How to Judge the Longevity of Small Kitchen Appliances

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When you know how long something will last, you can plan spending accordingly. It can help you know how much to invest in the products as well. Here are some ways to estimate how long your kitchen appliances will last.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step1

Shop around for these small items in the sale papers--they're are always marked down somewhere. Know your prices. Research things online or look around at the stores. There's a huge discrepancy on many small items.

Step2

Buy one with a name brand that you know, but never the top of the line. Choose one without frills that you don't really need or want--they always drive up the price.

Step3

A can opener can last between 5 to 10 years. Keep the cutting blade clean and handle the push bar gently to keep it running smoothly. If a can is really large and heavy, use a hand opener rather than put the extra weight on it--it will strain the motor.

Step4

An ice cream maker should last you between 7 and 10 years, depending on usage. Keep it clean and don't over fill it to keep it running efficiently. Your iron should hold up for 6 to 12 years, also depending on how much use it gets. Always empty the water reservoir out completely and clean the iron according to directions if the bottom should become dirty.

Step5

A coffeemaker should last 5 to 9 years. If you buy one of the really good stainless pots made for heavy use you can change that to 8 to 15 years for home use. If you make a lot of coffee--say several pots a day--this may be worth the investment. Think carefully as these can cost 3 to 5 times what the ordinary models do. These have a ton of features that will drive the price up so shop carefully for the best deal for your family.

Step6

A toaster should last from 5 to 9 years. Clean the crumb tray often and turn it upside down on some paper towels every 5 or 6 times you use it to dislodge crumbs that can cause tiny flashes of fire that will trash your toaster in time. If you have a toaster oven, think about whether you need this as well.

Step7

A waffle iron will last from 5 to 10 years. Keep this clean as well and unplug it as soon as you're done with it to get the best life expectancy out of it.

Step8

Choose appliances just over the midrange price as a general rule. The highest ones are often only higher because of the name ("Our Best") or one feature that you could live without. Does the coffee maker need to beep when it's done? You may pay a fortune for extras that you really don't use. Shopping around is the best way to be sure.

Tips & Warnings

Don't but the newest thing out--it will be way overpriced because it's new. Often the bugs aren't all worked out of these items, either so they can be more money and more headaches as well.