean I wasted a whole day's vacation so you could ask me the exact same question that I already answered for the Electrolux phone rep?"  He said, we'll, I needed to get the serial number."  I said, "I needed to tell the phone rep the serial number before she would schedule the repair!"  He said, "I also needed to take pictures of your dishwasher to document any pre-existing damage, so you can't sue us to fix something that wasn't our fault."  Great!  I blew an entire vacation day so that Electrolux and Whitman Appliance Repair could cover their butts.  Finally, on March 29 -- 19 days after I called Electrolux, I got to schedule yet another vacation day and my dishwasher was finally repaired.  The complete lack of even basic communication between Electrolux and Whitman and the long (half-day) appointment windows for repair convince me that Electrolux and Whitman Appliance have absolutely no regard for customer service.  I will think long and hard before I ever buy another Electrolux appliance.  NEW TOPIC:  The dishwasher I replaced was a very low-end model.  The Electrolux was, at $888 retail, what I thought was a mid-to-high range model.  It has a stainless steel interior and a third rack, which I liked.  However, I learned the expensive way that a more expensive dishwasher does NOT clean my dishes any better than a cheap one.  The ONLY real difference between my old dishwasher and the new Electrolux, is that the Electrolux is quieter when running.  However, the noise level of my old dishwasher never bothered me or my family.  Or bedrooms and TV room are separate floors from the kitchen, so we rarely heard the old dishwasher.  And even if we were sitting nearby, we could converse or play music or do whatever without ever being bothered by the dishwasher.  If I ever have to buy another dishwasher, I'll choose a cheap one (and very lucky NOT an Electrolux).


Let me preface by saying I only had this fridge for a few days so I hope I don't face electronics issues or otherwise. I'm in love with this fridge. The LED lighting makes every opening a moment of pure bliss. It is so spacious ! My other fridge was of similar dimensions, although a little less deep, and a side by side. What a difference 3 cu ft and a different design make ! I love that I don't have to bend over to see what's in the bottom shelves. Everything I had in my previous fridge fit and there's space left ! We chose this model over the one that has a "flex zone" drawer because we felt that flex zone drawer was more of a gimmick and was not bringing much for the price difference. To the contrary, the one with the flex zone had a smaller door-in-door space and no deli/meat drawer at all - meaning the flex zone really would have ended up a meat drawer. And the compartment separation is just a physical mark - not a separation of cold zones. To boot, the bottom inner drawer of this model is also a flex zone... smaller, but big enough for our purposes. We also chose Samsung over LG based on the various reviews on different sites (Amazon, the Home Depot, Lowes etc) because Samsung seemed to have less lemons and electronic issues. Fingers crossed.

Delivery was great, the drivers were in the time scheduled. They had to jump through hoops to get the fridge through the door - even had to remove the doors - they were really helpful. Fridge was undamaged.

There is a bit of assembly that you have to do yourself (handles, adjusting doors so that they be even) and there's a lot - a lot - of plastic peeling.

Let's try a pros/cons methodical list for this model.

Pros :
- so beautiful !! I have to tell my HUSBAND to stop playing with the fridge :)
- easy access for the kids with the door in door
- lots and lots of space. So much I have to debate where to put things.
- there is a full ice bucket in the freezer ! This is a great feature, as you don't have to rely on just the ice dispenser and upper ice compartment ! You can chose to enable or disable each ice maker separately - so if you need more room in the freezer, no problem !
- electronic setting of temperatures on front panel, with a choice of F/C
- temporary fast freeze or fast chill if you need to freeze or chill items faster
- the door in door feature is fantastic. This is what drew us to this model rather than another.

Cons :
- You have to organize things differently, so be ready for change. For instance, things that used to be on the shelves, like milk cartons, orange juice, beers, yogurt pouches - are now in the door-in-door and the wine bottles and condiments that used to be in the door do not fit there any longer... I've fit the taller bottles on the shelf that is under the one you can lift, but wondering if I should instead get stackable fridge racks. Still debating. I'm planning on purchasing a tray for the condiments so that I can easily access the ones from the back without taking everything out. Not sure if it's a real con - maybe more a change process.
- The bottom tray of the door in door is really small and there's not much that can fit in there. I think juice boxes maybe ? We don't have juice boxes so for us this space is empty for now - it's a bit too bad.
- The top tray of the door in door is supposed to be for cans, but you can really only fit 3 cans there ! 4 if you put one on top of the three other ones on one side. Again a bit of a wasted space. I would have preferred the top and bottom shelves to be combined in one for more usable space.
- for my usage, the crispers are too small. We mostly purchase produce. I will have to purchase an additional container for the produce that do not fit in the crispers. Don't get it wrong - they are good size crispers - but it depends on your habits I guess.

Overall enjoying my new fridge very much !


The people who design these pieces of junk should be taken out to a firing squad and forced to sit naked on traffic pylons 8 inches deep while everyone laughs, and then be forced to go back to the design studio and do it right.  I have never seen such embarrassing engineering. It is no wonder people don't want to buy American.  This is one of the worst laundry machines I've ever experienced.

