Once we are finished paying for a wedding and paying for the last bachelor’s degree, we want to buy some new kitchen appliances. So, looking at next fall but thinking about it now. They all work, and are currently all white. The replacement priority would be the stove and microwave.
My question: I’ve always stayed with white, but am considering black or stainless steel with an eye towards eventual resale (could be many years from now, who knows). Is it worth it to get non-white appliances? Are they more expensive?
If I went with non-white, I’d also be replacing a newer dishwasher and functioning fridge - since I would not like to see mismatched colors. My kitchen cabinets are quality oak, and the floor is LVP that looks like hardwood, so black or SS would not look out of place. But my counter tops are laminate from the 90s lol.
Our 30-somethings all purchased houses in the past 2-3 years, and white kitchen appliances were a big turnoff for all of them. They don’t like them, and consider those a future replacement expense.
We just updated our kitchen, and had white dw/fridge and a stainless oven. (with a white hood, bc reasons). Since we had the 80’s maple fussy cabinets and soffit replaced with ceiling height white Shaker cabinets, even I could see that white appliances were a bit much. We replaced the dishwasher with stainless, and when the fridge dies, we’ll replace that with stainless or gray. And yes, stainless shows fingerprints. I just close my eyes and carry on
Stainless probably has higher resale value if that’s a consideration, maybe ask a local real estate agent?
If you are going to live there for another 10- 20 years, get what you like most.
Many moons ago we had stainless steel panels custom cut for a white fridge that we didn’t want to replace. Looked great, wasn’t expensive.
Evidently there is also liquid stainless steel that one can use to ‘paint’ many appliances…I haven’t used that but could be something else to look into.
If you are looking to sell, people will moreso think - these people put in quality.
And it’s not just the material but the brand too.
Get a Bosch dishwasher - they make inexpensive ones but it says - they got the best.
A kitchen aid vs a whirlpool, etc. a sub zero of course if you can.
But find higher level brands - they’re mostly built by the same people but higher level brands make a ‘better’ impression at sale time - and likely don’t cost that much more.
For me the easiest one to rule out is black. Depends on your style and current other finishes in your kitchen/home but black would never be my choice. I also think if you’re not getting top of the line appliances that black (especially the pebbly sides like on a refrigerator) can look cheap.
The last 10-15 years I’ve replaced with stainless. I might give the nod to white now though.
This week both my dishwasher and microwave died, when I went looking for replacement I found very few white options. Lowe’s for instance only had 1 white microwave in store (they did have a couple of white online but I like to see what I’m buying) and only 3 white dishwashers. I think I’m forced to get Stainless steel. I will replace the oven next year to match and I might cover or paint the fridge. (It’s covered in travel fridge magnets anyway so the white is not as noticeable.
We had the kitchen updated once we realized that our former layout limited any new refrigerator purchase. I literally could only find 2 that fit the space – and that’s fine for two empty nesters, but a family of 4 would want a contemporary sized fridge. The update created a space that a new one will fit, so our old fridge is there, swimming in extra space
I didn’t think I’d like stainless (fingerprints!!!) but the smudge-proof (or whatever it’s called) has been wonderful. It’s more a pewter/gray and I really like it. The appliances don’t stick out like sore thumbs and it feels modern.
We actually like black. Our counters are a black blend, and black looks best with our wood cabinets. But the new black is usually black stainless, which I think looks great, but would NOT recommend. The finish appears to scratch easily. New black refrigerators also rarely have black sides, which depending on layout could be prominent.
You need to be careful with white and stainless as well. If you mix manufacturers, the finish can be different enough to be noticed.
White appliances are back in style with a caveat, there is not much available at the mid-price range. Basic low-end models can be ordered through home improvement and big box stores. If you want high-end, you will need to shop at appliance stores catering to the luxury and designer markets.
Was going to add that currently there seems to be plenty of white available since its currently “in”. And you don’t have to replace all at once. No one cares if yours are mismatched until you are ready to sell. IMO stainless is more universal.
Are your stove/microwave one unit? Built in? There are some great options for microwaves that also function as ultima cook and convection. Very handy. Are you getting gas or induction? And as for brands, there are plenty of good quality brands. Whirlpool makes/owns Maytag, JennAir, KitchenAid, Amana, etc. GE makes GE profile, Cafe, and the parent company also owns Haier, and in the US, Hotpoint.
A number of friends and relatives have discovered that “stainless” isn’t necessarily on the fronts of their fridges…no magnets will stick there at all. It’s not the right kind of stainless steel…or it’s not stainless at all. BUT their magnets stick to the sides of the fridge!
Same here. I wanted a white fridge when ours died but the dearth of options led us to a “stainless” scratch and dent model at a reasonable price. Magnets stick just fine so I have no idea what it actually is. Looks stainless enough. Now, when we sell do I have to change out my other appliances to match? Probably not going to do it…
I needed to replace a dishwasher that failed during the supply chain shortages. I was able to buy a low end Bosch in white, but it took several weeks before it got delivered. Installation required adapting the power (old was hardwired), water supply (old was not long enough for the location of the new dishwasher’s connection), and drain (different). Washing is effective and efficient on both energy and water, but drying seems less effective.
We have custom panel fronts for our fridge and dishwasher. When we bought the house 25+ years ago there was already a Sub Zero, which died while we were working on redoing the cabinets – but keeping the same footprint. I really love the look.
I’ve found we need to replace microwaves more often than any other kitchen appliance, and sizes tend to change. We replaced the built-in with a cabinet that has a lift up hinge. Also did the same thing with the toaster/tea kettle cabinet. I’m a fan of very little kitchen counter clutter.
We have an eclectic kitchen. We have white corian countertops, huge stainless drainboard and sink, stainless new dishwasher, built-in black oven, stainless built-in microwave above oven, black cooktop, white fridge and white washer & dryer all in kitchen. We also have white wooden cabinets. It works for us.
