Appliances

A few weeks ago, our dishwasher broke. Before I go on, I recognize how giant of a first-world problem this is, but I'm used to having it so when it broke down, I broke down too!

Then last week, I attempted to replace the vent to our dryer after being terrified by an online article about the fire hazards of dryers, but ran into problems with the vent cover outside. While I was waiting for the appropriate labourer (ahem, husband) to fix it, I decided to use the clothes line. It rained every single day last week! The laundry pile grew and grew. And then, this week, our washing machine broke.

It's like a series of signs from the Pioneer gods. "For goodness sake, woman, figure it out. We washed our clothes in a bucket outside with our hands. The only dryer we had was the sun, and if it didn't shine, too bad. Dishwasher? We had one of those. Her name was Mom!"

I get it, we're spoiled. But last year when our refrigerator broke down and we went 18 days in August without one, I got a taste or the life of our forefathers and mothers. And I didn't like it!

I saw this article recently about how France enacted a law stating that appliance manufacturers have to tell customers how long a product will actually last before they buy it,  so obviously I'm not the only one with appliance woes.

Then I read this article about trendy appliances and their poor ratings. I know when we went out to buy a new vacuum a few years ago, we were romanced by Dyson and all the claims they made, but after quite a bit of research, found that the reviews for Dysons are actually pretty bad. Same with the super sexy washer/dryers that come in gorgeous jewel tones and promise to do everything include make dinner. What I found particularly interesting was that despite the quality concerns many people had with the trendier products, they are still the most likely to be recommended. Does that mean our society is in fact more concerned with aesthetics than with quality?

Tell me, if there's one appliance you couldn't give up, what would it be? Fridge, washer, coffee maker? What are some personal favourite brands and products? I'd love to know.