Ask Lemmy

Printer, obviously

I encountered a gas stove that wouldn't work during a power outage. It had a valve that shut off the gas if electricity wasn't present. Way to intentionally sabotage one of your biggest advantages.

"Smart" TVs.

I just want my TV to show pretty pictures with sound thrown at it by the digital receiver. If I want, I can attach a computer for streaming. How is that such a big ask?!

If it needs an app or internet connectivity - it can go fuck itself.

We've gone nearly a century of appliances that didn't need this shit. Apps or the Internet itself will not and never will, make things easier to do tasks than they already were easier to do before.

I mean I like microwaves but it pisses me off it wants to know the date and this goes for any item that wants internet access. Time I get. Its sorta convenient to have it show it when its not doing anything else but why the F do you think you need to know the date. Im not setting you to go cook something later. Really it comes down to it refusing to work after power loss until you put in time and date. My microwave always thinks the days start on november eleventh two thousand eleven.

Most modern refrigerators. They have tons of features (ice makers, water dispensers, screens) that are unnecessary.

But what gets me really going is the shelving, specifically door shelving. Most manufacturers have moved to clear polycarbonate for the “wall” around the shelf which is specifically not recommended for shock loading. For example, the load that is applied when the door closes and the condiments slide into the retaining piece. To get a fridge with metal means upgrading to a luxury model.

And don’t get me started on the fact that door shelving overlaps with interior shelving. Go look at a 1940s Shelvador and learn how to build a proper appliance.

Frankly, most appliances bother me:

• microwaves have UI issues, but I do like Panasonic’s genius inverter line.
• stoves have too many features and electronics. A true commercial style stoves without gadgets and gewgaws to break is hard to find for home use.
• so many dishwashers simply don’t clean dishes. Modern ones (imho) get too hot
• Most washing machines are way too rough on clothes.
• what the fuck is even with dryers? If people in the UK hang their clothes to dry, you can too (tropical climates may be an exception). Thankfully heat pump dryers are becoming a thing.

The hvac control panel.

The furnace and ac units are both great, but the control panel will sometimes just, idk, dissociate. I can change settings and it displays them, but they don't "take". It won't relay those changes to its bigger brethren. In order to snap it back to reality, I have to go out to the garage and flip the breaker because there's no other way to power cycle it.

There are spiders in the garage. And they are prolific with their webs, especially where I need to walk to get to the breaker panel.

So when the hvac panel glitches, it's a whole ordeal to fix it.

Air Fryers.

It's a tiny convection oven.

My plumbing pisses me off, does that count

Hm. Whoever made microwave ovens with an impossible to clean exposed resistance for broiling in the off chance you felt like making lasagna in a shoebox should be shot into space.

Everybody below pointing out that repeated beeping noises are unacceptable is also not wrong. It's gotten to the point where half a dozen different things may be beeping in my kitchen, nobody knows which one it is and everybody is in a reverse-race to ignore them to see if someone else goes to deal with it.

I once had a dishwasher that opened the door by itself using magnets instead of nagging you like a needy cat and I miss it every day.

Samsung Fridge (don't judge me, it came with the house).

I knew it was a "when" and not and "if" it would start having issues, and it finally showed its colors last month.

Front panel buttons either refused to work at all or would cycle through every option continuously and randomly.

Want water? Sorry, only crushed ice today. Want ice? Sorry, just water today. Oh, I actually did want water (starts dispensing). PSYCH! Now I'm going to shoot ice at you and splash water everywhere.

Was about to just toss the thing and get something dumber and more reliable, but decided to roll the dice with a replacement control board from ebay. Thankfully, that worked and I'm only out $80.

Anything made by Samsung.

Microwaves are allowed one proud "ding" or three "beep" before they are on my hate-list.

Dishwashers

Modern ones have too many features that can break and brick the whole thing and the cheap ones never get good powerful pumps so they spray like shit. Just make a basic mechanical timed dishwasher with a super powerful pump and I will be all in.

Gas stove. Literally playing with fire every time I need to light the front left burner. Usually I have to let enough gas come out to have the neighboring burner's igniter light it up. I keep my distance just in case.

Do printers count? I fucking HATE printers.