20 September 2009

Who makes what?




It's no real secret that the brand name on an appliance doesn't tell you very much about who the manufacturer was. Just as with every other industry the last 20 years of the appliance world has been marked by a host of mergers and acquisitions. For the most part, who made your appliance doesn't really matter very much, but I think charts like this from Appliance 411 are helpful to have on hand when you're reading Consumer Reports or any other review source. When Consumer Reports praises a Kenmore range and then slams a hauntingly similar one from GE Profile it always makes me laugh. More often than not, such slams are directed at the brand and not the actual appliance. How could it be otherwise as the only difference a Kenmore and a GE Profile is the styling? Keep this chart handy of you're in the market for appliances. Note too that there's a link in the Sears category that jumps to Appliance 411's guide to the various manufacturers who actually make every Kenmore model on the market. Like I said, it's interesting.


Manufacturer
Brand Name
Amana
(recently owned by Maytag,
now owned by Whirlpool)
Amana
Caloric
Danby 5 )
Econowash
Glenwood
Imperial ( microwave, refrigerator )
Litton
Maytag ( washers with models starting SAV, NAV... )
Menu Master
Modern Maid
Speed Queen (older domestic models)
Sunray
Viking (US fridges except built-in models)

Fedders
Airtemp
Climette ( current models )
Comfort-Aire ( window a/c's )
Comfortaire ( window a/c's )
Crosley ( some window a/c's )
Emerson Quiet Kool ( a/c's )
Fedders
Hamptom Bay ( some a/c's )
Maytag ( window a/c's and dehumidifiers )
Microsonic

Frigidaire/Electrolux
~ non-USA brands below ~
Affinity™
Airdryer ( dehumidifiers )
Capehart ( freezers & dehumidifiers )
Citation ( freezers )
Dometic (microwaves - serial number prefix "HG")
Design Manufacturing ( D&M )
Electrolux
Euroflair 1 )
Frigidaire
Gallery
General
General Freezer
Gibson
Harvard Logic ( dehumidifiers & microwaves )
Kelvinator
Kenmore see Sears below )
Icon
Leonard
O'keefe & Merritt
Polaris ( freezers & dehumidifiers )
Roy
Tappan
Vesta
White Westinghouse ( major appliances only )

commercial products by
Frigidaire/Electrolux

Arctic Air ( fridges and freezers ) 9 )
Edina ( refrigerators )
Edina Technical (freezers converted to pop machines)
Fedpak (freezers converted to soft ice cream freezers)
Imperial ( freezers ) 9,10 )
Venex (freezers converted to vending machines)

General Electric *
Amana (older dishwashers)
Americana
Beau*Mark ( most )
BeefEater
Camco
Concept II
Eterna
General Electric
Hotpoint
Kenmore see Sears below )
McClary
Moffat
Monogram 1 )
Profile
RCA

In-Sink-Erator
Ace Hardware 6 )
Badger
Crosley 6 )
Dayton 6 )
Emerson 6 )
Franke 6 )
Frigidaire 6,7 )
ISE (In-Sink-Erator)
Kenmore 6 ) ( most )
KitchenAid 6,7 )
Master Plumber 6 )
Maytag 6 )
True Value 6 )
Whirlpool 6 )
Wolverine Brass 6 )

Maytag Corp.
(now owned by Whirlpool)
Admiral (USA)
Atlantis
Crosley (except a/c's, also see Whirlpool)
Dynasty
Gaffers and Sattler
Gemini 1 )
Hardwick
Jade
Jade Range
Jenn Air 3 )
Magic Chef (major appliances only)
Maytag 2 )
Neptune 1 )
Norge

Sears *
Capri
Coldspot
Galaxy
Kenmore
OasisSears does not manufacture any of their products, instead they are all made by the other leading manufacturers, often with added features. They are then rebranded with the Kenmore (or other) brand name.
Notably are: most laundry products and dishwashers made by Whirlpool, lower end front load washer and matching dryer by Frigidaire and many range models by GE.
new See model number reference
Whirlpool *
Admiral (Canada)
Chambers
Coovert (ac's)
Crosley (newer fridges, a/c's and all portable washers)
Danby 8 )
Estate
Inglis
Ikea
Kenmore see Sears )
KitchenAid 4 )
Kirkland
Maytag Epic®
Roper
Speed Queen (Canada)
Sub Zero (undercounter ice makers)
Whirlpool

WC Wood
Amana ( older freezers )
ArticAire
Country Squire
Crosley ( freezers )
Danby ( freezers, some dehumidifiers )
Edison
Electrohome (range hoods, humidifiers, dehumidifiers)
Estate ( freezers )
Frost Queen
KitchenAid ( freezers )
Maytag ( freezers )
Miami Carey (range hoods)
Quickfreeze
Quickfrez
Roper ( freezers )
Sahara
Whirlpool ( freezers )

Electrolux
(non-North American)

ACEC
AEG
Alfatec
Arthur Martin
Arctis
Atlas
Bendix
Buderus
Castor
Elektro Helios
Elektra
Electrolux
Faure
Flymo
Husqvarna
Ibelsa
Juno

Lehel
Marynen
Moffat
Nestor Martin
Parkinson Cowan
Progress
Rex
Rosenlew
Simpson
Therma
Tornado
Tricity Bendix
Volta
Voss
Zanker
Zanussi
Zoppas

Nordyne
(HVAC products)

Frigidaire 11 )
Gibson 11 )
Grandaire 11 )
Intertherm 11 )
Kelvinator 11 )
Mammoth 11 )

Maytag 11 )
Miller 11 )
Philco 11 )
Tappan 11 )
Westinghouse 11 )




3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the reference chart Paul. I printed it off.
    -Brenda-

    P.S: I have owned some of 'the best' Sewing Machines and Sergers and have to admit, I am just as impressed by the Kenmore brand which I know is made by Janome.

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  2. There is no ginger-haired boy in the old-time photo. Also, there is a cereal box in the background labeled "Potato Chips." What the hey?

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  3. I'm fascinated by the inner workings and insider information about anything, appliances included. When an appliance breaks, it's good to know who actually made it a lot of times. I'm glad you found it helpful Brenda.

    Kathy, the photo was from some woman's collection in Flickr. I can't claim ownership though I remember well a scene such as the one depicted. Although we were more prone to be melting army men in an Easy Bake. Just ask my brothers. Hah! The boxed potato chips caught my eye too. We always had them in a big can (that got delivered by the chip man no less). But a box? I'm curious to know where that photo was taken.

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