Tired of kitchen appliances breaking down when you need them the most? There’s nothing worse than having guests over (hungry ones at that) and having the air fryer or rice cooker malfunctioning!
We’ve definitely had our share of disappointing appliances (we won’t name any brands here) and thus, we’ve learned a thing or two on how to spot a quality appliance from a poorly made one.
Ready to find out how to choose appliances that will hold out for longer?
Why Don’t Kitchen Appliances Last As Long As In Our Grandparents’ Days?
Chances are, your grandparents are still using many of their kitchen appliances even after decades of getting them. Vintage National rice cookers literally stand the test of time.
Whereas the longest warranty period you’ll see these days is 1 year. 2 years’ warranty is considered long at this point. Which does say something about how much the brand believes in the longevity of their product.
But why can’t new products stand up to older appliances?
- This industry is increasingly getting more competitive with new brands coming out all the time. On Lazada, you can find ~25 different brands for kitchen appliances!
- Consequently, brands will spend more on advertising and marketing in order to stand out from the competition. This not only applies to brand new companies but also older brands that are lagging behind when it comes to their online presence.
- As suppliers and manufacturers struggle to make a profit while keeping prices favorable to potential customers, this may result in lower grade materials for the final product.
- Many appliances in Malaysia are made in a China where labor costs is low. This not only implies unethical work practices but it’s also not easy to check the final quality of the product when the factory is overseas.
Where To Buy Kitchen Appliances
According to a 2021 report by datareportal.com, ~90% of Malaysians visit online stores.
Online shopping has shown that it can be cheaper than what we find in local department or specialty stores.
Furthermore, there is a wider variety of products available on popular shopping platforms like Lazada and Shopee than what a department store may offer.
What we like to do, is to check out physical stores to see what the product is actually like in person. Before shopping around for an agreeable price and highly-rated seller online.
One downside of shopping online however, is that you can’t just bring the product in for repairs like you can for a physical store.
Some online brands and shops request that you post it out to them while a few will arrange their own collection for a faulty product.
As you can imagine, returns are not so straightforward for bulky items (e.g. ovens or large multi-cookers).
What To Look For When Buying Kitchen Appliances
We’re assuming that you already asked close friends and family what their recommendations are. If not:
How can you tell a good product from one that is cheaply made? Especially if you can’t find this product in a physical store.
Always do a survey by looking at available options (including different sellers/ shops for the same product) to gauge the average price for the appliance type or a specific product.
1. Check the price
The price is a good indication of what to expect. Unless it’s a clearance sale for an outdated model, any price that is much cheaper than the average, is often too good to be true.
It probably won’t have warranty and will be made of plastic for the most part.
2. Warranty
That said, another indicator of product quality could be the warranty period.
If a brand is willing to give 2 years’ warranty on their product, that shows they have faith in the integrity of their product
3. Materials
They cost more but glass and stainless steel will last longer than plastic in the case of most kitchen appliances.
This is particularly important for kitchen appliances that are used frequently and that are always heated up to high temperatures.
4. Complexity Of The Product
Although having more features and functions sounds like better value, our personal experience is that more sophisticated electronic appliances don’t last as long as the conventional models (e.g. rice cookers).
Because many things can go wrong when it comes to the circuit board. And the more complex, the harder (and more expensive it is) to repair the appliance as well.
5. Brand Reputation
If you’ve never heard of the brand before, be extra cautious:
Where do they make their products and does their existing product portfolio showcase their expertise in certain kitchen appliances?
Or do they have other products that are completely unrelated?
6. Customer Service
Check out the brand or shop’s Facebook page. Often times, you’ll be able to see how (or if) they respond to disgruntled customers and various complaints.
It’s reassuring to know that a brand/ shop will take responsibility and put in the extra effort to ensure that customers are happy with their purchases.
7. Repair Centers
Just in case, it’s worth noting where the nearest repair center for a specific product is. This will make it easier to claim warranty and get repairs done if you really need to.
Ask the seller/ shop if they offer collection service for items that require repair.
The following tips apply to online shopping:
8. Reviews
Never underestimate reviews – there should be many reviews – if there’s just a couple, you best look elsewhere.
But the quantity of reviews is not the only factor here. You have to check reviews for what users actually say about the product once they start using it.
9. Number Of sales
Sometimes, a high number of sales (I.e. more than a few thousand sold) can lead to blind purchases. Remember that the number of sales does not directly reflect how good the product is.
But a high number of sales however, is a pretty good indicator that the price is lower than average.
10. Ratings
Likewise with number of sales, you can’t always rely on product ratings to determine whether a product is durable or not.
Free gifts and product sponsorships can easily affect the ratings.
11. Seller Reputation
You might really like the product and the price, but if the seller doesn’t have high ratings themselves (I.e. responsiveness, delivery rate, overall rating, etc), we would look for another seller.
Even if they are the only ones selling that product!
Conclusion
And that’s it for our 11 tips on how to pick kitchen appliances that will last!
If it sounds like a lot of work, that is actually how we research products to list on BestBuyGet.com so if you want to save yourself some time, you can browse through our posts as we happen to have many kitchen appliances listed on this very site.
