I think your most reliable source would be word of mouth. I wouldn't trust sales people since they are bound to push certain products on you. If you go to a smaller appliance store you may get a chatty sales person who will tell you the real deal on who really makes what. For instance, Frigidaire is owned by Electrolux. LG is was formally known as Gold Star, which had the reputation of a cheap brand many years ago. They changed their name, to get away from the reputation here in the U.S. and succeeded. The very low end Bosch dishwashers, aren't made by Bosch. I've had at least 4 dishwashers since I bought my house and hands down Bosch was the best dishwasher I've owned. The lowest price ones will have a plastic floor in the interior. You want to buy a model with a stainless interior...that's what makes the machine run so quietly! I've had multiple refrigerators of various brands and have seen no difference in any of them, so I make my purchase on them based on price and features. Don't forget to ask about rebates or tax credits for buying energy efficient appliances. Hope this is helpful information.

I agree, word of mouth is best. Make sure you know what features you want in your appliances so that you can get a good comparison. For example, I wanted an electric stove with double ovens. That cut down on my choices a lot. To get you started, I really like my Whirlpool Gold Series dishwasher. It is whisper quiet, cleans well and has an option of washing only the top rack. This works out well for us because we are empty nesters and often only have a few dishes to wash.

Didn't know LG was actually Goldstar!!! I swear by my LG portable AC's. I'm also a diehard Kenmore fan - never had a problem with my stove, dishwasher, or washer/dryer combo unit.

I didn't know LG was Goldstar either! I wondered where they came from, they seemed to pop up in the market all of a sudden. We have LG portable A/C's and recently bought an LG smart TV which is way smarter than I am. I will never, ever buy Kenmore again. My Kenmore refrigerator came with used parts in it and when they failed Sears charged me over $300 for the repairs. How do I know they were used? They had shiny silver duct tape all over them, like a drip pan with 6 pieces of duct tape would ever hold up :((

Go with the top brands where at least replacement parts are easier to find and a bit less pricey. I have picked GE Profile line for 6+ years during my kitchen renovation and so far so good.