March 17th, 2026 | 10 min. read
Learn how to find the perfect kitchen products with our Appliance Buying Guide
TL;DR: Appliances You Should Not Buy in 2026
Some appliances look great in the showroom but create problems once they're in your kitchen. In Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, older homes make ventilation, electrical, and installation issues even more common. Think twice before buying over-the-range microwaves, shallow hoods, downdrafts, combo laundry units, integrated refrigerators, certain induction or pro-style ranges, and ultra-quiet premium dishwashers. Most issues come down to poor ventilation, limited service support, or paying more for cosmetic upgrades that don't improve performance.
Appliances were simpler when I started in 1986.
Refrigerator, range, dishwasher, and you moved on.
Today, it’s different. New models, ideas, and concepts appear every year. Brands repackage old products as premium. Some appliances look great in the showroom but cause problems once they’re installed in your kitchen.
After delivering, installing, and servicing appliances across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, you start to see patterns in the mistakes people make.
Certain appliances sound like a good idea and even look good until you live with them.
What You’ll Learn:
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Which appliances people most often regret buying
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Why some appliances look better in the showroom than in your kitchen
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Installation issues common in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire homes
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What to consider instead so you avoid expensive mistakes
Why Does This Matter in New England Homes?
⚡ Quick Answer: Many New England homes were not built for today’s appliance size, power, and ventilation needs.
Kitchens across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire often present installation challenges.
Many homes have older cabinet openings, electrical systems, and ventilation limitations. Some homes in Boston and Providence were built before modern appliances required updated power and stronger ventilation.
Now let’s walk through the appliances people most often regret buying.
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Appliances You Should Not Buy in 2026: What to Avoid in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire
| Why People Regret It | Why to Consider Instead | |
| Over-the-Range Microwaves | Poor ventilation capture | Hood with countertop or drawer microwave |
| Shallow Hoods | Do not capture front burner smoke | Deeper vent hood |
| Downdrafts | Smoke rises and escapes | Traditional hood ventilation |
| Relabeled Premium Appliances | Same product with higher price | Compare platforms and rebates |
| Microwave Trim Kits | Dated design | Drawer or built-in microwave |
| Washer Dryer Combos | Slow drying and longer cycles | Separate washer and dryer |
| Integrated Refrigerators | Smaller capacity and harder installation | Counter-depth refrigerator |
| Dual Fuel Ranges | May not match cooking style | Gas or induction depending on cooking |
| Induction Ranges | Electrical upgrades required | Gas range depending on home |
| Extra Quiet Dishwashers | Paying too much for lower decibels | 44 dB dishwasher |
| Pro Style Ranges | Some unknown brands lack performance and service | Established professional brands |
Over-the-Range Microwaves
⚡ Quick Answer: Over-the-range microwaves can limit ventilation and make everyday cooking less effective, especially if you cook often. They can also be harder to reach because they are mounted higher above the range.
In 2024, Whirlpool introduced its new over-the-range microwave to much fanfare. It had a sleek, streamlined design meant to line up perfectly with your cabinets.
The only problem is it made a bad design even worse.
An over-the-range microwave is 16 inches deep, while cooktops are 24 inches deep, with the front burners at 22 to 23 inches.
This new microwave is 12 inches deep, making it even worse than a product designed when I started in the late 1980s.
If you cook frequently, especially with gas, the smoke and grease will escape into your kitchen instead of being captured.
The installation creates another problem because the microwave is mounted higher. It can be awkward to reach, especially when removing hot food.
What Should You Consider Instead?
⚡ Quick Answer: A proper hood paired with a countertop or drawer microwave gives you better ventilation and easier access.
Consider a proper hood with a countertop microwave or a drawer microwave. You get better ventilation and easier access to the microwave.
Editor’s note: Do you really need a microwave? How often do you actually use it?