Problem 1.  If you put a comforter in here like you are supposed to be able to wash, and use the heavy duty cycle, sometimes the machine won't spin. It will just tumble the comforter continuously because the machine cannot handle the weight of the items. Gee, then why do they say you can wash, rinse and spin comforters in this thing. Hence, the soapy water is not extracted, and neither is enough of the liquid fabric softener. And the dryer will take forever to dry the item

Problem 2.  When the machine spins, the tub wobbles and always hits the side of the cabin. This is supposed to be normal according to Whirlpool. Really "Whirlpoop"? It doesn't matter whether the load is perfectly balanced or not - the tub wobbles and doesn't spin precisely during the wash and rinse cycles and almost always wobbles on the spin cycles. This causes the machine to eventually sound like a jackhammer during the spin cycle. It goes off balance way to easily.

Problem 3.  And what is the need for the pump to be on draining water out of the machine when the water has long since been drained out of the tub?  Is this to make the utility companies happy? Energy savings my laundry tub... please.

Problem 4. It doesn't use enough water. I don't want detergent left on my clothes when the machine is done. Even with the extra rinse option, the rinsing is not adequate. I have noticed this problem with H.E. dishwashers too. We want our items thoroughly rinsed. Some of us have allergies to those chemicals, and some of us just don't want those residues left on our clothes or dishes. I have noticed that it rinses better if the pre-soak option is used, but a person shouldn't have to do this.

Problem 5. It doesn't do a good job of cleaning clothes. It just basically soaks them because the washing action is so gentle. If you work on a farm or oil rig, or do heavy warehouse work, etc., forget it - you don't want a front-loader, at least not an American one perhaps, and definitely not this one.. You'd be better off with a top loading Speed Queen washer. Stain removal? LOL!  Please -- not with this machine. It can't even remove lint half the time.

Problem 6. Too much plastic.  The doors and parts of the hinges shouldn't be made out of plastic. One can only wonder what the inside is made of .

Problem 7. The cycles take too long. Why should it take over an hour to wash clothes or whatever you want to wash? This is ridiculous. The older machines would be done with everything in 35 minutes or so, so would the dishwasher.

There is nothing I like about this machine. It is under-engineered, expensive,  cheaply made, under powered, bulky, ugly and ridiculous.  I'm only using it because it is part of a rental agreement situation that I fell into.. There is reason why so many of us are not pleased with HE machines. It's because HE usually means subpar performance, durability, etc.

I have not recommended Whirlpool or the machines they make for other labels (Roper, Nutid, Renlig, some Kenmores, Estate)  for 10 years now and this machine just re-affirms why I have taken that stand.  My friend recently bought a laundry pair and he was going to buy Whirlpool. I was the one that dissuaded him from that decision.


This hinge set solved my oven door problem.  This oven is about 10 years old and has worked well.  Just recently, the door did not want to stay closed all the way and there was a 12mm (~.5" gap) between the door and the oven.  This was causing the oven light to flicker off/on with any nearby vibration and you could see into the oven with the door closed, so heat was being lost.  After replacing these hinges, the gap was cut to 5mm (~.2") and the door was pulling into the closed position like it did when new.  I also replaced the door gasket because it was well worn, hard and in need of replacement.  But, I tested the effect first of having just replaced the hinges before installing the new gasket.  The new hinges definitely solved the overall closing problem.

The springs on the hinge assemblies for this door are quite large and my first thought was "it couldn't be that these large springs have lost tension".  I was wrong because the door itself is very heavy and the springs do lose tension over years of use and supporting that door.

A word to the wise.  This is no small/easy fix and you should be prepared for quite an effort to replace these hinges.  The new hinges are not tapped (threaded) to be mounted in place.  The instructions suggest that you use the new self-tapping screws that come with this set, but I have never been a fan of trusting a screw to tap a hole in anything but thin metal.  I used my Tap set and cut the threads into both hinges by hand (there are 4 such places that you will need to tap for threads).

Also, removing the warming drawer (which is essential) proved to take extra time too.  One of the big problems was getting to and removing the small hex-head set screw on the right-side drawer-rail.  That set screw was positioned behind part of the metal on the rail and I had to dremel-out an area so that I could access/loosen the screw with a tool.  That screw's entire purpose is to prevent being able to use the release lever on the right side rail so that you can remove the warming drawer.  So, guess what screw was not replaced after I was done with this project.  :^)

With my oven, to access the replacement "receptacle" brackets that also come with this set, I had to pull the oven out into the kitchen and remove (2) screws in the back to allow the warming drawer wall assembly to be fully removed.  That is because you can't physically get your hands into the required area to replace the receptacle brackets.  Lots of sharp edges that can cut you, so either be careful or wear some thin work gloves.  Also, when you replace the receptacles, it is very handy to use a wire hook (even a coat hanger wire bent into a hook would work).  This is because you are having to hold that receptacle in place that is held inside the oven wall while also getting the (2) mounting screws started from the outside.  If you hook onto the receptacle from the outside, you can hold it in place with one hand while starting the screws with the other hand.

