The Best Kitchen Appliance Brands Based On Reviews

Shopping smart is a modern-day skill. Shrewd shoppers must look past flashy advertisements and showy store displays to know if a product is worth buying. This is especially important when outfitting your kitchen, seeing as over 41% of people told House Digest in a survey that it's the most important room in their home. Finding the best appliance brands is the first step in deciding which devices and tools are most suited for your home, and one of the best sources of info is customers' experiences.

Looking through reviews from buyers and seeing what people liked and disliked reveals a lot about a brand and its true reputation. Below are eight of the top kitchen appliance brands based on an in-depth analysis of online customer reviews from various websites. These reviews reveal much about overall product reliability, company customer service, warranties, and other key information that makes or breaks their ranking among other top brands. You can learn more about our methodology at the end of this article. In the mean time, buckle up for a thorough overview of the best kitchen appliance brands. 

The success of Ninja-branded kitchen appliances is undeniable. Most models work flawlessly and score extremely high reviews across many retailer sites. People love that the devices are simple, powerful, and multifunctional. A Best Buy Ninja Power Blender + Food Processor Pro reviewer summed up this sentiment, saying, "The blender works as advertised — everything gets evenly blended, and there are no chunks. It crushes ice into the best snow. Legit, same level as a shaved ice machine. Plenty of power to get any blending job done." Reviewers also rarely receive broken products. When products do malfunction, Ninja replaces devices or parts if they're under warranty. One reviewer even reported they were offered a future discount for their Ninja Professional Plus Duo Blender since the previous warranty expired before their device malfunctioned.

As their products are powerful, it's no surprise that Ninja items are on the expensive side. However, the higher pricing seems to be justified, considering none of their items at The Home Depot have ratings below 4 stars. The Ninja 16oz Personal Blender at Lowe's is an exception, racking in only 3 stars, but is rated highly on other sites.

Hamilton Beach is best known for its niche kitchen appliances: electric can openers, drip coffee makers, kettles, and other small devices. Most customers have nothing bad to say; they're simply satisfied with their purchases. As one Home Depot purchaser said about Hamilton Beach's FlexBrew Trio Coffee Maker, "Easy to use. One appliance that does two things." The appliances work smoothly and as advertised, causing over 95% of The Home Depot reviewers to recommend them. Ratings are consistent across big box chains, home improvement stores, and online retailers alike. Although this company is more popular for portable devices, it also makes large-scale appliances. Their refrigerators are revered, and many people claim that they work beautifully. Some negative comments crop up among the bad reviews, but many of these reviewers criticize their local retailer's delivery practices, not Hamilton Beach's products.

Even their lower-rated products, like the Easy Reach Toaster Oven and Durathon Single Belgian Waffle Maker, don't have many negative testimonials. For most under-3-star products, there aren't enough reviews to go off of, or some of the negative reviews were left without explanation. The lack of testimonials makes it hard to gauge if these Hamilton Beach products are truly not worth it. Since the majority of customers are overwhelmingly satisfied with their purchases, this brand easily ranks among the best despite its less popular creations.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a fully decked-out kitchen without a Cuisinart appliance. This top brand has dozens of must-have kitchen appliances on the market, and they rarely dip below a 4-star rating. Their product functionality goes above and beyond, as illustrated by this review left on The Home Depot's Cuisinart Elemental 4-Cup Food Processor: "Hands down my favorite helper in the kitchen. Has earned a permanent spot on the counter. Literally use it for everything ... [it] chops, mixes, [and] grinds in only a few pulses. Just the right prep size — makes sauces and dressings in a flash. Grinds nuts and spices. Would even do coffee."

It's no secret how preferred this brand is over others. It's often referenced in online discussions about reliable, lifelong products. They offer warranties as well, though some customers believe the wait time for replacement parts is ridiculous. For example, one purchaser of the Cuisinart Food Processor 14-Cup on Amazon stated, "It took about six weeks to receive the new lid." Despite some people experiencing a long wait, Cuisinart has a consistent history of honoring their promised repair or replacement warranty.

Bosch kitchen appliances are sold all around the world, including online sites and in-person retailers. Going by home improvement store reviews, the 500 Series Dishwashers and 800 Series Refrigerators are Bosch's best-rated items. Customers love Bosch's high-end products because they are designed differently than standard appliances. The dishwashers have adjustable and flexible inner racks, and the refrigerators are exceptionally spacious, with extensive temperature controls for individual compartments. Bosch's good reputation is well-known, and a reviewer who purchased the 500 Series 24-Inch Dishwasher from The Home Depot summed up the brand's solid standing in a few words, saying, "I was excited to purchase a Bosh after a bit of research showed top customer approval and performance."

There is however a unique caveat to Bosch's top-reviewed products — customers claim there is a "learning curve" in using the luxury dishwashers and refrigerators because of Bosch's unique and innovative designs. This issue ends up being a perk in the long run since the creative layout allows for more functional space and optimizes cleaning and storage. Given this brand's responsive customer service team and progressive appliance features, thousands of reviewers give their products an average 4.5-star rating, making them one of the best luxury kitchen appliance companies.

The Hisense brand is unique in offering cheaper appliances to make them more affordable for the masses, but they do so without sacrificing their quality. The highest-rated Lowe's Hisense four-appliance kitchen collection, which includes a refrigerator, range, microwave, and dishwasher, costs the same as some two-appliance packages from other brands. Despite the disparity in price, over 80% of customers recommend this collection. One buyer summed up the appliance set saying, "So far, exactly what we were looking for-right size, good layout, easy to clean finish."