Shallow Vent Hoods
⚡ Quick Answer: Shallow vent hoods often do not extend far enough to capture smoke, grease, and steam effectively.
Similar to an over-the-range microwave, shallow hoods are popular because they look clean and minimal.
The problem is capture area.
A range hood needs to extend far enough over the cooktop to capture smoke, grease, and steam. Many shallow hoods do not extend over the front burners where you will be cooking.
When the hood is too shallow, that smoke, just like the over-the-range microwave, escapes into the kitchen instead of being pulled into the hood.
It is one of the most common ventilation problems we see in kitchens across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.
What Should You Consider Instead?
⚡ Quick Answer: Choose a deeper hood that extends farther over the cooktop and vents outside.
Choose a hood with a deeper capture area that extends farther over the cooktop. A properly sized hood that vents outside will remove smoke, grease, and odors far more effectively.
🔍 Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Proper Kitchen Ventilation
Downdraft Ventilation
⚡ Quick Answer: Downdraft ventilation usually captures smoke, grease, and steam less effectively than a proper hood above the cooking surface.
Downdraft ventilation is another appliance that looks better in design drawings than it performs in your kitchen.
Instead of capturing smoke from above, a downdraft tries to pull smoke through small vents behind the cooktop.
The problems are simple. Smoke rises because of basic physics, and downdrafts struggle to capture smoke, grease, and steam effectively, especially when cooking with tall pots or high heat.
By the time the smoke reaches the vent, much of it has already escaped into the kitchen.
Downdrafts are often chosen for kitchen islands where installing a traditional hood is difficult, or when replacing an existing downdraft. That can make sense.
However, they should be considered a last resort in new construction rather than the first choice.
What Should You Consider Instead?
⚡ Quick Answer: If possible, place your cooktop or range against a wall and vent it with a proper hood to the outside.
If possible, place your cooktop or range against a wall and install a proper hood that vents to the outside.
This will remove smoke, grease, and odors far more effectively.
Am I Wrong About Downdrafts?
⚡ Quick Answer: In rare cases, downdrafts can work with extra ventilation support, but the downdraft alone is usually not enough.
For years, I have said I would start believing in downdraft ventilation when I see it used in a restaurant.
Well, last week I finally did. The restaurant was using an Evo system, similar to the downdraft cooking setups now appearing in many high-end kitchens. So I watched it closely.
Could I be wrong about downdrafts? Maybe. But the full picture tells a different story.
If you look carefully at the space, the restaurant is doing something else to handle the smoke. They have at least 13 additional air intakes in the main dining room to capture the smoke that escapes the downdraft.
In other words, the downdraft alone is not doing the job. They needed a supplemental ventilation system to make it work.
There is another clue. If you look at the photos, you can still see smoke collecting near the ceiling lights. Even with those ceiling intakes running, the smoke eventually rises faster than the system can capture it. That is why you still see smoke hanging near the lighting.
There is one more detail. A friend of mine said something interesting while we were there.
“I love this place, but you always smell like beef when you leave.”
That is not the case when I go to Fuji Steak House in Needham, which uses traditional hood ventilation above the cooking surface. You do not leave smelling like dinner.
So yes, you can put a downdraft behind almost anything. But I would seriously question how effective it really is.
Relabeled “Premium” Appliances
⚡ Quick Answer: Many premium appliances cost more mainly because of cosmetic changes, not better performance.
Another trend we see more often is relabeled premium appliances.
Manufacturers take an existing product and repackage it as a premium version.
Most of the time, the difference is cosmetic, such as a different handle, a new color, or a slightly updated control panel.
Underneath, the appliance is often identical.
The Whirlpool company is a good example. JennAir, KitchenAid, Whirlpool, and Maytag can sometimes share the same internal platform.
GE does something similar with Monogram, Café, Profile, and the regular GE lines.
You may be paying significantly more for an appliance that performs almost exactly the same as the original model.
