Is Smeg Worth It?

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If you have been looking for new kitchen appliances, you have likely come across Smeg. Smeg is an extremely popular appliance company and is chosen by many people.

With their distinctive 1950’s designs, they are certainly great to look at, and hard to ignore.

When it comes to kitchen appliances Smeg is seen to be one of the best companies in the current market. But, Smeg appliances are notoriously known for being expensive.

Is Smeg Worth It?

Before I get into the prices of Smeg appliances, let’s take a closer look at the company.

Smeg was founded in 1948 by a gentleman named Vittorio Bertazzoni, in Guastalla, northern Italy. Smeg is an abbreviation for Smalterie Metallurgiche Emiliane Guastalla. The company began the creation of its appliances in northern Italy, by creating its first cooker in 1955. The cooker was called Elisabeth, and it was released in 1956.

After the creation of their first appliances, in the following decades, they began to create other household appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers, and ovens and hobs. In 1971 Smeg particularly grew in popularity and by 1985, they were producing appliances for many different companies, such as laboratories, restaurants, and cafes.

While they were growing in popularity since the 1950s, it was in 1997 that they revolutionized their brand with the release of the FAB smeg fridge. These were the start of the iconic Smeg fridge look. In 2014, this retro design was expanded to smaller domestic appliances that were received well, such as food processors and mixers.

Since then Smeg has continued to be a popular and well-known brand. They have even collaborated with Dolce&Gabbana and Disney to bring out a line of small appliances, which further solidified their higher price range. It is easy to see how they have become a well sought-after brand, with their pride in being an Italian brand and their impressively designed appliances.

Why Are They Expensive?

Now that I have taken a look at the company’s background, let’s delve into some of the reasons why they are likely so expensive.

You Are Paying For The Brand

As with many brands across the globe, with a Smeg appliance, you cannot deny that some of the reasons why they are so expensive are that you are paying for the brand. Smeg’s FAB range is so popular and well-known. Even from a distance, the majority of adults will recognize the design and know that it is a Smeg appliance. While you can purchase cheaper products that replicate the design, they are not the same and are missing the all-important Smeg branding.

When you look at other famous brands, such as the iPhone, Louis Vuitton, or Nike for example, their logos and names are well-known and recognized. Even if you are not necessarily interested in purchasing a smeg appliance you would be able to recognize them when compared to other brands. Smeg is the equivalent of this in the kitchen appliance world. It is like owning an expensive designer bag, people will associate the brand with a price tag. While Smeg products are great overall, there is no escaping the reality that owning their products does make a significant money statement.

As some people will want to be seen with the newest designer trainer, others want to have the sought-after Smeg appliances. To some extent, they are a novelty purchase rather than something you purchase for convenience.

The Design

Another reason why Smeg appliances are so expensive is that they feature the ever-popular FAB design. As this design is specific to Smeg, some of the prices you pay will likely go towards paying for this specific design.

It is worth noting that there are appliances available to purchase that feature a similar design but at a fraction of the cost of a Smeg appliance because they are a different brand.

Are Smeg Appliances Worth It?

I have discussed some of the reasons why a Smeg appliance is more expensive. But are Smeg appliances worth it? Let’s take a closer look at if they are worth it.

This question is not the simplest to answer as this will partly come down to personal opinion, and what you value the most in appliances.

For example, if you are looking for this specific design of appliance and you are not overly bothered by specifications such as size, for example, then you may think that a Smeg FAB refrigerator is worth it.

However, if you have a large family and you need a two-slice toaster or an refrigerator with plenty of room, you will likely choose practicality over how the refrigerator looks. Given this, the answer is subjective.

Quality

When looking at whether or not this brand’s appliances are worth the money, you should take into consideration the overall quality of the appliances. For example, some users who have purchased and reviewed Smeg appliances have noted that the products such as the refrigerator have chipped after a few months of purchasing.

In addition to this, when looking at the reviews for products such as the kettle, the reviews are not all completely positive. While this is common for many products, when you are paying a significantly higher price, it can be disappointing to find that the quality is not exceptional and without fault. It is worth noting that on the whole Smeg appliances are made well. The materials they use are of good quality, especially when compared to cheaper products on the market.

The question here is not to do with whether or not the brand’s appliances use good materials, but rather if the materials that are used are justifiable to the significantly higher retail price range. One of the main issues noted in some reviews of the Smeg freezers, in particular, is that they do not defrost themselves. Frost and ice will quickly build up and you will need to manually defrost the freezer frequently for it to work as it should. Given the high price point, this is not something you would necessarily expect to have to do. This is why some people have stated that they do not think Smeg appliances are worth the high price tag.

If you’re looking for appliances at other price points, you might find these articles useful:

• The Best Vitamix Blenders at Every Price Point
• The Best Mini Fridges
• Best Microwaves for under $100

Limited Edition Designs

If you have money to splurge, you may think that the Smeg appliances are worth the retail price. If you are a fan of Disney or Dolce&Gabbana in particular, their collaborations are likely going to be appliances that you will purchase.

Whether it is to collect display or use, it is likely the Smeg appliances are worth the price range for you.

If these designs are important to you, and you want to create a statement, it can be argued that the Smeg appliances certainly are worth purchasing.

Summary

As you can see, it is fairly difficult to definitively answer the question of whether or not Smeg Appliances are worth the money. However, it is easy to see why they are so expensive. As with any popular brand that is sought after, much of the cost likely goes towards paying to own that specific brand. However, the cost does go towards the creation of the product, design, and wages.