Any kitchen appliances list I'd write starts with six machines. They are a refrigerator, a range (or a cooktop with a wall oven), a dishwasher, a range hood or over-the-range microwave, a microwave and a freezer. Past those six, everything is optional: wine coolers, warming drawers, trash compactors, steam ovens and the small appliances that live on the counter.
Merit Home Furniture has four stores on Vancouver Island, and I co-own it and work in Duncan. Duncan won't continue to carry appliances. The kitchen appliances on our site are carried at our Campbell River and Port Alberni stores, or they come in as special orders. On November 1, 2026, our site held 1,379 kitchen appliance listings, and 941 are special orders with no store attached.
A kitchen appliance is a powered machine that keeps food cold, cooks it or cleans up after it. The widths here come from the makers' installation guides for models Merit lists. The prices are the low and high ends of our listings that day, before applicable taxes. They move with the makers' promotions, so when you buy an appliance changes what it costs.
The kitchen appliances list at a glance: widths and Island prices
The kitchen appliances list below puts the six major appliances in one table, with the width each one usually takes in a cabinet run. The price column covers every listing of that kind on Merit's site, store-carried and special order together. So the low end is often a compact or basic model, and the high end a built-in or pro-style one.
| Appliance | Usual width | Merit listings, November 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Set by the opening the cabinets leave | 390 listings, $184.99 to $13,899.00 |
| Range | 30 inches; also 24, 36 and 48 | 210 listings, $699.99 to $14,699.99 |
| Cooktop plus wall oven | Cooktops 30 or 36 inches; wall ovens 24, 27 or 30 | 108 cooktops, $699.00 to $4,499.99; 94 wall ovens, $1,099.99 to $6,699.00 |
| Dishwasher | 24 inches; 18 for a compact | 131 listings, $439.99 to $3,149.00 |
| Range hood or over-the-range microwave | The cooktop's width, mostly 30 or 36 inches | 178 hoods, $129.00 to $3,699.00; 75 over-the-range microwaves, $299.99 to $1,749.00 |
| Microwave, other kinds | Countertop models need only counter space; drawers fit under the counter | 132 microwaves in all, $99.99 to $3,799.99 |
| Freezer | Stands apart from the cabinets, chest or upright | 78 listings, $209.99 to $8,499.00 |
Of those 1,379 listings, 235 list Campbell River and 296 list Port Alberni, with some carried at both. A special order shows "Call to order" on its page, and the number there is (250) 746-5527.
Which appliances does a new kitchen need first?
A new kitchen needs cold storage, a way to cook, a way to clear the air and a way to wash up, in roughly that order. If someone asked me for the top 10 kitchen appliances for a new house, this is the order I'd write them in:
- Refrigerator
- Range, or a cooktop with a wall oven
- Range hood, or an over-the-range microwave that vents
- Dishwasher
- Microwave, if the hood isn't one
- Freezer, for anyone who buys in bulk, fishes or hunts
- Wine or beverage cooler
- Warming drawer
- Trash compactor
- Steam oven
The first five go into the cabinet layout, so they get settled before the cabinets are ordered. The rest can wait a year without anyone going hungry.
A kitchen layout that works well is mostly about where those first five sit. I'd plan the range and its hood together, because the hood's width follows the cooktop. The dishwasher belongs beside the sink, since it shares the water line and the drain. The fridge wants a stretch of counter on its handle side, somewhere to set the milk down.
- Power and fuel. Find out whether the kitchen has a 240-volt circuit for an electric range or cooktop, or a gas line, before choosing between them.
- Openings. Measure each cabinet opening's width, height and depth, not the old appliance.
- Air. Trace where a hood or over-the-range microwave will vent: through an outside wall, the roof, or back into the room.
- The route in. Measure the doors, halls and stairs between the truck and the kitchen.
- Finish. Pick the finish last, once the sizes have narrowed the field.
Refrigerator and freezer: the cold end of the list
A refrigerator keeps fresh food cold, and most models carry a freezer compartment as well. A fridge goes into the opening the cabinets leave for it, so I'd measure that opening's width, height and depth before looking at a single model. Merit lists 390 refrigerators, from $184.99 for a Danby compact to $13,899.00 for a Bosch Benchmark built-in. Of those, 126 are carried at Campbell River or Port Alberni and 264 are special orders.
Refrigerators, freezers and dishwashers all carry the EnerGuide label in Canada. Natural Resources Canada requires it on refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, electric cooking units, washers, dryers and wine chillers. When a model is also ENERGY STAR certified, the symbol sits at the bottom of that label, so the comparison is printed on the label itself.
