January 25th, 2023 | 9 min. read
Learn how to find the perfect kitchen products with our Appliance Buying Guide
Finding reliability statistics on appliances is incredibly difficult, if not impossible.
In this article, you will read about the ten best brands for reliability based on sales data and just under 40,000 service calls logged by our service team last year.
The results are scary for a variety of reasons.
While reading these stats does not predict your new refrigerator will be working flawlessly, your odds will certainly be better.
It's important you read the entire article before you buy your appliances. In certain areas, making service part of your decision is better than buying any appliance based on reliability alone.
How You Should Use This Article
You want to use this article as a resource to compare similar companies with equivalent products like Bosch compared to KitchenAid or LG compared to GE.
Then you want to look at the best of each category, like dishwashers, washers, ranges, and refrigerators.
We will have those individual reliability posts published by the end of February. There will be links to those articles at the bottom.
By the way, we represent the fewest number of brands than any other appliance store of our size because it will stretch our service department too thin. Also, a few brands still have known service issues.
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Although social media inflames every problem, you should still look at reviews on the product, the service, and the store.
See what happens after the sale. How are those problems solved?
You will have a good insight into how you will be treated.
Now, let’s look at the most reliable appliance brands for 2023.
The Most Reliable Appliance Brands for 2023
1. LG – 4.4% Service Rate
Previous Service Rate in 2021: 4.4%
LG Kitchen Appliances
LG being number one for the second year in a row is surprising because their French door refrigerators are their most popular appliance.
Refrigerators, especially French doors, have been problematic in the past for every brand. LG settled a class action lawsuit in 2019 about their inverter compressors and refrigerator problems.
Over the last few years, LG refrigerators have been more reliable than any other brand. They have sold a mix of ranges, washers, dishwashers, and dryers, all with advanced features.
Much like Miele, LG manufactures their core components like motors and compressors in-house rather than outsourcing their components like most other companies.
Their dishwasher had a reliability rating of 1.7% last year. That is the lowest service rate we have ever recorded.
2. GE Profile – 6.8% Service Rate
Previous Service Rate in 2021: 6.1%
GE Profile Induction Range
GE Profile is GE's upscale refrigerator, dishwasher, and cooking line.
We separated GE Profile from Café Appliances, their most featured line (which ranked just out of the top 10 for reliability).
I thought their less-featured GE line would be the most reliable, but that number includes their laundry units (with an over 8% service rate) as well.
3. LG Studio - 7.4%
LG Studio Kitchen Appliances
LG Studio is a sub-brand of LG. Compared to LG's appliances, LG Studio's appliances have a better build quality and advanced features in all categories, like washers, dryers, ranges, wall ovens, and refrigeration.
4. Maytag - 7.4% Service Rate
Previous Service Rate in 2021: 8.6%
Maytag Top Load Laundry Set
We only sold Maytag’s most basic laundry set without advanced features in 2022. Their dispensers had issues in previous years. Still, their laundry is decent.
5. Bosch - 10%
Previous Service Rate in 2021: 11.7%
Bosch Kitchen Appliances at Yale Appliance in Hanover
Their dishwashers are reliable with a service rate of 5.1%, but their refrigerators, stoves, wall ovens, and stovetops are also popular.
6. Speed Queen – 8.9% Service Rate
Previous Service Rate in 2021: 10.3%
Speed Queen Top-Load Washer and Dryer Set
They do not make them like they used to except at Speed Queen, where they "make 'em exactly like they used to."
I wrote that line last year and still like it.
Speed Queen manufactures top load washers in an appliance factory also producing commercial laundromat equipment.
7. Miele – 10.4% Service Rate
Previous Service Rate in 2021: 9.9%
Miele Kitchen Appliances at Yale Appliance in Hanover
Their dishwasher, laundry, and wall oven categories are excellent.
Miele's appliances are incredibly sophisticated with 110-volt heat pump dryers, advanced washers, dishwashers with automatic dispensers, and cooking appliances with menu-driven controls.
Miele manufactures more of their components than anyone else on this list. As we mentioned earlier, most brands outsource various parts for their appliances.
8. Signature Kitchen Suite (SKS) - 9.3%
Previous Service Rate in 2021: X%
Signature Kitchen Suite Pro Range
SKS is another sub-brand under LG. SKS features high-end appliances, like professional ranges and integrated refrigeration, along with the best panel-ready dishwashers.
