10 Best Luxury Kitchen Appliances and Brands, According to Testing

The more you shop for large kitchen appliances like our top-tested fridges and best ranges, the more you’ll run across luxury brands like Thermador, Wolf and Gaggenau. Brands like these cater to customers who are looking for high performance, longevity and, often, built-in designs. High-end kitchen appliances are usually very customizable, too, which makes them that much more appealing to designers and trend-forward customers.

In the Good Housekeeping Institute, we test all types of large appliances — from the best ovens to the best dishwashers. When we decide what to test, we consider the latest and greatest on the market as well as best sellers from the most popular brands. We also work with brand representatives and product managers to learn about any new features so our experts can design the most helpful tests.

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These are the best luxury appliance brands you can buy. We’ve also included some of the top-performing products from each brand, according to Lab and consumer tests:

Miele

Miele is a German appliance company known for high-quality kitchen appliances and cleaning appliances. The brand has several products that have earned the Good Housekeeping Seal, and its built-in fridge, freezer, dishwasher, gas cooktop and built-in oven, combi-steam oven and espresso maker are put to use daily in our Innovation Kitchen. In addition to all of these appliances, Miele makes an assortment of gas and induction ranges and induction cooktops, plus vacuums (this vacuum is our Cleaning Lab’s favorite) and more.

Two of the Miele products that stood out during Lab tests are this new induction range that has a steam-boost option and the built-in dishwasher that Carolyn Forté, our Executive Home Care and Cleaning Lab Director, says cleans very well and uses a cartridge called a PowerDisk to dispense detergent for up to 20 washes. We also love the countertop espresso machine that made rich, smooth espresso and espresso drinks and some of the silkiest frothed milk in our tests.

Dan DiClerico, director of our Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab, chose Miele appliances when he remodeled his family’s home a few years ago. “I love the sleek, built-in look and that the appliances have held up extremely well, even though we work them very hard,” he says.

Gaggenau

When we think of Gaggenau, we picture super high-end kitchen appliances that are sleek and blend seamlessly into their environment. The brand’s products are also known to be long-lasting. Gaggenau is a German appliance brand that’s part of the Thermador and Bosch family. It touts that it’s the first brand to make the combi-steam oven — a cooking appliance that’s popular in restaurants and slowly making its way into home kitchens. Gaggenau makes a wide variety of other kitchen appliances as well, including this built-in espresso maker that earned a Kitchen Gear Award in 2022 (and made us wish we had one in our home!). Like many of the brand’s appliances, the espresso machine included premium features like a highly responsive touchscreen and many customizable coffee options for everyone in your household.

Another Gaggenau appliance that stood out to us when we toured the showroom and met with the team is this customizable cooktop: The design allows you to choose as many burners — and styles of burners — as you’d like to build the perfect cooking area. We were also intrigued by the company’s ventilation system that gets built into your counter, though we haven’t gotten a chance to test it yet.

Thermador

Both professional cooks and experienced home cooks can appreciate Thermador, which has a reputation for reliability. It’s a premium brand and the middle tier of the Gaggenau and Bosch family of appliances. The appliances offer high power and durable features like handles and knbs, and the star-shaped burner is a signature on its ranges and ovens, which offer generous cooking space, like this Pro Harmony model. Some of our test kitchens at Hearst are equipped with Thermador gas ranges, which are used multiple times daily. We like the range of the BTUs on the burners, from 18,000 all the way up to 22,000, which provides high heat. Thermador also makes great refrigerators that catch our eye when we see them at trade shows and in showrooms: They’re large, spacious and bright with sleek exteriors.

Our Cleaning Lab has evaluated this dishwasher before, and Forté noted that it’s one of the quietest she’s ever tested. She also commented on its large capacity, the brand’s noticeable attention to detail and the “Crystal Dry” feature, which is especially good at drying plastics — a difficult task!

