Choosing equipment for the home is not just about checking off a list piece by piece. Regulatory criteria have evolved, labels have changed, and some technical trade-offs deserve more attention than the simple price/volume ratio displayed on the shelf.
Durability Index and Energy Label: The New Selection Criteria in 2025
Since January 2025 for televisions and April 2025 for washing machines, the durability index replaces the old reparability index. Rated out of 10, it combines reparability with measured reliability data: longevity tests, availability of spare parts over time.
This change alters the reading grid at the time of purchase. A device rated 8/10 in durability not only guarantees that parts will be available, but also that the manufacturer has subjected the product to accelerated aging protocols. We recommend treating this index as a disqualifying filter even before comparing prices.
Another notable evolution: smartphones and tablets will receive a European energy label starting June 2025, incorporating battery life, drop resistance, and reparability. For equipping a household with digital devices (remote work, multimedia, children’s use), this label becomes a full-fledged selection criterion, alongside screen size or storage capacity. The references available on the equipment page of Maison Info already incorporate these new reading grids.
Cooking and Refrigeration: Balancing Technology and Actual Use
The kitchen concentrates the heaviest investments. Two areas deserve precise technical arbitration: the cooking hob and the refrigerator.
Cooking Hob: Induction, Gas, or Ceramic
Induction offers the best energy efficiency, with almost instantaneous heating and minimal heat loss. However, it requires a set of compatible pots (ferromagnetic base) and a higher initial budget.
Gas remains relevant in homes already connected, with a visual flame control that many cooks prefer. Ceramic, often positioned as a compromise, actually accumulates disadvantages: long heating times, higher consumption than induction, and a surface that is fragile to impacts.
We observe that the choice rarely hinges solely on technology. A household that cooks little will not recoup the extra cost of induction. A regular cook will find measurable time and energy savings over time.
Refrigerator: Usable Volume and Energy Class
The common reflex is to choose the largest volume available for the space. This is a mistake. An oversized refrigerator consumes more to cool empty air. The right sizing depends on the number of meals prepared at home per week and the frequency of shopping.
On the energy label, the difference between class A and class C represents a significant gap in the annual bill. With a long average lifespan for this type of appliance, investing in a higher class is almost always justified.
Comfort Equipment: Distinguishing the Essential from the Superfluous
Outside of the kitchen, three categories of equipment structure daily life and deserve a thoughtful budget.
- Bedding: the mattress determines sleep quality. We recommend testing in-store rather than ordering online, despite return policies. The density of the foam or the number of pocket springs matters more than the total thickness displayed.
- Vacuum Cleaner: a canister model with a bag remains more efficient in raw suction than a cordless stick for large areas. The cordless option is suitable for quick clean-ups and small spaces, not for a complete house cleaning.
- Lighting: prioritize LED bulbs with a color rendering index (CRI) above 80. A low CRI provides dull lighting that strains the eyes, even with sufficient brightness.
Digital Product Passport: What Changes for Equipment Purchases
The European regulation ESPR, in effect since July 2024, gradually introduces a digital product passport for energy-related equipment. This dematerialized document centralizes data on composition, reparability, and recyclability for each device.
In practice, this means that before purchasing a dishwasher or a dryer, it will be possible to consult a complete technical history via a QR code. The actual availability of these passports still varies by product categories, but the regulatory trajectory is clear: opacity regarding lifespan and components is diminishing.
For an informed buyer, this passport will become a more reliable comparison tool than marketing technical sheets. We advise checking for its presence now on new devices in already covered categories.
Prioritizing Kitchen Utensil Purchases Without Overloading Cabinets
Kitchen utensils and accessories represent an area where waste is frequent. Three principles help limit unnecessary purchases:
- A good versatile chef’s knife replaces most specialized knives. Investing in a quality stainless steel blade, with regular maintenance on a honing steel, avoids multiplying tools.
- A steel or cast iron skillet advantageously replaces short-lived non-stick pans. Cast iron improves in performance over time, unlike non-stick coatings that degrade.
- Multi-functional accessories (mandoline, manual citrus juicer, thick cutting board) cover most needs without cluttering storage space.
The classic mistake is to buy an expensive food processor used twice a year. It’s better to start with reliable manual utensils and only invest in small appliances after identifying a recurring need.
The choice of home equipment is best treated as a technical project, not a shopping session. Durability indices, reformed energy labels, and the future digital passport provide actionable data. Using them from the point of purchase reduces premature replacements and controls the budget over several years.