Many of us will have had that protracted debate when designing a new kitchen: Should we invest heavily in premium products or go for less expensive brands? Well Neilw has started that ball rolling over on Boards.ie: “Just wondering if the likes of Smeg, Neff and so on are worth the extra cost, do they work any better, last longer?”

CDfm certainly agrees, with a simple “yes they are”, but while DublinWriter may agree with that, “They might last longer”, he’s a little more scathing about the people who buy them “as far as I can see they are just middle-class aspirational kitchen decor for people who can’t cook in the first place.”

He goes on: “I normally buy mid-range Miele/Bosch stuff as I could count on the fingers of both hands the amount of Hotpoint/Zanussi appliances I’ve had that have broken down after one or two years.” Niceirishfella though sums it up, stating “it’s like everything, you have to use your eyes and your head and gut when buyin.”

What are your thoughts on the subject? Would you compromise on the appliances or not? Have your say in the forum.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the last subject to be discussed on a mountain bike forum would be kitchen appliances, but the members of Singletrack prove this isn’t the case.

DrP likes the looks of a Smeg fridge he’s seen and although he thinks they’re expensive would like to know how they compare to other brands for better or worse. While BudFudlacker comments “surely a fridge is a fridge”, a number of other forum members share their experiences in more detail: Mefster in particular had considered them in the past, but after consulting an appliance expert found that “some of the other brands (including the Miele we went for) were better built. There certainly seemed to be a visible difference.”

Bunnyhop, cinnammon_girl and catshoe all give Miele the thumbs-up, bunnyhop especially commenting “Having done the research, I am really happy with ours. Also got 2 other Miele appliances, no complaints there either.

The prognosis for Smeg ownership doesn’t seem promising as the rest of the discussion demonstrates. If you’ve got any thoughts on the matter why not pop over to the forum and add your comments.

There are few household panics worse than the realisation that you need to buy a new washing machine and that’s the problem confronting mandragora over at the Money Saving Expert forum. Faced with the prospect of going “to work in a ballgown”, she’s asked her fellow money savers for suggestions for “a real gem of a machine”.

While Bosch, Siemens and Whirlpool all have their advocates, it’s Miele owner dazzer68, who not only has a washing machine which he describes as “…brilliant. quiet easy to use and robust”, but also owns a dishwasher, coffee machine” and “will be changing the tumble dryer when that goes too. excellent build and quality” who gives the first vote for Miele. Imho too, gives another vote thus: “More expensive than most other washing machines but they never break down”, while mersey recently “bought a Miele Paragon plus from John Lewis six weeks ago, cost a arm and a leg, fantastic machine, with free delivery and free ten year warranty”

However, it’s Rosekitten who sums up Miele’s reputation best of all: “[It] took me a long time to realise that some people buy one machine and never buy another. The ones that do this all own Miele washers.”

To follow the rest of the conversation jump over to Money Saving Expert.

We’ve covered previous reviews of the Cat & Dog 700 on Forever Better in the past and this latest testimonial over at the Review Centre follows in the same vein.

This time it’s Vizzy3’s who’s put finger to keyboard and rated the Cat & Dog as “the best vacuum cleaner I’ve ever had”. Awarding the vacuum 8 out of 10 for durability, style and value and a 9 out of 10 for ease of use her only complaint is she finds it heavy to lift although also points out that it “runs smoothly over the floor & is easy to pull after you”.

It’s by no means a lengthy review so jump across to the Review Centre to read her thoughts for youself and rate it if you find it helpful.

Leaskovski over at Overclockers UK has something of a dilemma: The peace and tranquility of their existence has been routinely shattered by the racket from their noisy washing machine and so in a moment of ‘typing out loud’ has asked his fellow members: “Why has no one invented a new type of washing mashine that is quiet!???”

Aside from the usual comments of “remember to stick some sellotape over her mouth”, more realistic suggestions come in the form of recommendations for particular brands and in this regard Miele comes out shouting.

MikeHunt79 suggests Miele describing them as “silent until they start spinning at the end of the cycle”, while Jonnycoupe recommends a machine which distributes its “mass around the drum rather than a slab in the bottom otherwise the drum is pretty happy to shift around on its mounts shaking everything to produce the noise…I think Miele do this?” Philjohn suggestes getting a direct drive model and “only trusts the big German makes when it comes to dishwashers and washing machines (Miele and Bosch, in that order).