Wolf, Sub-Zero and Cove

Some people may not know that Wolf, Sub-Zero and Cove are all part of the same high-end kitchen appliance company. Wolf makes the signature red-knobbed ranges you might have seen in TV kitchens. (Fun fact: The knobs can be swapped out for a different color or finish if the bold red is not your thing!) Sub-Zero makes built-in refrigerators, and Cove makes dishwashers. We just started testing the Wolf gas range shown above and are thus far impressed by its sturdy build and assortment of burners.

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As for Sub-Zero, we’ve heard from people who’ve had models in their homes for decades that they’re expensive to repair if something goes wrong. Our Cleaning Lab has tested one of the Cove dishwashers in the past (pictured here), and our pros report that it’s a good option, especially if you’re shopping for all three appliances at once.

Viking

High-end kitchen appliance brand Viking offers different tiers of appliances that cater to different price points. We’ve been testing this new, mid-tier gas burner and are impressed by its results. In our Lab tests, it brought water to a boil quickly and was also able to maintain a steady simmer. It’s decked out with thoughtful details that make it easier to use and clean, like brightly lit knobs and grates that fit over each individual burner. It seems to be designed with professionals in mind with strong features that’ll last.

We’re also currently testing one of Viking’s stand-alone refrigerators. We’re happy with its capacity, design and temperature control. One downside: The stainless steel finish is not fingerprint resistant.

JennAir

JennAir is the premium, design-focused brand within the KitchenAid and Whirlpool family. Its kitchen appliances stop us in our tracks every time we see them, particularly the built-in fridges and ranges. They have an industrial feel with sturdy handles and a lot of mixed metal accents, and the result is quite luxe.

We’ve been testing the 36-inch Obsidian fridge (pictured above), which still feels like the most extravagant fridge we’ve ever seen every time we use it. It’s sleek, can be fitted with panels to match your kitchen and has a unique black interior, which our tester says it looks great. She notes that food has a spotlight on it and it looks fresh and inviting. She also reports that the interior is roomy and meets the needs of her three-person family. “It’s really exceptional from a capacity perspective — and it’s quiet,” she says.

We’re also testing JennAir’s 36-inch Rise range, and we performed long-term Lab testing on a now-discontinued model before we had to swap it. For each, we’ve noted that it was strong, durable and offered reliable performance. Our Cleaning Lab experts are also pleased with the dishwasher they tested and recently rated it one of the best dishwashers you can buy. Forté says it, too, has a high-end interior and is quiet. She was particularly impressed with the top rack that’s deeper than others she has tested; it accommodates a wide variety of dishes, cookware and more.

Dacor

Dacor is Samsung’s luxury brand. The products are well suited to people who love to entertain, because they’re pretty, sleek and often cater toward having guests over — for example, you can swap the gas ranges’ black burners for gold ones. They also have stunning wine fridges and wine preservation systems, and their everyday fridges can make cocktail ice.

So far we’ve tested one of Dacor’s gas ranges. Lab Analyst Eva Bleyer said the six-burner range excelled at our heat distribution tests for ovens, in which we toast white bread on different settings to see how evenly golden it gets. The range also has a steam function, which made tender salmon with a crispy skin.

Other Dacor items that caught our eye are the wine fridges, but we haven’t tested one yet.

Signature Kitchen Suite (SKS)

The SKS brand is LG’s top-tier category. While we haven’t tested many SKS products yet, we’ve gotten the chance to be hands-on with some of the ranges and fridges. One range that stands out is the 48-inch dual-fuel pro range that professionals and cooking enthusiasts would love: It features gas burners, induction burners and a compartment for sous vide. The convection oven features a steam setting, too, which truly makes it an all-in-one cooking appliance.

LG products often score “best overall” in our Lab tests, which makes us excited to try SKS products that are designed to be even better. We’re gearing up to start testing their 48-inch fridge that’s panel-ready, offers a ton of storage space and includes a craft ice maker and a regular ice maker.

