# Forum Home Renovation Kitchens  ilve "HNF906WMP" - Harvey Norman only model -  any opinions on ILVE freestanding oven

## DaleBlack

Hi 
I am considering purchasing the freestanding cooker, 
Brand ilve 
Model HNF906WMP 
apparently a custom Harvey Norman specced ILVE. 
Does anyone have any opinions on this brand or this specific model? 
I havent been able to find online reviews nor does ILVE have this model in their catalogue or website as its custom specced by HN.
They sent me a spec sheet though.  _HNFF906WMP Freestanding Cooker
Available in Stainless Steel, Bright White
or Gloss Black
Features
90cm Electric Oven
• Giant 110 litre oven capacity
• New Turbowave Quickstart preheating function
0°C –175°C in 8 minutes
• Pizza, bread and pastry cooking function
• Recessed grill element
• Select 10 multifunction electric oven
• Inner door and control panel cooling fan
• 2 x Oven racks and baking tray with grill insert
• Removable oven door and inner door glass
• Easy dismantling of oven interior
• European A class energy rating
• Easy clean non staining black vitreous enamel
oven interior
• Pre-programmable Clock and Oven timer
• Thermostatically controlled cavity cooling fan
• Catalytic cook and clean interior on oven sides and rear
• Sealed Oven: Lower temperatures, less
food splatter, moister and fresher tasting roasts
• Double spill trays on floor of oven
• Positive stop glide internal trays
• Large baking tray
• Triple glazed glass door: Tinted to keep the heat inside the
oven and resulting in a ‘cool to touch’ door exterior
• Stainless steel legs can detach and are adjustable
from 100mm to 160mm
90cm 6 Burner Gas Cooktop
• Large cooking surface with spacious burner layout
• Triple ring all purpose super wok burner
(5 kW – European Tested)
• ILVE brass burners featured throughout the cooking surface
• Three high speed, variable to medium and low,
& Two small low simmer burners
• Precision burner controls each with position accurate
thermostatic control
• Cast iron pan support trivets and burner caps in matt black
finish
• All gas burners fitted with flame failure safety devices
• Sealed hob with deep recessed spill tray
• Easy clean removable trivets and burners
• Single pressed AS304 stainless steel hob with 40mm edging
• Auto electronic one touch flame ignition to all gas burners_  
The store couldnt tell me the age of the unit, slightly updated unit has just come out ILVE HO tells me, so this unit could be 1,2 years old? 
I also quite like the  *Fisher and Paykel OR90SDBGFPX1* (has pyrolytic cleaning) 
recommended in the Sep 14 CHOICE article-  *Freestanding oven reviews* 
Thankyou

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## Cecile

I have heard that a lot of these "high end" European manufactured appliances all come from the same factories and there's not much functional difference between them.  That said, we have an Omega 900 wide range, base line, bought for a price, and although it works, it's far from perfect.  Ilve is at the high end price wise; high price does not necessarily mean that it works any better than a cheaper model.  You're paying for the name in many cases. 
The best I can offer you is, does the oven fan turn off when you open the door during cooking?  If it doesn't, you'll get hit with a blast of hot air every time you open the door to check your cake or whatever.  Also, how easy is it to clean?  If you cook a lot, you'll be cleaning it a lot as well.   
If I was choosing again, I would have bought something different.  Good luck.

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## r3nov8or

We have a SMEG 900 (which I believe is *very* closely related to Omega btw). We bypassed the more expensive self-cleaning model, and wish we hadn't. The extra money would have been forgotten long ago.

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## John2b

I cannot speak with first hand knowledge about hardly normal's ovens, but I can about their home theatre equipment. The "exclusive' Denon brand models they sold were cheapened off down-specified versions they buy at a lot cheaper price than the apparent equivalent in open distribution. Denon made these models specifically for discount chain stores worldwide. It's a great scam ripoff. As are their (HN) "warranties". 
Also, yes a lot of different brands of appliance come from the same factory, but it doesn't make them the same. Yaris and Lexus both come out of Toyota factories.

