Some people hang out on the forums longer, so you will get reviews from longer than 3 mos on the GW. The appliance forum has some very detail oriented people who seem to stay around like the kitchen people do. As with any public forum, those unhappy with their purchase will be more vocal than those who are enjoying theirs.
You do have to watch for bias as oftentimes, people want to justify their pick, so get a little over zealous, especially if it cost a lot.

I think this guy has done a good job organizing his opinions on appliances. You can read about his recommendations for cooking appliances, dishwashers, dryer, heating/cooling, microwave, refrigerator, and washers.

Here is a link that might be useful: All Brand Service - Charts with New Product Recommendations

cassidyhome - That link made my day (it has tidbits like this - brands poster would avoid):

"GE "Profile" or "Monogram" anything - Lasts only a couple of years.
GE "Artica" Refrigerators - Many recalls, lots of design problems.

Jenn-Air - Downdraft cook tops - Big disappointment.

Miele (Germany) - Difficulty in acquiring parts and service data.

Viking - Difficulty in acquiring parts and service data. Overpriced for quality of unit.

Wolf Gourmet (SubZero) - Limited production and overpriced.

Bosch (Germany) - Too hard to get parts and service data. Many service issues. Extremely expensive to service.

Fisher Paykel (New Zealand) - Poor performance on drawer dishwashers. Many disappointed customers.

Asko (Sweden) - Difficulty in acquiring parts and service data. Many service problems.

Haier (China) - No part availability.

Samsung - No part availability or technical service data available.

Panasonic - Very limited service data and parts availability.

LG - Poor warranty support. No part availability. I do not recommend any LG products at this time.

SubZero - Worst rating from Consumer Reports in the last 15 years. Overpriced, frequent repair problems."

And good grief - he likes Whirlpool (grin). The writer is an appliance guy - and I guess he thinks like me. An appliance is a utility stream - and if it breaks a lot and/or is hard to fix - it might as well be a potted plant. I'm still waiting for the appliance that works as well as my Thinkpad - and has the same service warranty (next business day in home - necessary parts shipped overnight). Robyn

If I could buy a real counter depth (24") refrigerator with a metal handle instead of "color matched" plastic handles that was highly rated by consumer testing, I would do it.

I got a Bosch dishwasher (despite his writeup) and I love it! I also bought a Speed Queen washer and love that, too. Learning about lint screens in clothes dryers makes for dazzling dinner conversation. :)

Great link - Thanks!

cassidyhome - Don't know how old you are. But I am 63 - and people of my generation always expected our appliances to outlive us. Today - if something does ok for 3 years - it's considered a big deal. Robyn