I look for fuctionality, features, and appearance. And always look at reviews of the appliance I'm considering.

Energy efficiency is my first consideration. Then reviews. I read online reviews, lots of them, written by homeowners, legitimate appliance reviewer organizations, and I check Consumer Reports at the Library. I talk to friends who've recently purchased new appliances and to friends who have been more than pleased with an appliance they purchased some time ago. I bought washer, dryer, refrigerator, and stove using the above methods two years ago. I have limited access to major appliance stores in my far-northern US location but I found a not-major-at-all shop that offered me prices a bit lower than the two nearby and not-so-nearby big box stores. So far, so good.

reliability and function is key, then budget....once you decide on a manufacturer and features you can shop online for price....I bought mine without ever going to the store and I love them. Saved a ton of money by shopping online....and got exactly what I wanted for far less than I expected to pay!

Quality first, based on performance and repairs. Then noise level of appliances such as dishwashers and fridges. I prefer appliances that last twenty years versus the disposable mass brands that are lucky to perform only 7 years.

Size and service record are important to us because the appliance sits in an alcove. Appearance must fit with going trends.

When selecting appliances for my newly remodeled kitchen, I referred to the Consumer Report's "Best of 2016" guide and chose their recommendations that met my needs.

I read reviews by people who have bought the appliances to determine reliability, pros and cons.

Function, reliability, reviews and recommendations from friends, energy efficiency, style and color--in that order.

Function first, then reliability. Everything else comes later. It doesn't matter how pretty or how low-priced or how popular a stove (or dishwasher or fridge, etc.) is if it doesn't do what you need done in the first place. And it doesn't do much good to spend thousands on something that's going to need repairs every other week.

Sure, I like it to be pretty, but frankly that's the last issue on my mind.

When I was getting my dream stove, I did a lot of research first and thought long and hard about what I was going to do with that range. I finally got it down to choosing between two models. They both had all the features I cared about, neither had anything much I wasn't worried about, they cost roughly the same amount (within a couple hundred dollars), they both had excellent reviews on Consumer Reports, and yes, I liked how both of them looked.

How did I choose? I went to a store that carried both models carrying my biggest, heaviest Le Creuset pot that I use in the oven all the time and I put it on the oven racks of each range. The racks in the Bosch bowed under the empty pot. The LG racks held it with no problem. I bought the LG.

Like I said, if it doesn't do what you need done, it isn't worth getting.

I used to read bad reviews, narrow my choices down to avoid those brands and then buy. Research showed that every brand has flaws. The common biggie seemed to be ice makers. (If they don't cause a flood, ruining the floor downstairs, they produce too many cubes too fast and you become a slave to them.) My Whirlpool refrigerator continually leaked water from the freezer down to my refrigerator floor (inside). I did the recommended "fixes" every time things froze up. One day I'd had enough, went to my neighborhood Lowes, selected a fridge with the correct dimensions, and paid, all within 45 minutes. Sure is easy when you don't fret, read dozens of reviews and analyze too much (bad reviews can scare you into not buying anything). It's a Frigidaire. And it does not have an ice maker. Here was my mentality: "If it craps out on me, I will just buy another one. I can afford it."

Interesting that all the pros chose appearance. I think it's probably because we already have information on all the other criteria and our job is to bring it all together in an attractive package. I will, however, take note of these comments as it relates to satisfying my clients.

Before buying I look at maintenance records and reviews and functionality. Price is always important bounced against my review of features and functions.

I study reviews for the appliances first & foremost. I am always looking for the amount of noise it makes & if it meets my personal needs.

I always check consumer reports 1st. I look at price & the features that are important to me. Also, certain brands have been very good with me so I also look at those.

FUNCTION, Then size and cost!
If it isn't going to do what I need it to do, as a home chef, then it won't matter!

a thousand times - function!

Function! I also read a lot of reviews.

I MUST have the most reliable ones. I always research for the ones that are rated to last the longest. I hated my "energy efficient" washer... which lasted nine years then I said phooey and quickly bought a new one while I still could, NON energy starred... I love it. I can't stand the ones that use little water and yet will use an hour and way more of time and electricity. Phooey on them. They are not as good. I can't stand the government in my laundry world.