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## David.Elliott

+1 for the Smeg....now ten years, we got the self cleaner, (NaNa Na Na Nah) We have had one call out ~ two years in. I seem to remember something the 'leccy did when we moved it. Came out, no charge.
Just occurred to me. We've always bought the higher end appliances, and the after sales service (for the two times we've needed it) has been worth the extra money alone...
Neighbour just bought the new version of the Smeg 900 from Appliances OnLine. for the kitchen I have to build and install.  Saved ~$600 on the best she could do instore. She's older so doesn't do online payments.
No Problem. They made a time to deliver here in Jarrahdale, turned up on time, she gave them a cheque, they were all ready to unpack and place in situ for her,(so they could take away the packing stuff for her) but we're not there yet. AND they packed up the old one and took it away! Boss has had similar joy with them three times...

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## DaleBlack

> I have heard that a lot of these "high end" European manufactured appliances all come from the same factories and there's not much functional difference between them.  That said, we have an Omega 900 wide range, base line, bought for a price, and although it works, it's far from perfect.  Ilve is at the high end price wise; high price does not necessarily mean that it works any better than a cheaper model.  You're paying for the name in many cases. 
> The best I can offer you is, does the oven fan turn off when you open the door during cooking?  If it doesn't, you'll get hit with a blast of hot air every time you open the door to check your cake or whatever.  Also, how easy is it to clean?  If you cook a lot, you'll be cleaning it a lot as well.   
> If I was choosing again, I would have bought something different.  Good luck.

  Hi, well I was looking 2000 - 4000. In theory this is a once off (15-20yr) event for us. The really high end stuff is easily 6-7-8-9k. 
I am a bit worried that HN, might have cheapened down a ILVE to what the normal range is. The other model I mentioned, the *Fisher and Paykel OR90SDBGFPX1* has pyrolytic cleaning in that budget range. 
I did see Omega in the showroom and the interior is the same as a SMEG there, salesman says theyre from the same factory. 
Is the pyrolytic cleaning really that good?

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## phild01

I have a cheap Omega oven with self clean.  Waste of time, more trouble than it is worth.  Talking about the ones with that rough teflon look side panels.

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## METRIX

Smeg and Omega are the same brand, irrespective if they come from the same factory, Hagemeyer owns both as well as Blanco and DeDietrich. 
Hagemeyer are splitting the SMEG and Omega brands apart by physically setting SMEG showrooms as their own entity, to put SMEG as their premium product. 
Besides that, I can vouch for Appliances Online and Big Brow Box, both these guys delivered when they said they would, bot were happy to match another price and I can recommend buying from them. 
I would keep away from Hardly Normal, not only because he is a money hungry bugger which owns half the retails shops in AU, but also because he has dummy spits about private buyers (ebay) importing goods under $1000 and wanting the end user to pay GST on these goods, but also because his prices are too high and the service is rubbish in the shops, and finally because he keeps flogging after warranty extensions which people keep buying which are worth diddly squat, 
There are plenty of online only outlets which will sell the product cheaper than Hardly Normal, from past experience we have had freestanding by Fischer & Paykel (this was one of the best we have had), Smeg, and Blanco, the F&P was the easiest to keep clean, and cooked really well especially with the rotisserie.

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## JB1

Actually Omega and Smeg are not made by the same company. 
They WERE however distributed by the same company in Australia- Hagemeyer (Blanco, Smeg, Omega, JVC etc) but even that's now changed. 
In terms of product they aren't made by the same company or group. 
I think a few Omega salespeople perpetuated this myth "buy the Omega, it's half the price of Smeg and made by the same company". 
I bought an Omega 90cm gas cooker/electric oven combo for a rental property, paid about $1,000 for it 5 years ago at the Hagemeyer warehouse sale (Blanco, Smeg, Omega, JVC etc), still working and I'm happy with it for the price. 
I've actually not too impressed by the build quality of ilve. Unlike Bosch, I think you're paying for the brand. 
But if you can, I think that a separate cook top and oven is much better looking and easier to keep clean (less gaps).

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## DaleBlack

> I have a cheap Omega oven with self clean.  Waste of time, more trouble than it is worth.  Talking about the ones with that rough teflon look side panels.

  Hi there, phild01, do you mean the catalytic panels? 
I think in terms of supposed easy clean it is
1
Enamel and 'easy clean' enamels
2
Catalytic Panels
that do need to be replaced at some stage (anyone now how often), i also note not all models have them on all sides. 
 3
Pyrolitic  
Are you saying those catalytic panels dont work or are too awkward to clean?

