[keepitsimple]

Re: Induction or gas hob?

I was originally going to install induction only when I refitted my kitchen a while ago, but after researching realised I wouldn’t have enough power going into the kitchen without installing a new circuit, so ended up with mainly gas, but with a small induction as well.

Pro’s and con’s as I have found them:-
Induction
+ Very very fast – much quicker than gas even.
+ dead easy to clean as they don’t get hot, other than by conduction from the pans, and nothing burns on.
+ much safer if you have kids around for the above reason
– Always feel they are a bit fragile (they probably aren’t) but you can bash things around on gas when frying/sauteeing/stir frying, and would not feel so happy doing that on the induction.
– Round bottom woks won’t work, unless you get a hob designed for them (I think Siemens make one)
– No good for heatproof glass, aluminium, copper or non-magnetic stainless steel pans.

Gas:-
+ Sturdy: cast iron pan supports will stand up to almost anything.
+ Easier to judge the heat going into the pan (IMO).
+ Will work in a power cut !
+ good for any type of pans including those without a flat bottom.
+ Fairly simple – not too much to go wrong apart from spark generators sometimes.
– Much messier to clean, although the dishwasher is good for the pot supports.
– Slower.

[keepitsimple]

Re: Kitchen remodel

Hi, Greyspirit. I refitted my own kitchen about 5 years ago, and it’s nice to be able to start from scratch and plan everything exactly as you want it. I have no expertise at all in most kitchen appliances, but do know quite a lot about coffee, how to make it, and the machines that do so. I’m presuming you want a built-in espresso machine, as opposed to a filter machine ?
Unfortunately, whatever the price or posh manufacturer label on domestic built in espresso machines, they are all an example of style overriding function. Virtually all of them have the innards of an inexpensive domestic espresso machine often made by someone else, and you pay a huge premium for the posh label and housing. Many aren’t plumb-in, and of the ones that are, I think you’d be hard put to it to get one with plumbable drainage, and one without the other isn’t worth it. You really don’t want to have to carry a slops tray to the sink to empty it.

So – if you want a built in one, there isn’t anything much to choose between how well they work (except that “bean to cup” machines are notoriously unreliable and difficult or impossible to service), so get the one that matches everything else you buy.

Making good espresso at home isn’t easy, and unfortunately the minimum kit you need to do so isn’t available as a nice neat package on the domestic front – this one is nice, but is a real hefty professional bit of kit, with a price to match (a little more than your total budget I think !
http://www.jet-steam.com/Ai-1_Brochure.pdf )

Edit – having said all of that totally negative and dispiriting stuff, there are some attractive alternatives to a standard built-in machine if you are interested, and I apologise for shooting your rabbits….

[keepitsimple]

Re: New ovens: pyrolytic and steam

I’m fairly sure you’re right that Bosch/Siemens/Neff is all the same manufacturer, and the differences between comparable devices are to some extent cosmetic, although I suspect Siemens is considered the top range.

I looked at quite a lot of built under ovens. Decided on the Siemens partly because I was refitting the kitchen, and apart from the washer and extractor canopy everything else was Siemens or Bosch. Also it seemed to be altogether very well made – the door shuts like a Merc. Some others – even fairly expensive ones – seemed to shut like an old MG…..

The pros on here are much better informed about quality than me, can only go by what I see and find in use, but have been pleased with it.

Heats up quickly, and temperature seems accurate. Several different cooking options, but I mainly use top and bottom heat, Fan oven or Hot air Grilling (grill heats, then fan runs to blow heat around and the process repeats). Nice and quiet even with fans running. The only thing I don’t like – but it’s almost universal these days in this type of oven – is having to keep the door shut while using the grill (I can understand why that is though).

[keepitsimple]

Re: New ovens: pyrolytic and steam

Hello. Can’t comment about steam ovens never having used one, but I do have a pyrolitic oven, and that is very very good. The self cleaning works a treat, apart from a patch right by the door, which I suspect doesn’t get quite as hot. Be aware that if it is very dirty, there is some smoke, so best done with the windows open. All you’re left with is some whitish ash to wipe out. One thing – in mine you can’t put the chromed racks in to clean, but you can clean any enamel items.

