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Our favourite kitchen brands have been on top form this year. From the latest stay-fresh tech in your fridge freezers to even faster, more energy efficient air fryer cooking, there’s been some impressive innovations in kitchen appliances.
But in the battle of the brands, who really comes out on top for things like performance, energy efficiency and reliability – and which brands do people actually recommend to friends and family?
Our latest survey, which took place in June 2026, asked 1,344 UK homeowners about the brands they actually use in their kitchen and what they really thought of them. Respondents answered questions about their dishwashers, fridge freezers, air fryers and coffee machines.
Ahead of our Product of the Year Awards 2027 in January, which showcases the very best in kitchen and home we’ve tested throughout the previous year, we’ve deconstructed the data on the brands you love.
These are the best kitchen brands of the year, as chosen by you.
Expert Reviews Kitchen Brand Awards 2026: Dishwashers
Best Overall Dishwasher Brand
Winner: AEG
- AEG takes top marks with an overall consumer score of 78%
- The brand scored highest across performance, ease of use and reliability, with scores of 95%+
Despite having to contend with plenty of other big names such as Bosch and Miele, AEG took the top spot as the best dishwasher brand of the year. It comes as no surprise, as the brand scored highly across a number of surveyed categories.
Overall scores are determined by adding up consumers’ rankings on all surveyed areas: performance, reliability, user-friendliness, likelihood of recommendation and value, with specific categories given higher weighting. This is reflected in a staggering number of 4 and 5 star reviews for AEG dishwashers online, which highlight performance and ease of use.
Highly Commended: Bosch
Coming in at a nail-bitingly close second is Bosch, with an overall score of 77%. Marginally lower scores across some surveyed areas means the brand missed out on the top spot by just 1%.
Bosch still scores highly for value for money – an important factor for our readers – and is well known for its excellent performance to value ratio. In fact, the majority of Bosch dishwashers receive ratings of 4.4 out of 5 or higher on retailer websites.
Best Value Dishwasher Brand
Winner: Bosch
- Bosch scored an impressive 89% in our value category
- This total combines a score of 93% for general value for money with an equally impressive score of 83.4% for energy efficiency and running costs.
Bosch comes out on top for both perceived value for money and energy efficiency, making it a worthy winner here.
It’s not just Bosch dishwashers, either. The brand consistently scored top marks for energy efficiency, with consumers highly satisfied with the running costs of their Bosch fridge-freezer too.
We saw an impressive result of 82% for overall energy efficiency vs an average of 77% and the brand scored 15% higher than the least energy efficient brand surveyed.
Highly Commended: NEFF
If you’re at all familiar with NEFF, it might come as a surprise it ranked second for value out of 7 brands included in our survey given its more premium price point.
The brand scored a respectable 88% in our survey, combining a value for money result of 91% with an energy efficiency score of 82.2%. This is barely distinguishable from Bosch, despite the entry level price difference between the two brands.
Choose Bosch for your basics and NEFF dishwasher for more premium features with similar energy efficiency and value.
Most Recommended Dishwasher Brand
Winner: AEG
- AEG crushes the competition with an overall score of 42% – double the average score across the 7 brands included
- Over 50% of those surveyed awarded AEG with a 9 or 10 out of 10 recommendation
As well as bagging the top spot for the best overall brand, AEG has also earned a spot as one of the most recommended dishwasher brands. We asked users to tell us how likely they were to recommend the brand after considering their overall experience of using their AEG dishwasher.
It’s worth noting here that due to the way survey data is calculated, none of the brands on this list received a particularly high end score percentage. So if 42% doesn’t seem all that high, fear not. This doesn’t mean consumers don’t recommend them, just that they didn’t consistently receive a 10 out of 10.
Highly Commended: Bosch
Just missing out on the top spot, Bosch’s score of 39% still places it as one of the most recommended brands in our survey. A whopping 48% of those surveyed gave it 9 or 10 out of 10, while 43% put it in the 7 to 8 bracket.
Most Reliable Dishwasher Brand
Winner: AEG
- Another great win for AEG with an overall reliability score of 96%
- 65% of those surveyed voted AEG as ‘very reliable’ with no issues at all
We asked consumers how reliable their AEG dishwasher is, taking into account things such as breakdowns, errors and faults.