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## phild01

> Hi there, phild01, do you mean the catalytic panels? 
> I think in terms of supposed easy clean it is
> 1
> Enamel and 'easy clean' enamels
> 2
> Catalytic Panels
> that do need to be replaced at some stage (anyone now how often), i also note not all models have them on all sides. 
>  3
> Pyrolitic  
> Are you saying those catalytic panels dont work or are too awkward to clean?

  Maybe it is catalytic.  It is beyond me what purpose these panels serve as there is the rest of the oven to clean and they just get in the way.  I found that the normal glass enamel surface easier to deal with, having spent 3 sessions cleaning my oven to bring it back to new condition.  This oven has the panels on 3 sides only and been a nuisance since I bought it.

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## Danny.S

We have an ilve free standing 900mm cooker,  and I will never own anything else.  This is our second one because we had one before and refused the crap our builder tried to flog us when we built this place.  It's a P90FWMP/I.  This oven convinced us that you do get what you pay for.  It wasn't cheap, nor was the rangehood but the quality is superb.  I think the workmanship is great,  the stainless is high quality and not paper thin like some of the cheaper units.  The oven temperature is consistent throughout and the burners are excellent.  Everything just works.  We had a minor problem with it and the after sales service was excellent.   
While we were building this place we rented a house with a Technica oven which is the model our builder tried to flog us and said something like "mate,  they are all the same".  They are not all the same.  What a piece of crap.  Thin hard to clean stainless and we had to rotate the meal in the oven every 20 minutes so it would all cook.  Burners would just go out randomly when on low.  I have friends who like their Technica so maybe it was a one off.  I'm not sure why HN have an exclusive model but this does happen in the industry. (Ie Bosch dishwashers).     
No connection,  just an impressed customer.  I didn't accept the builders dishwasher either and got an Asko which is great. I've had fisher and paykel dishwashers too which were great.   
Big investment mate.  Get something that will last .    Danny

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## Danny.S

Slightly off topic but still on Ilve. 
Our office uses an Ilve microwave.  Really shmick looking unit that integrates with the cabinetry (built in).  Someone in the office pressed the start button so hard that it broke and slipped inside the unit.  People treat stuff at work like crap, but the button could have been better designed in this instance I think.  I don't think the microwaves are as good quality as the ovens. 
Work rings ILVE and they just send a brand new one out!  No service call, no enquiry, just a brand new one.  Bizarre.   
The broken one is now on my workbench, and it turns out there is a weak design point in the mechanical part of the button assembly.  Fixed that.  Now I just have to put all the covers back on and I have a microwave to match my oven.  Happy Days!  
Danny

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## DaleBlack

> Maybe it is catalytic.  It is beyond me what purpose these panels serve as there is the rest of the oven to clean and they just get in the way.  I found that the normal glass enamel surface easier to deal with, having spent 3 sessions cleaning my oven to bring it back to new condition.  This oven has the panels on 3 sides only and been a nuisance since I bought it.