9. Gaggenau – 9.4% -Service Rate
Previous Service Rate in 2021: 7.7%
Gaggenau Kitchen Appliances
Gaggenau is the exclusive cooking line from Bosch. It is German-designed and manufactured in France. You can do anything with a Gaggenau appliance.
Their coffee system has 34 different automatic programs for different coffee drinks. Additionally, Gaggenau’s ovens have more modes and ways to cook than any other brand. You can even control the percentage of steam in their steam ovens.
At 9.4%, their reliability is surprisingly good for having high-tech appliances.
10. GE Appliances – 10.2% Service Rate
Previous Service Rate in 2021: 8.4%
GE Kitchen Appliances
GE appliance’s service rate reflects mostly laundry, dishwashers, cooking, and French door refrigerators.
Interestingly, the more feature-oriented and expensive GE Profile line of refrigerators and stoves is the most reliable of the GE corporation.
11. Thermador – 10.5% Service Rate
Previous Service Rate in 2021: 9.6%
Thermador Kitchen Appliances at Yale Appliance in Hanover
It is hard to believe any company selling mostly built-in refrigerators, pro ranges, wall ovens, steam ovens, cooktops, and rangetops can be on this list.
Thermador's reliability improved dramatically when Bosch bought the company in the 1990s.
12. KitchenAid – 11.2% Service Rate
Previous Service Rate in 2021: 10.2%
KitchenAid Kitchen Appliances
KitchenAid's dishwashers are well-featured and reliable. The other appliances, especially their refrigerators and stoves, may need an update. My mom had a KitchenAid dishwasher growing up, and I still like the brand.
The Most Reliable Appliances for 2023
The most reliable appliances historically are grills, microwaves, and disposers. Ventilation hoods, washers, dryers, and dishwashers are reliable, as well.
If you are looking to buy warranties (Hint: do not unless you have a local appliance service team), those categories are probably not worth buying a warranty for.
A front load washer may be an exception because of the high repair cost.
Weber Grills
Weber Genesis Series BBQ Grill
The single most reliable brand is Weber grills with a 4.7% service rate for 2022, but that number was up from about 1.3% last year.
Then again, a grill is simple. Most people only use their grill in our area for six to nine months of the year before the weather makes it unbearable.
Range Hoods
BEST by Broan Range Hood
A hood is a motor moving air. Zephyr, Best, and our Yale exclusive hoods were all under 5%. Our newly designed range hoods have a 2.1% service rate.
Disposers
Food Waste Garbage Disposers
I always thought a disposer would have more issues. But for three years, the only person with an issue was me out of thousands sold.
Read more: What You Need to Know About Garbage Disposals
The Least Reliable Appliances for 2023
Counter-Depth French Door Refrigerators
Counter-Depth French Door Refrigeration at Yale Appliance in Hanover
A French door refrigerator's ice maker has traditionally been an issue. Ice cubes traveling through a warmer refrigerator continue to be a problem.
Over the last few years, reliability has improved for refrigerators. We don't see many compressor problems anymore, but more annoying issues like handles.
Professional Ranges
Professional Ranges at Yale Appliance in Hanover
Pro (Professional) ranges with high output burners have problems with gas igniters. Usually, it is not an issue because you can have four to seven burners on a pro range.
However, these pro ranges are larger units with more features like grills, griddles, steam ovens, and multiple burners, with the possibility of more issues than a regular four-burner range.
A 60-inch range is twice as big as a regular range with plenty more to break.
Professional 60-inch Range with a 24-Inch Griddle and Steam Oven
The most reliable brands sell fewer refrigerators and pro ranges and more reliable appliances like dishwashers, microwaves, and compact laundry.
Brands like BlueStar and JennAir are at a disadvantage because they sell primarily pro ranges and built-in refrigerators. Reliability is about numbers between similar companies.
Comparing Service Rates from 2022 and 2023
The names did not change much.
I expected more issues as manufacturers must have used different suppliers to fix their broken supply chains.
In addition, the direction of our company has changed. We’ve started selling GE Appliances, LG, LG Studio, and SKS (Signature Kitchen Suite).
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We’ve stopped selling Whirlpool brands like Amana, Maytag, KitchenAid, and Whirlpool as well as Samsung appliances due to a lack of available products.
We want less brands and they want more box store business, so it works out. Both are excellent brands with decent reliability. I wish them both well.
