An almost forgotten appliance

I've spent this afternoon researching range hoods. Exciting, huh?

When we went to an appliance showroom a few weeks ago, the salesman asked us about our kitchen ventilation system. I honestly hadn't given it a thought and certainly hadn't counted that appliance in our allowance. The big three appliances (range, dishwasher, and refrigerator) were on our research/purchase radar but a vent hood? Nope. A vent hood is needed, and even though I love to cook, I've never used a hood consistently. The main reason being is they tend to be SO loud.

Enter the Broan line of range hoods. The salesman suggested we get the Broan QS2 Series (Allure II) hood for our range because it is powerful AND quiet. And just like everything else, once he pointed this out, I started noticing advertisements for Broan hoods in the various magazines I read regularly (This Old House, Better Homes and Gardens, etc). I've read the reviews and have settled on the stainless steel model the salesman suggested. You can read more about it here: http://broan.com/display/router.asp?ProductID=1115.

Looking for a useful site to research appliances and other purchases? I've been impressed with the information on ConsumerSearch.com. It combines information available in Consumer Reports (my parents research every major purchase in CR) with actual reviews from folks who bought the product. A great example--the article about range hoods: http://www.consumersearch.com/range-hoods/review

Now if I can just decide on a range and dishwasher. These are two workhorses of my kitchen and need to be of good quality without breaking our budget. What about the fridge? We were happy with the GE side-by-side we had at our old house and will probably buy it again unless a better deal comes along.