  hmm, as I can not get Pyrolitic in my price range (unless I accept the Fisher&Paykel model ending FX1), I was looking to these catalytic panels at the next best option. Supposedly its easier than the plain enamel ovens, arent you meant to be able to just wipe these panels off? 
I did wonder though whether grease etc gets in behind these panels and the enamel, in which case how does one clean that tight space? 
though this image seems to show the panels sitting very tight against the enamel so maybe nothing gets there?  
* how to insert the image larger into the post? so reader do not have to click it to be larger? Forum admin? 
Handy link mainly about Pyrolytic though  Pyrolytic ovens: your Frequently Asked Questions answered Â« Appliances Online Blog 
it does say on Catalytic  _"
These porous ceramic panels absorb food splashes and spills, and are  coated with a chemical substance designed to accellerate (or catalyse)  the oxidisation of these splashes when exposed to temperatures higher  than 200°C.  Once your oven hits this mark, any absorbed fat or grease  should be reduced to ashes that falls to the bottom of the oven, where  it can be easily swept away.
 The upside of using a catalytic oven as opposed to a pyrolytic one is  that you dont need to take time out of your schedule to run a special  cleaning cycle such as a pyrolytic mode, so your oven will be cleaner as  part of its everyday use (assuming you often cook at temperatures of  200°C or more  if not, you may want to run the oven at its maximum  temperature while empty when the panels get badly discoloured with  grease).
 The downside is that the catalytic oven liners need to be replaced  once theyve absorbed a certain amount of material, which is an  additional expense when running your home.  However, replacement liners  can be conveniently ordered through"_ 
so one needs to cook over 200C to make it work? we often only go to 180C.. 
but when it does work, it sort of provides the " Pyrolitic" effect by dropping fat and grease to the bottom as ash, just like pyrolitic to wipe away.   This is not your experience phild01? do the liners themselves quickly foul up ie. with sub 200C cooking? 
Edit:  just found this link and comment  "Self Cleaning" Ovens - Reality or Myth | The Oven Guy_Many ovens in New Zealand and Australia have self cleaning panels  known as Catalytic liners. The liner has a microporous coating that  absorbs fat splashes during cooking those wonderful big roasts that we  all love._ _To keep the liners themselves clean you need to heat the empty oven  to a very high temperature for at least an hour on a regular basis. This  of course uses a lot of electricity and will reflect on your power  bill. Also be aware that burning off carbon debris may cause cancers  according to some US research._ _So, while the Catalytic liners may look reasonably clean you cannot  see the grease and carbon that builds up behind. You have to remove the  liners to clean in-behind plus you still have to clean the oven floor,  grill, racks and rack shelves, door and fan._ _ My oven cleaning experience shows that the fan area and the fan  itself are prime for gathering grease and carbon. The fan should be a  gleaming silver not a greasey gold colour. Out of sight and out of mind  maybe but not good for you or your family's health_

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## phild01

I don't agree with that comment about the fan looking greasy and not good for health.  The idea of cooking food is also to kill such things.
Anyway, yes I know about heating the oven for an hour over 200 degrees.  These panels occupy only a fraction of total surface areas.  What's the point of having these somewhat clean when the rest of the oven is caked in grease.  You still have to use an oven cleaner and you find it is more convenient to stick with convention than mucking around with the 3 panels in the way.  There is the floor of the oven, the top, all the corners, the runners and the racks that need cleaning as well!

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## Danny.S

I have these panels in the Ilve.  Sides and back.  Not sure what type they are.  I reckon the oven stays a bit cleaner but you still have to clean it the old fashioned way.  Floor,  door and shelves all need to be cleaned.  I'm not sure how much of an advantage the panels actually have.

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## polony

Hi there, this thread is very good timing as I am about to renovate my kitchen... has anyone over here in the West (Perth) had any experiences with AppliancesOnline ? David, is your response from our Jarrahdale up in the hills ? Thankyou  :Smilie:

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## DaleBlack

> I don't agree with that comment about the fan looking greasy and not good for health.  The idea of cooking food is also to kill such things.
> Anyway, yes I know about heating the oven for an hour over 200 degrees.  These panels occupy only a fraction of total surface areas.  What's the point of having these somewhat clean when the rest of the oven is caked in grease.  You still have to use an oven cleaner and you find it is more convenient to stick with convention than mucking around with the 3 panels in the way.  There is the floor of the oven, the top, all the corners, the runners and the racks that need cleaning as well!

    

> I have these panels in the Ilve.  Sides and back.  Not sure what type they are.  I reckon the oven stays a bit cleaner but you still have to clean it the old fashioned way.  Floor,  door and shelves all need to be cleaned.  I'm not sure how much of an advantage the panels actually have.

  Hi,   does the oven cleaner damage the catalytic panels?do you either of you manually remove the panels each time you do a clean or do you just more carefully wipe around them?other than heating the oven to over 200C then in theory food scraps drop to the bottom - can you or should you clean the panels directly?

