Many consumers focus on ranges, cooktops, or wall ovens when they think about cooking in the kitchen, but the true chef knows that ventilation is an equally important consideration. This is particularly true if you do a lot of cooking and have an open floor plan home or do a lot of entertaining in or near the kitchen. (For more info on choosing a new range hood, check out our ventilation buying guide!)

When looking for your next hood, you may want to consider XO Ventilation. Many appliance companies offer ventilation products, but XO Ventilation is a true specialty manufacturer offering a full suite of products, including under-cabinet hoods, wall mount chimney styles, custom hood inserts, island mounts, glide-outs, and professional models.

XO range hoods tend to be...

• Quiet, even when running at high speeds

• Nicely designed for a modern look

• Innovative in terms of features

XO prides itself on its Italian heritage, which is evident in their designs. Let's take a closer look at the brand and a few of their best sellers across the product line, from undercabinet models to chimney hoods and pro hoods. 

There are many factors that go into choosing a new dishwasher, like quietness, reliability, tub material, interior layout - the list goes on. One of the basic things that you need to consider about your new dishwasher before you even open it is the exterior aesthetic. The control placement and handle configuration are some of the biggest contributing factors to the look of a dishwasher. 

In this article, we'll explore the differences between these two control placement options to help you decide which option is right for you! (Check out our dishwasher buying guide for more information on choosing a new dishwasher!)

LG is one of the fastest growing brands in the appliance industry, offering top-quality products and innovative features. They've won several awards in the past few years for customer satisfaction and reliability, so they're a great choice for appliances. When it comes to dishwashers, LG has a lot of great mid-range to high-end models that can go on sale for 20-30% off during holiday sales. If you're looking for a cheaper option under $500, you should probably look into Bosch, Frigidaire, or other brands with budget dishwasher offerings.

We'll go over the key features LG has incorporated into their dishwashers and then dig into reviews of three popular models at different price points. Let's go!

It's a relief to exchange snow tires for regular tires, boots for sandals, and sweaters for short sleeves, isn't it? And yet... sometimes, no matter how much we appreciate summer, there are a few downsides. If you have a large space to cool down, a 10,000 BTU window air conditioner is a great way to do it. These powerful ACs can handle 350-450 square feet, and many options are still 115/120 volt rather than requiring a 220-volt setup.

We've chosen four popular models from great brands to help you decide. Choosing an air conditioner from an established brand helps ensure that you get a solid warranty and that the unit gives you many seasons of performance.

"I called a local repair company about this, and they said they no longer do warranty service for [manufacturer] because they don't pay enough."

I see phrases like this quite often in comments and product reviews. Usually, people are frustrated because they haven't been able to get timely warranty service on an appliance. If your relatively new washing machine has started leaking, or food is spoiling in your 6-month-old refrigerator, finding out that you'll need to wait 2 weeks or more to get it repaired is just adding insult to injury.

But I want to clarify how appliance warranty service actually works, and why it is the way it is.

After 20 years of use, it isn’t uncommon for a dryer to bite the dust, leaving you tasked with researching new options. But once you start reading reviews online, you may be dismayed to see how many customers say their dryer died after only 6-10 years, or sometimes even less! How can this be when your old machine, apart from an occasional repair, worked reliably for more than a decade?

If you aren't deep in the laundry industry or a hardcore Speed Queen fan, you might have missed the controversy over Speed Queen's new top load models released in 2018. They had to make changes to meet energy efficiency requirements, and some of those changes involved the wash action of their top load models. This departure from what their fans were used to resulted in some backlash. Long story short, the new wash action is gentler overall, which is not necessarily a bad thing - but it wasn't ideal for some of Speed Queen's customer base. (Despite this controversy, as of this writing all of the TR series of washers have over 4.5 stars from customer ratings on their website.)

The TC5 is a return to tradition with a lot of the features that people loved about Speed Queen's 2017 and earlier washers. It was updated in 2021 from the TC5000WN to the TC5003WN.  We'll compare in-depth the differences between the TR5 model and the TC5 model below! (Speed Queen also released a front load model in 2019 - click the link to read our review!)

If you are doing research on new refrigerators, you'll be amazed to find all of the advanced new features that are offered in today's models. One of the features worth considering is a dual evaporator. There are many dual evaporator refrigerators available from brands like GE, LG, Samsung and others. We'll talk about the benefits of this technology and who offers it in detail below - and if you need more study material, check out our refrigerator buying guide!