Many leading companies offer signature features or design touches that you may want to incorporate throughout your home with multiple machines from the same manufacturer. Taking this approach can create cohesion with your design scheme. “There are benefits like matching handles and logos,” says Carl Prouty, retail and tech expert at Abt Electronics. “Even the colors and stainless steel brush patterns can vary slightly from brand to brand.” To help get you started, we researched all of the top appliance brands, evaluating quality, inventory, customization options, warranty details, and overall value. Our favorite brands include manufacturer giants like GE and LG, which offer a broad selection of appliances across categories and price points, plus high-end brands like Bosch and Café, known for providing extensive customization for the investment. Here are the best appliance brands to suit all of your household needs. Though the brand has options at virtually all price points, it’s best known for its innovative smart features. These innovations cost more, but they can simplify everyday routines. Take their laundry machines, for example, which include the innovative TWINWash-compatible LG SideKick Pedestal Washer, which allows busy households to complete two loads of laundry at once. There are plenty of innovative kitchen options, too—like the InstaView Refrigerator, which allows you to see the contents of your fridge without opening the door.You won’t have any trouble finding these exciting appliances, either. LG is a household brand that’s available at any major retailer. Even small showrooms will likely stock a few choices from the manufacturer. And despite its storied past, GE continues to innovate, so you know you’re always getting one of the latest and greatest products out there. Take, for example, the GE Profile UltraFresh System Dishwasher with Microban Antimicrobial Technology. It’s the first and only dishwasher engineered to stay fresher and cleaner during use. While some of the more feature-rich appliances come with a higher price tag, even the busiest households can feel secure in their purchase. GE has great customer service, including one-year or five-year warranty coverage on most appliances and a wide range of parts should you need to make any repairs to your appliance throughout its lifetime. However, if you do need service on your machine, note that the company’s repair fleet may not be available in your state. When you shop Café, you can fully customize the exterior of your unit—whether a refrigerator or a range—so it matches the aesthetic of the rest of your space. There’s also plenty of functionality to seal the deal, including smart features like the ability to connect to Wi-Fi and control the unit from your phone. The brand has also integrated many cooking functions (such as baking, broiling, and air frying) into products like the Couture Oven with Air Fry to streamline your appliance package. For a custom, built-in look, consider the Café CYE22TP4MW2 22.2-cubic-foot Smart Counter-Depth Refrigerator. This counter-depth refrigerator has a hot water dispenser and separate evaporators to keep food fresh for longer. Café also has a tall tub dishwasher you can get to match. At just 39 decibels, it’s extremely quiet—a must-have feature if you’re going high-end. Take the brand’s energy-efficient refrigerators, for example, which include French door designs complete with tiered freezer storage, infinity slide shelves, and panoramic LED lighting. Whirlpool dishwashers are just as hardworking. Some models offer super-sized tubs that give consumers a coveted 3 inches of extra storage space yet still fit in the standard 24-inch cabinet opening. And when it comes to laundry, the brand recently launched the 4.7–4.8-cubic-foot Top Load Washer with 2-in-1 Removable Agitator, an appliance that allows you to remove the agitator to fit bulky items. There’s no struggle to find these great products, either. You can find Whirlpool appliances at any major retailer or online. You can expect good functionality but shouldn’t expect many customization options or bells and whistles. That doesn’t mean the brand isn’t continually innovating, though. One of its latest washing machine models, the Maytag Pet Pro Washer is a sleek machine complete with the industry’s first built-in pet hair filter to remove five times more pet hair from clothes. Above all, this brand specializes in overall value, providing reliable and long-lasting appliances at solid prices that are accessible to the average consumer. You’ll have no trouble finding Maytag products in stores and online, since the brand is available at just about every major retailer. No matter what appliance you choose, when you shop Bosch, you can rest assured knowing you’re getting a machine with all the latest innovations, including features like automatic air-dry functions, climate-controlled refrigerator drawers, and Wi-Fi-enabled appliances. For example, the Bosch 500 Series Dishwasher has special technology that automatically releases the door after a wash cycle to let moisture escape, so your dishware comes out dry and spot-free. Another winner: the Bosch Benchmark Series French