August 2, 2016

On not having a refrigerator for 19 days.

There's that crisp cool environment you expect when you open the refrigerator door, so it's very weird when you encounter actual hotness. We'd come home very late at night after a week-long trip to Colorado, and the refrigerator motor must have conked out days before that, because it wasn't just not cold. It was actively hot.

The next day was Friday, and we couldn't get a repairman to come until Monday — there's only one certified SubZero repair place around here — and he determined that we needed a new motor, and it would have to be ordered. The refrigerator is 25 years old. Maybe you'd think we should just get a new refrigerator, but that's not how we analyzed it, even though replacing the motor costs $1500. The same refrigerator new would cost $10,000, and the old one not only looks like new, it has a second motor — the one that runs the freezer — and that motor is just fine.

And with the freezer motor working, we not only had frozen food to get us through the waiting period, we had ice to put in a cooler, which was our tiny substitute for a refrigerator, teaching us which few things we really cared about keeping cool. For me, it was a quart of milk and a wedge of smoked Gouda cheese. It really has been kind of okay. I eat a lot of things that don't belong in the refrigerator: bread, rice, peanut butter. We were lucky to have plenty of kale and Swiss chard out in the garden, so we didn't need to preserve store-bought vegetables. Overall, it was an interesting learning experience.

But I was delighted to hear the doorbell ring this morning. The repairman is installing the motor now. The inside of the refrigerator is at peak cleanliness, and I look forward to restocking it with only good things we like now, and no items lingering from the past, wafting an absurd sense of entitlement to space because of some now forgotten amount of money paid long ago.

Feel free to use this as a metaphor to discuss economics, politics, personal relationships, religion, whatever. 

214 comments:

1 – 200 of 214   Newer›   Newest»
cubanbob said...

Based on my experience Sub Zero is grossly overpriced and crappy.

CERDIP said...

$10K fridge. Holy Carp. That's above my pay grade.

- Ken

Rusty said...

Probably could of had a replacement motor from Grainger for 350.
Oh well.
White people problems.
And actually , if you think about it. Is it really worth waiting 19 FUCKING DAYS for a replacement?
Where is Sub-Zero?
Antarctica?

dhagood said...

Kale? I'd rather eat a bath mat.

bagoh20 said...

$10K is twice my lifetime refrigerator budget. I appreciate the warning about this scam out there. Sorry you got taken. Don't open that email from Nigeria.

RMc said...

Feel free to use this as a metaphor to discuss economics, politics, personal relationships, religion, whatever.

This post proves you are a racist.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

I'm guessing that next to nobody actually uses those commercial ranges by Wolf or Vulcan, etc. for anything remotely close to what they're designed for . . . other to look impressive and confer status, that is.

We've got scads of commercial cookware by All-Clad and Calphalon, etc. that just sits in the cabinets. Too heavy. Too clunky.

Hey, at least I was smart enough not to get any Le Creuset. Same for those KitchenAid mixers. Looks nifty, though.

n.n said...

This turns the euthanasia arguments on their heel. A fresh perspective of the old, the very young, and others waiting to be aborted, perhaps cannibalized, and replaced by cheaper classes.

That said, our refrigerator is nearing its end of life, and its amortization does not justify intensive care. What to do. It's a moral quandary. We're leaning to sacrifice it for a newer model and the greater good. It's for the food!

Malesch Morocco said...

That's nothing. Last summer we went over a month without water. Our well crapped out and it was over a month before they could get in and put in a new one. We loaded up five gallon water containers at a friends house and used it to cook, flush toilets, bathe, etc. kind of like camping in your own home. Fortunately we could shower at the gym when necessary. And Lake Michigan was always nearby.

It's really amazing how you can get by when you have to. All in all it was kind of fun.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

It's kind of entertaining going to Crate $ Barrel to watch the gay couples shopping for their bridal registry, if that's what you're supposed to call it.

It's all about the looks, apparently.

Goldenpause said...

Owning a Sub Zero is like owning a Porsche. It's great as long as it is working fine. But if it needs repair, expect to pay a lot for the repair and to endure a wait while a part is shipped from far away. If getting repairs done quickly and without hugely inflated expense is important to you, don't go near a Sub Zero unless it is in someone else's home.

rhhardin said...

I'm on my second refrigerator, which I think is a Sears. Large sized, just fits in the space allowed.

The previous refrigerator (1975) is being used as a cabinet in the basement.

MadisonMan said...

I'm also struck that it took 19 days to get the motor. Well, maybe just two weeks.

You could build a Fridge from scratch in that time.

We had a leather chair built, that took a month. Arrives next week.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Who the hell is dumb enough to get one of those kitchen faucets over their stovetop?

When we bought our house, the builder's sales rep tried to talk us into the living room wet bar upgrade.

And I'm, like, don't get me wrong, my wife and I drink, but we can wait long enough until we get to the kitchen.

Jimmy said...

25 years is a long time for an appliance to last. In Hawaii, everything, including stainless steel, rusts. But $10.000 new, yikes.

dustbunny said...

Obvious I know, but all the unsavory stuff formerly stored in Hillary's cold, cold heart are now, with the heat of exposure, being tossed out and replaced with fresh, up-to-date stuff.

Ipso Fatso said...

My dryer conked out last week. I have been using the local laundromat for the first time in 25 years which has been interesting. Talk about the great unwashed. It should be fixed this week.

rehajm said...

One of these will keep ice frozen for up to two weeks in hot weather.

Also: they are disturbingly expensive.

Original Mike said...

"is Sub-Zero?
Antarctica?"


It's on the beltline, about 5 miles from Meadehouse.

But maybe they subcontract out the motors to Anartica.

Biotrekker said...

Sub-zero's are very high quality, especially the seals. We had one in our old apartment and during a blackout in NYC some years ago, the fridge and freezer only lost a couple of degrees over about 36 hrs. That said, GE and Fisher-Paykel make very good products for a lot less.

theribbonguy said...

Ten friggin grand for a fridge!!! WTF!!

Does it provide happy ending massages on demand ?

I am truly having a hard time wrapping my head around this...do you use $100 bills to start fires?

Good Lord.

Howard said...

A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle until her fridge conks out.

BarrySanders20 said...

"the old one not only looks like new, it has a second motor — the one that runs the freezer — and that motor is just fine."

For a few more weeks . . . then 19 more days and another $1,500. Or maybe the repair folks did you a favor and already ordered that freezer motor.

Newer model refrigerators are much more energy efficient too. Google says that:

A 1986-era 18 c.f. fridge uses 1400 kWh a year, while a modern energy-efficient model uses only 350 kWh — a whopping 75% reduction. At 15¢ kWh, trading in a pre-1986 fridge for a new efficient one would save about $158 a year in electricity costs. And some older fridges are even worse than the average.

Add climate crime to the "cons" side of the decision to repair vs replace. Al Gore would both applaud and scold.

Peter said...

SubZero has always been more about appearance than reliability or performance.

I suppose if you can afford one you probably don't care how much power it uses, but a new, relatively cheap ($600.) freezer-top model will use far less power than anything made 25 years ago. Further, built-ins are shallower and wider than regular refrigerators, and therefore have more exterior space relative to their volume, which further reduces efficiency.

In any case, I'm surprised they didn't have another refrigerator, as many people will (if they have enough space) keep an old but working refrigerator someplace so it can be called into service when hosting a party.

Unknown said...

I would suggest asking Trump Bank for a $10K loan but he only raised $36m in July whereas Romney raised $101m in July 2012. Ah, well.

Balfegor said...

Re: Eric the Fruitbat:

Hey, at least I was smart enough not to get any Le Creuset.

I have one of those enameled cast iron pots by Le Creuset and it is practically the only cooking vessel I use, other than a couple of baking trays for when I am roasting vegetables (I use the Le Creuset when I am baking bread). Well. I guess my rice cooker also counts. Anyhow, we'll see how it lasts, but it gets a lot of more use than anything else I have.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I look forward to restocking it with only good things we like now, and no items lingering from the past, wafting an absurd sense of entitlement to space because of some now forgotten amount of money paid long ago.