I 'updated' my condo kitchen in Massachusetts a couple of years before I sold it. The update included appliances. And here in Virginia I plan to remodel the 1967 kitchen in the next 3-5 years. Appliances will be counter-depth, stainless, clean front on the refrigerator, electric stove with oven included underneath, and the microwave may be the new drawer style. The kitchen is really small so how the appliances look and fit are the most important factor in my case.

"Interesting that all the pros chose appearance.".......

Also might be because they won't have to actually live with the result.

"Remember it is better to look good than to feel good, and you know who you are."

Billy Crystal as Fernando Lamas

In the long run, the energy efficiency pays you back if you spend a little more on an energy efficient appliance.

I recently renovated my kitchen replacing all the appliances. I chose appliances by brand for appearance and function then waited for sale pricing!

After the frustration and eco horror of having to throw out appliances after only a few years service I decided that all my appliances from now on would be commercial, not domestic. I now have a commercial fridge and freezer, cook range, toaster and blender. They all perform so much better than any domestic product and if they break down they are serviceable. Yep they are more costly, but not that much more and knowing that I won't be throwing a huge appliance into landfill any time in the next 30 years is a bonus.

Available space, function i.e. what features are of benefit to the user, available budget as most "built in's" tend to be more pricer than free standing appliances and energy efficient models of which I am using almost 8 years from the purchase date and are in good working condition. Additional features, built in models and energy efficiency usually will increase the price of the appliance.

We bought our house with a non-updated kitchen 10 years ago. In January of 2015, after the annual holiday cooking spree, my electric bill nearly tripled. I knew immediately that the old unreliable appliances - the wall oven, cooktop, and fridge - were to blame. I couldn't afford to go fancy, so I used the occasion to rethink the kitchen. When I recycled the old fridge ($100.00 from NGrid), I discovered how much food was wasted in such a big one, so I went smaller/simpler and energy-star rated. Second replacement was a nearly new stove found on eBay that has a small oven over a big oven, and that small oven is my go-to, now. Between these two 'improvements', my bills are now 10-15% below my lowest previous bills. I also gained space, so we could reconfigure the layout. Some day we will do cabinets, etc., but for now it has been a success.

We bought our house with a non-updated kitchen 10 years ago. In January of 2015, after the annual holiday cooking spree, my electric bill nearly tripled. I knew immediately that the old unreliable appliances - the wall oven, cooktop, and fridge - were to blame. I couldn't afford to go fancy, so I used the occasion to rethink the kitchen. When I recycled the old fridge ($100.00 from NGrid), I discovered how much food was wasted in such a big one, so I went smaller/simpler and energy-star rated. Second replacement was a nearly new stove found on eBay that has a small oven over a big oven, and that small oven is my go-to, now. Between these two 'improvements', my bills are now 10-15% below my lowest previous bills. I also gained space, so we could reconfigure the layout. Some day we will do cabinets, etc., but for now it has been a success.

Function with a great style is the first thing I look for, then price is the second , depending on client's budget

I will not buy an ugly appliance. That said, reliability, energy efficiency, and cost, are also important.

I have a 1930 house and like the vintage look, so I always consider appearance along with efficiency, reliability and cost. Since I have lived here 46 years and plan to stay, I enjoy the luxury of decorating for myself rather than future buyers. The 1936 gas range has already been promised a place of honor in my kid's house so it's worth the occasional maintenance it requires. I choose other appliances by size -- the smallest that will do the job -- color (no stainless, black, gray,) efficiency and customer reviews. And cost, of course.

Quality and Appearance!

I shop for appliances by checking consumer reports first. I want something that is rated well for what I want it to do, For example I wanted a quiet dishwasher. I found one with the lowest decibels and low repairs based on consumer reports. Has worked for me on most purchases.

We just did this...replace appliances...6 years old. Redid space in washroom closet from side by side to stackables and changed cabinets from overhead to stackables and washtub sink to pedestal sink...now instead of non funtional.....totally accessable and lovely. Size, type...stackables, reliabity and looks in that order.

Next our fridge broke down so replaced this summer. Bought Whirlpool.....wanted relibity......icemaker started breaking down so got permission to exchange...at first looks important and reliabity were important. After problems upgraded to Samsung......wouldnt fit so returned...and at that point added right
size to what was important. Finally settled on top of the line 5 door Whirlpool twice the price....2 ice makers, beautiful, so much space, function is terrific. Added samsung stove and microwave......burners wonderful, lovely and lots of features nobody needs but great to have. Love everything...happy woman! You get what you pay for.....gave up vacation this year....lol.