Door Refrigerator, a smart model that allows you to control the lighting, temperature, and more from the Home Connect app. Many of the brand’s appliances are customizable and panel-ready, too, so you can always nail the aesthetic you’re after. What’s more, you can shop for Bosch appliances at many major retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Best Buy. When it comes to price, some of the more expensive models can get pricey—especially for their lack of true bells and whistles and customization options—but the manufacturer also offers plenty of mid-range options that will suit many consumers. These appliances feel special enough for modern kitchen layouts but won’t break the bank. You can find KitchenAid appliances nearly anywhere, but one of the brand’s most noteworthy appliances is the KitchenAid KRMF706ESS 25.8-cubic-foot 5-Door French Door Refrigerator, which uses two cooling systems for cooling and freezing items to increase food freshness. Another standout is the KitchenAid PrintShield Built-In Dishwasher, which allows you to customize the layout to accommodate all dishes, from small cups to large pots and pans. The brand, which is available online at Wayfair and in stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Best Buy, has a great reputation among consumers. Sure, its appliances are relatively run-of-the-mill (read: no major smart functionality), but the brand is extremely dependable and relatively affordable. The brand’s appliances aren’t exactly lacking—they thrive at the basics. The Frigidaire Gallery French Door Refrigerator is a prime example. This model lacks some of the most cutting-edge flourishes but offers ample storage with multiple and multipurpose compartments, such as a drawer that can cool or freeze food items. Another big draw to the brand is that its appliances are known to last for years. Frigidaire also offers plenty of replacement parts, so you can more easily (and affordably) repair your appliance if need be. Even the most basic models will cost you, but the quality matches the investment. What’s more, Miele has found a way to manufacture whisper-quiet refrigerators and dishwashers—notoriously loud appliances. The brand is also constantly innovating for efficiency and ease of use. In fact, Miele recently partnered with Loxone to use solar power to start washing machines, tumble dryers, and dishwashers automatically. Despite the high price tag, you can feel good about your purchase, knowing that the brand stands behind its products. The appliances are known to be easily serviceable to help extend their usable lifetime. It also offers a Bespoke Design Studio for customizing the color, finish, and layout of items like dishwashers, vacuums, and more. But the appliances aren’t just flashy—they’re very functional in just about every way, too. Samsung’s Smart Linear Wash 39dBA Dishwasher features AquaBlast jets and an automatic door that opens after washing to aid in drying. And the Family Hub refrigerator comes with built-in Alexa, so you can control compatible smart devices and even stream music from your fridge. Just note that some of these bells and whistles can be finicky. Several of the brand’s refrigerators have proven unreliable. Specifically, some users have reported defective ice makers and compressor failures.
Cost
Some brands, like KitchenAid and Maytag, cater to those with more modest budgets but don’t have as many bells and whistles or the stamina to last through years and years of heavy use. Other brands like Miele and Bosch are more expensive up front, but offer opportunities for high-end features and customizations—even smart integrations you can control with your phone. If the upfront cost of the latter is in your budget (or if there are financing options available), these more expensive appliances can be worth it in the long, run since you may not have to service or replace them as frequently.
Design Options
More budget-friendly brands, like Maytag, tend to have limited options for customization—they come in one, two, or maybe three finishes. And they certainly don’t have options like choosing different finishes for the handles. Some may not even offer the option to panel the appliance. More sophisticated, high-end brands like Miele tend to provide more customized options—like brass knobs or the option to add custom panels that suit your interior style.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article was written by Brigitt Earley, a freelance writer who has spent nearly 15 years writing about consumer products like home appliances, both large and small. Brigitt recently renovated her nearly 100-year-old home, and a full suite of modern appliances was a big part of that. After extensive research and browsing a whole host of retailers, including Home Depot, AJ Madison, and Best Buy, she ultimately financed a washer and dryer set and a full line of kitchen appliances—a refrigerator, stove, oven and microwave combo, hood, and dishwasher—from P.C. Richard & Son. To curate this list, Brigitt leaned on her own personal experience, consulted bestseller lists, read hundreds of reviews, and spoke to Carl Prouty, a retail and tech expert at Abt Electronics.