As might be expected given the low price of many of their appliances, this isn't the most deluxe kitchen appliance brand in existence. However, Hisense manages to give luxury brands a run for their money thanks to the way it blends accessible pricing with all-round functionality. As one Costco reviewer said about the Hisense 17.1 Cubic Foot Garage Ready Freezer, "Clean, simple design. Adequate storage space. Quiet and innocuous. Reasonably priced." Most qualms about the product reference that certain aspects aren't built as sturdily as other brands, though this should be expected when you're getting a microwave for a hundred dollars less than other leading kitchen appliance companies.

Whirlpool has been making low- and high-end products since 1911. Based on The Home Depot reviews, Whirlpool's cheaper appliances have received equal praise to their luxury counterparts. Many customers appreciate that their appliances are easy to use, have convenient features, and aren't too different from older models. Rather than redesigning the look of their appliances to grasp public attention, Whirlpool focuses on the actual functionality of their products. One customer commented on the Whirlpool 24-inch Built-In Tall Tub Dishwasher at The Home Depot, saying, "I would suggest this dishwasher to anyone in the market for a new energy-efficient, quiet washer."

Most Whirlpool models have 4-star ratings or higher, but some nosedive due to niche issues. These complaints are mostly a result of Whirlpool's extensive appliance options. One customer expressed dissatisfaction that you have to be careful when matching multiple appliances because fingerprint-resistant finishes gives some appliances a different sheen. In another situation, a customer reported to The Home Depot that Whirlpool only has a generic manual for the Smart Slide-In Electric Range in Fingerprint-Resistant Stainless Steel, which "[makes] absolutely no sense ... to have a control manual not be accurate for the specific model it's for." Complaints around the actual operation and durability are relatively scarce, indicating that Whirlpool's overall manufacturing quality is still top-notch. 

The brand name "KitchenAid" is likely familiar, as it's sold at many major retailers. Given its popularity, there are plenty of customer reviews to read through to help inform buying decisions. This brand's ovens, electronic mixers, and espresso machines are among their highest-rated products at retail chains. The refrigerators, dishwashers, ovens, and other appliances are also worth mentioning and are lauded for running quietly, having lots of storage, and working efficiently. One of the things to consider before buying KitchenAid's kitchen appliances is that their products are somewhat pricey, but they are renowned for being high-quality. One reviewer described Best Buy's KitchenAid 27 Cubic Feet French Door Refrigerator, saying, "This KitchenAid product looks like a million [bucks] and it performs even better."

Since this brand is extremely prevalent with thousands of reviews, some unhappy customers are in the mix. Over 80% of Best Buy and The Home Depot customers recommend their most popular products (such as the KitchenAid French Door Refrigerator), and KitchenAid customer service does appear to reach out to unsatisfied purchasers. However, according to Facebook users and Trustpilot, their phone line has long hold times, making it tricky to fix or replace defunct products. In summary, their customer service isn't ideal, but the sheer number of highly-rated appliance types and designs still renders them one of the leading brands.

One of the most affordable kitchen appliance brands is Frigidaire. Millions of people have used this century-old company's products at one point or another. Consequently, there are thousands of online opinions about them and much debate over whether it's a great brand or not. Many report their products are easy to clean and operate, such as this Best Buy review for Frigidaire's 5.1 Cubic Feet Freestanding Gas Range: "Works great! It is easy to clean and use." Unlike other companies, Frigidaire keeps their app-connected appliances at a bare minimum, and multiple reviewers appreciate the basic design that omits excessive smart features. The current kitchen appliance trends are leaning towards more AI-integrated and Wi-Fi-connected devices, so Frigidaire's designs are a saving grace for more traditional individuals.

Be warned that there are two appliances to avoid when shopping offerings from this brand: icemakers and mini-fridge models fall flat. Even customers who leave high ratings say these products are noisy. Taking this into account, Frigidaire is a great kitchen brand for people looking for large appliances on a budget.

Like all other things on the internet, online reviews are fallible. Case in point: A Zendesk study found that people are 12% more likely to leave a bad review than a good one. The believed reasoning behind this behavior is that people who have bad experiences are more likely to be emotionally charged from their purchases. Especially when compared to those who bought an item, had no issues, and are satisfied using their products and not looking back.

On the other hand, the internet is also riddled with fake reviews, especially in Amazon's Home & Kitchen department. Since online reviews are vulnerable to deceptive practices, these best brands were chosen based on more than a single website. Brands were investigated on various websites, including popular in-person retailers like Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe's, and more. Since the FTC regulates United States-based companies and outright bans buying fake reviews, American retailers may be more likely to have authentic reviews from real people.

Most appliance brands sell more than one type of product. To account for this, the highest- and lowest-rated items were evaluated to get a better idea of which brands are the most reliable, while making considerations for outlier products. To get a better idea of our methodology, consider the brand Shark. This company has some of the best robot vacuum and mop appliances, but its pocket steam mop got the lowest rating in a Consumer Report roundup. A single "dud" product with low ratings doesn't destroy a company's reputation, and having only one 5-star product shouldn't make them a "top brand". To help objectively choose the top brands, the majority of products were taken into account during our analysis, and any outliers identified to ensure they didn't unfairly skew results.