Shopping for appliances shouldn't feel like a guessing game. If your washing machine has spun its last cycle or your fridge is frazzled beyond repair and you're in the market for a new one, cutting through all the product promises and marketing spin can feel like a minefield.
Perhaps you've already started your research – maybe asked a couple of friends which brand they own, headed instore or online to browse the latest offers, or (ideally) checked in with the independent CHOICE expert reviews to find out which appliances came out on top in our latest testing. So far, well done!
All the salesperson advice and lab tests in the world still can't take into account the real-world experience of how well an appliance actually works or how reliable it is
But all this research can only tell a part of the story. This is because all the salesperson advice and lab tests in the world still can't take into account the real-world experience of how well an appliance actually works or how reliable it is. It's the kind of information that only an owner can gather after years of hands-on time with particular products and brands.
That's where CHOICE Best Brand can help – and our 2025 results are in!
On this page:
- How we decide which brands are best
- Best fridge brand for 2025: Mitsubishi Electric
- Best barbecue brand for 2025: Weber
- Best stick vacuum brand for 2025: LG
- Best dishwasher brand for 2025: Miele
- Best oven brand for 2025: Westinghouse
- Best clothes dryer brand for 2025: LG
CHOICE experts test hundreds of appliances and analyse independent consumer research to help you understand how different brands stack up.
How we decide which brands are best
Every year, we survey thousands of CHOICE members about the products they've bought in the past few years. Our product reliability and customer satisfaction surveys tell us which brands offer products that are likely to last the distance while also giving good service to customers. We gather this data and then analyse it along with the results of our expert testing to reveal the brands that are truly delivering on satisfaction, reliability and quality.
For a brand to be eligible for Best Brand status, they have to meet some strict criteria. We must have tested a minimum of five models from that brand in our labs, and a brand must have received a minimum of 50 responses to the CHOICE member survey. Additionally, brands must score a minimum of 60% and be above the average score for testing, reliability and satisfaction for consideration.
Our product reliability and customer satisfaction surveys tell us which brands offer products that are likely to last the distance while also giving good service to customers
Remember, though, no brand is ever perfect. Years of expert testing in our labs has shown us that you should never buy a product based on the brand alone, because we've seen countless examples of products from the same brand that vary quite significantly in performance. Equally, we know that paying more for a premium brand doesn't always, well, pay off. So don't assume that one brand's products are the best across the many different features, functions and price points. That's where the rest of your research comes in.
Best fridge brand for 2025: Mitsubishi Electric
The accredited fridge lab in CHOICE headquarters has tested almost 400 fridges in the last seven years. In that time, the Best Brand crown has been shared between three brands: Fisher & Paykel, LG and Mitsubishi Electric. This year, our Best Brand award goes again to Mitsubishi Electric, indicating that fridges from this brand are likely to hold up well over time, and you'll be happy with the brand's customer service.
LG came in second place, just marginally behind Mitsubishi Electric, followed by Samsung, then Fisher & Paykel and Westinghouse. Electrolux had the highest average test score, but wasn't in the running for Best Brand because it had lower than average customer satisfaction. Others also were excluded from Best Brand eligibility for having lower than average test, reliability or satisfaction scores.
To find out which specific fridge models we recommend, click on the 'Recommended' box in the filters section of our fridge reviews.
Best barbecue brand for 2025: Weber
Weber is like the popular, good-looking kid who is annoyingly good at sports and tops most of their tests – the brand has taken out our Best Brand title this year for the seventh year running, with a 14% jump on the next-closest barbecue brand in our analysis, Ziegler & Brown.
Our experts have tested over 80 barbecues in our labs over the past nine years from all major brands including Beefeater, Everdure by Heston Blumenthal, Gasmate, Jumbuck, Masport, Weber and Ziegler & Brown. Weber is the only brand, however, that meets our strict criteria to qualify for Best Brand – the others had below average test scores, or below average reliability and satisfaction results in our survey of CHOICE members who actually own these barbecues.
Weber is like the popular, good-looking kid who is annoyingly good at sports and tops most of their tests
CHOICE testing expert Fiona Mair says: "Weber barbecues are relatively expensive but in our testing we generally find you get what you pay for – they are solid with a quality build and they have mastered the distance of the burner to the cooking plate, allowing for better control of the temperature and minimising flare ups." "I also find them much easier to clean than some other barbecues, as they mostly have good access to the drip tray," she adds.
CHOICE expert Adrian Lini testing stick vacuums in our small appliance lab.