This is especially common with refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, and wall ovens, where the internal engineering stays the same and the exterior branding changes.
What Should You Look for Before Paying More?
⚡ Quick Answer: Before paying more, check whether the internal platform, core features, or reliability are actually different.
Before paying more for a premium version, ask a few questions.
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Is the internal platform different?
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Are the burners, compressors, or wash systems actually upgraded?
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Is the reliability different?
What Should You Consider Instead?
⚡ Quick Answer: Focus on the appliance itself, then compare rebates and pricing before deciding.
Focus on the appliance itself rather than the label on the front.
Sometimes the better value is the original version instead of the repackaged premium model.
However, you should also consider manufacturer rebates. Premium brands often offer promotions that can narrow the price gap.
If the premium version has a color or look you prefer, check the rebates before making your final decision.
Microwave Trim Kits
⚡ Quick Answer: Microwave trim kits can create a built-in look, but they often feel dated in newer kitchen designs.
Microwave trim kits were once a popular way to create a built-in look. You would place a countertop microwave inside a cabinet and surround it with a trim frame so it looked integrated.
Today, this design often looks dated and out of place in newer kitchens.
What Should You Consider Instead?
⚡ Quick Answer: A drawer microwave or true built-in microwave creates a cleaner look and is easier to service.
A drawer microwave or true built-in microwave creates a cleaner design that is much easier to service.
You should also ask this question: Do you really need a microwave at all?
With better ovens, steam ovens, and air fry modes, some people are choosing to eliminate the microwave entirely.
Washer Dryer Combo Units
⚡ Quick Answer: Washer dryer combo units can work well in the right home, but they are not the best fit for everyone.
Combo washer-dryers can be a great appliance in the right situation.
When they were first introduced in 2023, they were almost a godsend for people who cannot vent a dryer outside or only have 120-volt power.
They are also convenient for one or two people. You can put clothes in dirty, go to bed, and wake up with them clean and dry the next morning.
The problem is they are often marketed as the perfect solution for everyone, and that is simply not the case.
Drying Time
Most combo units take two to three hours to dry a load, and larger items like towels or bedding often struggle to dry completely.
Maintenance
You have to be very diligent about removing lint. Once lint gets into the heat pump system, it can become a difficult and expensive repair.
Families
With a traditional washer and dryer, you can start another load while the first dries. With a combo unit, you cannot.
As a result, laundry can take almost twice as long.
What Should You Consider Instead?
⚡ Quick Answer: A separate washer and dryer will usually perform better and finish laundry much faster.
A separate washer and dryer will usually perform better and finish laundry much faster.
Integrated Refrigerators
⚡ Quick Answer: Integrated refrigerators create a seamless look, but they can be harder to reach, hold less, and require more complex installation.
Integrated refrigerators create one of the cleanest kitchen designs you can build.
They sit completely flush with the cabinets and use custom cabinet panels, so the refrigerator disappears into the kitchen.
The design looks great, but there are tradeoffs.
Reach
Integrated refrigerators often have compressors on the bottom, which pushes the top shelves higher.
Tall people have no problem. Shorter people may struggle to reach the top.
Capacity
Integrated refrigerators are typically shallower than standard refrigerators.
You gain design but lose storage.
Installation
Installation is more complicated. Putting panels on integrated refrigerators is one of the most difficult appliance installations we perform.
What Should You Consider Instead?
⚡ Quick Answer: A counter-depth refrigerator with compressors on top may be easier to reach.
A counter-depth refrigerator with compressors on top can place shelves about seven inches lower and may be easier to reach.
Dual Fuel Ranges
⚡ Quick Answer: Dual fuel ranges can be a great fit, but the right choice depends on how you cook.
Dual fuel ranges are often marketed as the best of both worlds: a gas cooktop and an electric oven.
However, the decision depends on how you cook.
Electric ovens provide drier, more consistent heat, which is great for baking. Gas ovens provide moist heat, which many people prefer for roasting.
