5 Appliances That Are Worth The Splurge
Spending cash on expensive items can be an unnerving process. Consumers buy things on a daily basis, but when it comes to replacing appliances, the purchases feel like a much weightier decision. After all, these additions to the home should last a decade or longer in most instances, according to Magnet. Making the right decision on a replacement fridge or coffee machine is something that can infuse a long-term benefit and lifestyle improvement into your daily routine and home — in contrast, a poor choice may haunt you for the duration.
Splurges are often associated with discretionary spending on entertainment, relaxation products, and other things that improve the lifestyle of a homeowner (or renter). Yet, a splurge purchase on an appliance that will remain a staple of your daily routine can make the same impact, if not a greater one!
Identifying a few key areas to boost your budget to the max when targeting new home appliances can make for a totally revamped experience in your home for a lengthy future term. Consider these five appliances to double down on when it comes time to purchase a replacement for your property.
Refrigerator
The refrigerator is one of the most obvious appliances in any home. Refrigerators typically last about 10 years before they require a replacement (via Magnet), although good maintenance and some good luck can extend this lifespan slightly.
Your refrigerator does a considerable amount of work, and often these tasks are completed without notice. Unlike many of the other appliances in the modern home, refrigerators aren't actively used in the same sense as a dishwasher or dryer. Instead, homeowners rely on their fridges to continue normal operation at all times and without sound, incident, or fault. A fridge is plugged into the wall outlet and left alone to perform its duty while residents open and close the door to store and access their groceries.
Fridges, like other appliances, grow significantly in functionality and energy efficiency throughout the years, and a fridge that you'd buy today is miles ahead, technologically, of the old model you are replacing. Splurging on a state-of-the-art fridge that incorporates ample freezer space, nuanced and adjustable temperature settings, smart connectivity features, and more can give you the ultimate experience in any kitchen.
Dishwasher
Your dishwasher is a workhorse in the kitchen, and one that often goes underappreciated. According to Cascade, washing dishes by hand commands an average of 30 minutes per day. That's half an hour that you can save on a daily basis by loading up the dishwasher and letting it run overnight rather than cleaning all your dishes by hand in the evenings.
In the same way that modern fridges are far more energy efficient than older models, the same is true for the dishwasher in your home. A new dishwasher that incorporates an eco mode can save as much as 20% on the total energy required to run a cycle and clean the dishes (via Finish). Choosing a more costly model will therefore end up paying for itself over the following years if you use the appliance responsibly and intelligently. Using an eco setting is great for your monthly expense management, but it's also beneficial for the environment and your local community. Increasing your budget by a small margin to bring in a state-of-the-art dishwasher is just a common sense move when it comes time to replace this asset in the kitchen.
Water heater
According to Consumer Reports, the cost to heat water in the home amounts to around 20% of the total energy spent throughout the year. As a result of new daily patterns coming out of the coronavirus pandemic, homeowners are using the water, electricity, and space of their homes more often than ever before. The drain on your hot water reserves is likely substantial (whether your typical time spent at home has skyrocketed or not). Consumer Reports notes that a family of four typically uses about 100 gallons of hot water each day.
Considering your typical usage habits can help make sense of this purchase, and in reality, is a crucial component of the research here because the specifics of various models can diverge greatly. Water heaters make use of sensors and timers to turn on and off the heating element, so investigating your family's morning usage (for instance) and comparing this draw against the first-hour rating of water heaters can help you narrow down the available options and select the perfect heater for your needs. No one wants to take a cold shower, so matching a heater with your morning, afternoon, and evening hot water requirements is crucial to maintaining an enjoyable living space for everyone at home.
Cooking appliances (oven and stove)
Cooking, in general terms, is an essential feature of any fully functional home. Statista reports that in 2019, 33% of adults in the United States cooked more than five times per week while 37% cooked between three and five times. This makes up a significant portion of the population and suggests that Americans remain highly interested in routinely providing sustenance for themselves rather than relying on takeout meals or dining in restaurants — one of the worst ways to spend your money, according to Mel Magazine.
Investing in high-quality cooking appliances gives you enhanced control over the cooking process and can improve the enjoyment you take from this task. Many people enjoy preparing meals and indulging in their own creations at the end of the food preparation process, and yet many others see this simply as a chore that must be completed. Improving the appliances that you use can immediately impact the way that you see and experience the cooking process in your home.
Modern stovetops often make use of both gas heating elements and electric cooking surfaces, while ovens have normalized convection heating, dual cooking spaces, and more. How Stuff Works notes that dual ovens and keep warm functions are great additions to any kitchen that serves a household that's constantly on the go.
Washing machine
Just like every other appliance on this list, the washing machine is something that modern households simply can't live without. That being said, replacing an older washing machine with a new model can be a challenging process. There are so many features and optional additions within the field of washer units that selecting essentials and weeding out gimmicky features that aren't necessary (while adding to the cost of the purchase) can be a challenge for any buyer.
AO notes that energy efficiency remains a constant essential for washing machines (alongside many other appliances that you may be scouring the market for a great deal on). An energy-efficient washing machine can clean your clothing with less water and electricity usage, and these models often provide the longest lifespan as well. AO suggests purchasing a washer with an energy rating of C or better (A, B, or C) for the best cost savings and longevity factors.