Signs of When to Get a New Oven

The most holiday that puts the most strain on ovens is over, but it's not out of the woods yet! Christmas is only 8 days away, and the time to make sure yours works is NOW!

The most holiday that puts the most strain on ovens is over, but it's not out of the woods yet! Christmas is only 8 days away, and the time to make sure yours works is NOW!

There are some classic signs that your oven may need a tune up, or be put out to pasture. They include:

1. Not holding the correct temperature.
2. Not heating evenly.
3. Long preheat times.
4. Not turning on.
5. Its falling apart or noticeable wear.
6. Timers is broken.
7. You can see a spike in your power bill when you use your oven.
8. You've had trouble with it in the past
9. It would make more financial sense to get a new one.

If you're not sure about what to do, or have questions, call us at Express Appliance at (208) 371-8676.

12 Hints for Buying Large Appliances (part 2)

Last week we gave you several tips on how to buy appliances, as it can be a scary purchase. We try our best to provide our customers with a welcoming atmosphere, are comfortable asking questions, and are informed. Lets go over a couple more hints to help you when buying appliances!

7. Get the right gear

If you're constantly cooking, having the right pans, dishes, and silverware could extend the life of your appliance, as well as accent your food's taste.

8. Test drive

Everybody has those pet peeves that drive us crazy, and appliances aren't immune to being their target. Try thinking of what may bother you when buying an appliance. Some fridge doors close if not opened properly, others have an extra tight seal, a couple may open from the wrong side for your house, and some may have too dim of a light. You may be living with this choice for a while, so make sure you get the right one!

9. Any perks?

We don't want to brag, but we like to believe that we give every customer a steal of a deal. Our prices are the best you'll find, and on top of that, we finance, give every customer a 90 day warranty, a lifetime service agreement, and a delivery option.

We finance, 90 days same as cash. That's one heck of a deal :)

If the appliance needs any repair within the 90 day warranty, we'll pick up the tab. To quote The Rembrandts, "I'll be there for you".

After the warranty runs out, washers, dryers, and stoves have the low copay of $49.95, and fridges and freezers have the great copay of $69.95.

Not everybody has a truck they can just toss a fridge in. We will hook you up with delivery, anywhere from Boise all the way to Nampa, for only $49.95.

10. Know when its time

I admit, I have let the "check engine" light blink on for far longer than I should have. I came to realize, it was my car telling me it was time to put it out to pasture er... junkyard.

Your appliances will let you know when their time has come as well. They'll be much louder, not work as well, accidentally ruin clothes/food, or cost too much to fix.

Come talk to us if you need a 2nd opinion, or someone to haul it away.

11. Get the good stuff

Some people just are better at certain things than others. Their work stands out and it shows. Picking an appliance brand is no different. Before you sign on the dotted line, know what you're getting into. Does a brand have reliable parts that require little or no maintenance? Or does a brand have more fragile parts, like seals, motors, or knobs that require a bit more upkeep?

Don't get information from one source, but from several places. Read both positive and negative reviews. Our professional staff are also very knowledgeable about brands, and can help you weigh pros and cons.

12. Think ahead

When I was a teenager, I was given a motor cycle from a family friend. Being 14 and the owner of a motorcycle was VERY exciting, despite the fact it was (in retrospect) just a pile of junk. I was optimistic, and thought I could buy parts and get it cruising in no time. After a little bit of research, I found that my bike was a very old Japanese model. Any parts I bought would rather have to be shipped from overseas or be custom made in America. Either way, it instantly turned into an unrealistically expensive repair.

Some brands may have the same curse. Where one model's parts could be growing on trees, another model's parts could be as rare as a unicorn.

This information may be tricky to search for online if you don't know what you're looking for. Our staff know our products, their models, and their parts inside and out. They can help you decide if a model's potential repairs are the difference between feast or famine.


Keep an eye on our blog for more hints, tips, tricks, and stories!

12 Hints for Buying Large Appliances (part 1)

Buying appliances can be a worrisome ordeal, and we've been there. We pride ourselves in taking good care of our customers. We make sure they're informed, delighted with their purchase, and leave satisfied enough to come back for future needs!

1. So many options!

There's a couple of options you may not have thought of unless you came into the shop. In attempt to better prepare you for the range of purchase options, lets determine what you want.

Do you want a gas, coil, or glass stove top? What about induction vs electric?

A conventional or convection oven? Double or single?

A top-down or side-by-side refrigerator? Stainless steal? Filtered water and ice? A special drawer for vegetables?

What's your price range? Do you have a lot, or just a little? New or old?