I think you’ll find most pyrolitic ovens are also very well insulated and possibly cheaper to run as a result. Mine also has a triple glazed door.

Siemens built under single oven model HB750550B 5 years old, so almost certainly superseded by now

[keepitsimple]

Re: LG WM14316FD

For what it’s worth from a non-professional who owns an LG DD machine of a slightly different model.

Mine has a circulation pump that sprays the water on top of the load. It only operates at certain points in the programme – it seems to do so when it first fills – presumably to soak everything quickly – then cuts out until (I think) the water hits temperature. It operates all the time during the wash part of a cold wash. Don’t remember whenther it runs during rinses or not.

It makes a bit of a rattling noise sometimes – more noticeable when the drum isn’t moving – and I wonder if that is what you are hearing ?

[keepitsimple]

Re: Bosch exxcel cleaning capability.

There are some domestic dishwasers that have the 80degree plus “sanitisation” cycle that you need to have to comply with regulations for care homes etc., but you don’t normally need it in a domestic situation. Anyway, most bugs won’t grow on a clean surface once it’s dry.

If you’re still worried, you could always use a chlorine based dishwasher detergent like “bryta” – that should kill off more or less anything. Downside is your kitchen will smell a bit like an old fashioned swimming pool when you open the door 😉

Don’t think that reputable machine manufacturers or detergent manufacturers would have products on the market that don’t do the job when used as directed.

[keepitsimple]

Re: LG WM-12341FD

Thanks for your reply. I was assuming this has an LED device to illuminate it, rather than a bulb. Was hoping someone who has worked on these machines would be able to tell me how to access this module, and whether the illumination is a separate device and can be purchased separately, or whether it is a complete (and possibly expensive) module replacement. 🙁

As it was flickering before it failed completely, but the LCD display itself is working OK I guess it could be just a loose connection. The machine is difficult to haul out though, so really didn’t want to do that without having a bit of expert advice on whether it’s likely to be a simple fix for an amateur.

Thanks to anyone who can help.

[keepitsimple]

Re: new cleaner for house with all hard floors

I have 2 Sebo vacuums – a K series and a Felix. Can confirm what others have said, that they are quality machines that work extremely well, especially having owned a Dyson before….

For hard floors, you might consider getting the Parquet floor attachment (the one with small wheels). The standard head that comes with the machines is good, but I’ve found the parquet one to be very manoeuvrable especially around furniture.

On the other hand, unless one comes with the machine you buy, don’t bother with the small upholstery turbo brush. A disappointingly poor piece of kit from this manufacturer. Suspect they don’t actually manufacture them and just re-badge something else, as they look identical to others I’ve seen with different names printed on them.

[keepitsimple]

Re: Siemens SE26T251GB – water intake problem

Hi, downfield – just to give you a bit of encouragement it turned out to be quite easy to do. Not sure how similar your machine is on the outside, but I assume they’re almost all identical inside. On mine, needed to take off the top (2 clips at the back and it slides off. A couple of screws in the front edge of the machine each side releases the sides, removing a self-tapping screw on each side of the base part then lets you lift that away. There is a metal plate behind that you need to unscrew and put to one side (there are wires attached, but enough slack to get it out of the way). In mine then there was sound deadening stuff, and then – finally ! you can oik the pipe out and clean it. I reckon mine was blocked with congealed fat/grease rather than chunks of food waste. Don’t see how you can avoid that happening even with rinsing the stuff – there will always be grease to be washed off. I’m reconciled to it being a poor design issue in a relatively expensive machine, and having to clean it from time to time.

Approved dishwasher engineer

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Re: Siemens SE26T251GB – water intake problem

Martin wrote:
That is precisely what I was eluding to. The only way of preventing any gunge build-up in the water inlet side is by connecting it up to a hot supply.

