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Back-to-School Appliance-Buying Guide

Back-to-School Appliance-Buying Guide

Hard times don’t mean college students have to give up healthful, tasty food.

These appliances will come in handy whether your son or daughter lives in a dorm or an off-campus apartment.

And while this gear won’t turn your college-age cooks into an Iron Chef, they can save them some money and add variety and spice to their diet.

Be sure to check your school’s guidelines about appliances, and see the rest of our back-to-school coverage.

Compact Refrigerators

The “dorm-room refrigerator” moniker shows how closely compact refrigerators have become identified with college life, but only some of the models we tested made the grade. Many models have a single temperature-control dial, so you can’t find an ideal temperature between the refrigerator and freezer sections. And all that we tested for this report are comparative energy hogs.

Only two refrigerators we tested had freezer sections that were able to keep frozen confections from turning to mush, and the 3.7-cubic-foot Avanti 308YWT, 0, flunked basic refrigeration. Choose the 4.6-cubic-foot Frigidaire FRC05L5D, 0, if your student will be a frequent frozen-food diner. Tell your kid to discard frozen foods that have been stored above 40°F for more than two [...]

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Kitchen Floors

Choosing flooring is a lot like choosing countertops. Which type you choose depends on the style of your kitchen, the amount of use it will get, and the price. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages.

Vinyl, linoleum and carpet are the most comfortable underfoot. Laminate, vinyl and polyurethane-treated wood are the most durable. Stone and concrete look good and are also hard-wearing, but are also harder to clean.

Decide whether you want to install flooring under your removable appliances or around them (whichever you choose, make sure you can roll them out for repairs). Talk to your designer about this.

Vinyl

The most common kitchen flooring material, vinyl offers the best value and versatility. It is available in many patterns and colors, either inlaid, where the pattern and color runs through the material (most durable, works well in high traffic areas), or a with a surface-only printed design which is not as lasting. Make sure you buy the appropriate grade for the area it will be used in. It is easy to clean and is stain- and water-resistant. It comes in either sheet or tile form.

Advantages:

Nice ‘bouncy’ feel underfoot (dependent on thickness). Easy to install and keep clean. [...]

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