4 Appliances You Should Avoid Buying at Sam’s Club

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Sam’s Club is one of the masters of the membership wholesale club model. Its legions of loyalists turn to their club cards for just about everything, but when it comes to certain appliances, members — and their budgets — might be better served setting their allegiances aside. 

If you’re shopping for any of the following appliances, consider your options before you plunk down your cash at Sam’s Club. You can probably find a better selection and lower prices elsewhere. 

Also see the best $25 you can spend at Sam’s Club this spring.

Wine and Beer Coolers

The Sam’s Club wine and beer coolers section offers just three options: a freestanding wine cellar, a kegerator and a beverage center. The only one that got a significant number of reviews earned a middling 3.7 out of five stars. 

A quick online shopping comparison shows that the prices are not great but better than okay. Likewise for the appliances themselves. However, the selection is anything but. 

If you’re serious enough about your adult beverages to house them in an appliance that costs from the mid-hundreds to four figures, then be serious enough to shop around. Amazon alone offers hundreds of choices across all styles, functions and budgets, and countless specialty outlets cater to this niche specifically. 

Water Dispensers

If you don’t have an in-fridge water dispenser and a system like Brita doesn’t suit your needs, you might be in the market for a dedicated dispenser that can dish out water tepid, just above freezing or just below boiling. 

It might be a worthwhile investment — but look beyond Sam’s Club, where prices are just okay and the selection is nearly as limited as it is for wine and beer coolers. 

For example, you’ll spend 10% more for a bottom-loading, EnergyStar-rated Avalon model from Sam’s Club than you would for the same unit on Amazon — but the more pressing issue is a painfully limited selection. 

Unlike Amazon, which lists dozens of models for all budgets and needs, Sam’s Club offers just five standard, multi-gallon models.

Blenders

When you eliminate food processors, handheld immersion blenders, and portable and bullet-style smoothie makers, Sam’s Club offers very few options for full-size countertop blenders — and several come in bundles with accessories and equipment that buyers may or may not need. 

By comparison, Target lists more than 250 blenders across all sizes, styles, purposes and price ranges. Walmart offers more than 1,000.

Espresso Makers

Sam’s Club members looking to take their morning brew to the next level have just seven espresso machines to choose from, not counting French presses and stovetop models. Virtually all of them are on the lower end of the quality and price spectrum — topping out in the mid-hundreds.

Amazon offers hundreds of choices — more than 1,000 if you count variations of the same model. Walmart and Target also list hundreds of options. At those stores, you’ll find far more options priced in the mid-hundreds, like the best Sam’s Club has to offer, but many come with more features, functionality and accessories for roughly the same price.

Editor’s note: Pricing and availability may vary depending on location.

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