Don't cut-corners and use parts from your old hinges, brackets or receptacles.  You will find there are worn areas on all, and grooves cut into the metal parts from years of opening and closing the oven door.  Take the time to replace all the parts even though some of them are a pain to deal with.  I also added some extra grease to various places on the new hinge set.  The original parts on the oven were well-greased around the moving parts, but this new replacement set had a lot less grease applied in those areas.

Good luck with your repair and I can 100% say that these parts were "the ticket" to solving my oven door problem.


How amazing is it to buy a refrigerator online, btw?

We've had it a year, and it's been problem-free.  It's really good refrigerator overall.  Things I don't like are how anal it is about the water filter (it basically prevented me from doing anything until I changed it...so I just put the bypass "filter" back on to shut it up and decided I'm never gonna buy filters for it...plus, I already have an inline filter for the water line); also not a big fan of the ice maker...it's small (as one might expect when mouted to a door), but it's also pretty slow to make ice.  Also somewhat expected since the icemaker isn't in the freezer, but still...

Like any refrigerator, there's always something that doesn't fit somewhere, and this is pretty good about making room.  It does have one shelf that can be "halved"...half of the glass shelf slides underneath the rear half to allow taller items.

Well lit, bright LEDs.  Not sure I need the lower tray to go between red, blue, and green to indicate food temps that vary by a few degrees, but the kids like seeing the colors change when the press the button.

I was hoping the lower chest freezer door was a little tougher to open, as my toddlers figured out pretty quickly how to throw their weight and get it open.  There are obvious safety concerns about this in general, so just be mindful when considering a bottom freezer in general.  (There are universal kid-safety kits for latching it closed, btw.)

----------------------
...fast forward to 3/9/17....2-year-ish update:

All systems still functioning.  The brushed finish has held up remarkably well to my monkey-grip kids, who have literally climbed the lower freezer door to access fridge items.  All LEDs are still nice and bright.

Other things observed:

1. It gets exceptionally cold on the top shelf of the fridge near the "TwinChill" ports, despite the temperature setting being set at the recommended 37 or 1-2 higher.  As such, some items in that area have been partially frozen if left there too long.

2.  If the humidity inside rises, it prevents the ice cubes from falling further into the bin so that they can be dispensed.  They basically stick together a little, and the bin is pretty narrow, so it's rather easy for the ice to stay towards the top of the bin, while dispensed ice creates a void underneath.  Nothing is broken in that regard, but it just prevents new ice from being made...and considering it's a small bin as-is, it's always nice to have as much ice available as possible (I use ice often).

3. The Precise Fill mode is a bit picky and will stop filling automatically (as a precaution) if it thinks the container it's filling is too full.  My thought is this: There's already an Auto Fill mode...the behavior I just described seems fitting for that mode.  In Precise Mode, I'm telling it precisely how much water I want, which should imply that I know how much water the container can hold.  For example, I have a 2qt pitcher for making 2qts worth of a beverage...the pitcher, of course, holds just a little more than 2qts.  Sometimes the fridge stops at 1qt, and sometimes at 1.75qt, because it's sensing the water level and stops filling.  If it's not going to put the precise amount I ask for, the button may as well say Almost Precise Fill.  Alas, I can live with holding the button to continue filling.

4. Noise isn't too bad.  Every now and then, there's a "what was that noise?" moment, but it's nothing compared to the ghosts that keep opening and closing my closet doors.

All things considered, still a good fridge.


I was a little nervous ordering the washer/dryer as there weren't a lot of reviews on it (well, none really), but the build quality seems good, and it does a great job.  Though I didn't notice this on the specs, it's a HE unit, excellent for my use on our boat, as it uses very little water per cycle.  The condensing drying function works well, though as with other similar units I have read reviews of, it does make the room it is operating in quite warm and humid.  The standard drying cycle runs one hour and leaves clothes mostly dry, though still slightly damp, however running a second drying cycle (with less resultant humidity) leaves clothes dry.  I think ultimately I may end up running a vent for it, but it's nice that this unit can work either way.  All in all, I've been really pleased with this unit - it has a lot of flexibility, as you can customize virtually very cycle, and set it to wash and then dry, wash only, dry only, or simply rinse and spin.