I WISH there weren't so many choices of appliances out there. I'm currently in the processing of choosing multiple new appliances (most of my current ones are from the 1980s and 1990s.) Now that reviews are available online, I drive myself crazy reading them! I'm looking, foremost, for appliances that are excellent in function and reliability. At some point you just have to grit your teeth, close your eyes and choose one--and hope for the best.

mcohn, multitude of choices is why I made a spreadsheet when researching wall ovens.

I found just as many bad as good reviews even on professional $8000- 12000 refridgerators. Cheaper models were cheaply made. LG was not an option in the kitchen because nobody services them here. They didnt tell me that bit of info when i bought the washer and dryer which so far has been great. I personally love love the new 5 door Whirlpool Fridge. I paid $3000. I think some places have it cheaper. The Samsung microwave is great too. The Samsung stove is also great. I loved the beautiful LG stove with its dreamy blue interior. But since it couldnt be serviced in this area I had to pass. However i read a review that said an LG glass oven door exploded when a person first used it.....that sounded scary.

Function...the more high tech doodads its has, the more likely something will break and be expensive to fix. I bet most of us use only 2 settings on our washing machine anyway. It does have to look good but the less tech it has, the cheaper and more reliable it seems to be.

I agree but most appliances that are well made these days do come with lots of doodads. Speaking of which, my new fridge is an ice making son of a gun....anybody need some ice? I've got lots to spare for the first time in 67 years of my life Wow

Check Consumer Reports for ratings, then check online reviews, decide what I want, then purchase.

Reviews number one, then I pick something with good reviews within my budget.

Research, research, research. Of course style matters, but after that you need to research every brand. I have done my homework and still had trouble. Lastly my Viking induction range, I was trying to buy a American. Took me a year and over 6 service calls for them to finally refund my money. I will give them kudos for at least the refund, but it was like pulling teeth. My appliance dealer was wonderful and that is a very important aspect of buying appliances. I do have to say all my German products are great. Miele and Liebherr stand behind their products. Just my two cents.

It has to be a combination of the above. The appearance has to be what you are going for followed by functions. Next, budget has to be considered. Reviews are also helpful but as someone here said you can usually find as many bad as good reviews for the same product. As appliances are a huge, infrequent investment I think it is important to take your time with your decision making process. I waited one year after I thought I knew what I wanted. Thank goodness!!! I would have bought a routine set of appliances with a gas stove. By thinking about it for so long I ended up with a induction range and 48 inch refrigerator. Those two items really impacted the way I function in the kitchen. There is no more crowding and digging in the fridge and cooking is simple, less heat generated, and clean up is a snap. Take your time. What you think you want may not actually be what you want. One you purchase it, it will be a long time before you can do it again.

A combination of predicted reliability, functions/capacity, and price. Appearance comes in dead last for me. It has to work, it should keep working, it should do what I need it to do (or better!).

All of the above!

I am a contractor and what I do is take appliances that have withstood the test of time, when renovating kitchens for customers who simply no longer like the look of them, and use them in my own kitchen renovations. I don't like the idea of items going to landfill when they work well but just no longer have a cutting edge look. When I sell my house the new owners will be able to switch they out if they want to but for me they have proven to be reliable (from the fact that they are still working years later). When something does go wrong I can usually easily find a fix and parts online and do the repairs and if irreparable, (only happened once), I just locate another serviceable replacement at little to no cost. I guess you'd say my guiding criteria is saving something from being thrown out when working fine. They may not look the best but I want my kitchen to have an organic look and feel anyhow and don't like the whole "matching" look at all, so my philosophy works well with my aesthetic.

This is a great idea, especially if you stick with ovens, ranges, etc with manual controls, mechanical switches versus electronic controls which are much less reliable.

Reliability FIRST, function, fit, energy conservation, style last.

It has to be a mixture of functions and cost... Sorry to cop out slightly there. But you have to weigh up the quality for the price. Why pay $300 more for something that does exactly the same with the same reliability and quality?

Functions/features and appearance. Not sure how you shop for reliability these days. The quality of the past has sailed.

I think appearance is major, but you also want durability.

Quality, good reviews, good customer service, repair history.