A freezer is a separate box that holds food at freezing temperatures for months. It usually lives in a garage, basement or pantry rather than in the cabinet run. Merit lists 78 freezers in all. The 38 chest freezers run from $209.99 to $1,399.99, and the 35 uprights from $479.00 to $4,299.00. A chest holds more for the floor space and keeps its cold when the lid opens. An upright takes less floor and is far easier to sort through.
Range, or cooktop and wall oven: the cooking side of a kitchen
A range is a cooktop and an oven in one box that slides into a gap in the counter. The 30-inch range is the standard: 172 of Merit's 210 ranges are 30 inches wide. Whirlpool's dimension guide for its 30-inch electric range, model YWFES3530RS, gives an overall width of 29 7/8 inches and a 30-inch minimum opening width. Both our appliance stores carry that Whirlpool electric range. The same guide asks for a 30-inch minimum clearance between the cooktop and the bottom of an uncovered wood or metal cabinet above it.
| Range fuel | Merit listings | Price range |
|---|---|---|
| Electric | 90 | $699.99 to $4,749.00 |
| Gas or propane | 68 | $1,049.99 to $11,299.99 |
| Induction | 35 | $1,599.00 to $14,699.99 |
| Dual fuel (gas top, electric oven) | 13 | $2,999.99 to $13,499.99 |
The fuel comes from each title, and four of the 210 titles don't name one.
A cooktop plus a wall oven splits the range in two. The cooktop drops into the counter and the oven goes into a tall cabinet or under the counter. Of the 108 cooktops on our listings, 58 are 30 inches and 40 are 36. Wall ovens come in 24, 27 and 30 inches, and 70 of our 94 are 30. The split costs more and takes more cabinet, but the oven door can sit at a height that saves a back. Most of these come in by special order: 99 of the cooktops and 86 of the wall ovens. The Frigidaire Gallery 30-inch single electric wall oven is one carried at Campbell River, listed at $2,199.00 to $2,299.00 depending on the option.
A cooktop's name and its size aren't quite the same. Whirlpool's guide for its 30-inch induction cooktop gives 30 3/4 inches overall with the frame, over a countertop cutout 29 9/16 inches wide. The cutout is what the countertop maker needs.
Gas ranges and cooktops in BC
Gas gives a flame people can see and adjust by eye. In BC, Technical Safety BC lists installing or replacing a gas range or cooktop among the jobs a gas permit covers. When a licensed contractor does the work, the contractor applies for the permit. Owners of a strata unit or a duplex can't get a homeowner permit at all and must hire a licensed contractor.
Induction cooktops and ranges
Induction heats the pan itself through a magnetic field, so the glass stays cooler. BC Hydro says induction cooktops transfer 85 to 90% of their heat to the food, against 65 to 70% for normal electric cooktops. The catch BC Hydro lists is cookware: pans have to be induction-compatible. A common home test is whether a magnet sticks to the bottom.
What are 240 appliances?
"240 appliances" are the ones that run on a 240-volt circuit instead of a regular 120-volt outlet. In a kitchen that means an electric or induction range, an electric cooktop and an electric wall oven. Whirlpool's range guide rates its 30-inch electric range for a 120/240-volt supply at 40 or 50 amps, and its induction cooktop guide calls for a 240-volt circuit. A dryer in the laundry room is usually one too. An over-the-range microwave isn't: Whirlpool's guide for one asks for a 120-volt, 15- or 20-amp outlet. If the kitchen has no 240-volt circuit where the range will go, that's a job for a licensed electrician before delivery day.
Range hoods and microwaves: venting and reheating
A range hood pulls smoke, grease and steam off the cooktop and, in most installs, sends it outside. I'd want a hood at least as wide as the cooktop under it. On our listings, 104 of Merit's 178 hoods are 30 inches and 47 are 36, the same as the common cooktop widths. By title, our hoods split into under-cabinet models, wall-mount chimney hoods and inserts that hide inside custom cabinetry. There are also island hoods and a few downdraft units that rise from behind the cooktop. The Broan Glacier 30-inch under-cabinet hood, carried at both appliance stores, is listed at $249.00 to $269.00.
An over-the-range microwave puts a microwave and a hood fan in one unit above the range, which frees counter space. Merit lists 75, from $299.99 to $1,749.00, and 37 are carried at a store. Whirlpool's guide for the Whirlpool 30-inch over-the-range microwave carried at Port Alberni ($849.00) sets out what it needs. It wants a 30-inch-wide space between the cabinets and a grounded outlet inside the upper cabinet. Its installation height is 66 inches minimum. The same guide warns against venting into concealed spaces such as walls, ceilings, attics, crawl spaces or garages.
