Home Appliance + Lighting Blog

How to Light a Kitchen: Track vs Recessed Lighting (Reviews/Ratings)

Invariably, the decision will be track vs recessed lighting when lighting a kitchen.

Track and Recessed lighting are two of the most common types of task lighting used for lighting up a space. In every application, task lighting is necessary if you want to achieve proper lighting. It's like the skeleton of the body, whereas the other elements of lighting design: decorative, accent and ambient provide the affects or personality of the room.

The two are so different, with track being pronounced and recessed being invisible, and as you can imagine, there are huge differences. 

Track Lighting

When people hear the word “Track Lighting” they instantly think of big, bulky, ugly track heads. Those days are gone. There are 100’s of decorative track heads available for different types of tracks. There are 3 systems of  track lighting.

You have your basic standard track which mounts flush against your ceiling. Monorail or a single steel rail is the more updated and decorative version. Cable, or two steel wires is cool, but more popular in commercial settings.

All of these can have decorative heads instead of your ordinary “big ugly” track heads. Track heads are available in LED, Incandescent, low voltage Halogen, and even Fluorescent. Below are examples of track lighting, but you can really personalize track with any color and style.

Yale's Showroom is all LED track, because we are always moving products and displays. Track is flexible and adaptable, whereas recessed is not.

Standard Track Elements	Cable Track System	Monorail Track System

Other advantages of track lighting:

• Great for high ceilings, concrete or cement ceilings, and post and beam ceilings
• Can be dropped lower with a stem and power extender
• You can hang pendants from tracks with the appropriate adapter
• Gives you more flexibility on rotating the lights
• Create a cool and decorative lighting system

Recessed Lighting

Recessed lighting can be used in many different applications and works similar to track lighting. It can be used for task lighting in commercial or residential spaces. It provides a clean look on your ceiling and good task lighting when installed properly. It works great for lower ceilings or if you don’t want anything hanging from your ceiling.

Unlike track lighting, where you can rotate the heads 360 degrees, recessed lighting is fixed to the ceiling. However, you can buy adjustable trims that will allow you to pivot or rotate the trim, but not as much as track heads. There are many decorative trim options available instead of your normal basic white trim.

Other Advantages:

• Clean look
• Better on sloped, short or peaked ceilings
• Pendants stand out better with recessed than track

Track vs Recessed is simply a matter of application, but more importantly a reflection of your personal style.

One last note: Track and recessed manufacturers are typically not interchangeable with other brands. If you are moving into a new space and want to change a track head or recessed trim, you are limited to that manufacturer.

Roger Pontes has been with Yale Appliance + Lighting for over 9 years. He truly enjoys helping people and spending time playing basketball and riding motorcycles. Read more about Roger here.

Miele Exits Front Load Laundry and the Best of What's Left

Miele announced yesterday their planned exit from larger front load laundry (they will still import the smaller European 24 inch units).

In 2004, Miele started manufacturing front load laundry exclusively for the American market after years of research. The machines were large, and offered Miele's honeycomb drum and proprietary controls. Miele is still the only laundry to be able to wash silks and fine washables. With a legion of people who love the brand and great technology, Miele should have exceeded expectations.

Now, they are the second European company, after Bosch, to stop selling front load laundry manufactured for this market.

What happened:

• They didn't understand the American market and why we buy laundry.
• Expense: Certainly the economy didn't help, but selling $3,000 laundry when Electrolux is selling a very good set at $1,500 does not drive many sales.
• Outdated: Laundry now is bigger with more features and offers steam settings in both washer and dryer. The Miele is the same machine introduced in 2004.
• Not Stackable: All front laundry is now stackable except Miele. There is a trend, especially among affluent homeowners, (Miele's core customer) to bring laundry to the bedroom level on the second or third floor. Stacking becomes important in these installations.

The Best of the Rest:

• Maytag/Whirlpool: Laundry is their pedigree, and the redesigned Duet is popular and affordable.
• Frigidaire/Electrolux: Frigidaire is a great value line, and Electrolux has good features.
• LG/Samsung: LG and Samsung may be competitors, but they are very similar with cutting edge design and the best features. Both are equally difficult on the parts and service side of the business.
• GE: Refrigeration and cooking, not laundry, has been their forte. They are building factories again, so they could be a consideration in the future.