Update:
I've been using this unit for a few weeks now, and still love it.  I'm not sure what the other reviewer is talking about - the unit by default does a wash cycle and goes immediately into a dry cycle without having to start them separately, or you can choose to do a wash or dry independently, as I noted above.  I had to give up on the condensing dry function - it works, but it just made the room too humid.  I ran a vent, and have been very happy.  It's really nice that this unit can do either - many of the combo units are not so flexible.
Our clothes, even soiled, come out very clean and smelling great - even sheets and blankets from bedtime accidents with my kids.  Even the laundromat commercial washers would occasionally have trouble getting rid of the smell from bed-wetting accidents, but this one does great, even on the 40 minute "quick" cycle.  The dryer function is very slow - by default it sets itself for an hour, but I've found that if I have a full load, I need to increase that to two hours for everything to be bone dry even with the vent.  On a boat, we fight moisture a lot, so my wife and I like clothes to be as dry as possible before we put them away. Anyway, I'll update this if we start to experience problems, but so far this has been a home run purchase, and the seller "Indoor Appliances" was really great - got a live person by e-mail or phone right away when I had questions pre-purchase and during shipping (even over weekends), and at present they have a nice return policy if you're not happy - no hidden restocking fees.

Update 1/23/2015
Well, though it has worked really well for us, the unit died today.  Waiting to hear back from support as to whether it will be repaired, replaced, or refunded.  It's a shame - worked really well until this happened - I'd be willing to try another if they offer a replacement, but a two month life-span is, obviously, a bit disappointing.

Update 2/7/2015
Appliance Desk (service end for the "Indoor Appliances" vendor) made a diagnosis over the phone based on the washer's on screen error code, and sent out a replacement part Fed-ex second day.  They had no technicians in the area, but offered to pay for any local appliance or handy-man service willing to swap out the part.  Swapping out the motor which drives the main drum was really simple, and it's been up and running for several days now without a hitch.  They extended my warranty another month as compensation.  Got two boxes of 5 lb HE detergent too.

Update 4/23/2015
Unit continues to function as above - no further problems, and it sees almost daily use.  Very pleased.


OVERALL:
Really a fantastic machine. Usually when I hear "efficient" I think 'ineffective'. Not so with this thing. I've had Bosch, GE and Kitchen-aid dishwashers, this one is the best so far---and for far less. It is Consumer Reports choice for 2016--- and it's recommended by both my friend who owns an appliance repair shop, and my friends at Lowe's. Bought this one on sale (normally 599, got it for 399), plugged it in, and ran it through the absolute ringer. ALL of the dishes in the house were dirty, dried on and icky (I really wanted to see how this thing performed and the unit arrived late). I went from the person who soaked and pre-washed EVERYTHING to a person who scrapes off the food and runs that baby---all in that single, trial run. VERY impressed. I used the "sensor" wash cycle and it delivered.. but you may want the 1 hour wash.

NOISE: You'll be checking to see if it's running. I promise. Turn the close captioning off. You won't need it anymore.

CAPACITY: I have a family of five who cooks from scratch...and everyone passes the buck on dishes; Which means I get stuck with them most of the time. What used to take three loads in a day now takes one. Right? Mama Happy Dance... that's me. Adjustable/removable top rack. Deep bottom. Top sprayer points down, sprayer under top rack, sprayer on bottom rack, and the top rack sprayer targets the silverware on the door. Like I said I went from three loads down to one. That's huge.

INSTALLATION:
-You need a 90 degree reverse threaded elbow for the water line, which is not included.
-Whirlpool provides the waste line, but not the water line.
-Whirlpool does not the provide the power cord... snag the one off your old washer or pick up a new one for 15 bucks or so.
-A little duct tape on the insulation at the back end of the washer keeps it from bunching on a tight install.
-Leveled at the factory but that's adjustable.

SHIPPING:
Please note I've seen some sellers list this as 80 lbs in weight. I'm dubious. Lowe's listed it as 55... and really it's so light I had it in out of the van and in my house before my husband got his tools together.

NEGATIVE REVIEWS: I would be dubious of these on various sites. When I go to shop for something I research it like a banshee. I've seen repeat complaints and those complaints change in BRAND, sometimes user name, but not content. This leads me to believe that some competitors are using the review boards with ill intent. While there may be legitimate complaints, of course, I am merely pointing to the things that raised red flags for me, which I compared to the learned recommendations of those whom I know to deal in appliances. I recommend you do the same.

I've seen prices vary widely. Shop around.

COMMON COMPLAINTS: Dry times and smell.
If people would read the owner's manual, they'd be happier.
--You must--I repeat MUST--use rinse aid. If it still isn't working, the "dose" of rinse aid is adjustable and can be changed with a dial in the reservoir. I had to make this adjustment and boom--dry dishes. Let the thing finish its dry cycle... so many do not. Let it air out and cool down for a few minutes before unloading if doing multiple loads.
--You must-- I repeat MUST clean the filter. It's incredibly easy and it keeps your dishwasher from smelling. Think of it this way: you would not leave the strainer in your sink full of gunk for even a minute... why would you do it with your dishwasher?
--Know where the heating element is. Put the plastics on the top---it heats from the bottom. Capice?

Half a cup to a cup of white vinegar on a quick wash will clear out any smells, should you experience them at all.

Questions? Bring em' on. Happy to help. I'm one of those careful shoppers, too.