Aha! The sunk cost fallacy in your refrigerator. I have this condition also.

The leftover food you don't throw out until you absolutely have to, those old jars of condiments that eventually have to go, those half used and will never be used jars of jam you didn't really like that much, salad dressing that isn't all that great.....they stay in the fridge because you paid for them already so you own it and must keep it. So instead of purging the old food or throwing out what you will never use......they take up space and make the whole refrigerator cluttered so that the food you are using and eating is crowded to the sides and back.

Sunk cost fallacy an economic mistake that people make all the time :-)

Balfegor said...

Re: Althouse:

For me, it was a quart of milk and a wedge of smoked Gouda cheese.

I thought you had anosmia and had barely any sense of taste (couldn't remember if it was smell or taste or both, so I had to look it up . . .) May I ask what the appeal of Gouda is? Is it the little crystals that form in aged cheese? Or does the flavour/smell come through?

theribbonguy said...

"trading in a pre-1986 fridge for a new efficient one would save about $158"

Anybody pissing away 10k on a fridge is not worried about $158 annually.

Clearly I'm missing something. Does the 10k fridge keep the kale at a superior 38 deg. over the 1k Fridge's 38 deg ?

YoungHegelian said...

You want a dead refrigerator story? I'll give you a dead refrigerator story.

Back in summer of 1977, my brother & I were working with the Eastern Rite diocese in provincial Ontario. We stayed in various rectories & priest's homes in southern Ontario.

The first or second week on the job, we were staying at the house of the priest who manged the project, who was away in Rome for a month. We walked into the kitchen & noticed a rotten smell, which we traced to the refrigerator. We opened the door, & nearly threw up.

The refrigerator must have tripped a circuit right after the priest left, so we had by that time two weeks of rottage. There was a freezer stuffed to the gills with meat, probably 20lbs at least, all of which had spoiled to the point of decomposition. The blood from the meat in the freezer had dripped blood/juices so that there was a pool in the bottom of the refrigerator covered in green slime.

My brother & I got gloves, garbage bags, & cotton to stuff up our nostrils so we couldn't smell anything. We put everything, even if it was sealed, into the garbage bags, because it all smelled so bad. It took me two scrubbings of every surface in the refrigerator with soap, water, & baking soda to get the smell out of it.

Thank God, I've only had to do that once.

Chris said...

Nice knowing that a law professor can afford a 10k fridge! What's that about the high cost of an education. Anyway, my sister has a 50+ year old frigidaire that works just fine. Never been repaired. For 10k, does it come with a power locks, am/fm stereo? What kind of mileage does it get?

Sprezzatura said...

"I'm guessing that next to nobody actually uses those commercial ranges by Wolf or Vulcan, etc. for anything remotely close to what they're designed for . . . other to look impressive and confer status, that is."

Not really, those ranges just prove you're the Jones. As long as you max out the options, getting a Lacanache actually makes a statement. And, beyond status, you do get what you pay for, they're gorgeous, built like a tank and have unique cooking functionality.

Btw, $10 grand for a refer is far from serious dough.

Ann Althouse said...

"I'm also struck that it took 19 days to get the motor. Well, maybe just two weeks."

It wasn't just a question of getting the part, but also scheduling the repair. The first 4 days were used up just getting the first visit, before the part was ordered. I think the part was in about 5 days ago too.

Antiantifa said...

FYI, actual hotness = Mila Kunis. Actual heat = busted fridge.

Eleanor said...

I sold a house with a sub-zero fridge, a Wolf range, and pot-filler over the stove. I moved into a house with cheap Kenmore appliances. They suck. I'm hoping the stove dies while the house warranty is still in effect. If it doesn't, it's going to the dump. The fridge is fairly new, but it's on Craigslist.

Ann Althouse said...

I think SubZero is a great brand. It's in great shape after 25 years and I expect it to last another 25 years. I also have a car I paid over $40,000 for, but now it's 10 years old and it still looks and works great. The interior is beautiful and looks like new.

If at the point of buying something you think it's excellent and you love how it works and looks but you think you could get something less good for half as much, you'd be influenced if you could know that the great expensive one that you love will last 3 or 4 times as long!

Meade said...

"Hey, at least I was smart enough not to get any Le Creuset."

Makes a good wedding gift. Otherwise, by the time you're old enough to be able to afford it, your muscles have atrophied to where you can no longer lift it.

Sharc said...

Between the $10k fridge and the kale reference, I had to scroll back up to see if this was a New Yorker quotation. Nope, no block quote -- just the professor in her tenured empty-nest zone. Which is fine, but count your blessings.

Hagar said...

My old GE side-by-side conked out, so I ordered a new Kenmore from Sears. It took two weeks to get here, but the old one limped along for that long and I moved some things over to the freezer, so I only lost one tray of breakfast sausage that lost color.
However, the new one did not get below 44 F in the refrigerator section in two days, so I went back to Sears and they ordered me another one, but arriving in another two weeks.
The first new one then decided to work on the third day and got down into the proper range on the fourth, but only with the temperature control set to maximum cooling.
I started thinking, well, I can live with that, but then also began to hear a high pitched whine as from a bearing going out at times, so I will get their exhange one, and hope that that one will work.
The salesman let slip a remark that 13% of their refrigerators fail in the first year.

Sprezzatura said...

"you'd be influenced if you could know that the great expensive one that you love will last 3 or 4 times as long!"

Not mention that cars and refrigerators are things that we deal w/ a lot, i.e. maybe most days or maybe multiple times most days.

Why suffer with some cheap junk over and over and over and..........

Known Unknown said...

There are things you should spend money on.

Shoes, for example. I just bought a pair of Cole Haans (didn't pay retail) and they are super comfortable and wear well.

Refrigerators? Maybe. But $10K is probably too much for one. Good luck.

Ann Althouse said...

"I thought you had anosmia and had barely any sense of taste (couldn't remember if it was smell or taste or both, so I had to look it up . . .) May I ask what the appeal of Gouda is? Is it the little crystals that form in aged cheese? Or does the flavour/smell come through?"

There's very little flavor involved to me. I like to make a little sandwich. The bread is the texture. The cheese is just substance. I have to eat something! It's pretty boring.

Known Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sydney said...

Trump and Sanders were our nation's equivalent of the broken refrigerator. However, for Sanders, the owner got the repair done quickly so they didn't have to do any cleaning. If Trump wins, we can hopefully clean out our national refrigerator of all the useless debris. Not sure if that will pan out, but I imagine that's what a lot of voters are thinking.

Bad Lieutenant said...

For $100 or less you could have got a dorm type mini fridge that would have held more than a quart of milk and a piece of cheese, and then you could have moved it into the den for snacks when the real fridge was fixed.

Why moderation? Are you being attacked for conspicuous consumption? It is what it is. More ludicrous than the cost is the wait.

Bad Lieutenant said...

For me, it was a quart of milk and a wedge of smoked Gouda cheese. It really has been kind of okay. I eat a lot of things that don't belong in the refrigerator: bread, rice, peanut butter.

Curious though, aren't you married? What does Meade eat?

rhhardin said...

In my childhood cabin in the Adirondacks, the brook was used for milk and so forth; also a daily trip to town for resupply.

In later years, a gas generator was used for light in the evening, easier than a propane lamp; and getting a ham rig (KWM-1) on the air.

What I remember most is cloudy days and mosquitos.

Ann Althouse said...

Let's think about the economics more carefully.

I never said I'd buy a $10,000 refrigerator. I just said I have a refrigerator that is of a type that if it were bought new now, it would cost $10,000. I had to decide if it was worth spending $1500 to fix it. The alternative was to replace it with some unknown product, which I'd have to research and go to the trouble of figuring out, when all I want was a working version of what I already have.

I think I spent something like $2,000 when I bought it 25 years ago. It was perhaps twice the price of another refrigerator which probably would have needed to be replaced sooner and which I would have gone through that entire period not liking as much. In retrospect, I think the $2,000 refrigerator was a good buy, good enough that I'm willing to put $1500 into it now over the alternative of looking for a new refrigerator.