If you feel a bit overwhelmed, we got your back. Call us at 208-344-6700 or stop by at 609 Orchard st, Boise ID.

2. Don't be a diamond

Being under pressure makes diamonds, but it also leads to impulse buys. Don't feel pressured to buy something you don't want or can't afford. We want to find the right fit for you.

3. Keep in mind what you're using it for

If you live solely on frozen pizzas, you're most likely going to want a freezer with a lot of space. If you're needing space for food with ingredients, you'll probably going to want more fridge space. Different styles of fridges have different proportions of their freezers and fridges.

But these style differences aren't just for freezers and fridges. There are different sizes of ovens, washer/dryer capacities, and numbers of stove heads. Keep in mind what you'd need your new appliance for.

4. Know how to care for your purchase

In college, we weren't always the smartest with laundry. Having no washer/dryer of my own, I had to use my grandma's. Desperate to get all my laundry done in a single visit, I stuffed the washer past the brim. 15 minutes later, the washer was moaning under the strain of my mountain of clothes. Luckily, grandma stopped it before the washer gave out, and gave me a short lesson.

The same applies for all other appliances. It may seem silly, but look up the proper use for any appliance you just bought. Some things you may never have thought of, like cleaning dryer vents, sweeping under ovens, and battling a washer's mildew.

Even a simple mistake could end up being costly in you're not careful. Ask us at All Brands Appliance if you have any question, we're professionals!

5. Measure, Measure, Measure!

If you have narrow hallways, or have some tricky corners, make sure your new purchase fits! It would be incredibly frustrating going through the process of buying an appliance, having it delivered, only to find out that you're just inches away from the finish line. To prevent this "close, but no cigar" situation, know the dimensions needed in order to properly install it.

6. Corvette of appliances?

Everybody likes the fanciest, newest, and coolest stuff. From phones, to cars, and yes, even to washers. However, you don't always need to go out to the car dealership and spend an arm and a leg when the cars at the used car lot works just as well (and doesn't hit your wallet like a ton of bricks).

Our used appliances are in EXCELLENT condition, and all come with a free lifetime service agreement! Best of all, we're the best bang for your buck in the whole valley!

Tune in next week for part 2!

Thanksgiving is just 3 DAYS AWAY!! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!

You don't want to be stuck unable to eat the staple of the holidays just because your old oven finally keeled over! If you need a new oven, TODAY is the day to come get it!! 

5 Things You Should Never Do With Your Oven

1. Don't use the self-cleaning feature before preparing a holiday meal.

The self-cleaning feature on an oven makes the oven heat up to 800-1,000 degrees - much hotter than normal. If an oven were to "pull a muscle", it would be during that sprint.

2. Don't go overboard with tin foil.

Foil reflects heat, which may unevenly cook food. Give your turkey an even tan by directing the heat in the proper way.

3. Don't forget the vents!

Vents in the oven allow good heat circulation, and thus proper cooking. Unlike the Death Star, we don't want to cover those vents.

4. Be careful where you aim!

Spraying cleaning products on control knobs may spark an electrical fire. Our object is to cook in the kitchen, not cook the whole kitchen!

5. Use the oven the right way.

Many use their ovens to heat their homes. Ovens are designed to keep heat focused on the food inside, and using it in this wrong way would just put it through unnecessary strain. This would be an especially risky move so close to the holidays.

To Replace, or Not to Replace?

To replace, or not to replace? That is the question. Whether its more cost effective to repair, or simply spring for a new model.

When it comes to appliances like ovens and fridges, Angie's List recommends using a "cost+age" formula to determine whether to replace or repair.  If the repair of an appliance will cost more than half the price of buying a new one, and if it's nearing the end of its useful life, replace it. 

"If the consumer made an initial investment in that that was pretty large and they can get it fixed for a couple hundred dollars, they may opt to repair," says Ryan Wagner, an appliance store manager.

Angie's List research shows that there are still plenty of repair people in the industry for when you need them, and we're one of them! Call us at 208-344-6700 anytime!

Freezer Prep

Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Here's 3 hints to prep your freezer for all those left overs!

1. Clean it out

Take all the food out, throw the expired stuff away, and wipe everything down. Put a box of baking soda if its particularly fragrant.

2. Vacuum the back

Vacuum all the dust out of the condenser coils at least once a year. This allows the freezer to continue work at peak performance.

3. Maintain proper temperatures

Monitor the temperatures of the freezer. Ideally, it would be around 0 degrees. If the temperature is too high, the seal likely isn't tight enough.