A self-cleaning oven is a must-have feature for any busy home, I mean who wants to spend hours scrubbing and scrapping burnt food from your oven? But traditional self-cleaning ovens aren’t for everyone. If used incorrectly, self-clean’s high heat can damage your oven, the fumes smell unpleasant and may harm small pets, and the cleaning cycle can take a long time.

Enters Aqualift. Whirlpool introduced AquaLift self-cleaning technology to the Whirlpool, Maytag, Kitchen Aid, and JennAir families to make cleaning your oven easier than ever before.

AquaLift can perform a cleaning cycle in less than an hour. It releases no harmful fumes, and at 200 degrees Fahrenheit you won’t damage your appliance with frequent cleaning cycles.

Sounds great, right? But does it clean better? Let’s break it down.

Traditional Self Cleaning

Traditional self-cleaning ovens use extremely high heat of up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit (427 degree Celsius) to burn the baked on food soil in your oven cavity to a fine ash. To begin, simply remove the racks from your oven, set the self-clean cycle and hit start. Be sure to remove any small pets to a well-ventilated area as the fumes may be harmful. Once the cycle is complete, simply wipe down your oven with a damp cloth to remove the burnt waste.

Easy enough, but be prepared to wait up to 4 hours for the cleaning cycle to complete. And though the fumes aren’t harmful to human beings, they can smell unpleasant.

Judges say? Self-clean may be slow and steady, but it definitely works.

Whirlpool Aqualift Self-Clean

Whirlpool developed AquaLift as a faster, safer alternative to traditional self-cleaning ovens. The AquaLift system uses heat and water in combination with a patented porcelain coated oven interior to remove baked on food soil.

So how does it work? Remove the racks and use the Whirlpool supplied AquaLift accessories to wipe and remove the loose soil. Pour 2 cups of distilled water in the bottom of an electric oven, or 1.75 cups of distilled water in a gas oven, and close the door. Select the Clean feature and press start. The heat will create steam to lift the soil off of the porcelain coated interior and at the end of the 40-minute AquaLift cleaning cycle, the oven will beep to tell you it’s finished. Simply wipe down the oven with your sponge, and use the plastic scraper to lift any left over waste.

That said, AquaLift functions more as an improved manual clean than a true self-clean. Be prepared to use the Whirlpool provided tools to remove any excess water or waste deposits after the AquaLift cycle finishes. You may even want to run the AquaLift cycle a second time if there’s a particularly stubborn piece of dirt. But don’t worry, because it uses lower temperatures for less time you won’t damage your oven.

And what do the judges say? The lower heat is easier on your oven, it doesn’t produce any harmful fumes or unpleasant odours and it’s much faster than traditional self-cleaning. If you’re willing to use a little bit of elbow grease than Whirlpool’s AquaLift could be the perfect addition to your kitchen.

Now that you’ve got a clean sense of traditional self-cleaning vs. Whirlpool’s AquaLift, head over and shop our BrandSource store for all of your Whirlpool Family Oven needs.

Isabelle, Your Appliance Expert

Source: Vicello Kitchen

A great kitchen can be so much more than just the heart of your home. A great kitchen combines exceptional style with exceptional functionality, and we’ve got just what trends to look for in 2020 when it comes to updating your kitchen.

Trend #1: Hidden Gems

From hidden or surprising storage to high tech appliances, kitchens in 2020 and beyond have a lot of gems waiting for you to discover.

• We’ve been seeing kitchens getting sleeker over the past few years, and headed into 2020 we’re looking to clean the lines up even more. Discreet handles on all cupboards and drawers, or hidden entirely with undermounted pulls create a new look with a gentle nod to the sleek mid-century.

Source: Kresswell Interiors

• Love your morning latte but hate seeing the messy coffee station? A trend on the rise and reaching full peak in 2020 for kitchens is hidden storage stations, perfect for your morning coffee routine, toaster, and other countertop clutter.
• Hidden from view but a gem for any avid entertainer are today’s smart appliances. With remote features, and more cooking capabilities than ever before you will never look at your oven as ‘just an oven’ (or your other appliances!)
• A complete reversal of the oversized and statement range hood, 2020 kitchen trends bring with it a hidden range hood. Discreet and more intimately integrated into the design, range hoods for 2020 are blending in rather than booming ‘look at me!’.