How We Calculate Appliance Reliability
We calculate appliance reliability by dividing the products we serviced by the products we sold. For this article, we looked at the number of appliances sold and serviced from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022.
Whenever a service technician is sent to your house, it counts as a service call.
One of the benefits of having a huge service department of 35 technicians is data collection.
We will be in 130-150 homes today, fixing appliances less than a year old and under warranty.
Why Some Appliance Categories Are More Reliable Than Others
Front Load Washers at Yale Appliance in Hanover
Specific categories like washers are more reliable than French door counter-depth refrigerators.
The most reliable brands sell more reliable categories and basic, builder-grade appliances, but there are exceptions.
The more feature-oriented GE Profile brand was more reliable than the basic GE brand.
Some of the best brands on this list have little support available when there is an issue. I say that a lot in this article, but it needs to be repeated.
Buy a reliable brand, but also find the best support.
I recommend searching online for service and service providers as part of your appliance research.
Lastly, I read tons of comments on the Home Appliance Blog and our YouTube channel. No brand is immune from issues, even the most reliable.
Why Reliability Matters More Now Than Ever: The Problems with Appliance Service
Let’s say you buy or lease a car. Somewhere in that transaction, you are led through a spotless service department. It's a given when buying a car.
However, buying appliances varies from purchasing a vehicle because 95% of appliance retailers do not have a service department.
Most manufacturers do not have a service department either. When you buy from a retailer and a brand without service, you are almost guaranteed to have problems with no way to fix them.
We started in service in the early 1990s because a local appliance service agent nearly burnt a customer's new kitchen to a crisp while fixing their range.
Buying reliable appliances is the best way to avoid service problems.
The average turnaround nationwide on a repair is 90 days (about three months) between scheduling the repair, the technician arriving, and your appliance being fixed.
However, buying appliances from a brand or store with an available service department may be the better long-term strategy. Every appliance will have an issue eventually.
In Massachusetts, you have many choices like Hunter Appliance, Poirier Sales and Service, Doyon's Appliance, Barron’s Major Brand Appliances, KAM Appliances, and a few others.
Nationally, GE and Whirlpool have the largest service networks.
If other stores tell you not to worry about it (and they will), look at a typical day at Yale in the graph below:
Service is by far our largest department. We have 35 service technicians and are actively looking for 30 more.
Then again, these guys and the many people who supported them logged just under 40,000 service calls last year.
Yale Appliance Service Team
For perspective, we were in nearly every house in Braintree, Massachusetts servicing an appliance.
That’s a lot of people.
One Last Issue to Consider: Appliance Delivery
Our service rates are probably much lower than the national average. Many “service” problems are veiled as delivery and installation issues.
For example, if you are in California and buying off the internet from a retailer in New York, that appliance will travel a long distance through many people and warehouses.
The chances of damage and service-related problems increase greatly.
Lastly, the shortage of skilled labor has affected delivery but especially skilled installers. Water leaks and other problems attributed to appliances often start from a lack of experience.
Once again, and I know I say this a lot, check store reviews before you buy any appliance.
Better yet, download our Free Appliance Delivery Checklist to help you.
The Most Reliable Appliance Brands: Key Takeaways
If you buy a whole kitchen, there is a good chance you will need service.
Bosch, Thermador, and GE's lines have the best technician support and parts availability, at least in Boston.
Your area could be different. Most appliance brands, unlike automobile manufacturers, offer minimal service.
Finding competent service should be part of your buying decision, along with price, installation, and delivery.
Additional Resources
Have questions on appliances? Read the Yale Appliance Buying Guide with the 10 most frequently asked questions, the best time to buy appliances as well as detailed profiles of all the brands. Well over 1 million people have read a Yale Guide.
Related Articles:
- Most Reliable Counter-Depth French Door Refrigerators
- Most Reliable Dishwashers
- Most Reliable Top Load Washers
- Most Reliable Front Load Washers
- Most Reliable Compact Washers
- Most Reliable Gas Cooktops
- Most Reliable Induction Cooktops
- Most Reliable Electric Ranges
- Most Reliable Induction Ranges
- Most Reliable Gas Ranges
- Most Reliable Professional Ranges
- Most Reliable Wall Ovens
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A Note About Pricing
Pricing on this blog is for reference only and may include time sensitive rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing. Please call the stores for most accurate price.