How To Prevent a Clothes Dryer Fire

Over 15,000 homes will have a dryer fire this year. As shocking as this seems, incidents are down almost 50% from the 1970s. Recently, Farmers Insurance ran a comical spot with a blow torch and a giant ball of lint to show how fires are started.

But that is how dryer fires start. Heat generates lint. Lint clogs duct. Duct becomes flammable and fire is started. So I asked one of our Senior Techs, Dave Curro, how to prevent a dryer fire.

Clean your filter after every load, and clean behind the dryer 2-3 times a year. Replace your plastic or cloth duct with metal, simply because plastic is easily flammable. Clean the duct once a year to remove any residual lint. It is also important to check the wall cap or exit point of a duct to insure vegetation, bees or birds haven't nested there. Clean your electronic sensor of lint once a month. Sensor is an electronic baffle which regulates drying time. It turns down the heat when a certain degree of moisture has been reached. Use fabric softener instead of sheets. Although this is unlikely to cause a fire, the fibers from the sheet can affect the sensor. Manufacturers no longer recommend drying sheets. Don't dry anything flammable like clothes with residue of gas, etc.

Avoiding a dryer fire is easy: Duct properly, clean lint thoroughly and exercise some caution when drying flammable materials.

For more tips, go to the Yale Resource Center with videos, how-to guides and recipes.

GE Cafe vs the New Viking Designer Series Slide-In Gas Ranges (Reviews/Ratings)

How does GEs best selling upscale product compare to Viking's new Designer line? (out next week)

Let's Look:

GE Café

About three years ago, GE rebranded their Profile line to serve a niche between a professional range and a more basic product. The result was the GE Café. Their range was a new concept, featuring high BTU output burners, a fifth burner, and a double oven option all in a pro style slide-in range. They later added an electric option as well as a dual fuel model and has been one of the best selling ranges since.

Viking Designer

During this same time frame, Viking marketed their Designer series which was originally intended to be a price alternative to their pro ranges. However at almost $4,000, there just wasn’t enough value for a 4 burner manual clean range. With the success of lower priced pro style ranges like GE Café and Jenn-Air, Viking redesigned the product and created a competitive price oriented range. The new Designer series range is a sleek looking 5 burner range with better heat output, a self-cleaning oven and the ability to customize the knobs and handles to any kitchen. I like that feature. It is truly different.

Which is the better range? Let's go to the tape:

GE Café vs Viking Designer

In regards to the ranges they are pretty close in features with five burners and high output capability. They will also have matching appliances for kitchen packages.

A full suite of Viking appliances will roughly cost you $7,499 after rebates. While a Café kitchen will cost you about 8,299. GE Café has the better range with slightly hotter burners and second oven, but the Viking has a longer warranty, better resale value, and is actually cheaper.

Wow, I never thought I would say Viking and cheaper in the same sentence, there is a first time for almost everything.

Read a Yale Buyers Guide for updated features, brands and benefits. Over 8,000 people have read a Yale Guide.

Bosch Kitchen Appliance Packages May 17-31

We posted our monthly packages article last week (click here for that article). Bosch was not included because there is another 10% rebate starting May 17th on kitchen packages. Bosch also has 0% for 12 months as well.

As I said in the other package post, buying within the same brand maximizes rebates and maintains a similar style throughout the kitchen. Handles, control panel graphics and grain of stainless steel matches within the same brand. Buying during holidays like Memorial Day, Labor Day and Presidents Day can also impact rebates (certainly in this case).

Bosch's strength is in their dishwashers and overall European inspired styling. They also have good brand recognition if you are building or reselling a property. Their selection, however, especially in refrigeration, is limited. It is 2012, and they still do not offer a french door refrigerator.

4 Best Bosch Kitchen Appliance Packages

Three piece Bosch White - $1,199 after $800 in rebates

Self-cleaning range, over the range microwave and quiet dishwasher.  The dishwasher is their better series with all stainless interior and heavier door.  It is not the cheaper Ascenta with the lighter door and plastic bottom.

300 Series 4-Piece Stainless - $2,899 after $1,340 in rebates

Self cleaning range, over the range microwave, quiet dishwasher and counter depth side by side refrigerator with dispenser

500 Series 4-Piece Stainless Convection - $2,999 after $1,590 in rebates

Same as above with convection (fan forced heat to keep a more even heat for better baking)

800 Series 4- Piece French door, Convection - $3,999 after $2,140 in rebates

Boschs best appliances: French door refrigerator, integrated dishwasher, convection stove and over-the-range microwave.