Best stick vacuum brand for 2025: LG
Don't be a sucker for brands that overpromise and under-deliver. When it comes to finding the perfect vacuum that's going to blow you away with its long-term performance, our data doesn't lie.
For the second year in a row, LG is the best stick vacuum brand for 2025, with a Best Brand score of 78%, in addition to being a reliable brand with highly satisfied customers.Slightly behind LG with a Best Brand score of 74% is Dyson. At the other end of the scale? Kmart (Anko) stick vacuums and Hoover stick vacuums with Best Brand scores of 63% and 61% respectively.
CHOICE vacuum expert Adrian Lini has cleaned carpets (and more) with over 150 stick vacuums since 2019 so he knows a thing or two about how these brands measure up.
"Dyson and LG stick vacuums both tend to perform well in our tests," says CHOICE vacuum expert Adrian Lini.
You're unlikely to be disappointed with either an LG or a Dyson stick vac
Adrian Lini, CHOICE vacuum expert
"Of course this does vary from model to model, but they're both great brands that often deliver good performance.
"You're unlikely to be disappointed with either an LG or a Dyson stick vac, especially if you do your research and check our reviews to find the best performing model for your needs."
Best dishwasher brand for 2025: Miele
Shopping for a new dishwasher? Let's make your research a little easier. The CHOICE Best Brand for dishwashers in 2025 is Miele, setting a high standard for sparkling dishes and long-term reliability.
Our experts have tested more than 170 dishwashers over the past five years in the CHOICE labs. We've dished the dirt on those that give consistently good results – and which are total wash-outs.
Miele dishwashers have performed consistently well over the past five years, achieving the highest average CHOICE Expert Rating in our lab test, as well as the highest satisfaction scores of any dishwasher brand.
Bosch also performed well, coming in second place. All other dishwasher brands were ineligible as they failed to meet one or more of our strict Best Brand criteria.
Remember though, buying an appliance based solely on the brand can be a fool's errand – check our latest CHOICE dishwasher reviews before buying to ensure you don't get a dud.
Best oven brand for 2025: Westinghouse
Looking for a wall oven that won't let you down halfway through a Sunday roast? The CHOICE Best Brand number crunchers have done the hard work for you, analysing the data on performance, reliability and owner satisfaction to reveal the standout oven brand for 2025: Westinghouse.
This is the first time in seven years Westinghouse has managed to topple Miele from the top spot in our Best Brand category, with strong performance scores in our lab testing in addition to being a reliable brand with highly satisfied customers. While Miele ovens scored slightly higher on average in our testing, the brand received a below average score on reliability, which means it isn't eligible for Best Brand status.
Best clothes dryer brand for 2025: LG
If you're in a spin trying to figure out which dryer to buy, our years of testing data combined with the results of our reliability and satisfaction surveys on clothes dryers can help clear the air. This year, LG took out the title for CHOICE's Best Brand for clothes dryers, achieving an impressive average test score of 87% in our reviews along with higher than average scores for reliability and satisfaction when we surveyed our members who own LG dryers.
Among the models tested, both Electrolux and Westinghouse delivered products that scored high enough to be recommended. Although their overall test performance wasn't as good as LG's, they did perform well in our latest survey in terms of how reliable people found their products and how satisfied they were with their performance. However, we weren't able to test enough models for the brands to be considered for Best Brand status.
The performance of specific models from the same brand can vary quite significantly
Other brands that performed well in our testing but either didn't have enough models tested to be considered, or not enough reader responses in our most recent survey include Miele and Samsung.
This means it's worth looking at various brands in your research, and don't assume that one brand's products are the best across the many different features, functions and price points. The performance of specific models from the same brand can vary quite significantly. The best way to find a top scoring model that meets your needs? Look for the blue 'Recommended' label in our clothes dryer reviews.
Want to find out more?
We don't award the Best Brand title for every category we test; however, there are Best Brands for other categories that we didn't have the space to list here.
The latest Best Brand information can be found in our buying guides related to each category review. Navigate to the category you are interested in on our site, then select 'Buying Guide'. If we have enough data to list Best Brand winners, the information will be there. Combined with our individual product reviews, and the detailed expert advice you'll find on our site, the data is a useful tool to help you buy better.
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For more than 60 years, we've been making a difference for Australian consumers. In that time, we've never taken ads or sponsorship.
Instead we're funded by members who value expert reviews and independent product testing.
With no self-interest behind our advice, you don't just buy smarter, you get the answers that you need.
You know without hesitation what's safe for you and your family. And our recent sunscreens test showed just how important it is to keep business claims in check.
So you'll never be alone when something goes wrong or a business treats you unfairly.
Learn more about CHOICE membership today
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
