Explore Which Kitchen Appliance Brands Consistently Perform Well and Which Don’t
Shopping for kitchen appliances can feel like a gamble at times. How do you know if your appliances will survive for long enough? The last thing you want is for your fridge to spoil all your food just before Thanksgiving. All the major appliance brands promote themselves as reliable, but the truth is sometimes more complicated. Consumer Reports has ranked all the brands from best to worst, in order to help you when you need to update your kitchen.
Gaggenau
Germans are known for building solid and reliable appliances, and Gaggenau doesn’t disappoint. They’re the highest ranked manufacturer according to Consumer Reports. The CR members surveyed gave the brand 75 out of 100 and ranked their dishwashers particularly highly.
LG
LG lands near the top of the list. It scores strongly across many appliance types - washers, dryers, refrigerators, etc. While not quite at the absolute top like Gaggenau, LG is one of the most popular names in kitchen appliances for a very good reason.
SKS (Signature Kitchen Suite)
One for the rich folks among us. If you have cash to splash and you want people to know it, you might shell out extra for a SKS kitchen. Luckily, the brand is very reliable as well. CR’s members scored it 72 out of 100 for reliability, although they considered their fridges to be just average.
Thermador
Thermador is another high-end brand, and they have a rich history as well – they were the company that invented the wall oven, as well as the self-cleaning oven. And CR members love their products. They rated the brand an impressive 71 out of 100.
Fisher & Paykel
Fisher & Paykel was founded in New Zealand, a land of wonder to many Americans, and now their high-end products are sold worldwide. The company promises “human-centered design” and customers have responded well. CR gave the brand a 68 out of 100.
Miele
Miele is another German company, and as you know Germany does very well in the manufacturing industry. Miele was established all the way back in 1899, so they’ve had a lot of time to build the brand. It’s considered good (score of 68) in all aspects apart from cooktops.
Whirlpool
Whirlpool comes in just behind Miele with a reliability score of 67. The company has been around since 1911 and is one of the most trusted names in washing machines. In fact, many people, when asked to think of a washing machine manufacturer, will remember Whirlpool first and foremost.
Café
Café is another luxury appliance brand. With the prices people are paying for them, you’d expect them to be good, and they are. Consumer Reports members ranked the company 67 out of 100 for reliability, with their electric wall ovens being especially good.
Sub-Zero/Wolf
These two companies combined to create a powerhouse. The man who created Sub-Zero, the magnificently named Westye F. Bakke, was said to have invented the world’s first free-standing freezer. Now, the company has a score of 71 for reliability, making them a good choice to fill your kitchen.
Bosch
Bosch is arguably the best-known name in kitchen appliances. The German company is huge and does many different things, but anyone who’s ever owned a kitchen will recognize the name. Its dishwashers are considered some of the most reliable in the business and it scores 67 overall.
Frigidaire
Frigidaire has an illustrious history. It was founded in 1916 and did so well with refrigerators that there was a time Americans would call any fridge “a Frigidaire”. That’s still the case in some countries! The brand scored an impressive 65 on CR.
Monogram
Monogram is another company that sells luxury appliances, but are they worth the money? You’ll find various views on the matter online, but members of Consumer Reports give the brand the high reliability score of 65 out of 100.
GE
GE Appliances were the first manufacturer to integrate Wi-Fi into their appliance suites, an idea which obviously took off and then some. GE are pretty well thought-of, with Consumer Reports members ranking them 63 for reliability. It’s not the best of all the scores, but it’s certainly not the worst either.
Maytag
We’re now into the middle zone when it comes to reliable appliances. Maytag advertises their wares as reliable, but the company scored a 60 out of 100 on Consumer Reports. Still, the company has stood for over 100 years, so they must be doing something right.
KitchenAid
KitchenAid is another brand that’s been around for 100 years. They’re known for creating good-looking appliances, but they fall down a little bit when it comes to reliability. They rate a 60, but their fridges, dishwashers and ranges all got merely average rankings.
Hotpoint
Hotpoint is a well-known brand, but are their appliances reliable? Consumer Reports say that they’re in the middle more or less, scoring a 54 from their members. They have had the occasional major product recall, so bear that in mind.
Kenmore
Kenmore was founded in 1913, but it’s had its ups and downs since then. It’s not one of the better known appliance companies, and it’s in the middle when it comes to reliability. CR rate them a 54, but they say their electric stovetop ranges are pretty good.
IKEA
IKEA isn’t just shark plushies and Swedish meatballs! The company do appliances too… but they’re rather hit and miss by all accounts. They scored a 54 from Consumer Reports. However, reviews online indicate they’re still a fairly good option.
Samsung
Samsung make good phones, but do they make good appliances? It depends on who you ask. Consumer Reports gives the brand a 51 out of 100, not the best score in the world, and reviews online are decidedly mixed. Some people are happy with what they received, and others not so much.
Electrolux
Swedish company Electrolux has some issues, it seems. They were rated a mere 44 on Consumer Reports, and online reviews aren’t good. “Electrolux’s customer service is abysmal, their products are unreliable, and their wait times for technicians are unacceptable,” wrote one Reddit user on the Buy It For Life forum.
Jenn-Air
Not many people have heard of Jenn-Air, and maybe that’s for a good reason. They scored only 41 out of 100 on CR, and some people might think even that’s being generous. Reviews online indicate that the appliances, especially the microwave ovens, don’t hold up for longer than five years.
Dacor
Dacor is very near the bottom of the most reliable appliances rankings with a 40 out of 100. According to Consumer Reports, their pro ranges are especially bad, so maybe it’s best to hold off if you were thinking of buying one. However, they’re not as bad as the lowest brand on the list…
Viking
Sorry, Viking, but you have a poor reputation. The brand scored only 30 on the reliability rankings on Consumer Reports, and they’re frequently slammed online. So it really comes down to this… Why would you buy Viking products when there are so many better ones available?
Amana
Amana’s slogan from 1945 until 2016 was “High performance has a name.” But does it really have high performance? Consumer Reports rated it a 58 for reliability, which isn’t bad, but people on social media slam the brand from time to time.
