The Best (And Worst) Kitchen Appliance Alternatives

Posted on May 10, 2018 by oozle

At ProServ Las Vegas, we’re experts in all things appliances. After all, we’ve worked with them for a long time. We’ve definitely learned a few things. Did you know there’s a difference between a toaster and a toaster oven? Did you know they can sometimes produce entirely different results for your toast? That’s right, there are a lot of things to take into consideration when making a decision about your kitchen appliances, and we’re here to help you.

Kitchen Appliance Alternatives

First of all let’s talk about that toaster statement. Introducing your first decision: a toaster or a toaster oven?

Toaster vs. Toaster Oven

What’s the difference? Well, a toaster has typically two or three slots for single slices of bread to be toasted. A toaster oven is a basically a tiny oven used for reheating food, toasting bread, and sometimes even cooking or baking. So now the important question: which is better?

Basically, if you find yourself toasting a lot of bread for quick consumption with simple butter or jam, a toaster is going to be better for you. It’s fast, easy to use, and is generally cheaper than a toaster oven.

A toaster oven is better if you’d like to combine an oven, toaster, and microwave in one. If you’ve ever reheated your leftovers in an oven you know that it generally comes out better than if you had reheated your food in a microwave. This tiny little oven is good for this type of reheating. The drawbacks are that it’s a little more difficult to use because you have to change the settings similar to a real oven, it takes longer to heat and toast food, and it’s more expensive than a regular toaster.

So what’s the verdict? Unfortunately that’s up to your needs, but we will say that both are pretty durable and easy to repair. ProServ Las Vegas is able to repair most toaster and toaster oven brands.

Traditional Blender or a Bullet Blender?

Here are the contenders:

Let’s just jump straight to pros and cons.

The bullet blender is going to be the more expensive of the two depending on the quality of the traditional blender you spring for. The bullet blender is typically going to be faster, blend fruits and veggies smoothly, and be extremely easy to clean because you can just throw the pieces in the dishwasher. One significant con is that there is only one setting. You want something pureed instead of blended? Good luck.

A traditional blender is a lot bulkier, but that means that it can blend way more than a bullet blender. This blender is going to be good for making large portions of whatever you’re making, but will be much more difficult to clean. It’s not going to fit in your dishwasher, and sometimes even fitting it in your sink can be a pain. However, options galore! If you want to blend a bunch of different things a bunch of different ways, this blender has you covered.

Decisions, decisions. Personally, we vote for the larger blender if you have a family, but honestly, what’s wrong with having both? We can help you repair both of these types of appliances.

Who Knew There Were Different Types of Refrigerators?

Well technically, there are simply different layout options for your fridge. The main ones we need to discuss are the refrigerators that have the fridge and freezer side-by-side, and the fridges with two doors and a top or bottom freezer. Honestly, there are a lot of different fridges, but these are the most common.

Here’s what they look like:

So when you’re considering a new fridge or maybe moving into a new place, you’re likely picking out appliances. The fridge is a good starting place and we suggest choosing that first in order to match the rest of your appliances with its style. Luckily if you’re still in love with your old fridge in your existing place, ProServ’s got your back. We can repair almost any brand of refrigerator, and we’ll do it quickly and efficiently!

Alright let’s talk the side-by-side: you’ve got to ask yourself if you really need that much freezer space. Don’t feel ashamed if you do! Summer is barreling toward us with no regard for our safety, so if you want to stock up on Otter Pops and Creamies we will not judge you. However, if you recognize a need in your family for more fridge space then this isn’t going to be great for you.

Having a freezer on top or bottom is going to limit your freezer space but will open up lots of new fridge space. This is better if you visit the freezer less frequently as well. Consider how much you’d like to bend down when choosing a high or low freezer space. Typically, these refrigerators are cheaper as they’re a bit of an older design.

The verdict? It really depends on your needs. The main question you need to ask yourself is: how much freezer space do I need? At least you’ll never have to deal with a fridge like this!

To Use a Dishwasher or To Be the Dish Washer

We recognize that it’s not too common that people opt out of using a dishwasher anymore, but we’re here to talk about some of the worst options too, so here we go.

The pros of washing your own dishes are:

• Saving money on a dishwasher itself
• Saving money on the water used in a dishwasher
• Saving money on dishwasher pods/soap
• Teaching the importance of completing household chores

Cons:

• Washing dishes by hand sucks
• Time-consuming
• Soap-dried hands
• Having to touch wet food

Looks like the pros are winning so far. Let’s try a dishwasher’s pros:

• Easy to use
• Can wash a lot of dishes at once
• Washes dishes while you’re doing other things
• Sanitizes your dishes
• Most homes have them now

Cons:

• Expensive if buying new
• Increases water bill
• Must buy dishwasher soap
• Takes a while if you need clean dishes quickly

We’re not sure how helpful this list was, but now you at least know what the pros and cons are. Which do you prefer? What about the third option which is to pre-wash your dishes before putting them in the machine? That might warrant another blog entirely.

ProServ Las Vegas and Your Appliances

There’s really no right and wrong when it comes to choosing between appliances. There are many household appliances that take a lot of consideration before purchasing. We aren’t going to tell you which are better or worse, these are simply our opinions and professional experience. We would love to hear your thoughts about which appliances you prefer and your experience with them! You can tell us on our Facebook page, or contact us here.

If you are in need of appliance repair, contact ProServ Las Vegas at 702-656-4500. We are experienced professional appliance repairmen, and we can effectively preserve your favorite appliances and keep them working for years to come!