The World of Luxury Appliances

 

Luxury.  Premium.  Designer.  I've heard the upper-end appliance category referred to by many names.  Honestly, no one name has caught on.  I know one of my competitors calls this category "Designer".  When talking to customers, I usually say "Luxury-slash-Premium."

Regardless of the name, the above adjectives refer to a "bespoke", gourmet kitchen, the type of kitchen you might see in movies or television dramas set in Park avenue apartments or oversized homes set back in affluent beach towns or suburbs.

A typical luxury kitchen will consist of a built-in refrigerator, a professional-looking stainless steel range, a powerful and stylish venthood over the stove, and a nearly silent dishwasher.  In addition, extra amenities such as microwave drawers, built-into-a-cabinet wine coolers or beverage centers, warming drawers, steam ovens, and even a clear-ice maker.  Possibilities are almost endless - and here I'm only focusing on the appliance segment; I'm not going to touch such uber amenities as pot fillers, undermounted sinks, built-in audio, and so on.

What do you gain from spending on such a beautiful kitchen?

Well, first and foremost, there's the "Wow!" factor.  A seven-foot-tall refrigerator that's nearly flush with your cabinet, or that impressive oversized range, will always catch the eye of anyone visiting!  (In addition, luxury appliances can only increase resale value and turnover.)

Superior performance:  Refrigerators keep temperature more even and can help extend the shelf life of perishables.  Ranges will have burners that boil water more rapidly than conventional stoves, but can also reduce the burner flame down to lower temperatures that maintain a delicate simmer  Ovens maintain temperature extremely evenly, and use larger convection fans that allow you to do multiple items at the same time.  Dishwashers clean without prewashing and can be almost inaudible.

Convenience:  The taller, shallower depth of a built-in refrigerator allows you to organize and find food more easily - no more shuffling items around to find that leftover chicken in the far back of the fridge!  Stove tops have rounded cooking areas to make spill cleanup easier.  Vent hoods have dishwasher-safe baffle filters, similar to restaurant filters, instead of mesh filters.

Peace of mind:  Most of these pieces will have enhanced manufacturer warranties.

This all sounds wonderful, right?  It does to me.  Unfortunately, these pieces would not fit in my kitchen. 

In addition to being able to budget for these more expensive appliances, one does have to have a sufficiently large kitchen.  Many newer homes, with expanded kitchen space and open-floor plans, can accommodate these pieces.  Older or smaller homes can be challenged.

To give you an example of what you can do, I've put together a luxury kitchen. I'll use the Thermador brand throughout. (Most of the time you'll find yourself keeping all the appliances the same brand, and there are advantages to this - which I'll get to in a moment.)

Lets's start with a 48" French Door refrigerator in stainless steel.  We'll skip the external ice and water dispenser - we still get an icemaker inside the freezer and a fourth drawer, however. (#T48BT120NS)

 https://www.mannystv.com/products/Thermador/the/t48bt120ns.html

If your kitchen isn't THAT huge, no worries! We can get this same unit in a 42" or 36" wide configuration.

Let's add a range that would make a professional chef proud!  We'll go all out and get their 48" all-gas Pro Harmony range with 6 star-shaped burners, the lowest simmer temperature in the industry, and a built-in griddle #PRG486WDH) 

https://www.mannystv.com/products/Thermador/the/prg486wdh.html

Over this massive range, we don't dare skimp on a vent hood and powerful blower.  How powerful, you ask, for your home?  I'll leave that discussion for our sales professionals, but suffice to say that these powerful ranges put out a lot of heat, and you do want to be sure to have a blower in your hood that is up to the task!

