Kitchen appliances, asking for advice.

Hello nordanney,

great - thank you very much for your effort!

For the refrigerator, we really want that retro look. That’s why Geronje is also suggested as a model. The Samsung is already very modern and we don’t like those big silver cabinets.

Regarding the cooktop you sent (Neff TT5486). According to Amazon, there is a significantly higher sensitivity to scratches criticized. Is this problem “normal” with induction cooktops compared to ceramic?

The Siemens 90 cm (LC98KA671) range hood looks quite good in terms of specifications.

The Bosch oven also makes a very good impression visually. I actually like it even better than the Siemens one I mentioned. However, I seem to remember that the Siemens is supposed to cost around 1000 EUR (currently “on offer”) and a comparable Bosch (preferably black & with pyrolysis) costs 1700 EUR!? That’s why we decided on the Siemens.

Regarding the dishwasher:
I had also read that zeolite is highly recommended and if you buy a dishwasher now, this technology should be used. Unfortunately, many problems are also found – just as you described (dishes not drying properly).

As for the various brands, I was similarly minded like “alter0029,” but Neff, Siemens and Bosch are basically the same “company” (BSH), right?

You are so quick with your replies... thanks!


Thanks for the tip about pyrolysis + the silicone pads. Whether the Siemens we currently chose has all the stuff you mentioned, I can’t really say at the moment. I haven’t looked into it in detail yet. Only that the model has Wi-Fi stuck in my mind... ... but we actually don’t need that.

Cooktop:
We had to realize that we currently hardly have any suitable pots. We would have to change that. There are also cooktops that automatically recognize which shape you use. We were really a bit “overwhelmed” with the new technology, although I am actually technically proficient – just not in the kitchen.
The question is whether too many extras really make things easier or if you might even be overwhelmed. Although you surely get the hang of it over time...

Best regards & thanks!
Gatho

Regarding the cooktop you sent (Neff TT5486). According to Amazon, a significantly higher scratch sensitivity is criticized there. Is this problem "normal" for induction cooktops compared to ceramic?

Only if you have sand grains under the pots. The cooktop is completely unproblematic. I find that induction even stays cleaner and tidier because it is almost impossible to burn something onto the cooktops.

The Bosch oven also makes a very good impression visually. I really like it even better than the Siemens one I mentioned. However, I seem to remember that the Siemens is supposed to cost around 1000 EUR (currently "on offer") and a comparable Bosch (preferably black & with pyrolysis) costs 1,700 EUR!? That's why we decided on the Siemens.

The Bosch in Volcano black is around 900 EUR. Much cheaper in stainless steel. WLAN is a nice gimmick (for example, you are in the garden and the smartphone tells you that the cake – measured by the humidity sensor – is done). Nice to have.

As for the various brands, I was also similarly minded as "alter0029," but Neff, Siemens, and Bosch are the same "company" (BSH), right?

Yes. But there are other brands included, e.g., Constructa and Gaggenau.

@nordannay The Bosch oven you mentioned (HBG676EB6) I strangely only find on the Bosch-Austria site. However, it does not have pyrolysis!? On the German site, I found the following Bosch (black + pyrolysis): HBG675BB1, but it has fewer features.

Regarding the cooktop you sent (Neff TT5486). According to Amazon, there are significant complaints about increased scratch sensitivity. Is this issue "normal" for induction cooktops compared to ceramic?

Regarding the dishwasher:
I had also read that zeolite is highly recommended, and if you buy a dishwasher now, this technology should be used. Unfortunately, you also find many problems – just as you described (dishes don’t dry properly).

I remember that friends of ours were very careful not to spill salt/sugar or similar when cooking with ceramic, as this could burn in or cause scratches (however, we didn’t pay much attention to this with ceramic ourselves, and the cooktop was still working after 13 years).
The issue of burning in cannot happen with induction, as heating is done only on a magnetic basis through the induction coils. So if salt/sugar is not under the pot, it cannot heat up.

I can’t currently say whether the Siemens we chose can do all the bells and whistles you mentioned. I haven’t really looked into the details yet. Only that the model has Wi-Fi stuck in my mind… but we actually don’t need that.

I went by a picture of the stove on the Siemens homepage. There is a dish or something shown on the central display. From that, I suppose the oven might have this function.

Cooktop:
We had to realize that we currently hardly have suitable pots. So we would have to change that. There are also cooktops that automatically recognize which shape you are using.

The first tip we got for this: Take a magnet and test the bottom of your pots. If the magnet sticks, you can continue to use the pots.
Yes – most induction cooktops have pot recognition. However, I can’t estimate if you put a 20 cm pot on a 32 cm plate and cook there – does the 32 cm plate then consume more power than if you put the pot on a 20 cm plate right away.

We were really somewhat "overwhelmed" by the new technology, although I am actually tech-savvy – but not in the kitchen.
The question is whether too many extras really make things easier, or if you even get overwhelmed. Although you surely get the hang of it over time...

You generally get along very quickly with the technology. It’s an everyday thing. But there are certainly many functions that you bought in the end but don’t really use. So the question always arises about the added value of the bells and whistles. If it doesn’t cost (much) more – sure you can take it. But if you have to pay 100 euros++ for it – why?


Ah – OK. This Wi-Fi function makes sense. I set a "phone alarm" in the garden and then test it.

About the dishwasher:
I had also read that zeolite is highly recommended and if you buy a dishwasher now, this technology should be used. Unfortunately, there are also many problems – just as you described (dishes do not dry properly).

We have had a Siemens zeolite model for 1.5 years. We have never had such clean and dry dishes, including plastic.

We have had a Siemens zeolite model for 1.5 years. We have never had such clean and dry dishes, including plastic.

And how does it look from the cost side? In another discussion, while searching for "material for this," I read that for zeolite there are probably costs of €0.21 per wash compared to €0.22 per wash for a normal machine. That means an extra cost of €100 would only be recouped after 10,000 washes. Have you looked at the costs yourself and can confirm or refute this?

(By the way, I also don't look at the cost of the dishwasher.)