Just like the previous review on here, after purchasing a new fridge by Whirlpool model number WRF736SDAM13 I came to realize it seemed to be missing a shelf in the door. If you purchased this model refrigerator and feel the same way. THIS ITEM IS FOR YOU.

If you have this fridge you know that the left and right doors differ from each other. The left door contains the ice maker, ice storage, and dispenser area that opens out at the front for getting ice and water. Because this door has so much going on it offers only two door shelves and they are made much slimmer than a traditional door shelf due to the space allowed from the ice system. The right door, however, is made more traditionally and offers 3 shelves that are deep enough (front to back) to easily hold a gallon jug of milk.

But.... when you install your door shelves where you want them and step back and look you realize that the right door has a lot of dead space at the bottom as if it's missing something there. Because of how the drawer system at the bottom of the interior fridge section comes out so far there is no room there for any of the full size shelves in the door to fit that low. Not only do they stick out too far (front to back) and won't close properly due to the drawers being there, they also will not lock in place anyway.. as if the manufacturer modeled the shelf hooks this way on purpose.to prevent damage to the too wide shelf if it's forced there.

But , again, you discover that the slimmer shelves on the left side door fit in this space perfectly! the width is fine for closing properly without banging into the drawers and the shelf hooks lock in place exactly. The only problem now is that your left side door has that dead space your right side did before.

So you look around to make sure you didn't miss anything.. surely there's another shelf in the fridge box. But no.. you look online figuring you can find that there's a way to contact the store you bought it from to let them know it's missing. Only to find it's not missing at all. They didn't include the shelf on purpose. It was never meant to have this extra shelf included when it leaves the factory, despite the slim shelf fitting perfectly.

So the search begins for a way to buy one separately. And what a search it is. Believe me I've looked everywhere and this particular Amazon listing (as of July 2016 anyway) is the cheapest total for it anywhere.

You can find it at it's base price for as low as 17 dollars at special "appliance parts" websites. But it never fails that the cheaper the piece is at these places the higher the shipping and handling costs they charge you. I have never found one of these appliance sites selling a shelf for under 20 dollars where the shipping wasn't 15 dollars or more.. so you still end up paying as much at those online stores in the end as you would for this listing's base price regardless.. and of course this item can be shipped free with your Prime account or an order over $49.00 so the base price is all you would pay.

This listing had me leery of purchasing at first because of the awful picture provided by the seller (no offense to the seller but the image is hard to decipher) I knew what I needed from the shelves I already had in the fridge. And this picture just didn't look like them at all. I found another listing on here that had the correct images and was the exact same part number for the item but that listing was 10 dollars or so more. I decided to trust the original reviewer on here, along with the part numbers matching, and go for it. I purchased this cheaper option and was very glad I did as it was exactly what I needed.

So to help any future shoppers looking for this I decided to add an image to my review to give you some help in your own decision making. I take no credit for it being a 'good' image but... it gives you a much better idea of what you are purchasing than the original pic for this item.

Thanks again to the original reviewer and if you decide to purchase this enjoy your finally COMPLETE fridge.


I purchased this refrigerator brand new from Best Buy on December 28, 2014.  On April 20, 2018, upon opening the right-side refrigerator door, the top door hinge suddenly failed and the door collapsed.  I managed to catch it with both hands, prop it up, and close it, thus preventing it from falling off completely and crashing to the floor along with food, glass jars and bottles, etc.  Had I not caught the door just in time, it most certainly would've caused great damage to the door, the floor, and possible injury to myself and anyone else in the immediate area.  My greatest concern is that my 3 year-old daughter sometimes opens the fridge door and the accident could've been much worse had the hinge failed when she opened it with possible severe injury and even death!

On April 21, 2018, I brought this incident to the attention of Best Buy Geek Squad Protection hotline but to no avail.  They said that the Best Buy 3-year warranty for which I had paid $70 extra recently expired on 1/28/18.  They suggested I contact Samsung as the manufacturer of the product.  I then called Samsung and spoke to customer service.  After gathering the necessary info, the rep proceeded to inform me that the 3-year manufacturer warranty on parts was expired and that my only recourse is to pay for a service technician to come out and fix the defective part, or call the Samsung parts department, order the part, and attempt to fix the issue myself, essentially saying "you're on your own".  This proposal was unacceptable to me so I then spoke to a customer service supervisor who essentially told me the same thing.

My very last option was to send an email to the Samsung office of the president, which I did explaining the whole incident.  I received a call on April 23, 2018 from a Samsung representative responding to my email complaint.  The rep asked if there were any injuries or property damage related to the incident to which I responded that there were none.  It was essentially a "Cover Your A**" call to ensure that they had no legal liability for damages.  She then said that there was nothing Samsung was going to do to remedy the issue and that the manufacturer's warranty had expired after 1 year from date of sale, which is an even worse answer since apparently they only cover such a defect for only 1 year instead of 3 years as I was previously told by Samsung customer service.

