The kitchen is the heart of countless American homes, a place where families cook, gather and talk. Consumers understandably pay a lot of attention to the major appliances that anchor that important space. A kitchen filled with underperforming appliances is unlikely to provide a recipe for family satisfaction.
The J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Kitchen Appliances StudySM surveyed consumers to learn how they rated their customer satisfaction with five major types of appliances: dishwashers; free-standing ranges; cooktops and wall ovens; top-freezer style refrigerators; and side-by-side/French door-style refrigerators. We measured their satisfaction across six key factors:
- operational performance (including how well the appliance functions, noise level and energy efficiency)
- operational features (such as the number of settings available and appliance capacity)
- ease of use
- styling and feel
- price
- warranty
Purchasers of nearly all the major brands can count on appliances that are solid performers with a very low incidence of problems, but that’s only part of the satisfaction equation. As new appliances offer more sophisticated – and often, complicated – features, controls and displays, customers report that ease-of-use is the most important component of their overall satisfaction with their new kitchen purchase – across all types of appliances. That’s a change from previous years when price was the main contributing factor. When buying a major appliance that you will have to live with and use every day for 10 to 15 years, lower levels of frustration and higher long-term functionality over the life of the appliance trump higher initial purchase prices when it comes to satisfaction.
In addition, the study found that:
- Energy efficiency is a more important driver of satisfaction among dishwasher buyers than among owners of other types of kitchen appliances.
- Owners of side-by-side and French door style refrigerators are more likely to report experiencing a problem with their appliance (with 13% reporting problems), compared with owners of top-freezer refrigerators (8%). In addition, more than one in four (26%) of side-by-side and French door style refrigerator owners purchased an extended warranty, compared with 17 percent of top-freezer style refrigerator owners.
- Three in four new refrigerator and dishwasher owners report that their appliance is Energy StarTM certified. Approximately one-half of new free-standing range or cooktop/wall oven owners say the same.
The top performers?
Dishwashers
For a third consecutive year, Bosch ranks highest in customer satisfaction with dishwashers, performing particularly well in the areas of operational performance (which includes dishwasher noise level and energy efficiency); ease of use; and styling. Following Bosch in the rankings are Kenmore Elite and LG, respectively.
Side-By-Side and French Door Style Refrigerators
For a fourth consecutive year, Samsung ranks highest in satisfying customers with side-by-side and French door-style refrigerators. Samsung performs particularly well in four of six factors: operational performance; ease of use; styling and feel; and operational features. Sub-Zero and Kenmore Elite, respectively, follow Samsung in the segment rankings.
Top-Freezer Style Refrigerators
Kenmore Elite ranks highest in customer satisfaction with top-freezer style refrigerators, and performs particularly well in the operational performance, ease of use and operational features factors. Following Kenmore Elite in the segment rankings are Whirlpool Gold and GE Profile, respectively.
Free-Standing Ranges
Whirlpool Gold ranks highest among brands of free-standing ranges (defined as units containing both a range and oven that are not built into a kitchen countertop), and performs particularly well in operational performance, ease of use and warranty. LG and Kenmore Elite follow Whirlpool Gold in the rankings, respectively.
Built-In Cooktops and Wall Ovens
LG ranks highest in satisfying consumers with built-in cooktops and wall ovens, performing well in operational features, price and warranty. KitchenAid and Kenmore Elite follow LG Appliances in the segment rankings, respectively.
For more information, view kitchen appliances ratings or read the press release.