If you want speed and precision, many people now look at induction ranges instead.
Induction Ranges
⚡ Quick Answer: Induction ranges are fast, safe, and efficient, but they require the right cookware and often electrical upgrades.
Induction cooking is one of the fastest-growing appliance categories.
It is faster than gas, safer for families, and more energy efficient. However, it requires magnetic cookware.
It also requires 50 amp electrical service, which often means electrical upgrades in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire homes.
Those upgrades can cost around $3,500. You also cannot cook during a power outage.
What Should You Consider Instead?
⚡ Quick Answer: A traditional gas range may still be the better fit for your kitchen and cooking style.
Induction has many advantages.
However, a traditional gas range may still be the better fit depending on your kitchen and cooking style.
Extra Quiet Dishwashers
⚡ Quick Answer: Once you get to about 44 decibels, a dishwasher is already quiet enough for most homes.
Extra quiet dishwashers are often marketed as a premium upgrade. Many expensive dishwashers advertise 37 to 42 decibels.
However, once you reach 44 decibels, you will not hear the dishwasher anyway.
A 37 decibel dishwasher can cost $3,500. A quiet 44 decibel dishwasher can cost under $1,000.
Quiet is quiet enough.
Pro Style Ranges
⚡ Quick Answer: Some pro style ranges look impressive for the price, but performance and service can fall short.
Pro style ranges from unfamiliar brands are another area to watch. Many look impressive, and you can buy a 48-inch professional range under $4,000.
If you are a builder trying to create a luxury look, it may seem attractive.
However, if you are actually cooking on it every day, take caution.
Many advertise professional styling but deliver burner outputs similar to regular ranges.
True professional ranges from brands like BlueStar, Thermador, or SKS produce 20,000 to 25,000 BTUs on multiple burners.
Why Is Service Another Concern?
Service is another issue.
Many unfamiliar brands build first and figure out service later.
When something breaks, it becomes your problem.
What Should You Consider Instead?
⚡ Quick Answer: Established brands may offer better performance, service, and promotions than they first appear to.
If you want a real professional range, consider established brands like Monogram or Thermador, which often include rebates or package promotions.
The price difference is often smaller than it first appears.
Join Our Free Live Webinar: Appliances to Avoid in 2026
Appliance trends, tariffs, and technology are shifting fast, and the wrong choice in 2026 could cost you more than you expect. On March 19 at 3 PM ET, we're covering:
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Why induction is gaining ground and what to know before choosing it
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Whether heat pump dryers are practical for everyday use
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How upcoming tariffs could change your renovation budget
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Which appliances may not justify their price this year
The session includes live Q&A so you can get answers specific to your project. Seats are limited to keep the conversation useful. Reserve your free spot here.
Final Takeaways
⚡ Quick Answer: A little research before you buy can save you a lot of time, money, and frustration later.
Like everything else, this becomes especially important when you are buying appliances today.
You want to Google the product, the service, and the store before you buy anything.
Really research the product.
Whatever you do, do not take a company’s word for it.
Get into the details.
A little research now will save you a lot of time, money, and frustration later.
Additional Resources
Want more information on the worst renovation mistakes to avoid? Get The Book of Bad Renovations to learn how to avoid a renovation failure. Well over 1 million people have read and trusted a Yale Guide.
Related Articles:
- How to Design Your Dream Kitchen With Luxury Appliances
- Before You Buy Any Appliance in Massachusetts in 2026, Do These 3 Things First
- How to Plan Your Kitchen Appliance Project
- 11 Kitchen Renovation Mistakes to Avoid
- 6 Appliance Trends to Avoid
- How to Save Money Buying Appliances
- Who Really Offers the Lowest Appliance Prices: Big-Box Chains or Local Stores?
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A Note About Pricing
Pricing on this blog is for reference only and may include time sensitive rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing. Please call the stores for most accurate price.
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