Appliance Features You May Not Use (But Really Should)

Make the most of your home’s appliances with these 12 features that can make your life easier.

Home appliances have become more advanced – or complicated, depending on your perspective – over time.

It’s easy to go into autopilot and operate your oven, dishwasher and other appliances the same way you always have. Maybe you got a new model that you haven’t had the time to experiment with. Or maybe you just never read the manual.

No matter the reason, there may be helpful features that you’re not using to the fullest extent.

Read on for our 12 favorite settings that you may have overlooked. We offer user experience tips for ovens, cooktops, microwaves, dishwashers, refrigerators, washers and dryers.

As always, consult the product manual before trying a new feature on your appliance.

Ovens

Self-Cleaning Setting

Oven interiors can be tough to keep clean, but chances are that your oven offers a feature to make that chore easier. Using either heat or steam, the self-cleaning function breaks down grease and burned food splatters so you can easily wipe them away afterwards.Using this setting can save you time, cut back on the need for harsh cleaning chemicals and keep your oven functioning at its best.

Convection

The air in conventional ovens — whether they’re gas or electric — remains relatively stagnant throughout cooking. The convection setting, however, introduces a fan to circulate the air. This helps food cook more quickly and can reduce burned or undercooked spots.

Convection cooking is ideal for foods you want to brown and crisp. So meats, potatoes and vegetables all cook well with convection. It’s also a handy setting for reheating leftovers.

Pro tip: If a recipe does not specifically call for convection, a good rule of thumb is to reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and cook for a little less time.

Cooktops

Warming Zones

Many modern cooktops have a warming zone to make meal coordination simple. This zone is intended to keep hot, cooked foods at serving temperature. Even if you’re not preparing food on your cooktop, you can place any oven-safe dish there to hold.

For the best results, cover all dishes and avoid letting them sit for longer than one hour.

Microwaves

Melt Setting

Just as you would adjust the temperature on your oven, adjusting the microwave power settings can make all the difference to the finished dish.

The melt setting on your microwave will help soften delicate foods such as butter, chocolate, cheese or marshmallows without burning them. This is because these foods are more suited to a slow and steady heating, rather than a relentless blast of high power.

Dishwashers

Stemware Racks

Does your dishwasher have a fold-down piece along the side? This is a stemware rack – a nifty shelf designed to support fragile wine glasses as your dishwasher does its job. It holds glasses steady throughout the force of water jets and prevents breakage.

Bottle Jets

Some dishwashers also include bottle jets, which direct a powerful stream of water directly up the center of your favorite reusable water bottle and other items with narrow openings. These are typically located on the dishwasher’s top rack.

Refrigerators

Customizable Shelving

The shelves in most refrigerators are easily adjustable, so you can customize the interior to fit your needs and lifestyle.

You can adjust the height between each shelf simply by changing the shelf mounts between their vertical and horizontal positions.

Adjustable Drawer Humidity

You likely have a humidity control fridge in your home, whether you realize it or not. Fruit and vegetable drawers, also referred to as crispers, work by controlling the airflow to their interiors. Unless you adjust your refrigerator humidity controller, incorrect air circulation can cause the contents to go bad prematurely.

In general, fruits like low humidity and veggies like high humidity. To keep your food fresh for as long as possible, follow the guidelines below.

• Low humidity: Ideal for foods that rot, such as pears, melons, peaches, mushrooms, and avocados.

• High humidity: Ideal for foods that wilt, such as leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, cucumbers, green onions and herbs.

Some fruits and vegetables do best outside of the refrigerator. These include tomatoes, potatoes, most onions, garlic, bananas and cucumbers.

Integrated Water Filters

The internal water dispensers on refrigerators offer delicious filtered water at your fingertips. Plus, they eliminate the need to buy costly and wasteful water bottles.

If you take advantage of this feature, be sure to change the water filter around twice a year.

Washers

Temperature Settings

Instead of defaulting to the “normal” setting, try adjusting the temperature of your next load of laundry.

Cold water: Cool temperatures (80°F) are best for bright colors and delicate fabrics. It’s helpful to prewash heavily soiled clothes in cool water to avoid setting stains.

Warm water: Wash man-made fibers, knits and jeans in warm water (90°F).

Hot water: For whites and any very dirty clothes, use hot water (130°F or above). Note that hot water can shrink and fade some fabrics, so be sure to read your clothing label before selecting this option.

Dryers

Drying Rack

Consider using a drying rack in a dryer for your special care items, such as sneakers, silk and stuffed animals. These detachable shelves help dry delicate items without spinning them around in the rotating dryer cavity.

Make sure items are completely on the rack. Any parts hanging over could be snagged or pulled into the rotating drum.

Smart Appliances

Many appliances are now designed to be a part of your greater smart home system. From the kitchen to the laundry room, these smart appliance features make household tasks a breeze:

• Remote monitoring and control

• Voice recognition

• Personalized setting recommendations

• 24/7 support

In a washing machine, this could mean that you can load your laundry before leaving for work and then start the cycle remotely from your phone. In a refrigerator, smart features could allow you to see what foods you already have at home while you’re at the grocery store.

Smart features are always advancing, so check out your user manuals for the most up-to-date tips on making the most of these appliances.

Find the Right Appliances for Your Home

When it’s time to shop for your new appliances, look for the features you need to simplify your daily routine. Our friendly, expert staff members at Brothers Main are always happy to answer any questions and help you find the perfect mix.

Browse, shop and compare in-store or online today.