Source: Vicello Kitchen

Trend #2: Clever Kitchen

From clever storage solutions to clever cooking technologies, a big trend for kitchens in 2020 is all about getting smart!

• An organized pantry and clever (and clear!) storage solutions are all the rage in taking your kitchen plastic free in 2020. Organized, labelled, and ready for any dinner party and last-minute cupcake request. Kitchens in 2020 will be just what Martha Stewart always wished for us.
• With more small space living we are seeing lots of creative solutions for storage, especially for those who are regular entertainers. Increasingly, a giant storage wall – entirely covered in practical and accessible storage is making smaller spaces incredibly functional.

Source: Houzz

• Not just clever, but smart! Kitchens in 2020 are connected and offering up smart solutions in everything from faucets to appliances. With smart charging stations, remotely controlled kitchen lighting, and smart ovens responding to voice controls, kitchen design in 2020 and beyond is very clever indeed.

Trend #3: Colour

After years of all white kitchens we have started to see more and more colour return to the kitchen, and 2020 is no exception!

• Not ready to brave all blue cabinetry just yet? A big trend for kitchen is two tones, with a darker colour on the bottom cabinetry and lighter on the top.

Source: Rebecca Hay Designs

• Warm up the countertops with natural wood, creating a timeless and classic look (no matter what colour the cabinets are).
• It might technically be the absence of colour, but black is back baby. Expect to see black cabinets taking kitchens by storm in 2020 (see main image). Or forget paint on the cabinets and go with another trend we are seeing for kitchens, the warm natural wood cabinet. Combined with a laminate countertop, this creates a timeless sophisticated look that isn’t too stuffy.
• And yes, you guessed it! Look out for even more colour in your appliances.

Need some help picking out what hot new appliance your kitchen will enjoy in 2020? Check out our helpful appliance buying guides or come to our store where one of our experts will assist you in finding the perfect kitchen appliances for your needs.

Isabelle, Your Appliance Expert

We’ve come a long way since we first wrung our clothes out in the river. In the twenty-first century manufacturers are competing to bring your family the best performing laundry in the history of well… ever.

Whirlpool and Maytag remain industry leaders pushing forward on time-saving, easy to use, and high performance washer innovations designed to make your laundry experience easier.

Here are 6 innovative washing machine features we’re excited about.

1. Load & Go

Skip the detergent every time you wash. With Load and Go you preload your detergent and fabric softener in an easy to access automatic dispenser. Whirlpool’s Load and Go system automatically adds detergent and fabric softener at the perfect time, with a capacity of up to 40 loads you’ll never wonder if you remembered to add the detergent again.

2. Built-In Water Faucet

Stop stains from setting with Whirlpool and Maytag’s Built-In Water Faucet. Located just inside the washer drum, the built-in faucet lets you prewash any stubborn stain or soil before the wash cycle even begins.

3. Smart Laundry

Smarter washing is better with Smart Laundry through the Whirlpool App. Start a load remotely or assign a task to family members when it’s time to flip the laundry. With its voice activation through Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or your Apple Watch, doing your laundry from anywhere has never been easier.

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4. Steam for Stains Option

Tackle even the toughest stains with Maytag’s Steam For Stains Option using a combination of steam and temperature to create an ideal environment for cleansing enzymes to remove organic stains.

5. Sanitize Cycle

Kill harmful bacteria with Whirlpool and Maytag’s Sanitize Cycle. The extra hot water inside the washer removes over 99% of the 3 most common household bacteria.

6. Extra Power

Sometimes your laundry needs extra attention. With select Maytag washers’ Extra Power button you boost the stain fighting wash features in any load.

Getting your clothes clean has never been easier. And now that you’re caught up on the newest innovations from Whirlpool and Maytag head on over to BrandSource and shop all the latest Whirlpool and Maytag washing machines.

