Common Questions about the Care and Maintenance of today's appliances

Appliances have evolved over the years!  

If you haven't been in the market for, say, a range or dishwasher in many years you will undoubtedly find that 2025 era appliances will differ - in some cases markedly! - from your existing piece.

I'm going to discuss a few of the most common questions (or criticisms; the attitude toward change for one person can sometimes be the opposite of another's reaction) I get when I'm speaking with a customer looking to replace an older appliance.

Let's take a modern gas range.

Larger oven capacities, more powerful burners, better simmering - there are a lot of very positive features on today's gas stoves!  You will also find that pretty much all gas ranges use cast-iron grates, as opposed to the porcelain covered grates of yesteryear.  The reason:  the porcelain coating tended to chip easily.  Cast iron can't chip, and won't rust if taken care of properly.  

"old style", porcelain coated grates

So how does one take care of their cast iron grates?

Per Maytag, follow the two steps below.

STEP 1: REMOVE THE GRATES AND SCRUB THEM

Make sure the grates are cool before removing them. Scrub them gently with a non-abrasive scrubbing pad or cloth and mildly abrasive cleaner or soap. Don’t worry about using water and cleaners on cast iron grates; they are mainly for heat conduction and durability, so they don’t need to be treated like a cast-iron pan for cooking

STEP 2: PUT GRATES IN THE DISHWASHER, IF NECESSARY

Many gas stove grates are dishwasher-safe, but check your oven’s owner’s manual before placing them in the dishwasher. If you’re washing them in the dishwasher, make sure to place the grates in the lower rack and select the most aggressive cycle. Scrubbing the grates by hand ahead of time can improve the cleaning process.

I think you'll find these grates will "age" better than the porcelaing grates.  They also tend to thicker and heavier, adding to the stove's apperance.

Next, let's take a look at today's dishwashers. 

 

Historically, US dishwasher used a mini-disposal built into the bottom of the dishwasher to trap, grind, and eventually flush out debris. Nowadays, nearly all units utilize a cleanable filter system, something along the lines of the dryer lint filters we've always used. The idea of using a filter vs. a disposal in a dishwasher isn't new; European based brands such as Bosch and Miele have always employed filters in their units. 

These filters are quieter, and effectively trap food particles that are non-soluble.

(An aside here: I hope you aren't still prewashing your dishes if you have recently purchased a dishwasher!! Between the higher wash temperatures that are acheived and the filtering of food particles, today's machines will do a better job than you can do hand-washing, and the water savings is huge!  As I mentioned in a past blog (10-18-23; "What's new with today's dishwashers?") you use more water in 90-120 seconds of hand washing than today's ultra-water stingy models use through the entire cycle!)

filter in GE dishwasher

Above is a picture of the filter in my own dishwasher.  Unlike a dryer filter which needs to be cleaned after every load, you'll want to clean your dishwasher's once every three to four weeks (more or less, depending on usage) to maximize the machine's cleaning performance.

What's the best way to do this?  I defer to this article from Bosch.  While every brand's filter is a little bit different, the principles are the same:

https://www.bosch-home.com/us/owner-support/get-support/support-selfhelp-dishwashers-cleaning-dishwasher-filter

 

Finally, let's address the inside of your microwave. 

inside of over-range microwave

Whether you have an over-the-range venting microwave, or one that sits on the counter or shelf, cleaning the inside is really easy.

Did you know that you can steam the built-up debris that adheres to your microwave cavity by simply boiling a cup of water for 2-4 minutes?  (To be truthful, I only learned this a few years ago!)  This really does work; the steam loosens the built up food splatters to the point that you can wipe them off with a damp cloth.

I'm attaching a link from Whirlpool which expands on this procedure, and also gives advice on how to clean the micro's turntable.

https://www.whirlpool.com/blog/kitchen/how-to-clean-a-microwave.html

I hope some of the you find these suggestions useful.  If you have questions regarding the care and maintenance of your appliances, please reach out to any of our eleven stores (phone numbers and address are listed on the front page of our website, immediately to the left of the link for the blog you're currently reading), or reach out to me via email.