It was getting tough in 2006 and the workhouse still threatens us in 2011

Rosanna79

Interesting reading the discussion regarding Bosch appliances and that some have not found their washing machines particularly good. When we lived in London I always insisted on having the most expensive appliances we could afford. I remember a Miele washing mashine we got a good deal on.

When we moved north however the seal tore and we found we had the local repair chap couldn't touch it . This was about 6 or 7 years ago and Miele wanted £80 just to look at it!! It wasn't THAT old but we visited our local high st which did the repair service for the area ( literallyjust up the road) and asked to buy their best seller which was the most cost effective to maintain. We ended up with a Tricity -Bendix and as long as all smalls are put in a net wash bag it continues to go.

We had a similar experience with our expensive combi microwave- hadn't lasted that long when the magnetron blew up practically as soon as we moved into the new house. For a variety of reasons we hadn't yet got our gas cooker connected up so found ourselves in Asda at 11:30 one evening buying a combi microwave of an unknown make and it's still going strong 8 years later!!

As for kettles we found that no matter how expensive they are they seem to go 'kaput' after a year as the warranty finishes.

Has anyone else taken to buying less expensive appliances as a result of these kind of experiences? Seems built in obsolescence is a fact of life these days and I really resent it.

bluebag

Rosanna79, yes, after literally decades of buying quality appliances that lasted, the latest bunch seem to be a lot less robust.

Generally I buy cheap and cheerful now, with the exception of the washing machine ( the only thing in this house that works harder than me). Not only do things not last, but the extended warranty or the repairs cost nearly as much as a replacement. Bothers me though sometimes as it's not really good for the enviroment.

GreyQueen

Hi Rosanna, it does seem that whatever you pay for an electric kettle these days, they don't last. I live in the part of Blighty with very hard water and the rate of attrition on kettles is shocking. My friend and neighbour SuperGran is going thru one a year and she's a very careful lil ole lady (and out-and-about doing church and voluntary work for several hours a day so her kettles are not heavily used).

I decided to switch from electric kettles to a stove-top one on my gas stove and bought a trad stainless steel number, shaped like a dome so it has a huge surface area. This is great as my stove has an extra-large burner on one side and it'll really boil water quickly. Mum, who also cooks on gas, copied me and got the same one. It was about £17 from an indy cookware place in her town. Should last a long long time and both Mum and I are relishing having a bit more countertop to play with.

I have a 2005 Bosch washing machine and Mum has one a few years' older, as does Nan. Mum has a father-and-son outfit of indy w.m repairmen who've been "with" us for about 25 years. What they have to say about the modern w.m. is very interesting.

The skinny is that, to keep the prices down, the manufacturers are skimping badly on the components. They say that when you open up a modern washer, components that, a few years ago, would've been made of stainless steel, are now made of PLASTIC. Some of these washers are literally unrepairable. There's also cynical skimping on motors, so they're just good enough to outlast the warranty and then they die; it's quite deliberate.

The repairmen have said to Mum that if she wants to lose her Bosch can they please have it? I guess they could either resucitate it or break it for spares. They also say Miele make the best washers (they don't have any affiliations with any manufacturer btw). Interestingly, if you read the Which? reports in the magazine (it's in your reference library) you'll find that readers rate the Mieles higest. When my Bosch goes to meet it's maker I'll look at a Miele. Better start saving now..otherwise I'll have to ask Ceridwen to remember me in her will.......:rotfl:

Well, we don't have a TJ Hughes around here so I can't avail myself of their death-throes but I have been lucky in the sales (note to self, always hoiday off-season, you know it makes sense). I have also been thinking laterally and poking around in the gardening and hardware sections of the discount stores.

I was thinking that I'd want something lightweight and portable to serve as a "carpet/ insulation" inside my tent and was pondering the options whilst walking down a nearby street yesterday when the lightbulb went off; a car sunshade, the big silver windscreen kind, caught my eye. Ta-daaa, and they have them in P0undland. 150 x 70 cm of foamy sheet backed with relective plastic, should cover most of the floor of this allegedly 2-person tent. Is that not a clever idea?

Now, I'm eyeing up more of them thinking of all the other things I could do with big bits of insulated foam.....down GQ , you don't have the room.......

I also got a roll of 7 rubble sacks from the same place, for keeping stuff in the ruckie dry. Cheap and cheerful tricks I got from some outdoorsy-types like walking guides etc. They're very practical people and spend serious spondulicks on some gear but the rest is as likely to come from the discount store as anywhere. F'instance, you can get microfibre cleaning cloths which do very nicely as travel towels or even use bar towels from the pub.

HariboJunkie, congratulations on your holiday and its savings, I'm deeplyimpressed and you have a good blow-out at that garden centre (we won't tell a soul......).