💡 Ah, I’d just sussed that from your comments and then reading the book. That says you can do it but they “don’t recommend it” 😕

Will have to mull over the pro’s and con’s. Would have to do a bit of re-plumbing, and when I refitted the kitchen (same time as I bought this) I made it SO neat behind all the cabinets which will have to come out. So all that work versus perhaps routinely cleaning this out every 18 months or so. Also, quite a long dead leg between the boiler and here so hot water may never make it ! As this machine does take in water in several small sips when it is working properly, it would also put more wear and tear on the combi boiler.
I reckon I’ll leave it. I think this is a fairly economical machine as far as electricity is concerned, so savings would be there, but not huge. However, good to have been told all the answers, and I’m sure they will have been helpful to anyone else with a similar problem. Thanks to all once again.

[keepitsimple]

Re: Siemens SE26T251GB – water intake problem

Thanks, Martin – you just saved me spending money on cleaner stuff. I’ll just do an occasional hot wash with powder detergent but no dishes.

I could always feed the machine with hot water, and in reality being heated by gas it might even work out cheaper even if it uses more.

[keepitsimple]

Re: Siemens SE26T251GB – water intake problem

Thank you gandh1 for your advice. I’ll see if I can get hold of some of that. I did look around for some cleaner following this incident. Didn’t see the whirlpool stuff, but did see some fairy tablet cleaners – are they just as useless as the others ? I have used some cleaner in the past – can’t remember what it was, but I suspect it falls into your weak as water category.

I guess the real problem is that from what I can see this pipe doesn’t get any flow through, is at the lowest part of the machine, and is made from ribbed plastic. None of which helps it stay clear ;o(

[keepitsimple]

Re: Siemens SE26T251GB – water intake problem

Hello, Iadom – I have edited my earlier message and it has crossed with your reply. Take your point about low temperature washes. I wonder if machines like this one – which are supposedly clever and lower the temperature if the water isn’t dirty, are perhaps too clever by half ? As an amateur observer, to me lowering the temperature might mean that in a wash that isn’t otherwise very dirty, grease left in suspension deposits in the machine rather than being pumped out ?
Perhaps leaving the dishes dirtier might even help ! ;o)

[keepitsimple]

Re: Siemens SE26T251GB – water intake problem

Thank you, that is useful information. I’ve owned dishwashers for over 30 years (this is my third, after a Philips (with a plastic tub !) a Bosch (where all the switch buttons on the front eventually broke and would “ping” off across the kitchen…) Anyway, have always used them in the same way, and never had a breakdown or any problems before, but I shall be more diligent in future.

In fact I just checked the Siemens instructions which say.. “scrape off any large amounts of left over food, but it is not necessary to rinse the dishes under running water”, so somebody somewhere has got it wrong, or perhaps is just trying to create a bit of work for their repair department ;o)

Perhaps modern machines are just more sophisticated and need better care and feeding. I’ll make sure I switch off the rinse aid when using the 3 in 1’s – I think I misread the Siemens book as telling me the machine auto adjusted for these tablets and interpreted that as to just let the machine do its own thing. So now I don’t know what this machine’s “auto 3 in 1” feature really means.

Thanks again for your help and advice.

(edited at 15:42)

[keepitsimple]

Re: Siemens SE26T251GB – water intake problem

Success ! Many thanks to all you knowledgeable folk who gave me advice. The pipe was indeed about 2/3 blocked with what looks like an accumulation of grease about 1/2 way along. Hot water, strong detergent and a bottlebrush did the job. Machine back to its normal self.
A bit of further advice if I may ? Is there any way of avoiding this in future, or is it just something I need to look aout for ? Have very soft water, generally use Finish 3 in 1 or sometimes whatever Makro has on offer includes – some powder (I think “Bryta” ? which says it is for conventional machines not the quick commercial ones, but I don’t really like as it seems to have chlorine bleach in it) Generally use the latest quick dry rinse aids – the Fairy one at the moment. Normally use the auto 55-65 degree wash (the machine decides) Rarely do a rinse and hold, but do get the big bits off before loading. Can’t say I clean the filter every time, but when I do, they aren’t really bad anyway.

My brother has a Neff built in d/washer about the same age – is it likely to be prone to the same thing (I’ll warn him if so).

Many thanks once again.

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