Category Archives: Refrigerator

Well-versed In Customer Appreciation

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Artist’s rendering of customer

Yesterday, we received pretty much the sweetest letter from a customer in recent memory.

Not only did it remind us how great our customer service department is, it rhymed (well, mostly).

We’re so very appreciative of our customers that we’re delighted whenever the sentiment is returned.

We’re publishing the poem with you here, because it’s too cute to be shared with only an envelope:

I arose this morning
Happy as can be
Went into my kitchen
And what did I see?

Water all over
My nice clean floor
I opened my refrigerator
And couldn’t believe what I saw

A small lake in the bottom
Some frozen, some melted
I dashed for the phone
I really needed help

Tomorrow, they said,
My fridge would be fixed
I said OK
My popsicles melted off their sticks

I called back again
And with Lauren in St. Paul I pleaded,
Oh somehow can my fridge get fixed today?
And by gosh she conceded and they were on their way.

An hour or so later
Mike & Bill did arrive
When the truck pulled up
I was so happy I almost cried

What a great team
They saw the problem right away
Out came the tools
And eventually, the ice melted away

What a great company
to do business with
Which I have for many years
Give a toast to your employees, use champagne not beer

I wanted you to know
What great people work for you
Anytime stop by for a cold one
The bottles are cold thanks to your crew

Regards, Mike

Seriously, customers. Any time you offer creative appreciation AND beer, you have our attention 🙂

How To Clean Stainless Steel Appliances

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If you’ve ever owned them, you know: Stainless steel appliances can carry more fingerprints than an episode of “CSI,” especially if you have kids. And the sleek, shiny finish gets pretty streaky, making you wonder how to clean stainless steel.

How To Clean Stainless Steel

Cleaning stainless steel appliances is not like cleaning other surfaces, because it’s easy to leave behind streaks from the actual cleaning process itself.

We sell a really good cleaner for stainless steel appliances called Affresh, which we use in all of our retail locations. If you think your kitchen is bad, imagine how much our appliances get touched!

But sometimes company is coming over and you don’t have time to run to the store. Try baby oil. Apply with an old towel or rag in small doses so you don’t end up with a greasy refrigerator. Wipe with the grain for the shiniest finish.

Stainless Steel Finish Options

If you’re looking for a maintenance-free option, some manufacturers make smudge-proof and fingerprint-resistant stainless steel finishes, such as Frigidaire, Whirlpool and Maytag. As a bonus, some of these premium finish options are even scratch-resistant.

What stainless steel cleaning tips do you have? Share them in the comments.

How To Choose a Refrigerator Size

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Every once in a while, our sales staff gets an email reminder to make sure that customers really measure the size of the opening when buying a refrigerator.

Unfortunately, the reminder comes on the heels of enough deliveries of refrigerators that failed to fit into a customer’s space that it merited mention. And that’s too many.

Laugh now, but you’d be surprised how easy it is to make the mistake of thinking your refrigerator size is “standard” or that you’ve properly measured your space.

Once you give us accurate dimensions, we’ll help you find a fridge to fit. A good rule of thumb is at least 1/2-inch larger opening than the refrigerator. This allows for stuff you just can’t see, like unlevel flooring and bowing refrigerator sides, to name a few.

There are oddities that you just might not consider…

I can’t believe I’m admitting this, but my new refrigerator (installed New Year’s Eve)  only fit because our delivery crews are like the appliance version of Bear Grylls: amazing in difficult situations. I measured the width of my opening from my lower cabinet, never dreaming that the upper cabinet actually narrowed my space by about an inch — weird.

Also, I forgot that having a bottom freezer means that the drawer now would pull straight out instead of a door swinging over, meaning that the window frame on the opposite side of the cabinets a few inches in front of my refrigerator would basically block that function. Because of the narrower width of the upper cabinet, I couldn’t just move my fridge to the left. Oops.

Thankfully, the crew was able to subtly shift the refrigerator, say, 15 degrees.

You don’t notice that my fridge isn’t straight, and the drawer cheats the window frame by a hair 🙂

So, even Appliance Retail Royalty make mistakes in their measurements. Be thorough.

Mini Refrigerators and Dorm Microwaves for College Cooking

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Getting a decent meal on campus one of the biggest challenges students deal with. But having a fridge helps keeping fresh food on hand both affordable and easy for the busiest college student. And having a microwave or oven means you don’t have to rely on the dining halls or takeout if you don’t want to.

Here are some affordable and functional options for your dorm or college apartment.

Dorm Refrigerators

danby mini refrigeratorIf you don’t need a freezer (and really, you might not) in your dorm or office, maximize your fridge space with this Danby 2.5 cu. ft. mini refrigerator (comes in white or black). The can dispenser makes beverages easy to grab and having space for a 2-liter or big wine bottle can be really handy and free up a lot of space on your shelves.

But sometimes you’ll want a freezer for pizza (or Jell-O shots). The Avanti 5.5 cu. ft compact refrigerator and freezer has a a space-saving flush back design.

Dorm Microwaves


If you have a tiny space, you’ll appreciate this 0.5 cu. ft. Whirlpool microwave, made specifically to fit into tight corners. Despite its compact footprint, pull the pocket handle on the door and you’ll find space for an 11-inch plate.

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Vintage refrigerator for the modern retro kitchen

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Move over Big Chill. There’s another brand of retro fridges called Northstar (part of Elmira Stoveworks, which also makes antique appliances).

Those decorating their houses in midcentury modern style want to continue the retro look into the kitchen. But it’s not the best idea to use actual retro appliances.

Why? They’re extremely inefficient, offer smaller capacity than conventional appliances and often run loudly. Plus, if it breaks, good luck finding decades-old parts.

Luckily, Northstar makes retro refrigerators with all the modern features:

  • Modern configurations like bottom freezer style, which keep the food you need most often in easy reach
  • Energy Star rating saves you money on your utility bill
  • 19 cubic feet accommodates way more food than an antique refrigerator
  • Comes in your choice of colors (shown – Cherry Red, White, Bisque, Flamingo Pink, Robin’s Egg Blue, Buttercup Yellow, Textured Black, Mint Green and Quick Silver)
  • Interior lights and freezer baskets
  • See more features and benefits

We’re showing this model, the 1950 in Cherry Red, at our appliance store in Edina across from the Galleria if you want to take a peek. And we deliver and install these for free to our local customers 🙂