Also, I would have had to shop for a refrigerator while not having a refrigerator, and that was an annoying prospect which I did not like.

And the fact that the freezer was working just fine was a factor.

Some people might think patronizing a local business is a significant factor.

Anyway, for the record, the facts show that I would not easily pay $10,000 for a refrigerator! The idea bothers me. But that was a reason to value the old refrigerator and to put more money into it.

Again: This is a great metaphor!

lgv said...

"The same refrigerator new would cost $10,000, and the old one not only looks like new, it has a second motor — the one that runs the freezer — and that motor is just fine."

Just fine for now. Now that you sunk the money for the first motor, the second one will crap out. This forces you to replace that motor, causing you to use hindsight to determine you should have bought a new Samsung, but now you are stuck with a 25 year old frig with two new motors. Now a bunch of little innocuous parts will start breaking.

It's a metaphor for owning an older expensive vehicle.

Now, if it's a built-in no mental problems. You always fix it.

rhhardin said...

The trouble with scything the lawn, with the baby monitor on the hat relaying what you're streaming on the computer inside, is that the noise of the neighbor's mowing tractor drowns out all the sound.

Meade said...

"What does Meade eat?"

Purple berries. Probably keep us both alive.

traditionalguy said...

Does the new motor have a lifetime warranty?

Ann Althouse said...

"For $100 or less you could have got a dorm type mini fridge that would have held more than a quart of milk and a piece of cheese, and then you could have moved it into the den for snacks when the real fridge was fixed."

We thought of that. Didn't want to introduce more things into the house. We err on the side of not acquiring anything. It would have been somewhat better than the cooler for 19 days and then junk in the house like a jar of chutney in the refrigerator. Would we carry it down to the basement only to be carried back up to throw out in a couple years (or 10 years or 20)? Or would we carry it right out to the curb and put a "free" sign on it? That's all too annoying and I didn't even count the trouble of going out and buying it.

We don't have any den/snacks situation here. The kitchen is right next to what we've always called "The Big Room" (what you might call the den). On the other side of the kitchen is the dining room. There's really no place we want another refrigerator.

Ann Althouse said...

"Curious though, aren't you married? What does Meade eat?"

His main items in the cooler were cream and some fruit extracts he uses to make ice cream.

Heartless Aztec said...

Kale?

Big Mike said...

It wasn't just a question of getting the part, but also scheduling the repair. The first 4 days were used up just getting the first visit, before the part was ordered. I think the part was in about 5 days ago too. [emphasis mine]

Have you considered that they were trying to punish you for not replacing your Sub-Zero with a new one? Frankly I would never buy another product from a store that wasn't more responsive to me, their customer.

Meade said...

"Kale?"

For the ice cream, of course.

Ann Althouse said...

"Just fine for now. Now that you sunk the money for the first motor, the second one will crap out. This forces you to replace that motor, causing you to use hindsight to determine you should have bought a new Samsung, but now you are stuck with a 25 year old frig with two new motors. Now a bunch of little innocuous parts will start breaking."

No. We talked to the repairman about this. The freezer motor is very unlikely to break and there are no other parts that are predicted to need replacing. Maybe the fan. I think we made the best choice.

Another factor is that it's a built in refrigerator that has wood paneling matching the cabinets. I don't want to be bothered with figuring that stuff out.

Big Mike said...

And if I lived in a college town I'd have purchased the mini-fridge and expected to sell it (possibly even at a profit!) when classes resume at the end of the summer.

William said...

SubZero is to refrigerators as Melania is to wives.......Back in the day when people wore watches, I liked to think that my Timex told the same time as the gold Rolex and was easier to read. A pathetic rationalization. The obscure face on a Rolex advertises the fact that the meeting doesn't start until the owner arrives. A man with a gold watch owns time......Maybe there's a similar dynamic with a SubZero. Your appetite for food doesn't own you. Food stored in a SubZero is stored under a status heading and is not there for fulfillment of a base desire.......I bet most people who own SubZeros are skinny. The ansomnia is just icing on the cake.

lgv said...

"Also, I would have had to shop for a refrigerator while not having a refrigerator, and that was an annoying prospect which I did not like. "

As opposed to waiting 19 days for the motor?

"And the fact that the freezer was working just fine was a factor. "

You must factor in the expected remaining life of the freezer motor and the cost of its replacement at that time.

The fix/replace scenario is pretty common place. There was some unknown utilitarian factor in the original purchase that caused you to spend 2x the average refrigerator cost. One must determine if the repaired unit carries a value of 2x a repaired average refrigerator and whether the repaired unit provides the same excess utils that it did at the beginning of its life.

I kept my BMW for a very long time. If I had replaced the engine, it would have still been a great driving car, but the dozen or so other imperfections had diminished the driving experience. The rattles. The slight shift in the seat every time I sat. I realized I spent the last few years raising the radio volume to cover the irritating noises. It had lost most of the above market price utility I had paid for.

theribbonguy said...

"I think I spent something like $2,000 when I bought it "

Nuff said. I rescind my snark. I probably would risk the repair cost if I REALLY liked it as you obviously do.

Now if in 2 weeks or so your replacing the freezer motor...time to cut your losses.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

"I think SubZero is a great brand. It's in great shape after 25 years and I expect it to last another 25 years. I also have a car I paid over $40,000 for, but now it's 10 years old and it still looks and works great. The interior is beautiful and looks like new."

Which may have more to do with the low-impact life of a single woman (until Meade came along) than the durability/quality of the items you bought. Put your fridge in a strip-mall teriyaki joint and your car on a rural family chicken farm and probably neither of them would be quite so nice.

madAsHell said...

I thought YouTube had put the local appliance repairman out-of-business. While we were saving for a big kitchen re-model, I saved a bunch of money by repairing the failing 20 year-old appliances.

I did not know that SubZero is headquartered in Madison. Do they continue to manufacture in Wisconsin?....or have the blue collar jobs gone elsewhere?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Everybody sacrifices sometimes.

DanTheMan said...

Dan's $10,000 refrigerator: A $1,000 refrigerator with nine grand in cash in the freezer.

Ann Althouse said...

"Have you considered that they were trying to punish you for not replacing your Sub-Zero with a new one? Frankly I would never buy another product from a store that wasn't more responsive to me, their customer."

No, because it was an independent repair business, not a retail dealer.

Just_Mike_S said...

Question: "Why do you need a...($10K Fridge, SUV, firearm, 4000 Sq Ft. home, [fill in the blank])"
Answer: None of your business.

Meade said...

"Do they continue to manufacture in Wisconsin?"

The company currently has production facilities in Madison, Wisconsin; Phoenix, Arizona; Richmond, Kentucky; and Fitchburg, Wisconsin.

buwaya said...

On matters of marketing and stocking food - and the refrigerator -
My wife takes much pleasure in reminding me that all she found in my bachelor refrigerator was beer and a package of frozen turkey.

Hagar said...

The built-in part is the killer. That means a whole kitchen do-over to get it right with a new one.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

The fridge was a good buy when you bought it. Its replacement would not be. Modern appliances are garbage.

My last house had a Jenn-Air downdraft cooktop that was 1986 original. Was in perfect condition. Had to replace it when we put in granite counters and it was awful. The flat glass top replacement worked half as well and needed replacement parts within the year. And cost a fortune.

furious_a said...

No... for 19 days

Sounds like Venezuela.

Hey, at least I was smart enough not to get any Le Creuset.

Army Nurse Mom brought back a set of Le Creuset from her TDY in France in 1958. Has been in constant use since. She won't use anything else.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hagar said...

"Obama authorizes 30-day bombing mission against ISIS."

This President has very peculiar ways of waging war.

Hagar said...

Modern appliances are garbage.

But EPA compliant.

sojerofgod said...

Meade:
Say, can I have some of your purple berries?

sojerofgod said...