If you’ve got a story about a rowdy washing machine or can offer some advice to Leaskovski, jump over to the Overclockers forums.

So begins the thread at AskAboutMoney and with a healthy number of replies – once again it seems that another consumer has been well served by the forum communities on the web.

Although a number of vacuums have been brought to the NORTHSIDE’S attention, Miele is winning out - at least in the opinions of the ‘AskAboutMoney’ types. PeterGriffin, presumably on a break from filming, took time out to relay the sentiments of an expert: “Was chatting to a guy who repairs them one day and he basically said to stay away from Dyson as they always break down but that Miele were about the best (that’s what we bought in the end)”, while huskerdu voiced the sentiment of the people “The last time this question was asked on AAM, the Miele won the popular vote hands down.”

Emmt has picked the opinions of the experts, as well as uncovering a few names to avoid, but agrees “According to Which reviews Best - Miele S4281″- and niceoneted lays his personal experiences on the line “I have a Miele S5210 [now replaced by the S5211], I can say it is fantastic”. All of which led to pretty much the only conclusion one could draw from the whole thing “thanks very much guys will go with a Miele”.

Pop over to the AskAboutMoney forum and pick up the rest of the conversation.

Many’s the time I’ve awoken, rubbed the sleep from my eyes and hankered for a coffee. Not just any coffee mind…the kind of shop-quality coffee that only a 20 minute stroll down the road, lengthy queue, and best part of a fiver, will get you.

Well, good news for us comes in the unlikely form of Steve from Machines That Go Bing, a pioneer in technologies of all kinds, and recent recipient of the Miele CVA 3650 ST coffee machine on a three week trial. He’s posted a very extensive hands-on guide of exactly how he found the coffee machine was to use.

A self confessed “caffeine-pumped twitching freak”, Steve made no secret of the fact that his “taste-buds [were] throbbing”, and wasted no time in getting started, which by all accounts was refreshingly simple “From opening the box to producing my first ‘real’ cup of coffee was about twenty minutes”.

Of course, there was the odd usability problem – “If you’re not used to this kind of coffee machine the extra work over more mundane forms of coffee-making takes some getting used to”, but more importantly for all the coffee-heads… How did it taste? Well, according to Steve “the result is worth the effort, and the quality of the beverages you’ll enjoy from the 3650 cannot be denied.”

You can read the full review here, and why not enjoy a tasty brew while you do.

Hot on the stiletto heals of Kate from Make Do And Mend, comes Helene’s post on the Miele Fashion Prize over at The Luxe Chronicles.

In the second of her retrospectives on the events of London Fashion Weekend, she covers the Miele Fashion Prize itself, Miele’s association with the children’s charity Sparks and designer and Project Catwalk winner Jasper Garvida. Like Kate, she too has posted her own shots of the catwalk show which rounded out the day.

Pop over to her blog and see for yourself.

It’s not just washing machines and rose petals that made up Miele’s attendence at London Fashion Weekend and in the final of her three installments, Make Do And Mend’s Kate covers the fashion aspect of Miele’s involvement in the event.

In her post she covers Project Catwalk series 3 winner Jasper Garvida’s announcement of the Miele Fashion Prize, which in conjunction with the children’s charity Sparks will give the lucky winner the chance to design a dress - to be made by Jasper - which will be worn at a charity fashion show in October next year.

She also reminds us - courtesy of some shots of the catwalk show - of this season’s trends for Autumn/Winter 2008. Jump over to her blog to read her full write-up.

On Friday we posted a brief round-up of our London Fashion Weekend event. Now that our guests have had time to rest weary legs and digest the events of the day, the first of the retrospectives from the attendees have now been published on their respective blogs.

Fashion Stylist Kate from Made Do And Mend, has posted the first of her thoughts including experiencing the rose petal test for herself, the W3922, Miele’s famous stocking test and the “sheer bliss for me to discuss washing machines, vacuum cleaners and even cooking utensils.”

Rather than spoil it for everyone by quoting her at length, pop over to her blog and see for yourself.