And be sure to check out our helpful Washer and Dryer Buying Guide for the answers to all of your laundry questions.

Isabelle, Your Appliance Expert

There are some rules that should never be broken; be kind to others, pick up your own trash, look both ways before crossing the road. These keep everyone civil in a society otherwise gone to the wolves. But when it comes to the kitchen, no rule is as important as this one: No dish should ever be left behind.

The problem is that most dishwashers don’t treat that rule as sacred. They’ll leave dishes behind in the dirt, with some of them getting clean and others being left to rot and never getting cleaned correctly. That’s just not a way to treat dishes! That’s why we are thankful for KitchenAid dishwashers. With KitchenAid dishwashers, no dish is ever left behind, and your kitchen utensils will get completely clean.

Let’s take a walk through some of the best KitchenAid features, and see how they’ll make your kitchen life easier and cleaner.

Better, Faster, Harder, Cleaner

If you’ve ever had to clean a dishwasher filter then you know that cleaning dishes is a dirty business. Well, KitchenAid makes that dirty business much cleaner. With a Clean Water Wash System, their dishwashers remove food particles from your washing water. This means clean water washes your dishes, and you can forget about having to clean the filter. That’s a double-kick of awesomeness!

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Professional Scrub-a-dub-dub

There are two types of people in this world: Those who believe in soaking their dishes and monsters. There are just some stains that can’t come out otherwise, but soaking brings with it its own set of challenges.

Well, KitchenAid dishwashers are also getting rid of soaking forever. With their ProScrub Option, you can say goodbye to soaking and pre-scrubbing. Instead, say hello to 40 targeted spray jets that will remove all of those sticky sustained stains you used to have to scrub by hand.

Lance Armstrong Level Cycling

You have enough decisions in your life already – you shouldn’t have to worry about trying to pick which wash cycle to use for which dishes.

What you need is KitchenAid’s Prowash Cycle. Instead of having to do the guesswork yourself, the Prowash Cycle picks the best cycle for each load depending on how dirty they are, AND makes changes on the fly to give your dishes the best clean possible. Less decisions, and cleaner dishes: That’s a great feature if we’ve ever heard of one.

No matter what you are looking for in a dishwasher, KitchenAid has a model that will do everything you want it to do, and more. Stop in today and one of our knowledgeable experts will walk you through all the different KitchenAid models, and help you find the one that will be best for you and your kitchen.

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Amanda, Your Appliance Expert

Ah, the crisper drawer. Or, as it’s more likely known in your home, the “anything that doesn’t fit anywhere else in the fridge” drawer. Those little drawers near the bottom of your refrigerator always seem to collect things like string cheese, yogourt cups, and granola bars (seriously? Who put those in the fridge?), but what are they actually for?

It turns out, these nifty compartments serve an important purpose when it comes to keeping your food fresh!

What is a Crisper Drawer?

A crisper drawer is basically a sealed off area within a fridge set to lower or higher humidity than the rest of the unit. Some fridges come with multiple drawers with preset humidity levels, while others let you adjust drawers to any humidity level you need.

The adjustment mechanism is deceptively simple: when you set it to high humidity, a little vent in the back of the drawer closes, sealing the compartment shut. As you set the humidity lower, the vent opens, letting out some of the moisture trapped inside. Easy! But what can be slightly more complicated is figuring out which foods go where.

What to Store in a Crisper Drawer

Even though you can keep all kinds of things in your crisper drawer, you’ll see the best results with fresh produce. If you always seem to be throwing money at grocery stores and farmers’ markets, only to find your beautiful organic veggies wilted beyond reason just days later, a crisper drawer might be able to save your wallet and your dinner plans.

But before you start tossing everything leafy into the crisper, keep in mind that different produce has different needs. Some will need lower humidity and others need higher humidity, and you can do some serious damage to your food by putting it in the wrong drawer.

Low Humidity

A common rule of thumb for determining what should go in each drawer goes like this: “rot, low; wilt, high.” That means foods that rot as they go bad should be kept in the low humidity drawer. Fruits and other produce that don’t lose moisture easily should be top candidates for this drawer.