Oh, and Ms. Althouse, when you say 'Motor' are you meaning the refrigeration compressor? Regular motors, such as for the fan inside to move the cold air around would have to be gold-plated to cost that much. A compressor I could believe the price of.

Meade said...

sojer: I'll email you a bag.

Meade said...

Yes — compressor.

Yancey Ward said...

If the fridge is otherwise fine, then spending the $1500 is the right decision if the only alternative palatable to yourself and Meade was to spend $10,000 for a similar replacement.

rehajm said...

Biotrekker said...
Sub-zero's are very high quality, especially the seals.


The wife has turned in to somebody you don't want to mess with in part by trying to overcome the pressure differential when the door to the Sub-Zero closes.

Hagar said...

And speaking of odd things this President does, this morning, in a press conference with the president of Singapore, he called on the Republican Party to de-nominate Donald Trump as the party's candidate for president of the United States.

Huh???
The voters voted for his nomination over 16 other candidates, but the Party should correct that, dump Trump and nominate someone else?

This is Mr. Obama, the community organizer, who used to exhort the citizens of Chicago to rise up and make City Hall listen to them?

Quaestor said...

Smoked gouda, my favorite cheese after blue stilton and appenzeller. Ask for it by name and have fun with the confusion at the Fresh Market. If my fridge died I think I'd enjoy those favorites rather than risk spoilage, especially the gHOW-da which gets eaten quickly 'round here in any case.

rehajm said...

Nate tries to make sense of the Clinton bounce and while the data is likely sound, he of course mixes it with leftie talking points.

Most likely her polling lead is due to the AnyoneButHillary rats abandoning the sinking ship SS Sanders and dutifully cowering to Sarah Silverman's rant.

Quaestor said...

[Oama] called on the Republican Party to de-nominate Donald Trump as the party's candidate for president of the United States.

A sure sign Hillary's internals are looking bleak.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

That does look like a panic move. Is Obama trying to increase GOP turnout? I think overall the polls are probably a fairly accurate snapshot but this makes me wonder what the Donks know that we don't.

Kate said...

Althouse seems very gentle on her machinery. Replacing a part instead of the whole fridge makes sense if you're a careful user. My husband would've destroyed the fridge from hard use 5 times over, fixed it himself 4 times, and then junked it.

Maybe that's why I like Trump. Ba-dum bum.

Bad Lieutenant said...

With apologies to Shiloh,

But but but,
No meat?!?!?!?
The horror!

Meade said...

"If the fridge is otherwise fine, then spending the $1500 is the right decision"

Plus, it gets me $8,500 closer to buying my wife a new car:

https://www.audiusa.com/models/audi-tts-coupe/configurator#50710-FV351L_U_0-2017/H4sIAAAAAAAAAGWNywrDIBBFfyUw6wG1PihZaao2JaYaE2m7yY_48bW03bSXAxeGOdxgCq5rRkaoqoIoStCVg6DTvu3kfQ15NDNbQJ0NtsbEE948hMWOiSsIU7bHksFR3mmmGQRjrtJdwMeYG-CE7F5pjo_zvdF6YI36536d38dHHxZ9GqzsP7P1CfdQfCq5AAAA

buwaya said...

"/audi-tts-coupe/"

Isn't there a risk she will be mistaken for ponytail-swish girl?

rehajm said...

I think overall the polls are probably a fairly accurate snapshot but this makes me wonder what the Donks know that we don't.

This seems right- if she were as far ahead as the recent polls are saying, political strategists would say to stay out of the way and let your opponent keep digging. You attack only form behind.

Perhaps it isn't the polls. Rather, they know what's coming.

the gold digger said...

I was going to snark about how I didn't even pay $10,000 for my first car, but then I saw this: I think I spent something like $2,000 when I bought it 25 years ago.

Now I can say instead and still be telling the truth, "I didn't even spent $2,000 on my first car."

Will Cate said...

I have no analogous situation to compare, but good for you guys for repairing rather than replacing.

Gabriel said...

@Ann:I think I spent something like $2,000 when I bought it 25 years ago. It was perhaps twice the price of another refrigerator which probably would have needed to be replaced sooner and which I would have gone through that entire period not liking as much. In retrospect, I think the $2,000 refrigerator was a good buy, good enough that I'm willing to put $1500 into it now over the alternative of looking for a new refrigerator.

Oh good LORD! A $2000 in 1981 is the equivalent of $5000 today. Buy a $5000 fridge which will cost 1/3 of the price to run, or a $2000 one. That makes far more economic sense.

@Meade:Plus, it gets me $8,500 closer to buying my wife a new car:

Using the monthly saving from Ann's new $5000 refrigerator (or better, a $2000 one) and she will be a lot closer to that car.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

after a week-long trip to Colorado, and the refrigerator motor must have conked out days before that, because it wasn't just not cold. It was actively hot.


Maybe somebody left the door ajar and the strain killed the motor. A few days shouldn't be enough to get the fridge and everything in it hot.

Or check your seals.

Gabriel said...

@Eric, furious_a, Balfegeor: I have some Le Creuset. I get them at TJ Maxx when they show up steeply discounted. I use them for most things.

Enameled cast iron is a mature technology. There's no point paying full retail for Le Creuset. I bought a knockoff at Big Lots for $30 but the plastic knob melted in the oven--so I bought a Le Cresuet knob for it. Knob + knockoff was about 15% of the full retail price of the LC equivalent.

I bought the biggest oval knock-off I could for baking bread.

mikee said...

Recently designed refrigerators have very short life expectancies. The typical design flaw is in the defrost drain line from freezer to drain pan, which clogs up after a few years and, being non-replaceable by design, leads to water dripping into the main body of the fridge when blocked and rust everywhere. Blowing it out with compressed air is a sometimes temporary fix, but again, it is designed to fail.

The smart internet connected electronic refrigerators will fail even more quickly due to their electronics.

I, for one, don't care what other people spend their own money on, be it refrigerators or fast cars or easy women, but it is entertaining to see the variety of opinions expressed over someone else's minor household economics. I guess it it is true that the less important the subject, the more heated the arguments over it.

Hagar said...

Again, the existing fridge is a built in, and by the time she gets done re-doing the kitchen to go with a new one, she would be looking at more like $30-40,000 than $10,000.
AA has fastidious tastes.

Snark said...

Donald Trump wants you to know he thinks your underpriced fridge has no stamina. He's also a bit suspicious of the Swiss chard, and recommends not bringing it into the house until he can figure out what's going on.

Paul Snively said...

MadisonMan: I'm also struck that it took 19 days to get the motor. Well, maybe just two weeks.

Well ain't this place a geographical oddity!

StephenFearby said...

I still have a 20-year old Sub-Zero 30" wide bottom freezer 511. (It as came in a 36" model.)

Last year the freezer fan began rattling and finally stopped because of ice build-up. I installed (that was a lot of fun...not) a retrofit warming harness that was supposed to prevent this problem from happening. It didn't.

I contacted Sub-Zero and they gave me a code (with an expiration date) for $500 off if I bought a new model from an authorized dealer. This turned out to be a model BI30U***.

The most interesting thing about the new model (aside from the better energy efficiency) is that it keeps fruit fresh (apparently a lot longer) by exhausting the ethylene gas build up


"...Ever wonder how they take a hard-as-stone green tomato, truck it across country, then turn it red overnight? Ethylene Gas. This gas will ripen or rot produce. Apple's give it off naturally. Have you ever placed an apple and an avocado in a brown bag to ripen the avocado faster? Imagine that going on in your fridge will all your produce, even if it's already ripe.

This fridge uses a catalyst and a UV light to convert the ethylene into something else. (I have no idea what.) Hence, produce stays fresher longer. It works."


Comment to:

Sub-Zero Fridge Uses NASA Air-Purification Technology to Keep Foods Fresh

http://gizmodo.com/5034434/sub-zero-fridge-uses-nasa-air-purification-technology-to-keep-foods-fresh


Sub-Zero introduced this wiz bang feature around 2008. One would expect they might introduce a new model with even more wonderful features any time now.

