Yale Appliance has a useful blog on their website.

I was going to say the same thing as @Mom

Consumer Reports has ratings and predicted reliability of many types of appliances: http://www.consumerreports.org/join - $10/month digital. Follow up with owners' reviews on seller sites such as Home Depot, Best Buy, and Lowes. Some models have hundreds or even thousands of reviews.

Magic 8 Ball... seriously, I think the most unbiased reviews are here on Houzz with real life experiences. But I'll tell you, that for every one that has an issue with a particular brand, some one else will love it. The best thing to do is find out what seems to be the issues with it and then determine if that is something you are willing to live with or take a risk that your appliance may end up having the same issue. I think the best way to start is first figure out what features you want as if you do that, it will help you narrow down your selection. And now a days, figure 10 yrs of life for an appliance and longer if it is higher end.