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## Danny.S

You cannot use oven cleaner on the panels and there is no need to.  We wipe out the oven regularly and when we do a proper clean with oven cleaner we take the panels and all the shelves out.  Panels just get a quick wash in warm soapy water.  By design they don't get dirty like the enamel surfaces

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## DaleBlack

Hi 
Back to the start of my post 
HNF906WMP - Harvey Norman only model 
I have since learned a bit more on this issue. HN only models tend to be   

> "cheapened off down-specified versions they buy at a lot cheaper price than the apparent equivalent in open distribution."

   as an earlier poster mentioned. 
The equivalent on market is the ILVE T906LMP. 
I had a look at one at a Kambos store, the open market model is the same price and has    3 x Catalytic liners the HN one only has on the sides not the top. (HN salesman did mention to me that the hardest to clean part is the top),the HN supposedly has plasticky knobs rather than metal.looks like the open market one has a rotisserie, HN does notcomes with a stone pizza tray the HN does not  
see the attached spec sheets in pdf for each 
So it does seem, HN does defeature their specials models. 
I note though, if Kambos says they carry free market models I expect to be able to find it in a brochure or the Ilve website. I cant at present but T906LMP has numerous internet search hits and according to appliances online its a discontinued model (which would explain the Ilve website not carrying it) replaced by NT906WMPSS. 
see spec sheets for  
HNF906WMP
T906LMP 
below

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## DaleBlack

> We have an ilve free standing 900mm cooker,  and I will never own anything else.  This is our second one because we had one before and refused the crap our builder tried to flog us when we built this place.  It's a P90FWMP/I.  This oven convinced us that you do get what you pay for.  It wasn't cheap, nor was the rangehood but the quality is superb.  I think the workmanship is great,  the stainless is high quality and not paper thin like some of the cheaper units.  The oven temperature is consistent throughout and the burners are excellent.  Everything just works.  We had a minor problem with it and the after sales service was excellent.   
> While we were building this place we rented a house with a Technica oven which is the model our builder tried to flog us and said something like "mate,  they are all the same".  They are not all the same.  What a piece of crap.  Thin hard to clean stainless and we had to rotate the meal in the oven every 20 minutes so it would all cook.  Burners would just go out randomly when on low.  I have friends who like their Technica so maybe it was a one off.  I'm not sure why HN have an exclusive model but this does happen in the industry. (Ie Bosch dishwashers).     
> No connection,  just an impressed customer.  I didn't accept the builders dishwasher either and got an Asko which is great. I've had fisher and paykel dishwashers too which were great.   
> Big investment mate.  Get something that will last .    Danny

  Hi What model Ilve is yours?

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## Danny.S

P90FWMP/I with tepinyaki plate

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## ChocDog

I was always thought Ilve would be one of the brands i'd go for when building a kitchen from scratch. But when i started looking into them a few years ago I become concerned with more than a few comments on the net which gave me the opinion they werent all they were cracked up to be. Uneven cooking zones, high rate of failures, poor after sales service and long delays for stock, ie Ilve lacks Advantage | Stephen Downes.  
Things may have changed since then, but I decided the cost of Ilve wasn't worth the risk. We love to cook so it wasnt just a case of 'anything will do', but also realised that, based on they way we cook, the only things that I really care about is even temp, looks and price. I prefer cooking with a gas hob even though its less efficient. With gas I have a better 'feel' for whats going on and i do have a habit of bashing heavy pots and pans around on the stovetop. Any time I am at my folks place I am made to feel like I have been out clubbing baby fur seals if I so much as tap a pot on mums uber expensive DeDeidtrich induction setup. They look fantastic but if I cant use them they way I want, whats the point? Also using her setup (oven, convection microwave, etc) just re-emphasises my feeling that I dont need any fancy extra functionality that these things offer over a 'normal' oven. I'd rate fan forced/normal mode, programmable timer and digital temp display to be the important features to me. Sure her gear is better than our Smeg stuff, but is it worth the extra $10-$15k? Not to me. 
My only advice about the Ilve, since it will be cost a fair bit, is do your research and make sure you are getting a 'better' oven (how ever YOU define that) and not just paying extra cash for a badge. My 2 cents.