BTW, I didn't buy the new refrigerator because I found out that not piling up stuff so high in the freezer compartment that it cuts off good air circulation to the fans behind the upper corner grates cured the problem. (Also a caution in the refrigerator compartment.)

Sub-Zero's technical service department (very nice and helpful people) didn't mention this.

So...Google is your friend...except when delivering targeted ads.

Joe said...

Suckers!

On top of purchasing an massively overpriced vanity appliance, Sub Zero purchases third party compressors. I don't see how the compressor actually costs $1500 to buy and replace.

Did some checking. Sure enough, an OEM compressor for a Sub Zero costs about $300 to $350 (a reliable non-OEM compressor will run about a third that.) A good repair person could replace it for about the same. So, you are being overcharged by 50-70%.

DanTheMan said...

>> Obama called on the Republican Party to de-nominate Donald Trump as the party's candidate for president of the United States.

Of course. To the left, everything "not left" is illegitimate.

O is fairly young, so we're going to have to listen to his nonsense for years to come.
Easiest prediction in the world to make: After Jan 2017, all Obama comments will be variations on:

1) Everything bad in my 8 years was Bush's fault.
2) Everything I did in my 8 years was great.
3) Everything good that happens after 2016 was really because of me.
4) Everything bad that happens after 2016 was from not continuing my policies.

Unknown said...

Romney raised $101m in July 2012.
Clinton raised $90m in July 2016 plus has $54m carry-over from June.
Trump raised $36m in July 2016 with no carry-over from June.

Clinton raises almost 3X more than Trump which makes Trump the loser. No surprise there.

Looks like the Trumpkins are not opening their wallets for the Chosen One.

I'm Full of Soup said...



Althouse does not strike me as an extravagant person so surprised to learn she has a $10K refrigerator.

It Reminds me of that TV commercial where the yuppie movie star and her husband are pitching a GE fridge that has a camera in it so you can check with a smart phone to see what you need when you are at the store. Don't people like that know that the BLM and Occupy Wall Street crowds will kill them first even though they probably voted for Obama and Hillary?

Levi Starks said...

Wow, talk about roughing it.
You were practically camping out on the front lawn.
As for brand choice, I pretty sure the neighborhood is zoned for, and you can't even get an occupancy permit without a sub zero ref.
But to be fair, I did actually consider buying a house that had one.

Unknown said...

This will thaw your fridge.

More Melania photos from the Rupert Murdoch owned New York Post: http://nypost.com/2016/08/01/melania-trumps-girl-on-girl-photos-from-racy-shoot-revealed/

Anonymous said...

One of the keys to success is to buy long lasting quality silverware and sweaters. Substance. Price savings. Sentimental attachments. Memories. Stability. Choose which appliances are family friends and which are passerby's.

Your water heater is probably a passerby in 8-12 years.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Blogger Unknown said...
This will thaw your fridge.

That's a good reason to vote for Trump. Melania will do more for women's liberation and body image in one day than Hilary will do in 100 years. Are women really comfortable with beauty as art? It's a very good question for the bigoted left and the intolerant socon.

I defer to her speech which was full of hope for the future of people.

Pettifogger said...

Our dishwasher has been out for a month. We quickly found just what my wife wanted, except the front panel was black, not white. Only white would do. We may get the new one as early as next week. Or we may not.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
320Busdriver said...

"But EPA compliant."

Soon all of our iceboxes will be non compliant and will need replacement with 10,000 dollar units with unsaturated HFC's running through their veins. Like they do in Switzerland. That sounds expensive.

These appliances are threatening all of humanity. At least that is what my second most favorite SoS says. I think thats how he keeps his caviar cool on his yacht. Prick

lb said...

Hey I use my Viking stove and fridge constantly. Not everybody cooks, but we cook every meal and also cook for other people frequently. Also can throughout the season. Love Le Creuset - it has the most even temperature so things turn out wonderfully. I use it almost daily. I've had less expensive stuff - and am now totally spoiled - I see the value in good things that last even though they cost more.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
walter said...

Refrigerator White

southcentralpa said...

Blogging about one's Sub Zero is humble bragging ... ?

walter said...

Tenure has its privileges..

Owen said...

Motor life in a fridge is affected by how many dust bunnies live in the machinery area. Was that a factor here?

lonetown said...

I thought sub zeros called in their own service call. Yours must be an early dumb one.

walter said...

I bought a new 1990 Cavalier and kept it for 16 years and sold it at 220,000 miles.
You don't have to buy a Volvo.

khesanh0802 said...

@Unknown 1029 Who can you believe these days?

walter said...

(unless you're a Madison lesbian)

walter said...

(oops..Subaru..but I bet Vulvas err Volvos are popular as well.)

Rusty said...

Meade said...
Yes — compressor.

Completely different beast. I hope it was $1500 installed.

Just replaced my garbage disposal. Turns out you can't run dead cats through them. Not whole anyway. It was 30 years old.

Wince said...

I wouldn't be surprised to find empirical data that indicates persons who participate in a defined benefit pension system have a higher marginal propensity to consume than those who do not have that kind of retirement income certainty.

The marginal propensity to consume (MPC) is equal to ΔC / ΔY, where ΔC is change in consumption, and ΔY is change in income. If consumption increases by 80 cents for each additional dollar of income, then MPC is equal to 0.8 / 1 = 0.8.

Delayna said...

Fill that empty milk container with water and freeze it. If you lose power it'll help keep your food cold.

bagoh20 said...

25 years without a new refrigerator? What, are you poor? Oh, you spent too much, so the option was gone all that time. You paid a bunch extra to eliminate your choices, and rob you of your freedom. FREEDOM!

I can afford a Lamborghini, and would love to drive one, but it would still have scratches and wear after a couple years and be my old used car. For the same cost, I could get a new car every year, new, clean, different, new, exciting, new.

Comanche Voter said...

Refrigerator at peak cleanliness. That's a good thing. In most households, and I assume this is true in Madison as well, one domestic person will have an archaeological attitude toward refrigerator storage. The other will say, "If it's older than three days, get it out of the refrigerator--eaten or not."


Not saying who is at fault at Comanche Voter's teepee---but Mrs. Comanche still has a haunch of buffalo that I killed back in 1873.

CStanley said...

I still imagine that $2000 was a lot for a fridge back when this one was purchased, and I can't understand what has happened to the market that has lead to the replacement models costing $10K (I think that's roughly 3 X the inflation rate, thought only healthcare costs were rising that fast) but under the scenario presented I can agree with the decision.

It's tone deaf though to advise that everyone should make purchases of more expensive goods based on longevity, when most people don't have the luxury of having that much disposable income. Nice if you do, but it's not as though most people could spend more but choose not to because they are short sighted.

What's sad is that the lower down the ladder of wealth and income you are, the more this applies. I was without a washer/dryer last week (hubs is installing tile and cabinets) and had to use a laundromat. Sad to see how much people have to spend, shocking really- smallest washers which hold half of a normal load are $3.50 each, and biggest ones are $8.50 a load!- so they have to keep spending instead of having money to buy or rent a place with washers and dryers or to add the machines to their homes. Short term necessities crowd out any thought of long term gains.

bagoh20 said...

"This fridge uses a catalyst and a UV light to convert the ethylene into something else. (I have no idea what.)"

It turns it into money - your money in their bank account.

walter said...

Delayna said...
Fill that empty milk container with water and freeze it. If you lose power it'll help keep your food cold.
-
Great idea, actually.

JaimeRoberto said...

If air conditioning is worse than ISIS, then Sub Zero refrigerators are like nuclear warfare. Perhaps your 19 day outage averted Armageddon. A relieved world thanks you.

Gabriel said...

I'm amazed that the resident troll thinks that showing nekkid pictures of Trump's current wife somehow hurts him politically.

Every time Unknown posts that link Donald gets another %0.001.

Original Mike said...

"For the same cost, I could get a new car every year, new, clean, different, new, exciting, new."