A microwave that isn't over the range comes in three other shapes among the 132 microwaves we list. Countertop microwaves, 35 of them, run from $99.99 to $1,099.00 and need nothing but a counter and a plug. Built-in microwaves sit in a wall of cabinets, often above a wall oven. Microwave drawers slide out below the counter; our five run $1,499.00 to $2,999.00, all by special order.
Dishwashers: the 24-inch opening, and the 18-inch one
A dishwasher washes and dries dishes in a cabinet-sized box beside the sink. The standard is 24 inches: 121 of Merit's 131 dishwashers are that width, and 9 are 18-inch compacts from $689.99 to $1,899.00. Whirlpool's planning guide for its 24-inch dishwashers (models such as the WDT750SAK) asks for a 24-inch minimum opening and 33 5/8 inches of height under the counter. In a corner it wants 2 inches between the side of the door and the wall or cabinet, so the door can open.
The Whirlpool 24-inch dishwasher with a third rack is that model family, carried at Campbell River and Port Alberni from $849.99 to $999.99 by finish. Noise is rated in dBA, where a lower number is quieter, and 35 of our dishwasher titles print that figure. For a kitchen with no room for a built-in, our listings also carry portable dishwashers on wheels and a Danby countertop unit at $439.99, carried at Port Alberni.
The optional end of a list of appliances for kitchen planning
The optional end of a list of appliances for kitchen planning covers the machines a household adds once the main six are in. None of them is needed to cook a meal, and each one takes cabinet space that could hold pots.
A wine cooler keeps bottles at cellar and serving temperatures, and a beverage centre runs colder for cans. Merit lists 52 wine coolers and beverage centres, from $279.99 for a Danby countertop unit to $5,449.00 for a KitchenAid built-in. How cold each type runs and whether to build one in or stand it free is covered in our wine fridge temperature and install walkthrough. The rundown on the Silhouette line covers the Danby-made units carried at both appliance stores.
A warming drawer holds cooked food at serving temperature while the rest of the meal finishes. There are four on our listings, $1,999.99 to $2,599.99. The Bosch 500 Series 30-inch warming drawer at $2,149.00 is the one carried in a store, at Campbell River.
A trash compactor squeezes household garbage into a dense bag so it goes out less often. Our one listing is the KitchenAid 15-inch trash compactor, $1,499.99 to $1,699.99, a special order. Where a household already sorts recycling and food scraps out of the garbage, I'd think hard about whether the bin fills fast enough to need one.
A steam oven cooks with steam from a water tank, often combined with convection heat. It suits vegetables, fish and reheating without drying food out. Merit doesn't list a standalone steam oven right now. Steam shows up on our listings in other forms. There are ranges with a steam-clean cycle and two Whirlpool over-the-range microwaves with steam cooking. A KitchenAid microwave drawer with steam cooking is $2,399.99, by special order.
Small kitchen appliances, and the rest of the kitchen equipment
Small kitchen appliances are the ones that plug into a regular outlet and move around the counter. The usual ones are a kettle, a coffee maker, a toaster or toaster oven and a blender. A hand blender, food processor, stand mixer, slow cooker and rice cooker round out most counters. Merit's site lists very few of these. Our small-appliance listings are a Danby ice maker at $239.99 by special order and the countertop microwaves above.
Small appliances can save power. BC Hydro notes that countertop appliances such as a slow cooker, toaster oven or pressure cooker use up to 75% less electricity than the oven or stove. That's a fair argument for a toaster oven over heating a full oven for two slices.
For anyone looking for appliances that start with the letter M: microwave, mixer, multicooker and milk frother are the common ones in a kitchen.
What is kitchen equipment?
Kitchen equipment is everything used to store, prepare, cook and serve food. That covers the major appliances, the small appliances, and the cookware, knives, utensils and dishes that never plug in. At home it mostly means the appliances on this list plus the drawer of tools beside them.
What are 10 common home appliances? A kitchen home appliances list for the whole house
Ten common home appliances, kitchen and laundry together, are the refrigerator, freezer, range, dishwasher, microwave, range hood, washer, dryer, wine or beverage cooler and dehumidifier. The first six are kitchen machines. On Merit's listings, laundry is the other big group.
| Laundry appliance | Merit listings, November 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Washers, top load and front load | 101 listings, $649.99 to $2,799.00 |
| Dryers | 114 listings, $549.99 to $2,349.00 |
| Compact ventless heat pump dryers | Electrolux at $1,099.00 and Midea at $1,099.99, both carried at Port Alberni |
| Stacked laundry centres and all-in-one washer dryers | LG, Whirlpool, Frigidaire, Danby, Midea and Samsung units |
A heat pump dryer recycles its warm air instead of venting it outside, which lets it sit in a closet with no dryer vent. Merit's site doesn't list televisions, sound systems, vacuums, air purifiers, space heaters or furnaces, so those parts of a whole-house list sit outside this one.