The rebates are certainly compelling, and the styling still is good.  Bosch has a unique strategy, which is to compensate for their selection with incentives.

I wonder if it will work?

Please note these prices will not be in effect until 5/17/2012.

Read a Yale Buying Guide for up to date information on all matters relating to appliances. Our favs:

• Refrigerator Buying Guide
• Dishwasher Buying Guide
• Washer Buying Guide
• Pro Range Buying Guide

The Best 30 Inch Counter Depth Refrigerators (Reviews/Ratings)

We have written articles on 24, 33, 36, 42 and 48 inch refrigerators, but not 30 inch. As we have previously posted, appliances are designed to fit cabinets, so most refrigerators are standard sizes. 30 and 36 inch, however, are by far the most popular.

All of these 30 inch brands feature twin compressors, so the air is distributed more evenly. It also eliminates the drier air of the freezer being cycled to the refrigerator and the moister air of the refrigerator being sent to the freezer.

30 inch will be the most expensive counter depth, because unlike the other sizes, larger, commodity companies like GE, Jenn-Air and KitchenAid are not in this niche with regular, less deep refrigerators. Unfortunately, a $1,600 counter depth option doesn't exist in this size.

There are only 5 companies currently manufacturing the 30 inch counter depth (I am not including columns which are just refrigerator or freezer): Sub-Zero, Thermador, Liebherr, Bosch and Miele.

Let's have a look:

Sub-Zero BI30U	Thermador T30IB800SP	Bosch B30BB830SS	Miele KF1801VI	Liebherr CS-1660	Liebherr HCB1560

Sub-Zero BI30U (overlay) or S (Stainless) $7,049-$8,289: Sub-Zero is the best known and probably best built refrigerator and is manufactured in the US. Sub-Zero is a traditional professional refrigerator with the compressor on the top. Two years ago, they improved the design with an air scrubber to "scrub" the gasses of foods in the refrigerator, so food stays fresher for a longer period of time, and an advanced water purifier.

Thermador, Miele and Bosch are all manufactured in the same factory with slighly different specifications. They are integrated and do not protrude into the space. The door (not the body) of Sub-Zero and other traditional counter depths will stick out another 3-4 inches. (Read the Yale Refrigerator Buyers Guide for more detailed info)

Thermador T30IB800SP $5,999 and $6799 for stainless and Bosch B30BB830SS $6,499 are identical, except Thermador can be panelized and Bosch is only stainless. Rebates are important, because Thermador has the 1,2 Free program. Buy a Thermador refrigerator and range and the $1,200 dishwasher is free. Bosch has their own rebate program.

Miele KF1801VI $7,195 with panels and $7,695 in stainless: Miele has the same body as Bosch and Thermador, but offers much better lighting and electronic crispers designed to keep fruits and vegetables fresher. Miele also offers a wifi hook up and can monitor the refrigerator for service (pretty cool or somewhat creepy depending).

Liebherr CS-1660 $3,999 and HCB1560 $5,499 and $6,199 in stainless: Liebherr is another high quality German company. They actually supply Miele for products in Europe. They offer the least expensive 24 inch option at $3,999. They also offer a taller, more pro-looking refrigerator with double freezer drawers at a higher price. The neat feature to Liebherr is their bio fresh drawer, which preserves fruit and veggies longer.

Additional Resources:

• The 5 Best Counter Depth Refrigerators
• 33 inch Counter Depth Refrigerators
• Vestfrost and 24 inch Counter Depth Refrigerator

Read our Refrigerator Buyers Guide with terms, features and specifications of the major brands.

Prices and Reviews of The Best Counter Depth, Integrated and Pro Refrigerators

The two most important appliances to consider in a renovation are the stove and refrigerator. Naturally, they have the most options to consider, and one of the biggest considerations is a shallow AKA a counter depth refrigerator.

Quite simply, a counter depth refrigerator is 24 inches deep and does not protrude into the kitchen. Although shallow is more functional in island installations, most people buy counter depth for aesthetics. The kitchen looks cleaner and more linear without the sides showing.

There are three types of counter depth refrigerator available: Regular, Professional and Integrated. They all differ in features and price. We will look at each.