New is over rated. Vastly over rated.

walter said...

Trump would disagree ;)

Delayna said...

Fridge story: one evening I opened the fridge and it was warm. The light came on, but it was warm inside.

So after much grumbling we ordered a new one from the big box store. The delivery guys got the old fridge on a hand truck and all the way to the end of the driveway before I noticed that the dust bunnies on the coils looked strangely rodentlike.

"There's a squirrel on the coils!" I shouted, and the burly he-man pushing the hand truck jumped straight backwards yelling.

(Honestly, it looked like it was still alive, with its teeth locked on the compressor power line.)

They got a pair of pliers and a plastic bag to remove the corpse from the coils, and handed the bag (without actually touching it) to my husband.

"Wanna say a few words?" The driver asked.

I thought, poor little thing, it was just trying to find a way out...

My husband took the bag, said, "this squirrel cost me eight hundred dollars," and dumped it in the trash.

Sprezzatura said...

Meade,

For the same 60 to 70 you can get a very lightly used, not too old all wheel drive 911. Without experiencing it, it may not be obvious that the 911 is a much better car, but it absolutely is. There's no contest.

And really, why not buy new? It's hard to get away short of 100, but you're buying something that makes the Audi look like a Mustang. Dough well spent.



DanTheMan said...

>>Clinton raises almost 3X more than Trump which makes Trump the loser.


Jeb Bush spent $100M. Lost big.

Balfegor said...

Re: CStanley:

What's sad is that the lower down the ladder of wealth and income you are, the more this applies. I was without a washer/dryer last week (hubs is installing tile and cabinets) and had to use a laundromat. Sad to see how much people have to spend, shocking really- smallest washers which hold half of a normal load are $3.50 each, and biggest ones are $8.50 a load!- so they have to keep spending instead of having money to buy or rent a place with washers and dryers or to add the machines to their homes. Short term necessities crowd out any thought of long term gains.

Yes, or you can just do your laundry at home in the bathtub or sink. Load up the bathtub, pour in a bit of soap/detergent, soak and scrub and stomp on and beat the laundry, wring it out, empty the bathtub, and then rinse and stomp on and beat again in a clean tub. Maybe do it one more time (or run under the faucet) to make sure you've got all the soap out. You don't need to fill the bathtub all the way, so say about 20 gallons each round, 60 gallons total. Wring it out again, and hang to dry.

I have done this myself, mostly in hotels (because I am embarrassed to pay more than the replacement cost of a garment to have it laundered). I think I've run out, but I have a travel pair of rubber gloves I keep in my suitcase with some little single-use packs of detergent just for this purpose. I prefer using the machine, obviously, but this is not that hard.

And it is cheap. Even in expensive areas (e.g. LA), the cost per 1,000 gallons of water is something on the order of $7. You're talking about $0.50 for a fairly big load. You don't need to pay the $8.50 unless your time is worth that much.

Bilwick said...

If the US continues down the Road to Serfdom, consider your 19 days without a refrigerator as a preview of what is to come.

David said...

140 posts on a conked out fridge. Is this a great blog, or what?

I'm Full of Soup said...

CStanley:

As you point out, it is surely not the CPI that caused the inflated price - I suspect it is the manufacturers targeting the very high income consumer with very expensive merchandise and they do that because there are a lot of people who will spend that kind of money on Range Rovers cars and Sub Zero high-end and high priced products.

Bago, the commenter, is their elusive Great White Whale - I bet they will harpoon him one day. Heh.

jimbino said...

Buying a cheap leaky-seal fridge is more ecologically sensible than buying an expensive sub-zero fridge with perfect seals if you live in Madison, WI, especially if you live in a house that is heated eledctrically.

Since Wisconsin has long winters, a leaky fridge will heat the house and keep the beer cold while heating the house in winter, saving a lot of energy and money, while being easier on the environment.

That rule wouldn't hold in South Texas, with its 8 months of summer with A/C running continuously, or in other states where cheaper natural gas is available.

You actually have to put pencil to paper to figure this out but, if you do, you'll probably stop recycling altogether where it's not mandatory, as it is in the command economy of Kenosha, WI.

Balfegor said...

Re: Quaestor:

Smoked gouda, my favorite cheese after blue stilton and appenzeller. Ask for it by name and have fun with the confusion at the Fresh Market.

Manchego is my favourite, although Stilton is nice with a bit of port (Stilton was my grandfather's favourite cheese). I also like Midnight Moon, which is an American goat cheese, Gouda style. It's tasty, but very sweet. Well adapted to my childish palate.

I'm Full of Soup said...

David - a great blog in a soon to be great again country!

John henry said...

You can buy an excellent quality, commercial grade, very nice looking Fridge for $4-5m.

Subzero must be like Electrolux and Kirby vacuum cleaners used to be. Very overpriced and tending to pray on unsuspecting housewives. I think we paid about $800 for an Electrolux perhaps 20 years ago. Good vacuum, still works well except for an unreplaceable switch but man was it pricey.

W3e bought one because my sister in law had one and my wife liked it. I was kind of flush that week so what the Hell. I did make the salesman give us the full demo and sales pitch.

More than the vacuum itself, that was a work of art. As a professional salesman (manufacturing machinery) at the time I knew I was in the presence of a master.

John Henry

tim in vermont said...

Clinton raises almost 3X more than Trump which makes Trump the loser.

Why Sanders voters would ever vote for a woman who does such a big business selling access. According to the DNC leak, she gets 200K for a private dinner. Who pays that unless they are expecting a bigger return. People interested in good government? If they think that is what they are getting, why not just send a check?

John henry said...


Blogger Hagar said...

And speaking of odd things this President does, this morning, in a press conference with the president of Singapore, he called on the Republican Party to de-nominate Donald Trump as the party's candidate for president of the United States.


Yeah, I saw that too. Extremely weird. Not only that President Obama would say something like this but that he would say it while sharing a stage with another country leader. That guy must have thought President Obama had lost it.

Smell the fear....

John Henry

David said...

Back in the day I lived on the lakefront in a north Milwaukee suburb. Rising Lake Michigan and a storm washed out my sewer lateral. (It had been there since the 1930's). We had to build a coffer dam to repair it, and that failed twice before it worked.

Seven weeks with 4 kids and no running water. We adapted but it was interesting.

John henry said...

Blogger Unknown said...

This will thaw your fridge.

More Melania photos


Looks like she has the mother of all tampon strings hanging down in one of those pics.

John Henry

David said...

"Why Sanders voters would ever vote for a woman who does such a big business selling access."

Because Bernie is not the kind of man he pretends to be.

Patrick said...


"Oh good LORD! A $2000 in 1981 is the equivalent of $5000 today. Buy a $5000 fridge which will cost 1/3 of the price to run, or a $2000 one. That makes far more economic sense."

I'd considered that, but with a be compressor, you're getting much more efficiency. You wouldn't save that much.

Sprezzatura said...

"Smell the fear...."

Is it impossible for y'all to consider that DJT's opposition is responding to what seems to be his figurative blood in the water, rather than fear of his massive winning-ness?

Maybe you're right and things are going great for DJT. Time will tell.

Hagar said...

I have an Electrolux canister that I paid $200 and something for from the "refurbished" outlet. I think it actually was quite unused and somebody had returned it because it was not the model they had ordered. (The box was mislabeled and the head turns only one way instead of two, which does not bother me, since I was surprised to find it turned at all.)

Unknown said...

There were 15m Trumkin voters in the Primaries.
Trump needs 60m+ votes to win in the General.

Trump raised $35m in July against Clinton's $90m which means majority of Republican/Conservative voters are not contributing to Trump's fund raising. Republicans/Conservatives are some of the richest people in the USA and they are not contributing to Trump's campaign.

The math wins and Trump is a loser.



Peter said...

Whatever you do, after paying to repair it don't Google "Sub-Zero reviews"!

Are Sub-Zero refrigerators worth the price?