This is a $1,800 MSRP refrigerator failing to the point where it's practically useless after only 3 years of normal use (planned obsolescence perhaps?).  To be clear, this is not an ordinary parts issue due to normal wear and tear like the seal on the door coming off or anything like that.  This is a CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ISSUE due to a MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IN THE PART.  Honestly, even if I got this fridge repaired (at my own expense), I don't feel safe using it anymore as the door failing and falling off again (or the other door failing) could very easily cause severe injury and even death to a young child.

I've since reported this incident to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and I intend to post reviews everywhere else that I can in order to warn people about this product and its potentially fatal defect.  That being said, I realize that mistakes in manufacturing can and do happen and parts can fail.  However, Samsung's response to their mistake and defect is utterly disgraceful and they should be ashamed.  I was a long time loyal customer of Samsung owning cell phones, TVs, an oven range, and a microwave but I will never buy another product from them again!  I suggest you do the same not only for the safety of your family but to send a message to giant corporations with abysmal policies and practices that they need to stand by their products and treat their customers right.  Stand by your products, Samsung, it's that simple!


Let me preface my review by saying that while I unfortunately own this range, I didn't choose it (it came with the house). I've been using it regularly for 8 months now, and there are just so many cons. Here goes:

It's small. Yes it's 30 inches wide and therefore not huge, but the design of the stove makes its usable space even smaller than necessary. For instance, the interior oven space is small. The movable racks are oddly spaced (see photo), and so even with the rack on the lowest rung, the usable oven space is not even 2 ft wide x 1 ft high. (And you can't use the lowest rung anyway, because anything you try to cook there, even at a super low temperature for barely 10 minutes, will burn. So forget about putting 2 things in the oven at once. Even if you can get them to physically fit, the one on the bottom will most certainly burn).

The varying sizes of burners is unnecessary and inconvenient (see photo, please ignore the spills as I just snapped this photo while cooking). There are 2 normal sized burners on the right. On the left, the back burner is minuscule, and I'm not sure why that's considered a good idea in the stove design world. If you want low heat/flame, just set a normal sized burner to low. It's not rocket science. The front left burner is a double ring - the inner ring (much like the back left burner), is too small to use (the only time I ever use it is to cook a single egg in a tiny pan, but again, this is something that can easily be accomplished on a normal sized burner set to low), and the larger outer ring is so massive that even with the flame at its lowest, the flames curl up around the sides of even very large pots. Not exactly great for safety. I only use the massive ring of fire when cooking with a wok, and then it's almost ok.

The height of the stove is very low, and even though I'm not exactly a giant (I'm 5'7''), I always feel like I'm hunching over when I cook (and yes, I did adjust the legs to optimize the stove height). Furthermore the location of the knobs is unnecessarily low. I need to full out bend over to see which burner I'm turning on. And forget about the handle bar - it's annoyingly low to hang a kitchen towel from.

The bottom of the range is neither a drawer nor a broiler. It's not even extra oven space. Just seems like a big waste, esp when the unit is so pressed for space to begin with.

The range has legs, and no matter how many times I check it with a level in every which direction to confirm that it's straight, I still feel like anything I cook on the front burners is about to slide off onto my legs. To be honest, I'm not sure why anyone would want a range on legs, although sure it looks all designy and everything. But the kitchen floor under it will always look dirty, unless you want to sweep it out every couple of days, and hey that's cool if that's your thing.

It's kid unsafe. As I mentioned above, the stove surface is low to the ground, and not only are the knobs ridiculously low, but they're spaced together so closely that childproof knob covers won't fit. Also, if you have kids, you really don't want this stove anyway because you can't cook or bake very much at one time with it.

The oven light doesn't come on automatically when you open the door - you need to turn it on manually. That's just annoying.

It's crazy expensive.

So here's the pro (and I tried really hard to think of more than just one): I would choose this range over an open bonfire in the woods. So it's got that going for it. Otherwise I wouldn't consider buying it unless maybe you are someone who really doesn't cook very often or ever in large quantities (i.e. no kids, no holiday hosting), you love things that look designy like legs on a range (but you also love to clean difficult to reach floor spaces), you're shorter than 5'7'', and you have extra cash to burn.


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.  I owned the previous version (GE WSLP1500JWW) for several years which I had to sell due to moving.  That model never gave an issue and work just like the day I bought it.  GE has made some minor changes to the product (new simplified display, different lint catch,  "basket clean" function added), but more or less it seems to work just like my previous model.  I will highlight my impressions here:

1. Quality build
I had a cheap Haier before I got my GE, and I honestly didn't trust it very much. I really think you get what you pay for, and with GE 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 (Awesome!!) 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.  This is a fantastic hose!

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 at 2.6).  It is rated less than the previous 2.7 version, but I think it handles exactly the same.  Again, I consider this washer to 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, it is surprisingly light (only about 100lbs). The casters are fairly decent for rolling front and back. Casters could be improved as it can be difficult to make turns.

