Tale of two ceiling fans

Author's Rating:

Pros: Ease of installation
Quality
Appearance
Quiet operation
Flawless remote

Cons: Pricey
Monotonic blade color

The Bottom Line: 
This fan is as easy to install as it gets.  And it looks and works great too.

Author's Review
This review concerns the Minka Aire Concept II Hugger ceiling fan in comparison with another fan (Emerson) that I also installed recently. By comparison, the Minka was a pleasure to install...even easier than the instructions indicated. The fan came pre-wired. All the connections between the motor and the remote receiver had been made at the factory. In addition, the receiver and other components were securely attached to the motor housing. The only connections I needed to make were between the receiver and the house wiring. The flange by which you attach the motor housing to the ceiling comes equipped with a hook that allows the flange to support the weight of the motor housing while you are making these simple connections. Once done, you remove the housing from the hook and secure it with screws to the flange. The remote control works flawlessly and is relatively intuitive, even without reading the manual. The remote control operates fan speed and direction, and dims the light. Speeds are low, medium, high, and off. Light intensity is infinitely variable by holding down the light button. A separate button turns the light off completely. Brightness and air flow are more than sufficient for my application.

My only quibble is that I ordered a different set of blades (dark maple) in addition to the silver blades that are standard with the brushed nickel finish. Even though the blades are plastic, I expected them to resemble real wood. They don't. They're just a solid brown color. But given the ease of installation and the flawless performance (so far), I won't downgrade my rating based solely on appearance. Other than the blade color, the fan is beautiful.

I will review the Emerson fan separately.