Regular Counter Depth Refrigerators

Blomberg BRFB1040	Samsung RF197ACRS	Frigidaire FGHC2342LF	Jenn-Air JFC2089WEM

A regular counter depth is a less deep refrigerator. Every manufacturer will produce the most common size of 36 inch wide (36 is the most common cabinet size). Sizes also vary from 33" wide to 24" wide for smaller galley type kitchens.

Main advantage to this type of refrigerator is price. A regular counter depth will start at around $1,299 for a side by side (refrigerator and freezer on each side) to a French door (or side by side top with a pull out freezer) up to $3,500 for a few more featured models like GE Cafe or Electrolux. Small Tip: Buy the same manufacturer for multiple rebate opportunities.

Professional Counter Depth Refrigerators

Sub-Zero BI36	Jenn-Air JF42NXFXDW	Viking VIBB536RSS	Sub-Zero 648PRO

A professional counter depth has the compressor on the top and a more commercial appearance. Sizes are 30, 36, 42 and 48 inch and 84 inch height. Appliances follow cabinet sizes, btw. This niche was created and still dominated by Sub-Zero. Their product is still technically superior with recent advances like an air scrubber, which scrubs gasses off food in the refrigerator. They also have a vacuum seal, two compressors and magnetic crispers, which are designed to keep food fresher for a longer period of time.

Other units like Liebherr and Jenn-Air have a similar look for much less money, but a professional refrigerator will cost $6,000-16,000.

Integrated Counter Depth Refrigerators

Thermador T36IT71NNP	Miele KF1911SF	Sub-Zero 700TCI	Liebherr CS-1311

Integrated is a new trend in refrigeration. It is 24 inches including the panel, so the refrigerator is designed to be completely hidden behind cabinets. In a regular or professional, the unit is 24 inches PLUS the door. In essence, it is opposite to the more in your face professional counter depths. You can buy integrated in columns; 18, 24, 27 and 30 inches of all refrigerator and freezer or choose the regular 27 and 36 inch combination units. Integrated columns allow flexibility for placing refrigerators and/or freezers in different areas.

Thermador, Bosch, Miele and Gaggenau are all manufactured in the same factory and were early pioneers of columns, but Sub-Zero has really compelling products as well. They aren't cheap with prices approaching and sometimes exceeding a professional refrigerator depending on the combination. Prices start at $6,399.99 to $8,499.  Liebherr is a less expensive option at roughlt $5,000-$5500

Choosing the right counter depth refrigerator is first about budget with the regular unit being much less expensive. Then, style becomes a factor. Do you want your refrigerator the focal point or hidden?

The choice is yours.

A Review of Refrigerator Repair

The cost of a refrigerator repair can vary depending on make, model, age and what is actually wrong with the unit.

Check this first: 

• Make sure unit is plugged in and has power (sounds dumb but its 7 calls a week for us)
• Make sure doors are closing properly
• Try adjusting the thermostat or temperature control
• Make sure the condenser is not clogged up. Depending on model some are in the front on the bottom of the unit others may be in the back. If that is clogged up the unit will over heat and shut down.  So clean under your refrigerator once or twice a year for preventative maintenance. Some companies offer a cleaning and component scan for short money. It is a consideration especially with the top compressors of pro units

Older Models

Older, basic models have a basic thermostat and timer that controls the unit. Most of these parts are reasonably priced and easy (under $300) to replace. A compressor issue, however, could be costly. We normally recommend a new unit as a compressor will cost about the same.

Newer Models

Newer models have many more electronic and mechanical parts than older models and are harder to fix, especially the Korean brands LG and Samsung. The price of repair really depends on the defect on the unit. Defective sensors, fans or heaters could be reasonably priced and easy to replace ($150-300).

Repair and replacement parts could also be relatively expensive if the compressor and/or the electronic controls are defective. Newer models are much less costly to operate and use a fraction of energy. They do, however, run continuously and require more service as a general rule. Make sure to check your owner’s manual as some manufacturers may cover specific parts for an extended period over the basic 1 year warranty.

