Miscellanea at Home

When trying to think of a name for this post, several thoughts came to mind - bits and pieces, odds and ends, this 'n that, sundries, hodgepodge or as UK folks might say, bits and bobs.

Many would apply in one way or another, but I rather liked the post title best.

As much as I enjoy recounting our road travels and appreciate the comments left by fellow bloggers, other things have been happening at home in Nashua, NH.

As most of us know, appliances, whether large or small, don't last forever. Of course, major appliances are more costly to replace than the smaller household ones, like coffee makers, blenders, food processors, slow cookers, food processors and others.

New coffee maker, same as before

In our case, it was the coffee maker, which was still functioning; however, the hot plate was worn so the coffee was not getting as hot as before. We really got our use from this appliance as it was used daily for some 4+ years. Its replacement is the same dual-use Hamilton Beach model that can brew multiple cups or a single cup. As it was still working, the old unit was recycled to a local thrift store with a note to explain the hot plate issue.

I found an article online in Architectural Digest, which rated the lifespan of coffee makers and expresso makers to about 5 years: While you can continue using them if there are no major problems, they at least require a look, once this benchmark has been reached. Several signs that it can be time to repair or replace your machine include if the water is not getting hot enough, the pump breaks or the machine is leaking. Then, it is likely time to replace the machine.

And, so we did as recommended. Our replacement coffee maker works great and the morning coffee is very hot now. This  dual-use model comes in handy when only one of us wants a cup of coffee. A major plus is that it doesn't take a large amount of limited counter space.

Overall, I was curious as to how long other small kitchen appliances are expected to last, but despite various online searches, there wasn't much information available on this topic. But, there was a lot of information on how long other appliances were expected to last — all were in the category of major appliances

Internet source

According to This Old House: The lifespan of an appliance depends on how much it’s used, which seems like common sense to me, perhaps to you too. Yet, many major appliances are replaced before they've worn out and this is due to other reasons such as changes in styles, renovations, technology and consumer preferences; all of these can make newer products more desirable.

Out of all the major home appliances, gas ranges have the longest life expectancy: 15 years and electric ones from 13-15 years. Dryers and refrigerators about 13 years. Some appliances with shorter lifespans include: compactors (6 years), dishwashers (9 years)  microwave ovens (9 years) and window AC units (5-7 years).

Why do old appliances last longer?

No surprise here as it's all about what materials are used in the manufacturing processes. Quite simply, older units were built better with sturdier materials, like metal, which insured their durability vs. plastic now. This meant they could withstand wear and tear much better than newer counterparts. I can remember the appliances in my parent's home to verify this fact. They were basic and lasted.

Today, new appliances have more bells and whistles compared to those from 10 or even 20 years ago, there's so many features and electronics; some that can be controlled with other electronics. While those features on new appliances can be handy, sometimes electronics don’t mix well with moisture often present in the average dishwasher, refrigerator or washing machine. In addition, the plastic materials are less durable than steel or copper as many homeowners know.

Sometimes, repair isn't considered a good option, even if trying to be cost-efficient. According to a Best Buy Home Expert, repairing an older appliance could lead to another issue. In the end, a repair could cost more than a replacement. In those cases, newer ones are bought.

As for ourselves, it's been over 8 years since we were homeowners in NJ and VA. While we replaced a refrigerator when living in NJ, all the major appliances were bought new when we relocated to VA and renovated an older house. Thankfully, none had reached their termination point when we relocated to NH.

Living and renting in the mill apartment as we do now means we don't have major appliance repairs since we don't own those in the apartment—refrigerator, electric range, microwave and dishwasher. If any of these fail or malfunction, the procedure is to file a maintenance request with the management office. It's logged and an in-house maintenance person checks on the issue. That goes for replacing air filters and light bulbs in the bathroom fixtures as well.

Communal apartment laundry room on our floor

There's no washer and dryer in the apartments, instead each floor has a central laundry room for 5 floors in 2 mill buildings. Until 2 years ago, maintenance was performed in-house, then the older machines were replaced with this new equipment which lets residents use an app on their phone or add money to a laundry card. The company that installed these units, also handles repair issues, but now residents need to contact them directly. Thankfully, there haven't been too many breakdowns. When that happens, residents can use an available machine on another floor as needed and yes, there are elevators.

New blender & vintage book

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a new appliance that wasn't a replacement —this Black & Decker blender has been in almost daily use since being set up. Smoothies are a morning favorite with yogurt, fresh fruit, milk (low-fat) honey, cinnamon and a couple of ice cubes. Bananas and peanut butter also make a delicious breakfast combo and it's now Grenville's favorite.

Before buying, I checked out various makes and models and most important dimensions as the plan was to keep the blender on the counter top. Online shopping comes in handy as often stores have limited models. Yes, we did check a couple of local places, first.

 

Just like appliances were made better years ago, often so were some publications. The one shown in the photo was "rescued" from a discard pile. I volunteer with the Nashua Public Library Friends group and outdated books deemed not good enough for the annual sale are tossed out due to limited storage space or to be replaced by more current ones. This book is over 50 years old (1965 copyright). I'm planning to try some of the recipes it contains.

Our gallery-style apartment kitchen

Above is a view of our gallery kitchen which has limited counter space, so the blender had to be a size that could remain on the counter. 

Our new coffee maker & blender share counter space with coffee & tea bags

I'm sure many of you know what I mean. When an appliance is put into a pantry or cabinet, it's used less often because it can take an effort to haul it out.

Another countertop space saver was replacing a towel holder with this one

Another way, we saved some counter space was to replace a free-standing paper towel holder with one that could mount on the side of the kitchen cabinet. More online research went into finding one with dimensions to fit the 11-inch space. The stainless steel one above was a perfect fit and priced right too, under $10.

So there you have it, some this 'n that from our corner of the world, the kitchen corner.

Your turn — what's been going on in yours ?