My trip is 6 nights under canvas bracketed by a night each side of it in a youth hostel, and as I am having the incredible indulgence of a hire car, I shall need to pinch some pennies elsewhere. Planning to bake h.m rolls with sunflower seeds in and use the Pilgrims Choice cheese slices (whoopsied to 29p a pack last week and frozen) to make cheese rolls for my journey). I'll take my 1 litre steel flask made up for the trip and water bottles (I'll be on the road most of the day) and will only use the services to visit the bathroom and stretch my legs. Loathe the places; pay a fortune to eat and drink carp.

The hostels have self-catering kitchens so I'm planning to take a pint of milk frozen in my cool bag with my rolls and the other packet of cheese. It'll stay frozen all day, transfer to hostel fridge and be thawed for breakfast and can make up a flask and sarnies to see me thru the next day as I'll be sight-seeing for a few hours before meeting the peeps and starting the course (and camping in the woods:p).

Gonna have some portable grub with me like a big tattie to microwave and some tinned fish to have with it, plus teabags and probably biccies and something to read in case I can't find anyone fascinating to talk to at the hostel. It'd be a first if so, but you never know....

Oooohh, I do love a bit of planning, I feel a list coming on. Any tips gratefully recieved.

Right, the rowdies have quitened down so I suppose I should go back to bed for a while or I'll peak too early in the day and I need my social head on as going to friends' this evening.

Hope everyone has an enjoyable Sunday x

Softstuff

GreyQueen wrote: »

Hi Rosanna, it does seem that whatever you pay for an electric kettle these days, they don't last. I live in the part of Blighty with very hard water and the rate of attrition on kettles is shocking. My friend and neighbour SuperGran is going thru one a year and she's a very careful lil ole lady (and out-and-about doing church and voluntary work for several hours a day so her kettles are not heavily used).

I've found the key to a good kettle for a hard water area is to purchase one with an enclosed element. You can't see the element in mine at all, it was a breville stainless steel model, and so far it's 5 years old and going strong in our very hard water area (ours is used a fair few times a day, I always preboil water in it for anything on the stove too since I only have 1 very poor hob).

I've found breville small appliances in general to be the most hardy though, and I'm by no means gentle.

Apologies to anyone whose troubles I've missed, and hugs for those who need them. I've been laid up with something sinus related and feeling deathly for a while now.

[Deleted User]

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ceridwen

Wondered where you'd been Softstuff - and enjoy your course GreyQueen.

EDIT: Those blackberries I got are STILL drying in the dehydrator - I give them a burst of a few hours (not done) - so another burst (still not done). Its taking QUITE a while. Hope they come out fine (think they will) - but am more inclined to stick to putting them in the freezer in future (just couldnt do so on this occasion because its jammed full of stuff already).

I dont do things like jam - partly because I very rarely have sugar and also because it takes POUNDS of fruit to make jam (so I would regard it as poor "food value" per pound anyway - as it provides a lot more "food" if just eaten as is...).

squeaky

I live in a hard water area and my five year old kettle is still going strong. As has been said - the type where the element doesn't sit in the water seem to do better; and mine is a cordless one. So the element sits in the base and doesn't get corroded.

I did my "sums" a long time back too... when boiling taters on my gas stove I only put about ½" (1cm) water in with them (and the lid on) and I heat the rest of the water needed in the kettle. By the time the kettle has boiled - the water in the pan (and the pan itself) is either boiling already or close to it. It's wa-a-ay quicker than bringing a panful of cold water up to boiling and is cheaper to do.

From memory it took about 12 minutes to heat a pan of cold water to boiling temp on gas only. But heating just a small amount of water on the gas to get it and the pan hot/boiling while the kettle boiled was around 1½ minutes.

Total heat to boiling time:- 1½ minutes.

Total "energy time": - 3 minutes.

Even though electricity is usually more expensive than gas - this way is cheaper. Just thought I'd tell you that

ceridwen

squeaky wrote: »

Even though electricity is usually more expensive than gas - this way is cheaper. Just thought I'd tell you that

That aint a gonna be the case for that much longer Squeaky.

Many years back my father pointed out to me that gas is a finite resource, whereas electricity can be made in a variety of ways. Hence - at some point in the future (ie my lifetime) I will find that gas is more expensive than electricity (ie that rationing by price so favoured by our Society - resources are scarce, so lets eke them out by charging more highly for them). I call it my "Remember the oysters" theory. A coupla centuries back oysters were so darn cheap that the poor were asking not to be fed them so often by their "paymasters" - but it became a luxury food at some point (and now rather expensive) because the amount of oysters available went down, whilst the number of people kept climbing....

I think we are now starting to see that "turning point" - as I know my supplier has put gas up by a bigger percentage than electric.

3v3

kittie wrote: »

I like it and it is perfect as a backup here. Its a kind of cross between a barbie and a chimnea and it stores easily in its cover, small enough to take out in the car and is easy to light. Nice to sit around as it gives out a lot of heat and I like the fact that I can use my dutch oven on top, as well as the iron frypan/griddle and a kettle. Yes, I would buy one again
http://www.belltent.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=147

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71AHzKd3luY

*puts Ozpig on wish list*

[Deleted User]

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