For purposes of this example, we'll use a chimney-style hood with an internally mounted 1000 cfm (cubic feet per minute) blower that will duct up above your ceiling and then out:(#PH48HWS, with blower VTN2FZ) 

https://www.mannystv.com/products/Thermador/the/ph48hws.html

https://www.mannystv.com/products/Thermador/the/vtn2fz.html

Finally, Thermador makes a wonderful dishwasher (FYI, Bosch is the parent company of Thermador, and is well known for the quality of their dishwashers in a variety of prices!).  Nothing overly fancy here; the #DWHD640WFP model gives you three racks of capacity, along with thorough and quiet perfomance.

https://www.mannystv.com/products/Thermador/the/dwhd640efp.html

Ok, one more piece. My wife has always wanted a wine fridge in the kitchen, so we're going to add a built-in 24" wine cooler with UV-resistant glass and two temperature zones: (#T24UW905RP)

https://www.mannystv.com/products/Thermador/the/t24uw905rp.html

As far as pricing goes, you'll find that most luxury level brands have a universal price policy (similar to an iPhone).  Remember back when I mentioned that most customers keep the appliances the same brand?  The reason is that instead of discounting prices for the main items (refrigerator and range), most luxury brands will offer free or extremely discounted prices on the vent hoods, dishwasher, and secondary refrigerators.  

In our example here, you would pay the normal retail price for the fridge and range, but would receive the dishwasher and vent hood absolutely free!  Most of these luxury brands have promotions similar in spirit to the Thermador promotion - again, our sales staff will be glad to walk you through the specifics.

Finally, remember this is just an example.  As you can see from the pictures I've posted here, possibilities are almost endless.

We almost never put together the same kitchen twice!

Purchasing, delivering, and installing these high-end appliances can be very detail-oriented.  You'll want to be sure to take some time planning out your kitchen.  I also suggest that you sit down with a sales professional (such as we have here at Manny's!) who can help guide you through what can be a complicated process.

I realize this type of kitchen isn't for everyone.  Having said that, if  you are in the market to make a luxury statement with your kitchen, please reach out to the sales consultants in any of our thirteen showrooms.  We can help you put together the kitchen of your dreams!

Is It Time to Upgrade Your Kitchen?

The other afternoon I was about to sit down and finish this latest post to my blog when a tractor trailer showed up from our distributor with fifty more appliances to be sold in our new Westfield scratch and dent outlet center. 

That's right - fifty! - of all different models and types. This particular trailer was all General Electric pieces that had been returned to our distributor for one reason or another.  Our next trailer -who knows?  It could be a single brand such as LG, or it could be a mixture.  Each week more appliances keep pouring in, keeping our new showroom stocked

The reason for the returns are as varied as the pieces we've been selling so far.  We have everything from no-fits to items with dented rears or sides (if it's a fridge or range, who knows? - the dented side just might be the side concealed in your house, condo, or apartment), to distressed boxes to misorders.  And just like 99% of the other pieces that have been flying out of Westfield, these appliances come with warranties (as well as the option of protecting your purchase with an extended warranty.)

We've been pricing all our scratch-and-dent merchandise at 30-50% below regular retail.  Yes!! We're excited about this new opportunity for you to save significant $$, and for us to clear out some of our mistakes!

(Note! On some "harder to move" items such as vent hoods, wall ovens, and micro trimkits, in many cases we've gone below 50% off!!)

So, if you're in Western Massachusetts,  Northern Connecticut, or even in the central part of Mass., and are in the market to save some significant dollars, give us a try here in Westfield.  New product is arriving as quickly as older items are leaving!

Now, I've devoted quite a bit of blog space to scratch-and-dent merchandise the last couple of months.  I don't want to ignore the rest of our appliance business however.   

With spring -finally!!- approaching, a lot of people start thinking about moving, remodeling, or maybe just upgrading some tired appliances to freshen up their kitchen.  Here at Manny's we can help you choosing a new kitchen appliance suite.  We can also supplement our advice with aggressive pricing as well as manufacturer's rebates worth hundreds of dollars (often these rebates are not offered by the Big Box behemoth stores, by the way!)