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.
Still doesn't quite seem to fill, similar to their previous version, but I trust expertise at GE as they know alot more about washers than I ever will.
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!

NOTE: Don't be scared by the price, I found this model much cheaper at Home Depot, which also has free delivery.

5 stars! It's simply the best out there for washer-less apartments!


I did not purchase this item from Amazon - in fact, I bought a used 3-year-old machine from an individual in my local area for less than $100.  But just thought I'd add a positive review here, comment on the functionality of a 3+ year old machine, and also offer an idea to those interested in installing wheels on their machine.

Overall, I love this machine and can't believe I lived so long in a top floor apartment without purchasing one!  The unit I purchased used has some minor dings and dents in the outer casing which the seller said were there from the time he purchased it new online and removed it from the original packaging.  Also, somewhere in his three years of use, the indicator light for the "Power Wash" cycle burned out - so you have to use common sense to figure out when the machine is programmed to use "Power Wash" rather than relying on the indicator light alone (this is not hard to do).  But as far as basic function, the durability of all main components and parts, etc. - so far the machine looks to be holding up perfectly and running perfectly.  I have done 10 loads so far in the few days I've owned it - not one problem.  Only one load became unbalanced, and I think its because at the end of my 10 loads I got curious about how much the machine could really hold, and loaded a bit too many things into there :)  But even as I was doing it I knew I was pushing the limit!

Just for an idea of the machine's capacity - I was able to wash in one load:
a full set of queen sized sheets (fitted, flat, 2 pillowcases)
Two full size bath towels and two hand towels
Two days worth of women's clothing (medium) - two pairs slacks, two tops, 1 pair pajamas, and undergarments/socks

I used an HE, organic/eco-friendly detergent, and did quick washes on everything - all my items came out smelling and looking very clean.

Now, for an idea about how to put some wheels on the machine.  A word of warning - this is not a factory installation, so proceed your own risk!
I searched for the caster kit online but couldn't find them from a reliable-looking source.  The holes at the bottom of the machine for the rubber feet are 3/8" diameter.  Only the hole for the leveling leg is threaded - the others are not.
I went to a local big-box home improvement shop in my city, and though I couldn't find any 3/8" stem casters, I did find some 5/16" screw casters for $3 apiece.  I also purchased a pack of machine nuts, lock washers and flat washers for about $2.  I came home, turned my machine on its front, unscrewed the bottom panel, and took out the rubber feet.  I then installed the wheels I purchased with a flat washer on each side, and a lock washer and machine nut in the inner side.  For the leveling leg, I had to experiment a little - I added an extra nut on the outside, and had to turn the machine upright and use my level a few times before I got it to the proper height.  But these wheels are now very firmly in place on the machine.  Though the casters I purchased are not the locking type, I have a small, squre rubber mat (like a yoga mat) cut to 18"x18", that I roll the machine onto prior to running it.  I was already using this mat before the wheel install, just to cut down on vibration - but discovered that the friction of the wheels against the rubber renders the machine unable to move even during the spin cycles.  Sweet!  So, total price of my wheel install = about $14.  And if you can salvage a rubber mat, or find one for sale used at a thrift store, etc., even better.  Just an idea I thought I'd share for anyone out there interested in putting their machine on wheels.

In summary - very happy with this machine, despite some minor cosmetic flaws that seem to be a function of its 3 years of use.  Even happier now that I've got it on wheels, and was able to do so inexpensively and without having to order the parts which are hard to come by online.


I never had a stove without a range hood, but when I moved in my new house (which is actually a very old house) there were only cabinets above the stove. No hood at all. I really missed the light the most! Venting would have been very difficult as the house is made of stones, and the walls inside are concrete blocks with metal mesh holding plaster. Not a simple drywall type installation at all. So I decided a ventless hood was the best and easiest option for me. I worried that it wouldn't be effective, but it does a surprisingly good job at moving air. A little noisy, but most hoods I have ever owned were slightly noisy. There is a clip-on cover for the front little vents if you indeed have a vented option.

I did not know that hood was not shipped with the extra filter needed for ventless operation. There is a mesh cover for the fan, but it is not a filter. Further, the item amazon featured on the hood product page was NOT the one that went with this. I went to the Braun website and still was confused. I finally found the right one: it is this one:Broan #41F Range Hood Filter. There may be non-Broan brand filters available, but I wanted to be sure I got the right one, so I went with the name brand the first time. This filter is installed with the blue side next to the blade and then put the included mesh screen over that. There is a clip that holds them in place.

The hood does require hard wiring. I did not have that either!! (Why are these projects always so complicated?!!!) However, there is an item available (and noted on the Broan website) called BR-HCK44 - Range Hood Power Cord Kit.  It is "for use when hard wiring is not an option and a plug is needed." There is also a wall mounting bracket (BR-35) for installations where there is no upper cabinetry. I didn't need the bracket as I had upper cabinetry. I don't think either are available here on amazon, but just google the model number/name and you will find one. They are relatively inexpensive.