What are some brands of appliances?
The biggest appliance brands on Merit's kitchen listings, by count on November 1, are Whirlpool (213), KitchenAid (180), Frigidaire (134) and Bosch (127). Frigidaire adds 46 Gallery and 32 Professional listings, and Bosch adds 21 Benchmark. After them come LG (98), Samsung (96), Danby (83), Broan (61) and Maytag (51). Smaller groups include Midea, Electrolux, Silhouette and Amana. The whole range sits in Merit's appliances collection, with Samsung on its own in the Samsung collection.
Smart kitchen appliances, the ones that connect to a phone app, are a smaller group than the advertising suggests. On our listings, 36 kitchen appliances put "Smart" in the title, and 19 of those are ranges.
Matching appliance suites and finishes
A matching appliance suite is a fridge, range, dishwasher and hood or microwave from one brand and one finish, bought together or one at a time. Stainless steel is the default: 763 of Merit's kitchen listings name stainless in the title, not counting 42 in black stainless. Another 152 name white, and 24 are panel-ready, which means the cabinet maker supplies a door front to match the cupboards.
Buying the suite together lines up the handles, the controls and the shade of steel, and one delivery brings it all. The cost lands at once, though a new kitchen often needs everything anyway.
Replacing one at a time spreads the spending, and each appliance gets replaced when it fails. Stainless shades and handle styles can differ between brands and model years, so mixing is easier within one maker's finish family.
Updating a kitchen one Samsung appliance at a time is a good example. Samsung has 96 kitchen listings with us, 21 of them carried at Campbell River or Port Alberni, and 27 carry Samsung's Bespoke name. Starting with the fridge, the most visible piece, and matching the rest to it as they wear out keeps the room looking planned.
Where a kitchen appliance list goes wrong
The costliest mistakes on a kitchen appliance list happen before anything is delivered. These are the ones the makers' guides and BC's rules point to:
- Measuring the old appliance instead of the opening. A 30-inch range needs a 30-inch opening by Whirlpool's guide, and a cooktop needs its own cutout figure.
- Choosing electric without a 240-volt circuit at the range, or gas without a gas line and a permit. Strata owners can't take out a homeowner gas permit in BC.
- Venting a hood or over-the-range microwave into an attic, wall or garage. Whirlpool's guide says not to.
- Buying panel-ready without a plan for the panel, which is a cabinet maker's job and cost.
- Assuming every model is in a store. Most of our cooktops and wall ovens are special orders, so it's worth asking how long one takes before the old one is pulled out.
The old appliance has a free way out. BC's Major Appliance Recycling Roundtable (MARR) runs drop-off sites across the province, and there is no charge when you drop off your appliance at a MARR collection site. MARR's list covers fridges, freezers, ranges, dishwashers, range hoods, built-in and over-the-range microwaves, and trash compactors. When ordering, I'd ask the store about delivery and about taking the old one away.
Where the kitchen appliance figures come from
- Whirlpool Canada, Dimension guide: electric freestanding ranges WFES3530R and YWFES3530R, checked November 2026.
- Whirlpool Canada, Dimensions: induction cooktop WCI55US0JS, checked November 2026.
- Whirlpool Canada, 24-inch dishwasher detailed planning dimensions guide, checked November 2026.
- Whirlpool Canada, Microwave hood installation instructions, WMH31017H, checked November 2026.
- Technical Safety BC, Homeowner gas permits, checked November 2026.
- BC Hydro, Stovetops and ovens, checked November 2026.
- Natural Resources Canada, EnerGuide label for appliances and room air conditioners, checked November 2026.
- Major Appliance Recycling Roundtable (MARR), Recycle your large appliances, checked November 2026.
- Merit Home Furniture, live appliance listings, prices and store availability, read November 1, 2026.
Asking about kitchen appliances at Campbell River or Port Alberni
Since appliances aren't part of what Duncan carries, I send people with a kitchen list to our two appliance stores. It's worth calling ahead to ask which models are set up, and worth bringing the opening measurements and a photo of the outlet or gas line.
- Our Campbell River store is at 1300 A Homewood Rd, phone (250) 286-0868
- Our Port Alberni store is at 2935 Third Ave, phone (250) 724-6644
For a special-order appliance, the line on its page is (250) 746-5527. How the four Merit stores split the work is laid out in our page on the Island showrooms.
Phone Campbell River about a kitchen appliance, (250) 286-0868, or phone Port Alberni, (250) 724-6644
The rest of what we've written about appliances is gathered on one page.