These types of produce emit gases as they age, but the open vent in the back lets those gases out of the drawer, so the fruit stays fresher for longer. Here are a few things to try storing in a low humidity drawer:

• Avocados
• Peaches
• Apples
• Pears
• Grapes

High Humidity

Leafy greens and other foods that wilt as they get older should be kept in high humidity conditions. These foods won’t release much gas while they’re being stored, but they’ll lose moisture like crazy. Keeping these veggies in the crisper drawer set to high humidity should help keep them fresh and…well, crisp!

• Lettuce
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Strawberries

Now quick, get to the fridge! Rearrange your drawers with all this in mind and notice how much longer your food lasts. Another pro tip: crisper drawers tend to work best when they’re nearly full. So, go crazy next time you’re feeling the need to freshen up your diet! The more fruits and veggies you can pack in, the better—as long as you remember to eat them all!

If you’re still struggling to keep food fresh, the problem might be your fridge. Come on down to our store to check out our selection of Whirlpool fridges, and ask our associates about anything and everything appliances!

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Amanda, Your Appliance Expert

Did something die in the dishwasher? It happened. Your built-in dishwasher finally started smelling and now you don’t know what to do. It makes sense that it would start creating a strong odour. So many pieces of food, germs, and bacteria get swirled around during a dishwasher cycle, so it’s only normal that an odour would materialize. If your dishwasher ever starts to smell, here’s what needs to be done to fix the problem:

Step 1: Check the Drain Filter

This is probably the culprit. If the drain filter isn’t cleaned out regularly or even every couple of months, things can start to get pretty hairy. Mouldy particles of food may be hanging around the drain and causing the odour, so it’s best to check here first. All it needs is a little soap and water to do the trick.

Step 2: Clean the Walls

Over time, the interior walls may have picked up scum and other sorts of germs which should be washed off from time to time. Remove the racks from inside your dishwasher and scrub away!

Step 3: Wipe Off the Door Gasket

It may seem excessive, but clean it anyways. There is a slight chance the door gasket of your stainless steel dishwasher picked up food particles so it’s always a good idea to just give them a quick wipe down. Just to be safe.

Step 4: If All Else Fails…

Use vinegar as your last Hail Mary to get the stink out of your kitchen appliance. All you need is 1 cup of distilled white vinegar placed on the top dishwasher drawer rack before running a full cycle. The vinegar will be tossed around inside the dishwasher allowing the acidity of the vinegar to help break down any residue. It’s also an odour neutralizer and will help get rid of any unwanted smells.

Don’t let a smell from your dishwasher prevent you from using it! A little cleaning should do the trick! If it turns out that you’re actually in need of a new one, get in contact with us, your local appliance store, to discover our selection of new GE dishwashers!

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Amanda, Your Appliance Expert

Steam ovens are a major kitchen appliance trend that’s been picking up steam — pun intended — for the past few years.

They’re a great way to get healthier, fresher, tastier food without having to adjust your cooking or grocery shopping habits – hence their growing popularity – but many people are still unfamiliar with the particulars of this appliance trend. So what is a Bosch steam oven, and how does it work? It turns out, this innovation in cooking tech could be the key to making the most of your kitchen.

What Is a Steam Oven?

Steam ovens are just what they sound like – ovens that use hot steam rather than hot air to cook food. They introduce a whole new level of cooking to your kitchen, and can even reheat things more effectively than microwaves, making them an awesome double whammy for your home. You can use a Bosch steam oven in place of a standard convection oven, or double it up with your existing oven for even more range and cooking power.

How Do Bosch Steam Ovens Work?

Most steam ovens work by siphoning water from a small water tank into a built-in boiler, heating it to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, and releasing the steam into the oven. This superheated steam is just as effective at cooking your food through as the circulated hot air that makes convection work, and is often even faster.

Some more upscale models can even be connected directly to a water line, so you don’t have to worry about refilling the tank after every meal. But for most steam ovens, no special hookups are required – just plug it in, fill up the water tank, and get to cooking, just like a regular oven.

