Which to trust more CR or buyer reviews?

CR is reliable, as far as it goes. I'm recalling their review on Ultra Bright toothpaste. Highest rating and lowest cost. If you read their points, though, all they tested for was ability to whiten. I do think there reports are unbiased and better informed that the general public's.

I've seen some of the click bait type auto reviews on the net. Many of them are based solely on appearance. Thanks, but I already know how a car looks before I buy it. Just saying - as they say.

Also, how sure are you that those buyer reviews are really written by buyers. Some of them are what I would call odd.

I found the item on sears and it was from reviews written there. Some were excellent some were poor....overall it was good just it is an expensive item so I am hesitate. I don't mind paying more though if it is worth it.

Consumer Reports uses a combination of reader surveys on reliability and in lab testing, but sometimes they miss things like convenience of use. Still they are about the most reliable source I've found.

I like the Consumersearch website, as they take Consumer Reports, other review sources (like CNET for electronics), and consumer reviews, and combine them all to make meta-recommendations.

On subjects that I have a high degree of expertise about, I would give Consumersearch a grade "B" for their reviews of the same subjects. Not 100% perfect, but always solid and reliable. It is where I always start my research when I am thinking of buying something that I know nothing about.

One note though, don't just go by their "top picks" on a given subject. Read the "full review" tab. That is where all the good information is. The "buying guide" tab has useful tips too.


Now, all that said, I just glanced over their pages for ranges/stoves, and I saw nothing about double ovens. I've never heard of them myself either. So you aren't going to find any answers to your question about double ovens there.

But aside from questions about double ovens, they'll likely be a good source of advice.

I used to love CR but I no longer trust them. They have values that are not mine, like they will fail a product completely for some obscure safety risk that no one cares about. These people seem like moralistic geeks with bad tastes to me. I still look once in awhile in the shopping line but I never buy it. The first thing I go by is personal experience or what the repair guy says. I am fine with what ever Costco sells. Next I look consumer reviews and brand reputation. The I go by how I like it when I see/touch it. The last time I went primarily by CR was 04 when I was looking for aa vacuum.

Exactly my point on why their input tends to be not particularly helpful.

we bought a gas range that was set up with a button free pnel. CR rated it high and, as was said before, they didnt think out thye convenience of use. The damn stove is always turning off an on whenever someone cleans the front panel. Once my wife was cleaning it so vigorously after we did a stove top roast that spat a bit. When she was rubbing the panel it set off some puter gizmo that sent the whole damn stove into a catatonic state. We had to go and break the circuit so the puter could "Reboot" and this was only possible at the breaker box down in the basement.

I wrote to CR and bitched about what the hell were they thinking .

Their car ratings are kinda sappy anyway when you consider their determination of "reliability" The dots are useless.

I have been told by my appliance guy that they rate high priced low water washers very well, but that they are glitchy and expensive to repair. Makes sense, they seem way over engineered and often used to be made in Germany. Seems they get rated high for the politics of low water, they are new technology, and they look cool. But they are expensive and almost anyway you cut it a bad buy.

most german products are overengineered. My wife leased a German Rv and, if it wasnt included in the lease, the "routine preventive maintenance " woulda been a bank buster. The maintenance would include replacement of a serpentine belt pulley rather than just tightening it and whacking it to true it up.

uhhh Correction, my wife leased a german SUV

Well I read in detail some of the bad ratings - some rated low simply because they thought the timer was not loud enough - that was the biggest gripe overall even on those that rated the range as excellent.

Here is the one I am looking at.



http://www.sears.com/samsung-flex-duo-trade-30inch-slide-in-electric-range/p-02241473000P?prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2

Is there a reason you are getting one with the knobs up front like that? The ones with the knobs up high by the wall are generally a few hundred cheaper for the same features. This model appears to be similar for a lot less money.

NE59J7750WS Electric Flex Duo® Range with Soft Close Door (Stainless Steel)


I just did this and you pay a lot to get those ADA compliant knobs. On the Samsung web site, this one is $800 less.

Yes - I need a slide in. A slide in fits in for my space. Slide ins do tend to be more expensive.

well I went for it. And the price was even lower - it had dropped again online was about $100 less than getting it in the store. I paid the $15 to take away my other one so I don't have to deal with that --- but it was something like $240 to install it - what the heck? You take it out of the box you plug it in and it is done.

I didn't pay for the installation. Bonus when they arrived, I told them I paid for the removal of the old and then showed them where it was. I sat down in my office to do work while the took it away and brought in the new. The office is just off the kitchen so I could keep an eye on them.

I kept my mouth shut as they opened the box, cleaned everything up, slid and plugged the sucker in. They tested everything out and let me know it was good to go.

Looks real nice.