How to choose a repair agency:

First provide an accurate description of the issue with exact model and serial number, because it is an indication of the problem and solution. Questions to ask:

1. How much is a completed call? Completed means you will not pay for additional time or return visit. Be careful of a repair company with a low home visit fee and charges by time. With refrigeration, it will probably add it up quickly.
2. Do you provide an estimate? This is almost impossible to accomplish over the phone, because different problems have different costs to repair. The technician at your home should definitely provide an estimate. We refund $50 of the $99 trip visit if the unit is unrepairable or too expensive to fix.
3. Is the Tech refrigeration certified? Refrigeration certification requires more training than any other appliance as these guys operate with different tools and more sophisticated circuitry.
4. Check Yelp, Google, BBB and AngiesList for reviews as service reputation differs greatly. You may also want to ask for a CORI certification to insure the tech is a good citizen.

Feel free to call us or schedule a service call below. My name is Butch. I am a Senior Tech at Yale and pre-diagnose every call at Yale. Take a look at more refrigerator repair info on our service site.

Butch Guillemette has been in the service department at Yale Appliance + Lighting for almost 10 years. When he's not helping to repair appliances he enjoys golfing, scuba diving and fishing. Read more about Butch here.

Yale Tent Sale May 12th

The Yale Tent Sale has become a pretty crazy event. It's like the old running of the brides at The Basement (miss that place) meets home improvement.

This years event is Saturday May 12 from 10AM-6PM at our Dorchester showroom location.

Here is the unsound logic:

On any given day, we average about 80 deliveries with about 2.2 appliances on each stop. Multiply that by 6 days, and that is quite a few pieces. Boston is also not the easiest place to deliver with walk ups and very tight hallways. There are always minor issues. Although we do site checks on tough deliveries, not every appliance will fit.

Instead of charging ungodly restocking fees of 25% or more (check other places for return policies), we just return them at full value and discount them in our outlet center. We also have a lighting inventory of 3,500 SKUs...not all of them sell.

Throw in a years worth of gently dented products, discontinued vendors, slow moving products, bad decisions, returns and other assorted stuff, and you have a recipe for a pretty decent sale.

Couple of FAQs:

• Warranty: All items are fully warrantied (we perform the service free for the first year).
• Delivery: Normal delivery (delivery, removal and cord) charge of $69 applies. You must take delivery within 10 business days.
• Discounts: 25-40% is the average discount.
• Holds/Layaway: Not for this sale. First come, first served.
• Is Lighting Included?:  We don't place lighting in the tent, because it will be broken, etc.  We mark lighting down in the showroom.

Subscribe to our sales events newsletter for early notice of any sales and promotions.

A Review of The Best Stainless Steel Kitchen Appliance Packages

Ah, the monthly stainless steel package post as we analyze the best rebates offered for the next 4 weeks. This post will not include Bosch. They have a huge rebate program starting May 19th.  I always advise clients to consider buying within the same brand, because the rebates become very compelling...and every manufacturer has rebates

For example, buy a SubZero refrigerator, Viking stove and other assorted appliances and your rebate is nothing.  Buy the same SubZero refrigerator with a Wolf range and receive $1500 in rebates. Add other SubZero/Wolf products and receive another $1000

One other reason to consider the same manufacturer is style.  You will see the same handles as well as grade and cut of steel.  In other words, your kitchen will be coordinated a bit better

That being said, buy what you like.  There are plenty of SubZero/Viking kitchens with Bosch dishwashers. 

Best Stainless Steel Packages

Frigidaire $1,499 after $500 in rebates. Great affordable package with self-cleaning range, microwave vent and 18 cubic ft. refrigerator.

Frigidaire $1,899 after $480 in rebates: Upgrade from the basic with all stainless handles, 5 burners, digital dishwasher (versus manual in the above) and sensor programs in the microwave.

Frigidaire $2,999 after $650 in rebates: Intrigueing package with full induction, stainless interior dishwasher and their best pro microwave and refrigerator.

Jenn-Air $4,849 after $1,250 in rebates: Still the best package with counter depth refrigerator, integrated dishwasher, slide-in convection range and micro convection over-the-range vent.

Jenn-Air $6,450 after 2,099 in rebates: I like this package. Induction cooktop, counter depth refrigerator, integrated dishwasher, convection wall oven and awesome Yale hood.

Thermador has their 1,2 free program: Buy a range and refrigerator and the dishwasher and hood are almost free...$14,559 after $3,107 in rebates. Pro range, integrated refrigerator, integrated dishwasher and pro hood.

Educate yourself with a Yale Buyers Guide from our Resource Center.