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2012/08/are-sub-zero-refrigerators-worth-the-price/index.htm


Built-in refrigerators that are worth the money:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/07/built-in-refrigerators-that-are-worth-the-money/index.htm


Sub-Zero Refrigerators: Consumer Complaints & Reviews

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/subzero.html

Sprezzatura said...

Are the Rs "unskewing" the polls yet? Trump said the polls are rigged. I don't think it'd be good to say the polls are "skewed" again. Maybe if y'all call it "unrigging" the polls you can more easily re-fool yourselves.

Unrig the polls!

Craig Landon said...

This post is the first time I've ever heard of the SubZero brand (and a few others). I'm thankful that fact has apparently saved me 69 years of envy.

Hagar said...

The Donald does not seem to bleed much. Perhaps that is what is getting to them.

And there is so much more that can happen to Hillary!'s campaign that she has no control over. May something that is not even her fault, but she is a Democrat and so is the man in the White House.

Sprezzatura said...

Hagar,

Maybe. But, presumably you'd agree that it's a bad sign when a WSJ editorial person says that evil, lib-justice-picking HRC is a better choice than sociopath DJT.

If the NYT supported DJT over HRC, it'd be a little silly to say that's good for HRC.

Just sayin.

chuckR said...

Wolf and Viking ranges are "professional", not commercial. Translation, they look commercial but are not as simple or rugged. You want commercial, get a Garland. My business associate's wife could run a restaurant and frequently entertains for a dozen and more people. Their Garland is 27 years old and the only things ever needing replacement are the knobs, as she wears the markings off them. You buy the Viking/Wolfs because you don't need to thermally isolate one like you would a woodstove. Add a 1200CFM fan (overkill even for the Garland unless you are running both ovens and most of the burners) and the big item, a restaurant grade fire suppression system that cost approximately $12000. All in expense, over $20000 in today's diminished dollars. Plus, you need to get the thing by the building inspector and fire marshal. The fully tiled alcove and fire suppression system got them by inspection.
If I'm gonna spend that kind of money, I'll take a La Cornue or Lacanche, thanks. Truth be told, either of those or a Garland would be wasted on me.

lonetown said...

WSJ is a Murdoch organization, no?

Sprezzatura said...

"If I'm gonna spend that kind of money, I'll take a La Cornue or Lacanche, thanks. Truth be told, either of those or a Garland would be wasted on me."

Other than an elevator, interior walls skinned with figured/quilted/CNC-shaped maple T&G, and elaborate home automation electronics, I'd say the Lacanche is the best way to spend dough.

walter said...

Stove porn. A new level of absurd here.

Sprezzatura said...

"Stove porn. A new level of absurd here."

DJT once said that if you don't think you can buy happiness, you haven't been shopping in the right stores.

Cool dude you cons have decided to follow.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Ann Althouse said...We'd come home very late at night after a week-long trip to Colorado, and the refrigerator motor must have conked out days before that, because it wasn't just not cold. It was actively hot.

The phrase you want is "aggressively hot." The trademark for "aggressively x" his held by Jason Mantzoukas, but I think it's a public-use license or something.

Maybe you'd think we should just get a new refrigerator, but that's not how we analyzed it, even though replacing the motor costs $1500. The same refrigerator new would cost $10,000, and the old one not only looks like new, it has a second motor — the one that runs the freezer — and that motor is just fine.

My ex-gf worked in a high-end kitchen & food store and my brother-in-law worked for a high-end appliance firm--Subzero & Viking are apparently the entry-level for high-end, status appliances. I'd never heard of the brands they said were the really sought-after ones...but I guess when you're dealing with positional goods you've got to keep spending just to keep up. Depreciated across 25 years, though, I guess you did ok.

We were lucky to have plenty of kale and Swiss chard out in the garden, so we didn't need to preserve store-bought vegetables

Even more than the $10k fridge, this strikes me as so alien - "thank God we have all that kale!" I mean, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, even mustard greens, sure--good thing we have plenty of those to harvest. But kale?

The inside of the refrigerator is at peak cleanliness, and I look forward to restocking it with only good things we like now, and no items lingering from the past, wafting an absurd sense of entitlement to space because of some now forgotten amount of money paid long ago.

What does your Japanese art of tidying up book have to say about keeping old food? Since you're already familiar I won't mansplain the sunk cost fallacy, but I will ask - what was keeping you from tossing the old stuff, before?

Balfegor said...

Re: PBandJ_LeDouanier:

Hagar,

Maybe. But, presumably you'd agree that it's a bad sign when a WSJ editorial person says that evil, lib-justice-picking HRC is a better choice than sociopath DJT
.

It's honestly hard to say.

First, the WSJ is very clearly on the side of the Republican establishment, and if the last 12 months have taught us anything, it's that Republican voters don't actually care what the Republican establishment tells them to think.

Second, open borders/amnesty is practically the WSJ editorial board's signature issue, and has been since 1984. Meanwhile, enforcing immigration laws (and adjusting them to benefit American citizens) is Trump's signature issue. They are diametrically opposed on what is, for each of them, the key issue. Under such circumstances, it would be remarkable if they weren't passionately opposed to him.

Jim at said...

"More ludicrous than the cost is the wait."

Yeah. How DARE us peasants balk at paying 10 large for a freaking fridge.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Todd Barry - Fridge (starting at about 23 seconds)

Sprezzatura said...

Balfegor,

As I know you know, we are told that there are (or, have been) three legs to the R stool.

Maybe DJT can pick off enough poor, uneducated D workers to make up for the Chamber of Commerce Cons.

The parties may be changing their bases.

Time will tell.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
John henry said...

James Lileks had similar problems with his A/C last week and wrote about it in his inimitable style. http://lileks.com/bleats/archive/16/0816/080116.html

One of the things I learned from him was that he knew the problem was a capacitor. A tech was dispatched to the house by the power company to diagnose the problem. He was only a diagnoser, the fixer had to come from another company.

According to James, he is not able to buy a capacitor in Minnesota. If he were, he could have run down to the appliance parts store, paid $50-60 for one and popped it in himself. Anyone who has been able to handle so many problems with the gazebo and the Oak Island Water Feature could do that blindfolded.

Can it really be possible that one cannot buy a capacitor without a license in Minnesota? What about other states?

I can hear Crooked Hilary now: It is easier to get a gun in most states than a capacitor!!!

I used to have (in the 70s) a master refrigeration license so do all the repairs in my house and, if I can't get out of it, in my family's. I cannot buy refrigerant (Thanks Dupont) but have never been questioned about anything else.

I still have the license but only to remind me how good looking I was 40 years ago. It expired more than 35 years ago.

John Henry

walter said...

PBandJ_LeDouanier said...Cool dude you cons have decided to follow.
--
What the hell? You seem to be an uber consumer yourself. Mr. "dough worth spending".
But for all his warts, Trump makes a comparatively honest living compared to Clinton, Inc. She's so used to being paid handsomely for every utterance, she feels press conferences are equivalent to getting her pocket picked.

Anonymous said...

John Henry: Yeah, I saw that too. Extremely weird. Not only that President Obama would say something like this but that he would say it while sharing a stage with another country leader. That guy must have thought President Obama had lost it.

Yeah, so where's the "outrage" and "firestorm"? It wasn't weird, it was appalling. The only thing weird about it, weird as in extremely creepy, is the general indifference to a U.S. president speaking like that. Banana-republic authoritarians and sneering anti-democratic Euro technocrats got nothin' on our boy here.

Naturally the press sees nothing here but a righteous critique of Trump.

rehajm said...

Wife saw the Gullo stoves and said ...must....have!

Lifetime warranty- guy ftom Italy comes out and fixes it. They ask that you allow them two days transit to get to you.

Unknown said...

4:58PM
Yeah, so where's the "outrage" and "firestorm"?

There is no outrage because the GOP leaders and the Rest of the World except Putin agree with Obama.

The GOP want Trump to disappear into a black hole.

Bob Ellison said...

Pretty quiet blog lately. Does your fridge power your laptop?

walter said...

