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We just got a panasonic and it is quite nice. The build quality is top class. our 10 year old "national" still runs well except that the jar is damaged. The new one has options like the motor doesn't not run till you close the lid, and such safety features. Also, I got this online for about 3800 when the normal price outside was about 4500.

Can you not get a new jar? I have a Sumeet - it's around 8 years. Few things have got spoiled but the advantage is that practically anything can be repaired by the corner guy and any part necessary is available at the corner guy. I have had to change 1 jar, a washer & and also repair the motor in the last couple of years. No other issues?

We are using an IFB Dishwasher for the last 6 months. Before buying it, I was little confused that how practical is a dishwasher for home use...like cleaning abilities after our typical Indian food is made, electricity consumption, its own consumables like salt, rinse aids and detergents.
But after getting it, never for a second I had doubts about any of the above. It cleans thoroughly, is very very hygienic as it heats up the water as high as 70 degrees. In fact if you open the dishwasher while its running, you would see good amount of steam coming out and the hot water. In short, its pretty hygienic. This could alone be the reason to get one!

Consumables are not that expensive. Rinse aid is the one component that needs to be topped up every 25-30 days. The DW is also equipped with 3in1 detergent option. Its a mixture of all 3 in 1, but this is probably not available as of now. In case they become available, you can do away with all the salts, rinse aids & detergents! Also has 1/2 load economy mode in case you want to run it with lesser utensils. At last, it steam dries all utensils, so what you get is completely dry dishes which can be stored right away.

Very good product indeed. We are using an IFB fully automatic front loader since last 15-16 years and it still works flawlessly. I have also heard about IFBs poor service but fortunately the service in our city is pretty good.

Should you have more queries, will be glad to help.
Regards,
Saket

you could also check the ELGI mixer with 1000W motor. I bought it a month back and seems to be built well - though it is a little bit pricey, but comes with a 5 years warranty for the complete unit

We have been using a Sujata Dynamix as a replacement for Sumeet and we are happy about it. Build quality and excellent and the jars are easy to clean. Also easy available spares too. Good powerful motor , though it does not make a racket!

True - and we also used to have a Sumeet earlier. Even the national one can be repaired by the friendly neighbouring electrical store - the only problem being the reliability. The we had for 10 years, there was not a single service that it underwent - just kept working. So, thats amazing reliability and so we went for another one, while we try to get the replacement jar for the old one.

Thanks very much Saket. I'm wondering your's is the first positive review on IFB lately!!!

Do-you/anybody know or researched about dishwashers of Gorenje make?
http://www.gorenje.ind.in/en/dishwashers

Thanks,
Ramki

IMO, IFB products are not that bad as many reviews on the internet, however it's service has a really bad reputation. The build quality may not be the same when IFB & Bosch used to be together years ago, but still I have faith in them. Like I said, my IFB washing machine is now about 14 years old & still is going solid. The dishwasher is working pretty well too (touch wood). Although its too early, but we have been running it everyday at least once and not a single time it has shown any hiccups or any sort of problems. Apart from manufacturers like Bosch & Siemens, my vote would only go for IFB.

I had a look at Samsung DW too, the build quality from outside looked a tad better than IFB but probably many years of trust made me go for IFB. Regarding LG, I have had a bad experience with LG during its early days including its service. Since then I vowed never to buy any LG product and my home is now everything minus LG!

Regards,
Saket

6 years, and no problems with a Philips mixie yet. Of course the jars keep giving way - specifically the brass nut they use at the bottom to fix the coupler with the blade. That keeps dissolving with acidic mixes (tamarind!) and breaks apart in pieces after some time. Can't they think of using a nut made of an appropriate strong plastic there?

The saving grace is the availability of new after-market jars (local, not Philips). Have changed 4 in the past 6 years. The motor unit is still going strong - no electrical problems.

I have been using Panasonic mixers for 10 yrs and no problems with the machine till date. Had to change 2 jars but our usage is heavy. Idly/dosa batter + chutney atleast 4 days a week.

Go for Panasonic. It is worth the extra price.

I used a Kenwood Chef from 1989 till 2011. Never an issue. We bought a new one so just replaced it with another. All accessories still fit!!

Thanks a heap to all those who have responded. :)

Ten years and more ago, they used to make things that last longer. Even Maharaja mixers used to be pretty good around then, going by what people said. But the one we bought 1.5 years ago is of abysmal quality, to say the least.

Well, our IFB dishwasher just stopped washing effectively after couple of months. Though after spending considerable time and effort, the company did replace it. Though they didn't do that until they made umpteen efforts to fix it... but I don't think they could find the fault themselves. I have mentioned details in this thread earlier.

Not heard of these brands. Not seen in shops either. Anybody else has used them?

Thats really, really bad! That means that you have been eating brass nuts along with your food. :eek:

Any idea about the cost of these aftermarket jars? How do they compare with the original Philips jars?

Our Philips (motor) conked out after some 3 years of fairly lightweight use. Jars also had a couple of issues like gaskets needing change, etc. Build quality also leaves a lot to be desired, though it is definitely better than the Maharaja and the like. Though mom says its grinding efficiency was MUCH better even though the motor was lower powered than Maharaja.

Original jars? Any idea about cost? Pana build quality is definitely better than any other brand that I compared with. Also, motor has 5 years warranty and body is 2 years. Hope they have maintained their durability like before. Hope so, as nobody else seems to be giving a 5 year warranty currently. So I'm more inclined to Pana. Hope the significantly higher price is worth it.

However, their 3 jar variant has a motor of 500 W. Store assistant said it may be an issue so better go for other brand which has 750 W motor. I don't really trust these numbers, but does anybody feel the 500W Pana motor is bit underpowered for certain uses?

Oh...but good that you got it replaced. Also good to know that they made 'considerable efforts'. How would you rate the after sales service of IFB?

& how is the new DW doing. Which particular model was it. If you can point out your post, I will be interested in going through it.

Regards,
Saket

:p No, we didn't eat brass nuts, and dissolved copper and zinc are beneficial, not harmful! The annoying part was the nut breaking midway through grinding, and the lady not knowing how to complete cooking with the half ground masala! Fortunately, we have a Braun stab mixer with a small grinding jar, so she is able to finish grinding after removing the pieces of brass nut.

None of the appliance companies (even Philips, Kenwood and Panasonic) make jars themselves. They are electrical appliances companies, and their forte is the electrical part. They only specify and do QC on the vendor's product. In the motor part, the only thing that can irrepairably fail is insulation covering the wires of the motor.

The *only* mixie company I have seen passing the test of time in Indian kitchens is Osterizer from US (they have different glass jars with removable interchangeable blades), but they don't sell in India. The only thing that failed in 25 years was the gasket that seals the blade and the jar. Moulinex is the next best, again not sold in India.

The after-market jars are made by the same guys selling the same jars at a higher margin. The snafu is slightly worse finish, possibly because the metal parts may be the ones rejected by Philips standards. Usually cost ~200, IIRC.

Grinding efficiency depends on the blade geometry, and Philips blades are definitely better than others.

We have been using Usha Lexus food processor for the last 3 years after our sumeet jars (the rubber bush beneath the jars) started giving up on bi-weekly basis.
Working well till now, as it is a food processor, we can do additional jobs too like kneading flour, cutting salads, juices...it can even shell peas!

Satisfied with the product. However, the plastic quality on the machine could have been better.

Regards,
Saket