Experience with Homemaker appliances?

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  rack on 13/01/2013 - 14:28

  +2

  Not sure about the quality now but 7 years ago we purchased a rice cooker, toaster, sandwich maker, kettle and other items and they lasted around 4- 5 years. We replaced them as they started failing and got name brands like sunbeam which started failing 2 years later just out of warranty.

  • 

    PurchaseAnxiety on 13/01/2013 - 14:36

    Heh, sounds about right. Similarly, I bought a Samsung TV which didn't even reach the 2 year mark. I replaced it with a Kogan TV with the same(ish) specs but a third of the price, and it's still going strong.

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  scrimshaw on 13/01/2013 - 15:28

  +1

  I have a HomeMaker toaster, floor fan, microwave, and they still work after 2+ years.

  Don't get the vacuum cleaner though. Invest in a good brand for a vac.

  • 

    PurchaseAnxiety on 13/01/2013 - 17:37

    Awesome, we were looking at the microwave too. And yeah, was thinking of getting a vac off of Kogan

    • 

      berger on 13/01/2013 - 18:54

      I'm not sure Kogan would be a good vacuum, unless reviews prove me wrong.

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  berger on 13/01/2013 - 15:40

  +1

  We have a frost free homemaker freezer, not sure why it said frost free, as it's a frost magnet. Still running fine after 6+ years.

  • 

    Agarwal on 13/01/2013 - 19:35

    +1

    I think you will find it actually says free frost.

    The toasters are quite good though.

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  buzymum20 on 13/01/2013 - 21:43

  Work bought a Homemaker microwave for $49(I think) around 18 months ago. Still going strong, though not as powerful as another one they have. I bought a 'kitchen whiz' type thing and it wore out after 2 years so I bought a stronger one a Sunbeam next time and much happier. On a plus side they do have a really good return policy, so if you are not happy with the performance of the product, just take it back.

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  Vest on 14/01/2013 - 09:14

  +1

  Have been using the $29 coffee machine for a week seems to be doing fine. Had the Aldi one coffee could've been better and the unit kept on leaking water. Saw exactly the same one at kmart for $89 at coles so I don't think the 29 dollar price tag should deter you

  • 

    PurchaseAnxiety on 14/01/2013 - 13:36

    Awesome thanks man. Just saw that the Kmart one is also marked down from $69 too, so I'm gonna go down and pick one up later.

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  clubhonda on 15/01/2013 - 19:08

  I've heard arguments before that if you buy a "cheap" microwave, there is a danger of microwave leaking through when its operating while more expensive brands are better shielded. I'm not sure if this is just an urban myth but for that reason I've always bought the more expensive microwaves. Any expert care to shed light on this? Complete rubbish or true story?

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  mangew on 15/01/2013 - 21:04

  Had a homemaker microwave which blew up after couple months. Returned for refund. Never again. You get what you pay for!

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  enjunuet on 16/01/2013 - 14:02

  I always say, you generally pay for the probability of getting a faulty item.

  If you pay more, the probability is generally lower than if you pay less. Unfortunately, nothing is 100% reliable so someone will get a dud one. For this reason, there will always be someone who complains about a product regardless of how much they paid for it.

  Its luck of the draw. Out of the 10 boxes that might be on the shelf, there might be one faulty unit. Will you pick that one? Maybe, maybe not.

  So the other thing to consider is the return policy of the store. Kmart are pretty good at that I think.

  Personally, we just bought the $29 coffee machine and it works fine so far. Coffee is good, but not as strong as the other sunbeam machine we also have which costs $700. However, its much more convenient and quicker to make a coffee. It does drip when not in use but that is not really a issue for us.

  Good luck with your purchases and cross your fingers.

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  daveh on 14/07/2014 - 18:05

  Had the Kitchen Kit for six months now.

  Don't bother.

  The vegie peeler goes blunt, the can opener doesn't even grip the tin, the
  chopping knives quickly go blunt and the sharpener doesn't. No trouble
  (yet) with the electric kettle, the toaster, the sandwich maker, the
  microwave, or the pedestal fan.

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  daveh on 15/07/2014 - 06:37

  Almost forgot… The pots are sheet metal and warp easily, the lids don't
  fit tightly (the vent is a nice touch, but it ought to be sealable), what
  looks like Teflon(R) is more like black paint (food sticks and it
  scratches really easily), the screws are always coming loose, and the wok
  is badly scratched (with plastic and wooden utensils) and is rusting.
  Oh, and the potato masher is flimsy.

  The "stainless steel" scissors are starting to rust, and the egg-rings are
  plain steel (for use in an alleged non-stick frypan). I haven't been game
  enough to try the bottle opener…

  The illustration is risible; it looks suspiciously like some marketoid
  (profanity) decided it would look better if it was flipped around. I twigged
  to this when I saw the sharpener on the other side of the block, so I went
  looking for more hints and found the scissors and the can opener. Oddly
  enough, the small illustrations are correct; looks like it was flipped so
  the logo could be placed over a largely empty spot.

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  andy19363 on 15/07/2014 - 07:11

  Had the coffee maker since the deal was shown on here….. Use it daily with Coles brand capsules….. Works fine