Why Get a Bosch Steam Oven?

So why all the hype? Well, for one, just about anything you can cook in a traditional oven, you can cook better in a steam oven.

Steam ovens are generally considered to be healthier than standard ovens. The steam helps lock moisture into whatever food is being cooked or reheated, eliminating the need for extra oils and fats to keep food moist. No more getting trapped in the kitchen basting that turkey to keep it from drying out! They also help your food retain its natural vitamins and minerals, so you get the most nutritional value from your food. It goes without saying that health nuts have been going … well, nuts over these things.

The one downside of steam ovens is that, because water boils at 212 degrees, you won’t be able to easily cook foods that require being cooked at higher temperatures than that. Because of this temperature limit, steam ovens usually work best as a complement to standard convection ovens, or even better, when incorporated as a combi-steam unit, which can cook using both steam and convection, depending on the dish’s needs.

But the optimized flavour of the food that comes out of a steam oven is well worth its minor drawbacks. Even several-days-old food can be given brand-new life with a reheat in a steam oven – and the flavour only gets better for fresh dishes.

Bosch Steam ovens are a great way to give your cooking a kick and make your daily diet a little healthier too! They’re a simple addition to your kitchen, and signs point to this trend sticking around for quite some time. Plus, when you shop with us, you’ll get great deals and expert advice on Bosch steam ovens. Stop on by to see our selection and see how steam will steal your heart!

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Amanda, Your Appliance Expert

It’s not what can you do for your fridge, but what can your fridge do for you?

Grocery Shopping & Food Preparation

Samsung smart fridge helps you manage your fridge space and simplify your grocery list. Interior cameras sync with your smartphone and allow you to see inside your refrigerator from the grocery store. Make your shopping list with the built-in touch screen and transfer the list to your phone. This way, you’ll be able to shop for everything you need and will no longer struggle to remember if you’re out of milk or eggs.

If you have a hard time remembering shopping lists and cooking instructions, there’s a much easier way. Your favourite recipes can be printed on the backlit screen, allowing your smart fridge to recommend meal ideas based on what ingredients you have on hand, and what you still need to pick up. Food reminders even let you know when certain food items are near their expiration date so you can control the temperature settings to keep food properly chilled for longer. Whether you call it a smart fridge or your official sous chef, let your fridge help you decide what’s for dinner and reduce the stress of nightly meal prep.

More Family Time

Samung Family Hub Smart Fridges come with an extensive list of apps and special features to keep you and your family connected. Built-in calendars allow you to share schedules and weekly plans with family members–meaning no more missing appointments, double-booking events, or arriving late to the dinner table.

Set to-do lists, draw pictures, and leave homework reminders for the kids when they’re home alone. If your daily routine is hectic, set a nightly reminder for everyone to take a break and come together for mealtime. Everyone in your house will know exactly when it’s time to eat–deciding when it’s time for dishes is still up for debate.

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Plan for Fun

Most people don’t typically associate refrigerators with fun, but that’s about to change. You can play music directly from your Samsung smart fridge for entertainment, ambiance, or kitchen dance parties. If you’re still busy in the kitchen preparing the pregame appetizers and don’t want to miss a play, set up your fridge screen to mirror your television–keeping you in touch with the action taking place on the field and in the kitchen.

Another fascinating feature is the ability to browse the web. A built-in web browser allows you to research cook times, unique recipes, or help with after-dinner homework. Don’t just make plans for dinner, make plans to enjoy yourself while you’re in the kitchen.

Keep Connected

If other appliances in your home have smart features, you can sync them together to monitor your smart home setup directly from your refrigerator. See who’s at the front door when the dog starts barking, control lights and thermostats, and see into other rooms in the house to check on the kids.

A Samsung Family hub smart fridge is more than a gimmick, it helps to create a central hub for managing all aspects of your home from the most central location–the kitchen.

When you have a busy household, it pays to be smart. If you need help finding the right smart fridge to streamline your cooking and your daily routine, pay us a visit, and we’ll help you find the Samsung smart fridge that will perfectly match your needs.