Obama has a well established pattern of inappropriate comments with foreign leaders next to him. That's why there's no outrage.
After all, he got a Nobel pre-emptively.
He's golden..still.

rcocean said...

OT: Does anyone remember "dry ice". Every time we went on a picnic or a camping trip my parents would bring along a hamper with dry ice to keep all the food cool.

I assume something has replaced it, because I never see it anywhere, but it used to EVERYWHERE.

And I'm always surprised how little frozen foods we have compared to my parents. I just looked and we have frozen shrimp and fish - growing up it was full of frozen vegetables, Frozen OJ, frozen meat, frozen this, frozen that.

gadfly said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
I'm Full of Soup said...

Companies still use dry ice to ship perishable gift items. I got some steaks from Omaha Steaks and the food was kept frozen by the dry ice.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Only an unqualified unmitigated failed president like Obama would bluster so much about who is and who isn't qualified to be president. Hell, Obama thinks Hillary is better prepared than Eisenhower.

gadfly said...

Everything you ever wanted to know about saving money with a new refrigerator but were afraid to ask. Honestly, a $10K Sub Zero refrigerator is not your only choice.

http://eetd.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/deumling_lbnl_slides.5.27.08-web.pdf

Bad Lieutenant said...

You used to have a pantry full of canned, instead. Frozen is so superior, IMHO.

Unknown said...

5:34PM Only an unqualified unmitigated failed president like Obama would bluster so much about who is and who isn't qualified to be president.

President Obama has the highest favorable ratings (>50%) than any other President at this stage of their Presidency.

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

Dry ice IS everywhere in Salem. At least, I've never yet seen a supermarket that doesn't carry it around here.

Frozen everything: ditto. Fish and shrimp, sure -- but massive amounts of frozen veggies, too. Peas, beans (various kinds), pearl onions, chopped onions, artichoke hearts, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, you name it. Not tomatoes, b/c they're all canned. And the likes of carrots and celery don't come frozen, except in mixes, of which there are a great many.

There aren't frozen meats, apart from chicken; if you want frozen beef or lamb, you have to DIY. Unless you go to Trader Joe's, which is also here.

Unknown said...

Latest from the Trump News Network:

Trump in an interview to the Washington Post said he is refusing to endorse House speaker Paul Ryan, Arizona senator John McCain or New Hampshire senator Kelly Ayotte.

Boy, this is going to be a ringside fight between Trump and the GOP.

It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to
Cry if I want to, cry if I want to
You would cry too if it happened to you

HoodlumDoodlum said...

John said...Can it really be possible that one cannot buy a capacitor without a license in Minnesota? What about other states?


It's all about safety, John; think of the children! If it saves just one life...


From Wiki - Applications of Capacitors: Hazards & Safety

Capacitors may retain a charge long after power is removed from a circuit; this charge can cause dangerous or even potentially fatal shocks or damage connected equipment. For example, even a seemingly innocuous device such as a disposable camera flash unit powered by a 1.5 volt AA battery contains a capacitor which may be charged to over 300 volts. This is easily capable of delivering a shock. Service procedures for electronic devices usually include instructions to discharge large or high-voltage capacitors. Capacitors may also have built-in discharge resistors to dissipate stored energy to a safe level within a few seconds after power is removed. High-voltage capacitors are stored with the terminals shorted, as protection from potentially dangerous voltages due to dielectric absorption.

John henry said...

Good on Trump for not supporting Ryan. I don't either.

Not much I can do to help Nehlen but I have donated, twice ($130 total)

You can too.

https://www.paulnehlen.com/

I really know nothing about Nehlen. Seems competent enough. His one big feature is that he is not Paul Ryan.

In one of my few political contributions I sent $100 or so to Geroge Nethercutt back in 94. He beat then Speaker Tom Foley. I supported Nethercutt for more or less the same reason I support Nehlen.

Chaos to our enemies. And yes, I do view Ryan as an enemy.

John Henry

HoodlumDoodlum said...

rcocean said...I assume something has replaced it, because I never see it anywhere, but it used to EVERYWHERE.

It's widely available, rcocean; do you have a Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Ingles, or other large chain supermarket nearby?

Airgas Dry Ice - retail locator

John henry said...

And another question:

Does Wisconsin have a sore loser law? If Ryan loses the Repo primary next week, does that prevent him from running as an independent?

Like those 2 absolute shits, Murkowski and Lieberman did.

John Henry

Unknown said...

I just traded in my '14 Subaru Outback with 45,000 miles for the same model in a '16. The windshield was broken and the tires were worn out. For my $5,000 I saved time in dealing with those issues, a significant upgrade in crash safety, and slight improvements in mpg and HP. The latest Sirius radio has a nice improvement, you can replay up to 7 minutes back, great when you're listening to a ballgame or a song you need to hear again.

John henry said...

UA mentioned how much Crooked Hilary had raised. Well, good for her. UA doesn't mention how little good it has done her. Here are her stats from Open Secrets.

Here is per Open Secrets:


Campaign Committee Outside Groups Combined
Total Raised $264,374,319 $110,211,121 $374,585,440
Total Spent $220,013,289 $70,402,825 $290,416,114
Cash on Hand $44,361,030 $39,808,296 $84,169,326
Debts $144,100 - -
Date of Report June 30, 2016 July 21, 2016

Total combined cash on hand $84mm but owes $144mm? $60mm in the hole starting out in the general election campaign?

And UA thinks that looks good?

And she spent $300mm so far to defeat 1 pretty lackluster candidate who is not even a Democrat!

Trump, on the other hand, was up against 16 pretty decent candidates, all well funded. Hows his financing?


Donald Trump (R)

Fundraising Details
Campaign Committee Outside Groups Combined
Total Raised $88,997,986 $9,744,105 $98,742,091
Total Spent $68,787,021 $7,620,376 $76,407,397
Cash on Hand $20,210,966 $2,123,729 $22,334,695
Debts $0 - -
Date of Report June 30, 2016 July 21, 2016 -

Trump spent 25% of what Crooked Hilary spent to defeat way more and way better candidates than she did. And with all the money Crooked Hilary is spending, he is just sort of loping along beside her. If money is the key, why is she not doing better?

Trump has only $22mm cash on hand but has no debts. The "net worth" of the Trump campaign is about $82mm more than the Crooked Hilary campaign.

Plus, if he needs to, Trump could write a check for as many millions or billions as it might take. No reason to do it now as he doesn't seem to need to. He doesn't need to be ahead until November. Why spend money much before then?

When UA and people like him/her/whatever start telling us how much money Crooked Hilary has, sound like naked fear to me.

Sleep well, UA.

John Henry

ngtrains said...

Ann,

I agree with your decision, Our Sub Zero is 24 yrs old and works fine - had some part re[laced about 6 yeas ago - cost about $1,000. Ours is wood paneled also. Cost new is huge, so the replacement is worth it.

we had the refrig gasket replaced too.

It's worth to have the motor areas vacuumed out every other year or so. they work really great.

ted

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

It takes intelligent and interesting people to make delightful conversation about kitchen appliances.

Any stupid asshole can argue about politics.

rcocean said...

Thanks for schooling me on "dry ice". Looks like I wasn't looking in the right places!

John henry said...

HoodlumDoodlum

Yes, I've been jolted by capacitors before on several occasions. It taught me well to make sure I always laid a screwdriver across the terminals. OTOH, unpleasant as it is, there is not enough amps to be dangerous. At least in a capacitor in a refrigeration unit.

I would be far more worried about someone replacing a circuit breaker as someone here mentioned doing. Not worried enough not to sell them a breaker but get across the 110VAC and you could get killed. And if you put in the wrong one "This 20A keeps tripping, gonna put in a 30A to stop that" you could burn the house down.

I used to sell and service lasers for industrial coding. These had a 45,000 volt capacitor at their heart. Discharging that was like a lightening bolt. Was a small lightening bolt, actually. I was very careful messing with that. ALWAYS followed procedure to the letter.

John Henry

«Oldest ‹Older   1 – 200 of 214   Newer› Newest»