The Steel CodCast

Most people think this debate is already settled. Sealed burners are easier to clean. Open burners are harder to maintain. End of conversation. Except that’s not actually the full story. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most misunderstood comparisons in cooking appliances: open burners vs sealed burners. At first glance, sealed burners seem like the obvio...

Heat pump dryers are supposed to be the future. They’re more efficient. Ventless. Better on fabrics. And packed into more modern laundry systems every year. So why are so many customers still resisting them? In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the biggest transition points happening in laundry today: heat pump dryers vs traditional vented dryers. At first glance...

Linear compressors are supposed to be the future. Fewer moving parts. Better efficiency. Quieter operation. Longer life. So why is there still hesitation? In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the biggest technical conversations happening in refrigeration today: linear compressors vs traditional compressors. At first glance, linear compressors sound like an obviou...

The luxury induction market is changing fast. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down the latest movement inside the Steel Cod Power Index for luxury induction ranges and why some brands are gaining momentum while others are quietly losing conversation share. The biggest risers? Fisher & Paykel JennAir The brands slipping? BlueStar Dacor But this episode makes one thin...

Ventilation is the part everyone ignores. Until it ruins the entire project. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most overlooked but critical categories in appliances: kitchen ventilation. It’s easy to assume a hood just “moves air.” But in reality, ventilation is one of the most complex parts of a kitchen system, and one of the most common reasons projects...

Most appliance brands think growth comes from marketing. This episode argues that’s not where momentum actually starts. In this special guest episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon sit down with Andrew Savant, CEO of Pinnacle Sales Group, for a deep conversation about the future of appliances, distribution, retail, and why so many brands misunderstand how market momentum really works. The d...

Most independent retailers think they’re losing to big box stores because of price. This episode argues that’s not actually the problem. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most uncomfortable conversations in appliances: why customers continue choosing big box stores over independent retailers. At first glance, the answer seems obvious: scale advertising inv...

Sub-Zero and True are down. Fisher & Paykel and Viking are rising. So what’s happening? In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most misunderstood parts of the Steel Cod Power Index: movement inside the built-in refrigeration category. And the key point is this: movement does not mean dominance changed. This episode explains why. They break down how the Powe...

You’re not helping your dishwasher. You might actually be confusing it. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most common appliance habits today: pre-rinsing dishes before loading the dishwasher. For a lot of people, it feels logical. Rinse the dishes first, help the machine out, get better results. But modern dishwashers weren’t designed around that behavior....

Most people buy advanced washing machines… and then use one cycle forever. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the biggest disconnects in modern laundry: customers aren’t using washer cycles the way the machines were designed to be used. For many people, the process becomes automatic: hit “Normal” maybe use “Quick” start the load repeat forever But this episode...

Few appliance debates get people more emotional than this one. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down the internet-famous comparison between the Speed Queen TC5 and the LG WT8400CW. On the surface, the argument feels simple: more water must clean better aggressive agitation must mean stronger washing fewer features must mean better reliability And that’s exactly why this...

Your dishwasher might not be broken. You might just be overloading it. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most common customer complaints in appliances: dishwashers not cleaning properly. The problem? A lot of the time, it’s not the machine. This episode dives into why customers overload dishwashers in the first place and why modern dishwashers create expec...

More features should make appliances easier to sell. Instead, they’re making sales harder. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the biggest misconceptions in appliance sales: the belief that more features automatically create more value. On paper, the industry has never had more to offer. More cycles. More automation. More intelligence. More ways to separate prod...

Episode Description Move too fast and you lose the customer. Move too slow and you lose the sale. At least that’s what most salespeople believe. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the biggest misconceptions in sales: the idea that success comes from balancing speed vs relationship building. This episode explains why that entire framework is wrong. They break do...

Indoor grills sound amazing. Until you actually live with one. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the biggest expectation gaps in luxury cooking appliances: indoor grills vs griddles. For years, indoor grills sold the dream of bringing outdoor grilling inside. No weather. No setup. Same flavor and same experience, just easier. But this episode explains why that...

Beverage centers are the default. That doesn’t mean they’re the right choice. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most common undercounter decisions in kitchen design: beverage centers vs refrigerator drawers. Most kitchen plans include a beverage center almost automatically. Designers suggest it, customers expect it, and it becomes the go-to solution for th...

Top freezer or bottom freezer? Most people think this is a simple decision. It’s not. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most common and overlooked decisions in refrigeration: top freezer vs bottom freezer. Even with newer designs and better functionality, many customers still default to top freezer models. This episode explains why that happens and why it’...

Coyote showing up in the data wasn’t expected. But it makes perfect sense. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down a surprising insight from the Steel Cod Power Index: the rise of Coyote grills in outdoor appliance conversations. At first glance, it seems unexpected. But when you look deeper, it reveals something bigger, a gap in the outdoor category that hasn’t been clear...

Gaggenau should be in more conversations. But it isn’t. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most overlooked brands in luxury appliances: Gaggenau. Despite being part of the premium BSH lineup, Gaggenau often sits off to the side, reserved for highly specific customers or design-driven projects. Most salespeople don’t bring it up early, and many avoid it alto...

Sub-Zero. Wolf. Cove. Everyone knows the names. But most people don’t actually know why they’re buying them. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the biggest problems in luxury appliances: these brands are often chosen for the wrong reasons. To be clear, this isn’t a knock on the products. Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove have all earned their place at the top. The issue...

The rep did everything right. And nothing changed. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the biggest disconnects in the appliance industry: why manufacturer reps often fail to impact what actually gets sold. From the manufacturer’s perspective, the meeting is a success. The rep shows up prepared, delivers the product story, and reinforces key features. Every box g...

La Cornue Château ranges don’t fit the category. And that’s exactly why they get sold wrong. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most misunderstood products in luxury appliances: Château ranges. These ranges stand out immediately. They’re more expensive, more customizable, and visually different from everything else on the showroom floor. But instead of bein...

LG vs Bosch isn’t just a brand comparison. It’s a window into how customers actually decide. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down what the Steel Cod Power Index is revealing about one of the most competitive categories in appliances: counter-depth refrigeration. Looking at real showroom data, they explain why LG and Bosch are dominating the conversation, and more import...

LG vs Electrolux isn’t an easy choice. And that’s exactly why it gets sold wrong. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most difficult comparisons on the sales floor: LG vs Electrolux laundry. Both brands have strong reputations, both have made major improvements, and both deliver solid performance. That’s what makes this decision so challenging. This episode...

Compact laundry seems simple. It’s not. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most misunderstood categories in appliances: compact washers and dryers. Because compact laundry isn’t as common in North America, it often creates confusion for both customers and salespeople. Most people assume it’s just a smaller version of full-size laundry, but that assumption l...