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## METRIX

> With gas I have a better 'feel' for whats going on and i do have a habit of bashing heavy pots and pans around on the stovetop. Any time I am at my folks place I am made to feel like I have been out clubbing baby fur seals if I so much as tap a pot on mums uber expensive DeDeidtrich induction setup. They look fantastic but if I cant use them they way I want, whats the point? Also using her setup (oven, convection microwave, etc) just re-emphasises my feeling that I dont need any fancy extra functionality that these things offer over a 'normal' oven. I'd rate fan forced/normal mode, programmable timer and digital temp display to be the important features to me. Sure her gear is better than our Smeg stuff, but is it worth the extra $10-$15k? Not to me. 
> My only advice about the Ilve, since it will be cost a fair bit, is do your research and make sure you are getting a 'better' oven (how ever YOU define that) and not just paying extra cash for a badge. My 2 cents.

  +1

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## David.Elliott

> Hi there, this thread is very good timing as I am about to renovate my kitchen... has anyone over here in the West (Perth) had any experiences with AppliancesOnline ? David, is your response from our Jarrahdale up in the hills ? Thankyou

  Yes it is... I'm completely refurbishing an 1860s cottage for the neighbour...she very much likes our Smeg, then went online and found at Appliances On Line. They delivered to her and took the old one, no issues...

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## Pitto

highly recommend Bosch. 
having used alot of different european brands thru the years, Bosch came out as a clear winner for me. They make quality well priced gear. I cant say that for Mi@#$ or Gag!N!@# as i think you are paying for the name tag. 
I really like the smeg integrated rangehoods, they work really well, and integrate much better than the others i have used.

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## phild01

> I really like the smeg integrated rangehoods, they work really well, and integrate much better than the others i have used.

  Yesterday, took delivery of a Robinhood powerpack undermount rangehood...am working to a budget.
Was worried about quality but was very impressed with build, the huge air flow, quality balanced drum fan and generally quiet operation.
Wanted to get a Smeg but price killed it.

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## Pitto

yeah, the 600mm is up around the $700, and the 900mm is up around the $1200.    
the cheapie i have at home cost $350.00, auto extends and extracts pretty well.  :Smilie:

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## Pitto

thats pretty much the same as the bosch and very similar to the smeg   Robinhood - Kitchen Products - Rangehoods - Powerpack Rangehoods - RPB3CL6SS/WH (520mm) RPB3CL9SS/WH (696mm)

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## simopimo

My parents have an Ilve oven and microwave which came brand new with their apartment in 2010. They're not all that impressed with them. Fittings such as knobs and buttons feel sloppy and cheapish, markings have rubbed off and it feels from a quality point of view to be no better than a Korean/Japanese/other European brand. 
A positive for Harvey Norman though. I know they cop some schtick these days, but the wife and I fitted out our new 2013 kitchen through HN at Auburn in Sydney. They have been fantastic with after sales service.  They chased up the factory for us (LG) when we had some microwave issues (wrong handle, even 18 months after the sale they're still helping us) and have generally been really good.  If you get a good salesperson you'll be looked after.

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## DaleBlack

> Hi 
> Back to the start of my post 
> HNF906WMP - Harvey Norman only model 
> I have since learned a bit more on this issue. HN only models tend to be  as an earlier poster mentioned. 
> The equivalent on market is the ILVE T906LMP. 
> I had a look at one at a Kambos store, the open market model is the same price and has    3 x Catalytic liners the HN one only has on the sides not the top. (HN salesman did mention to me that the hardest to clean part is the top),the HN supposedly has plasticky knobs rather than metal.looks like the open market one has a rotisserie, HN does notcomes with a stone pizza tray the HN does not  
> see the attached spec sheets in pdf for each 
> So it does seem, HN does defeature their specials models. 
> I note though, if Kambos says they carry free market models I expect to be able to find it in a brochure or the Ilve website. I cant at present but T906LMP has numerous internet search hits and according to appliances online its a discontinued model (which would explain the Ilve website not carrying it) replaced by NT906WMPSS. 
> ...