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Amanda, Your Appliance Expert

It’s hard to say goodbye to an oven that’s been good to you for so long. But sometimes there’s just no way around the fact that your oven is ready to retire. If you aren’t convinced your oven is ready to be put to rest, here are a few common oven issues that prove holding onto this kitchen appliance is just not worth it.

It Doesn’t Heat Up

This is clearly a problem. If you have a gas range or wall oven and it’s not heating up, check to make sure there isn’t a gas line issue. If everything looks good, then there is a chance your oven needs a good look from an appliance repair service. When that situation occurs, you may be paying for new parts in order to fix your appliance, which can easily go over the price of purchasing a completely new range or oven. Just something to keep in mind.

It’s Not Cooking Evenly

If you like to bake, your treats all depend on the oven’s ability to cook thoroughly so that the food bakes evenly. No one wants a cake that’s mushy in the middle. Especially when you cook meat like chicken, it’s crucial that it cooks to the middle so that no one eats undercooked fowl. This, again, can get pretty pricey when it comes to purchasing new parts. Decide if you want to go through that hassle or get yourself a Samsung oven in perfect condition.

It Won’t Turn On

What good is an oven that doesn’t turn on? At that point it’s basically just another place to put your pans and baking sheets! This is something you should have looked at by an appliance service that can do the dirty work for you. No need for you to blindly touch wires that could ultimately cause shocking results. If the results are that your oven needs new parts, find out if it’s even worth the money before getting them.

An oven is an important part of your home. It brings family and friends together so when it’s out of commission, everything else feels out of commission too. We highly recommend checking out Samsung ranges and wall ovens at our store if your current oven decides to go kaput.

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Amanda, Your Appliance Expert

When it comes to choosing which appliances are right for your home, it’s easy to get lost, especially while figuring out your kitchen’s ventilation. It gets a little confusing when you find out there’s more than just one kind of vent system. They both are made to remove fumes, smoke, steam, and heat and just keep the air fresh in general, but how is anyone supposed to know the difference between a downdraft hood and a vent hood for criminy’s sake? It’s not like they teach this stuff in school. Even though it’s not common knowledge, we’re here to help you understand the differences between a KitchenAid downdraft and vent hood, that way you can figure out which one will work better in your home.

What’s Good in the Vent Hood

A vent hood goes by many names including range hood, kitchen hood, and even electric kitchen chimney. These appliances are usually paired with a range, although it’s not uncommon to see them hanging above a cooktop. But what makes these odour removers so essential in your kitchen?

For one thing, a range hood is considerably larger than a downdraft hood which means it has the power to cover a larger area and significantly reduce smoke in your kitchen. Another perk of having a vent hood is that it provides better kitchen lighting. A simple switch or touch of a button allows light to shine down on where you are cooking. Vent hoods also have a knack for hiding in plain sight, and instead of looking bulky, they will add luxury to your kitchen.

The Down Low on Downdraft Hoods

If you’re looking for something more subtle than a vent hood, there are downdraft hoods that have the power to hide. That’s right; some telescopic downdraft vents will rise from your cooktop no more than 10 inches (25.4 cm) with just the touch of a button. This high-tech appliance not only works well sucking fumes down and out of a duct, but it’s also a kitchen showstopper. Guests will love it!

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Sooooo … Which to Choose?

It’s not an easy decision choosing between a vent and downdraft hood, but there are a few things you’ll want to take into consideration before purchasing:

• Are you looking to have more storage space? If so, a downdraft hood allows you to have cabinets above your cooking area.
• Do you detest cleaning? If so, downdraft vents are easier to clean than a large vent hood.
• Do you cook with big pots? If so, a vent hood will be able to remove steam and smoke easier from your cooking space, as opposed to a downdraft hood that can’t reach the height of the large pots.
• Do you have a range? If so, downdraft vents only work for cooktops unless you specifically buy a downdraft range.

Whatever you choose, you can’t go wrong with either a vent hood or a downdraft hood from KitchenAid. Visit our store today, and we’ll be happy to help you find the right kind of hood to put in your home!

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Amanda, Your Appliance Expert