I'm going to put together three kitchens.  The first offers a four-piece suite for under $2000, ideal for rentals, apartments, or starter homes.  The second suite offers a nice upgrade to appliances with more contemporary features and style, but still only about $3000 (and quite a bit less once you submit the rebates!)  The third is a more upscale kitchen, to give you an example of what we can offer someone who invests a lot of time and attention to their kitchen.

I'm also including links to each product in case you'd like to explore any item's features in greater depth.

Also, To keep the upgrades clearer, I'm going to stay with the Frigidaire brand.  I can, of course, show similar savings on our other brands as well.

First, a perfectly useful, Frigidaire brand basic kitchen in white. 

This suite offers an efficient top-freezer refrigerator with glass shelves, a smoothtop range with an extra-large oven, an efficient dishwasher, and a companion over-the-range microwave:

Top freezer    FFTR1835VW  $649   https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/fftr1835vw.html

Electric manual clean range  FCRE3052BW $629  https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/fcre3052bw.html

24" dishwasher  FDPC4221AW   $319  https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/fdpc4221aw.html

Over-the-range microwave  FMOS1764BW  $249   https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/fmos1746bw.html

Total $1846

Next, we step up to "Frigidaire Gallery". 

Our appliances go from white to the more modern stainless steel.  We upgrade from a top-freezer model refrigerator to a larger, more contemporary French door unit with an icemaker.  We add self-cleaning and a convection/air-fry feature to the range. The dishwasher gets quieter, and adds a stainless steel interior, Finally, we give the over-range microwave with cleaner, more contemporary look and stronger exhaust fan:

French door fridge, internal icemaker   FRFN2813AF  $1449   https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/frfn2813af.html

Air Fry range  FCRE3083AS  $799   https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/fcre3083as.html

Stainless steel interior dishwasher  FDSH4501AS  $599   https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/fdsh4501as.html

Stainless front over-range microwave FMOS1852AS  $299  

https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/fmos1846bs.html

Total $3146 - plus $400 in rebates available only to independent retailers!

Finally, let's "step up" to a "Frigidaire Professional" suite!  

Let's make the refrigerator counter-depth, and add a fourth drawer and an ice/water dispenser.  Let's lose the back of the stove to create a more "built-in" look, and add a super-fast induction cooktop to the rangetop.  We'll get a quieter dishwasher and add a third rack.  Finally, we upgrade the microhood to a convection/micro combo unit, giving you that second oven when needed:

Counter-depth French door four-door fridge with ice and water dispenser  PRMC2285AF  $2599   https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/prmc2285af.html

Slide-in induction range  PCFI3080AF  $2899   https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/pcfi3080af.html

Stainless interior three-rack dishwasher  PDSH4816BF  $899 

https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/pcfi3080af.html

Over the range air fry/convection/micro combo   PMOS1980AF  $799  https://www.mannystv.com/products/Frigidaire/frig/pmos1980af.html

Total $7196, and that's before $850 in rebates ($450 nationally, but also $400 exclusive to independent retailers!!)

Now these kitchens are only examples, and we can always tweak the packages to your specific wants.  (We also have similar kitchens in other major lines such as Whirlpool, GE, and LG.)

Here at Manny's our sales professionals are happy to discuss your plans, make suggestions that fit your visions, and present you with fair pricing.  We can deliver your product if needed, and can service your products after the sale.   

With the opening of our two newest stores last year in Pittsfield MA and Middletown CT (formerly Mike's Maytag and Portland Electric, respectively) we now have thirteen showrooms you can shop at your convenience.

If you've been a Manny's customer in the past, we thank you.  Please continue to keep us in mind next time you're in the market for a new kitchen appliance or washer/dryer.

If you haven't shopped with us before, why not give us a try?  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Our New Scratch And Dent Outlet Is Here!!

Sometimes we here at Manny's make mistakes.  After all, we're human.

Sometimes we get to a customer's house and uncrate a stove, only to discover the top is smashed in, rendering the stove unusable.

Sometimes we deliver a giant French door refrigerator to a customer's house, only to find we are unable to get the unit through their kitchen doorway.

