I'm already starting up with my Christmas shopping. Would like to ask for some tips on how I can go about choosing what appliances to buy as presents. Thank you.
I basically use Amazon. Say it's a toaster, I just search for that and see what ones are the highest rated. Then it's just a matter of reading the highest rated reviews they have as well as the lowest and seeing what their strongest/weakest points are, etc. Two toasters could both have 200 reviews with the average being 4.5/5 but for some people, one will be a better choice than the other.
First, I would consider the person that you are purchasing it for and is it something they would actually use and appreciate getting. Then, like soulglazed posted, do some online research on consumer reviews of the appliance. Finally, compare prices online and be certain to factor in shipping costs and return policies. Sometimes you can find the appliance on sale at a local store's website, then go in person and avoid the shipping costs.
Choose appliances to buy as gifts the way you would any other gift - based on the person, their need/desire, and your budget. Of course, you posted this weeks ago, so by now you're hopefully done with all of your shopping. In the future you may want to start early and just watch sales throughout the year so you can plan ahead.
If you want to buy appliances for someone, try and visit them and scope out anything that looks like it might need replaced, or things that they use a lot and would perhaps appreciate a nicer model if they had one. I wouldn't just buy them an appliance for the sake of getting them one. Some people don't like their house cluttered with appliances they will never use.
I love to give my close friends or relatives household appliances. I want the gift that I give them to be useful. When I am in their home, I always offer to help with making tea or cooking or whatever that will take me to the kitchen. I generally pick up some conversation about house hold appliances.. I quickly get to know what they need with a few questions. I find toasters, kettles, vegetable choppers ( fancy ones) coffee makers are all so appreciated. This of course depends on the persons interests and lifestyle.
I agree with this. Also, if you're someone who likes to use a lot of different kinds of appliances in the kitchen, make sure you listen to your friends and family. Someone may remark on something, making it obvious that they would never buy the product for themselves but would love to have it. See what kinds of foods they like to cook and try to buy something that they either a) don't have, but would use, or b) already have, but can use an upgrade. Personally, I use every appliance in my kitchen. But, I also went out and BOUGHT all of it because I knew what I wanted, what I was looking for, and what matched. Some people can be incredibly picky. If you're absolutely 100% sure that you want to buy appliances, make sure you do a lot of research about what they want/need/would like and research about the actual product(s). If you're not sure but would still like to get an appliance, getting a gift card to a place like Williams Sonoma, Sur la Table, or Sears would work great when paired with a handwritten recipe or an inexpensive cookbook/recipe book.
I had a huge problem buying a wedding present for a friend this week, the last wedding I had to buy a present for it was the done thing to buy appliances for their home but I wondered if things had changed in over 20 years. I asked my friends and none of them had bought him an appliance, they had all bought him bottles of alcohol and painting and DVDS. I eventually bought him and his new wife a slow cooker as I could not think of anything else and time was running out.
Buying appliances for others is hard. My youngest daughter does not cook much, her husband does most of the cooking. One year I gave them a slow cooker like the one I had at the time because I loved it so much. I felt like didn't use it much so I asked for it and was informed that it gets used all the time and there was no way I could have it. Well I could not find one like that one any more and was always dropping hints that if they really were not using it I would like the slow cooker, well last christmas my daughter found the cooker and gave me one of my own. I have a cooker that is timed which I like alot but this cooker is oblong so you can put a large piece of meat into the cooker and it has a grill that can be used to make sandwiches, eggs and other grilled items.
I just listen to the person. If they keep saying that they want a Magic Bullet every time the commercial comes on then that's what I buy for them. Most people will mention things that they want if you just pay attention. My daughter has been talking about the Wii U every time she sees one, so that's what I'll get her for Christmas.
