Product review (1 stars): Avoid Kitchen Aid Ranges - Not Durable Goods, Sears Also At All-Time Low
My $1400 Kitchen Aid range came with plastic knobs wrapped in a foil laminate which lasted about 30 days and then wrinkled and separated from the plastic, just from the heat of the oven. Indicates a fundamental design problems with Kitchen Aid products, I thought.

So, I called Sears warranty and parts department and was promised steel knobs and instead received more plastic knobs which also delaminated in about 30 days. Next, I went to the Sears store and talked with the salesman who gave me a part number and said my problems would be solved if I called Sears parts again. Instead, I was coldly told my warranty was up.  When I explained that my warranty wasn't fulfilled by the shipment of bad replacement knobs I was told: too bad.  I then wound up with only one option, buying a set of five steel knobs for $140. Only problem was the part number was wrong and Sears sold me the wrong parts.  Indicates fundamental fulfillment problems common with Sears these days, don't you think?

The knobs Sears shipped were for another range. You won't believe what happened next. When my wife installed the knobs onto the range as aligned by the parts themselves, they were upside down in position beyond the electric igniter, freely releasing natural gas into the kitchen.  I was home, and watched as it took her an uncomfortable amount of time to determine that she needed to turn the knob upside down to turn it off.  Close call.

I lament the whole experience because we are worse off as consumers if we lose a retailing giant like Sears.  But we are worse off still, if we are subjected to bad business practices while a retail giant slowly slips out of existence.

For Kitchen Aid, obviously, they sacrifice product quality in order to fit with retail price-points at the expense of the consumer. I can only imagine where Kitchen Aid products are made, and why the cheap plastic parts. We are now shopping for a new range, 2 years four months after buying Kitchen Aid's $1400 gas range. Thanks a lot, Sears and Kitchen Aid, and goodbye.