Sometimes we deliver an electric dryer, only to find out the customer actually needed a gas-powered dryer.

All these and other scenarios happen from time to time.  So what do we do next?

Well, first of all we take care of our customer - of course!  We do what we have to in order to address and correct the problem, and we do that as quickly as we can.

But! - Once our customer is satisfied, we still have that original appliance to deal with. Keep in mind that Manny's now has thirteen locations, as well as a growing Internet business.  Multiply those occasional misfires by seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year, and all of a sudden we find ourselves with a bulging surplus of appliances in dire need of new homes.

Our solution:  Our new Scratch and Dent Outlet, just to the right of our Westfield location. 

(Just a couple of months ago, I wrote an entire blog devoted to the different types of open-box merchandise.  I will reprint some of that blog at the end of this entry, but suffice to say that the term "scratch and dent" doesn't do many of these pieces justice.)

Let me share an example of just how these pieces can find a home in a new kitchen:  

This past Saturday afternoon I was helping a young couple put together an appliance package for their newly remodeled kitchen. (I happen to work in the Westfield store, by the way.)  As they perused different French door models, trying to decide on the look, features, and size that fit their vision, we came across a Kitchenaid four-door French door refrigerator in our scratch and dent room.  Why was it there?  We attempted to deliver the fridge only to discover the unit wouldn't fit through a kitchen door.  We put it back in the box and returned it to our warehouse.  Shortly, and I mean just a few days later, that particular model was discontinued when the manufacturer had put out a new, very similar model, with a few minor tweaks to the interior.  

Unfortunately for us, we were no longer able to return this piece to Kitchenaid.  The result: my customer was able to save about 40% off the original price of this unit, which was exactly what they were looking for, and with the full manufacturer's warranty!

Now, granted, not all these pieces are as pristine as that $2300 refrigerator.  We do have units with dents and scratches, as well as units that had to be repaired (and tested!) in Westfield.  We are discounting these pieces aggressively - we want to find them a good home!!

We've been hard at work in recent weeks prepping our new showroom for business. Work has progressed rapidly!

Just this past week our warehouses began shipping truckloads of appliances to Westfield, with many additional truckloads waiting their turn.  Come in and check the outlet store out - we have items in many different sizes and price categories.  In addition to the most popular kitchen categories (fridge, range, dishwasher),  we have dozens of vent hoods (I haven't even begun pricing these yet!), as well as a good supply of wall ovens in various widths.  We even have a few wine coolers, as well as a couple of those giant 84" tall built-in refrigerators available.  

In closing, come on in and check us out!  If we don't have exactly what you're looking for, we just might tomorrow or next week! (and if open box isn't your cup of tea, you can always check out our more traditional Westfield showroom as well).

(Here's my recently posted description of the different types of open-box pieces you'll find in our new showroom:)

In a lot of instances, buying "open box" can be a win-win.  There are many reasons for us to mark down an open box appliance on our showroom floor:

One washer might have had a minor problem. After we exchange the model for our customer, our service department repairs the unit and checks it out for resale. It makes its way back to a showroom (usually, but not always, our Westfield MA location), where it is sold at an appropriate discount and with a full warranty.

Another washer might simply have been a mis-order (yes, being humans, we do sometimes make mistakes!). Since that unit is now out of its original box, we can't sell it as "brand new".  We discount the product, which can make for a great deal for a customer who doesn't mind the fact that the box is gone.

Other items might be "open box" because of a size issue (despite our best efforts to anticipate, sometimes a 28 cubic foot behemoth of a French Door refrigerator simply doesn't fit through a doorway).  Or perhaps the side or front of a range is dented.  If our customer preferred a new delivery vs. taking a damage allowance, we will bring that original piece to a sales floor (again, usually but not always Westfield) and sell it at an appropriate discount.

Sometimes a certain model simply becomes discontinued.  When this happens we will sell off our display piece with a nice discount.  We like to keep our showrooms "fresh"!