Café

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While Café is not the most premium of the GE brands (that title goes to the company’s Monogram line), we can’t help but include it in our list of best high-end kitchen appliances. Café offers an approachable price point for those looking for high-end products. The appliances are design-forward and come in a variety of finishes and mixed metal accessories. One GH editor can’t say enough good things about her fridge that connects to an app, offers ample storage and has good lighting. An upgraded model has just been released, too, which has a dual-dispense autofill pitcher. We’re also about to start testing Café’s induction range with dual oven.

GE kitchen products have tested well for us in the past; they offer good value, performance and longevity. We look forward to testing products from Monogram, GE’s most premium brand, which offers many large built-in fridges, stunning cooktops and more like a built-in pizza oven. Dreamy!

Le Cornue

While we haven’t tested appliances from Le Cornue, it’s surely a high-end brand. It’s French-inspired and part of the Middleby family of brands that includes Viking as well as high-end grill companies Lynx and Kamado Joe. The two oven styles, CornuFé and Chateau, have a signature look that you can spot from a distance thanks to rich, antique-looking finishes and ornate knobs and detailing. They both come in a wide variety of color schemes, and you can even customize your own color, finishes and burner styles.

Le Cornue also offers a built-in rotisserie that will truly impress guests. It has a visible flame and a large glass front panel, so it’s a conversation starter in most any home.

How we picked the best high-end kitchen appliance brands and products

The Good Housekeeping Institute began testing products back in the early 1900s. Each year, our team of analysts, engineers, chemists, product experts, cooks and registered dietitians continue to test thousands of products to help our readers determine what’s the best to buy based on their personal needs.

To come up with this list, our Kitchen Appliances Lab, Cleaning Lab and Home Improvement Lab — all of which test a lot of built-in appliances — shared data and insights on the brands and products that have impressed us most over the years in terms of performance and value. We selected brands and products that we’ve tested, that have performed well or that we’d buy ourselves and recommend to friends and families.

What to look for when shopping for high-end kitchen appliance brands and products

• Design: High-end kitchen appliances are one of the categories where we feel like it’s OK to start your search based on looks. High-end appliances are often quality products, so you’ll end up with the function you also need, but focusing on the many customizable features means you can find the appliance that fits your home’s design.
• Price point: Luxury appliances can cost a pretty penny. Getting a sense of a brand’s price range can help you determine which is best for you.
• Features: Some brands have more bells and whistles than others, which can affect how you interact with the appliances daily. When shopping, be sure to take a look at the product’s controls to make sure they work for you.

What is the most expensive appliance in the kitchen?

Refrigerators tend to be the most expensive appliance in the kitchen, especially built-in ones. The trade-off is that they’re designed to last for a long time. Many brands offer at least limited warranties that start around seven to 10 years. Some may offer longer ones.

Where to buy high-end kitchen appliances

You can buy high-end kitchen appliances in some retail stores like AJ Madison and sometimes Williams-Sonoma, but they’re mostly sold through showrooms or design stores with which the brands have relationships. We recommend going to a showroom or store where you can get a feel for all of the different appliances a brand has to offer; doing so will help you make the right choice for you even if you end up buying online. Showrooms are also great places to learn about the products — some even offer cooking classes or trainings so you can best use your product when you bring it home.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the GH Kitchen Appliance Lab, where she oversees all testing and content related to cooking, drinking and eating. She regularly meets with kitchen appliance brands, including high-end kitchen appliance brands, to learn about forthcoming products. She determines what high-end kitchen appliances her team will test each year.

Eva Bleyer is the Institute’s Kitchen Appliances Lab Analyst. She has tested and written about many of the products featured in this story as well as many other gas ranges, induction cooktops and electric ranges.

Carolyn Forté, executive director of the GH Home Care and Cleaning Lab, has worked in the Good Housekeeping Institute for more than 42 years and has tested hundreds of dishwashers during her tenure. She has seen trends evolve and continues to be on the lookout for new innovations.

Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Kitchens