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Comment by gjem97 | Hacker News Reader

I really get frustrated at how many small appliances I end up throwing out. It just doesn't make sense to repair a food processor that breaks. This stuff that's made with a plastic housing doesn't last more than 5 years in my house.

Then I look over at my Kitchenaid mixer. You know the iconic one that would look right at home in the kitchen of the 1960s. It's constructed durably, it's repairable, and people go out of their way to spend more to get it. I can get it repaired if it breaks. Why can't all appliances be like my Kitchenaid mixer?

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At this point, I'd be glad to pay double for a washer, dryer, refrigerator, or microwave that lasted more than 7 years. But no matter the gamut of models available at Sears or Lowes, they're all made by the same few manufacturers, and they're all crap. The only option is to pay TEN times as much for commercial-grade units.

And I'm considering it.

Supposedly Miele's white goods are better than most other brands. They're on average 3-5x times more expensive, so they have plenty of margins to make durable products.

> Why can't all appliances be like my Kitchenaid mixer?

Because people don't like to spend extra for quality products. For most appliances, there are brands that sell quality versions which will last for years, but lots of people just look for the lowest priced one with the features that they want, and buy it.

Because people have been bitten by products and brands being milked, keeping higher price but not higher quality.

Also most stores prefer to stock lower priced items.

Then why do they pay for the Kithchenaid mixer.

That's why I preferentially buy old used tools. Not everything made in the past was good quality, but the things still around are.

Because people would complain at spending Kitchenaid mixer prices for a toaster.

But, that being said, I completely agree with you.

You could sell a Kitchenaid-mixer quality toaster for much less than a Kitchenaid mixer.

Try to find a Repair Cafe near you. https://repaircafe.org/en/visit/

They do repairs for free (voluntary donation appreciated) to keep items out of the landfill.

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