    I thought I should post back here with my findings on Ilve.   Kambos was actually slightly inaccurate when they told me that HN carries a de featured oven whilst theres are open market, they do too!   HNF906WMP is the HN model which lacks the above items mentioned.  But Kambos too have a special model based on their "Narda" or some such name buying group. Its NT906WMP - also less featured but not as much as the HN one.   The solution was to go to a Ilve showrrom, which to Ilve's credit they have both the HN and the Kambo's unit separately identified but this enables comparison to their original unit which is T90CLMP. I had thought Ilve would try and obfuscate this fact but they were open about it. So the Ilve model actually has a rotisserie and full Catalytic coverage (ie. all 4 sides inc the top, Kambos is 3 and HN is 2) plus a storage tray (default warming tray) at the bottom. In theory the T90CLMP is $5200 retail and the HN is meant to be about 1000 less and the Kambos maybe 700 less. So in theory ... you are paying less for less features, as opposed to HN holding out that its the same as the Ilve model. I am not saying they did that, but they certainly didn't set me straight and tell me why their model could not be found in the Ilve catalogue, they just vagued me off.  Ilve was open about it all and had each type of cooker there to directly compare.   -  afterall this I am not sure if I will go with Ilve,i note everyones comments, but I wanted to get to the bottom of this.

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## METRIX

I will say, whichevery one you buy, make sure you can take the legs off, we always take these off and continue the kickboard past the oven with a plinth to sit the oven on, it makes mopping the floor much easier, and there is no open space under the over to hold dust and crap. 
The only exception, is the current Blanco we have, it has square legs which are part of the main shazzy, so crap gets underneath it. 
Hardly Normal have it for $3499, and suprisingly Domayne also have it for $3499, coincedence they are both owned by Hardly Normal.

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## r3nov8or

Our Smeg came with a stainless steel cover plate / kick board that clips to the legs. Its a bit wobbly but keeps most crap out, or at least covers it up  :Smilie:

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## Sir Stinkalot

> They chased up the factory for us (LG) when we had some microwave issues (wrong handle, even 18 months after the sale they're still helping us) and have generally been really good.

  So 18 months ago you unboxed your microwave and discovered it had the wrong handle and it has taken HN 18 months to resolve the issue or you opened your microwave 18 months after purchasing and found the wrong handle? 
If its the former it doesn't sound like good service to me.

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## simopimo

No. LG promised to provide a microwave with a square handle, but at the time of sale, only the round handled microwaves were in the country. Our HN guy has been chasing LG constantly. Long story and not really the focus of this thread so I'll spare you the details lest I be accused of thread hijacking. 
Sent from my SM-P605 using Tapatalk

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## DaleBlack

Hi I was quite impressed by this  
Ariston CP059MDX 
today.   Cooking Appliances, Kitchen Appliances, Dishwashers | CP059MDX 
Full Catalytic Liners, Rotisserie, Made in Italy(if that actually stand for anything) and better than Ilve its wok burner =  Middle (Double Ring Double Regulation)  1.5 MJ/h to 19 MJ/h. I think 19mj is one of the highest for the 90cm Freestanding cooker <$5000 class.  
I did see alot of reviews on the net re doors drooping and door handles breaking but it seems to be prior to Ariston offering a 5 year factory warranty, Ilve and the rest are only 2 years. Also seems the easiest to clean based on the smooth surfaces with no lips.  Ariston CP 059 MDX Reviews - ProductReview.com.au  
Its a HN exclusive though, ie. not like the Ilve situation where they de feature a model and then there is the open market fully featured version, Ariston is apparently only stocked in Aus by Harvey Norman. 
Anyone know anything about them?

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## mudbrick

My personal policy is to never buy a mass produced item which is exclusively sold by 1 retailer. Whenever I have done so in the past is has all gone pear shaped in one way or another. 
If a product is good the manufacturer wants it to be in every store in the country so they can maximise sales. They are not going to limit their sales by signing an exclusive deal with 1 chain. It seems the only reason such exclusive deals were invented was avoid sales competition so they can charge more.
Rule number 2, always google a product before buying. If you don't see 10 positive threads from at least 2 countries about a product it's probably not one you want to buy

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## Dimi

I have an Ilvie. I'm not sure if all models are but I know my cook top and oven were made in Italy. To me that doesn't mean anything more than cheap factory labour in another country but their after market service is amazing. You probably won't need to find out though. I had to call for a client who had some superficial damage out of the box that may have happened due to handling but the rep had a new oven face put on without an issue. You do pay for the name but that's because you won't need to put up with any issues if they arise. Generally speaking though most appliances have parts or are made in the same factories. Quality control is the key to a good brand. If you need a good price and you are in Melbourne I have an account with Harvey Norman and happy for anyone to use it

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