I’m a Maytag Kitchen Ambassador! ( #MaytagMoms )

I am beyond excited! I have been chosen to be a Maytag Kitchen Ambassador!

What does that mean? Well Maytag has chosen me (along with a lot of other fantastic bloggers) to review and blog about my experiences with a new Maytag Kitchen for the next four months. I’ll be receiving the Maytag Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator with Spill Catcher Shelves and the 6.2 cu. Ft. Capacity Electric Range with Triple-Choice and Speed Heat Elements!

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Unfortunately the Maytag Jetclean Plus Dishwasher with Fully Intergrated Controls and the Over-the-Range Microwave with Stainless Steel Interior won’t fit in my kitchen–I’m a bit jealous of the ambassadors who have kitchens configured to fit the entire suite, but I’m still tickled pink over a new range and fridge.

*****note-I just found out that I may be able to fit the dishwasher after all. . . more on that soon!*****

I am so excited to be part of this program~ for several reasons.

First, you all know that I am a HUGE proponent of cooking at home both to save money and to have control over exactly what it is you are eating. I expect that these appliances will make preparing meals, preserving food and dealing with my summer garden harvest much easier.

Second, although I’m frugal, I’ve always believed that being frugal is quite different from being cheap. In my mind being cheap is always buying the least expensive thing regardless of quality or expected lifespan. Being frugal is being wise with your resources and not needlessly wasting money. These appliances are top of the line–the refrigerator has an MSRP of $1,349 and the stove has an MSRP of $949-­‐$1,149–and the price point of course gives my frugal heart pause. If I was in the market for new appliances and not part of this program I’d think long and hard about purchasing these based on the price alone.

My opinion on a large purchase like this is if they function as well as they are purported to (and better than the cheaper alternatives), make my life easier, have a long lifespan and I we can afford it then it may be the best choice even though it’s expensive. So how would I decide if they really function well and are worth it? While I’d read the description I would assume that the manufacturer would describe it in glowing terms. The best way would be for me to get a truthful opinion from a friend or acquaintance who already had them-to see what they loved, what they weren’t fond of, if they were happy to have spent the money after the initial “glow” of newness wore off. . . and as part of this program I will be able to provide all of YOU (and anyone who finds me via Google) with that truthful opinion!

Third, I’m pretty darn sick of my stove, and I won’t be heartbroken over a new fridge either. I purchased my current stove second hand from a friend who switched out in order to match the color scheme of her renovated kitchen. It’s a glass top range-which I like (even though technically you aren’t supposed to can on it)–and it works ok. But the buttons have started acting squirrelly for the timer and the clock-sometimes I have to mess with them quite a while to hit the “sweet spot” where it will actually make the numbers change. There are hot spots in the stove, and when I bake my Friday night pizzas if I put them both in at the same time on two different racks one cooks much faster than the other. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the new oven works-it’s got a convection fan built in to move the air around while you are baking and is supposed to eliminate those hot spots so that you can use all the racks at the same time-which would really be fabulous. I’m also interested to try their special new oven cleaning feature-the oven has a special coating and you just pour in a bit of water and it cleans/steams in about an hour at a far lower temperature than traditional “self clean” cycles. Heck-if I don’t have to heat my oven up to 800 degrees and lose use of it for 4 hours while heating up the whole dang kitchen I might actually use the self clean more often!

Fourth, they are just plain pretty. Brand, shiny new stainless steel appliances for my kitchen! The rest of the place might look like it needs an upgrade after I’m done!

So keep your eyes out during the next several months-I’ll be chronicling the installation and use of my new Maytag appliances! Woohoo!

Disclosure: “I wrote this post participating in an Maytag Moms Dependable Kitchen Ambassador program by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Maytag. I was provided with a Maytag kitchen appliances set, including a refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, and range to facilitate my post.