I actually had to run my new plug cord down the wall and use the outlet behind the gas stove. If you have a similar problem, here is my solution, maybe it could work for you, too. I was putting in a glass tile backsplash behind the stove anyway, and wanted wood or ceramic border to "frame" the small tiles. I figured I could use the recess of one of the trim pieces to hide the cord as it ran down the wall and then simply plug it into my grounded outlet behind my gas stove. (Most gas stoves need an outlet behind them for clocks, electric ignition, timers, oven light, etc.) I couldn't find any ceramic that worked, but instead routed out some trim molding with a dremel, tucked the cord behind that channel, and used the wood to frame my tile backsplash. The wood should be safe, it is no closer than any adjacent cabinetry would be. You can't tell there is a cord there, and it is pretty protected from bumps since it is behind the molding. (I just used little finish nails in case I need access to it in the future. I put them in the wood first so I wouldn't nick the cord.) I did need a short grounded extension, too...the add-on cord was only 3 feet long, but the ugly stuff is behind the stove. It was a tricky problem, and some of you may already have wiring in place, but just in case you run into something like I did, I thought I would post my work-around! Maybe I will post a picture of it one of these days!

One more tip...if you have to install this by yourself (like I did) it is HARD holding the thing up with one hand (and your head!) and marking the holes for drill/screws with the other! SAVE your packing box, put it on your stove and put the hood on top. It will hold your hood very close to its final position for you so you can make the marks for the screws! I think I added another little amazon box so it sat high enough. OR use the cardboard from the box to make a template for where the drill holes need to be (it is easier to hold cardboard than a range hood!)


I second every single thing that the user named "Janis" from December 2009 wrote.  I too bought a TDS meter to test the water quality.  I too was completely shocked to find that two separate GE filters removed basically nothing (or if they did remove something, they also must have added something else to the water as well like carbon from the filter, because the TDS reading was hardly less than or the same as the tap water).

Be warned: these filters are not worth the money and very well might not be doing anything to your water!  They're certainly not worth the money!

If you're interested in the details, here's the long story.  My wife had been telling me for the past couple years that the water from my GE filters tastes horrible and WAY worse than the Nestle bottled water she likes to get.  I told her I thought it tastes fine and that I could taste a slight difference between the tap and the filtered water, and so the GE filters must be doing something right.  I assumed the Nestle water just tasted different than both the tap and filtered water because of their small amount of minerals they "add for taste."

I don't like being wrong, but I'll admit I don't think I've ever been this wrong about anything in my life (and I hope my wife doesn't read this review--just kidding!).  The water here in Arizona is admittedly miserably hard (around 700PPM average from my tap).  The World Health Organization recommends no higher than 600PPM and the EPA recommends no higher than 500PPM.  The filter that had been in my refrigerator for 6 months (and that I'd been drinking from that entire time) read around 650PPM before I replaced the filter.  The new filter I had purchased to replace the old one was apparently defective and came back about 750PPM (that means it was ADDING something to the already terrible and arguably unsafe 700PPM tap water--and this is AFTER filtering through about 5 gallons of water to make sure it was broken in properly)!!!

The seller was great and filled out the GE manufacturer warranty info for me and I had a new filter is just a couple days at no additional cost.  But this filter too was far short of my expectations.  After breaking it in again with 5 gallons through it, I have not yet gotten a reading below 650PPM.  Often it is in the upper 600's or even low 700's--which is basically at the normal tap water level or just below it by a statistically insignificant amount!  Now the GE filters do seem to help the taste slightly, and I don't have the ability to verify GE's claims about removing certain specific contaminants.  But even if it does get some things out, the overall level of TDS in the water is still higher than the generally considered safe limit, and so what's the point?

Here's the shocker: I had always heard news stories about how your bottled water might not be as safe and pure as you think.  Well, every single bottle that I have tested from the case of Nestle bottled water my wife drinks has come back between 45-75PPM.  No, that's not 450-750, that's literally not a single bottle over 100PPM!  Under 50PPM is considered ideal drinking water, and under 100PPM is still great.  Over 500PPM is dangerous for long-term consumption and if my untrained understanding is correct, it also apparently makes it harder for your body to even get some of the benefits of drinking water in the short term.

My recommendation if you're concerned about actual water quality rather than just taste is to avoid these GE filters like the plague.  Buy an HM Digital TDS water meter on Amazon here (I got a cheap one for around $15 and it works great).  Test out various types of bottled waters or other cheaper filters, and then pick something long term that you're comfortable with.

As much as I hate to use up tons of plastic water bottles, the health of my family comes first and since these GE filters are so expensive to begin with it probably won't cost me that much more to just drink bottled water instead.  We'll probably experiment with buying a large bottle of distilled water with a spigot and putting it in the fridge.  But one thing is for sure, after hundreds spent on previous GE filters over the past few years, that's the last $40 filter I bought.