The majority of those surveyed said they had no problems with reliability at all, meanwhile 31% said they only had occasional issues and only 4% had regular minor issues, making their appliance somewhat reliable.
Highly Commended: Bosch
Once again, Bosch is on the tail of AEG, bagging a highly commended award for reliability with an overall score of 94%.
The same question was asked to Bosch dishwasher users, with 64% of consumers surveyed saying their appliance was very reliable and 31% reliable (with occasional issues).
Most User-Friendly Dishwasher Brand
Winner: Miele
- Miele snatches the win, with a total survey score of 96%
- 68% of those surveyed said their Miele dishwasher was ‘very easy’ to use
Premium brand Miele secures the win for ease of use, denying overall winner AEG another win.
We asked Miele users how easy their dishwasher was to use on a day-to-day basis. This includes reading and using the controls, loading the dishwasher and performing maintenance. Impressively, only 2% of those surveyed said their Miele dishwasher wasn’t easy to use.
Highly Commended: AEG
Just missing out on the win is, you guessed it, fan favourite AEG. With an overall use-friendliness score of 95% it’s not far behind winner Miele. In fact, 62% of surveyed users said the brand was very easy to use.
Kitchen Awards 2026: Fridge-Freezers
Best Overall Fridge-Freezer Brand
Winner: Samsung
- Samsung takes the top spot as the best fridge freezer brand overall with a score of 96%
- The brand scored an incredible 97% for performance and reliability
Samsung’s incredible survey scores across performance, reliability, ease of use and value have earned it the title best fridge freezer brand of the year. The Korean tech giant has staved off the likes of Bosch, Hisense, Hotpoint and Beko for the win – not an easy feat.
This is reflected online, with Samsung fridge freezers consistently receiving rave reviews around performance and longevity.
Highly Commended: Bosch
Never quite coming out on top but always a solid performer across the board is Bosch. That’s reflected here, as it once again narrowly misses out of the best fridge freezer brand top spot with an overall score of 93%.
Best Value Fridge-Freezer Brand
Winner: Bosch
- Bosch is the best value fridge freezer brand with an overall score of 90%
- This combines a perceived value score of 96% with an energy efficiency score of 90%
Consumers taking the survey were asked about their general thoughts on their appliances’ value for money, as well as how energy efficient they felt it was. Bosch is well known for its affordable entry level fridge freezers and home appliances, so this might not come as a surprise to most. Shop all top performing Bosch fridge freezers.
Highly Commended: Samsung
With an overall value score of 91%, Samsung takes second place, earning the brand a highly commended badge. Despite a higher entry-level price point, respondents still felt Samsung offered good overall value for money and proved energy efficient.
Most Recommended Fridge-Freezer Brand
Winner: Samsung
- Samsung take the win as the most recommended brand with a score of 59%
- A whopping 65% of respondents gave Samsung top marks (9 or 10 out of 10)
Samsung was a survey favourite, scoring top marks when users were asked, based on their overall experience using the appliance, how likely they would be to recommend it to someone they knew.
As before, respondents were asked to place on a scale of 0-10 how likely they were to recommend their fridge freezer brand to friends or family. While the final figure might not look all that high, the majority of those surveyed gave a score of 7 or higher.
Highly Commended: Bosch
It might have missed out on the top spot but Bosch is worthy of second place with an overall score of 52%. In fact, 59% of respondents giving the budget-friendly brand a solid 9 or 10 out of 10 recommendation.
Most Reliable Fridge-Freezer Brand
Winner: Hisense
- An incredible performance from Hisense with an overall reliability score of 98%
- 66% of respondents rated their Hisense fridge freezer as very reliable
Reliability is hugely important when buying a high ticket appliance, so congratulations to Hisense for winning the reliability award.
We asked survey respondents whether their appliance had remained free from breakdowns, faults and errors and not a single one reported frequent or major issues with their Hisense fridge freezer.
Highly Commended: Bosch
Missing out on the top spot by a fraction of a percent is Bosch, with an overall reliability score of 97.9%. With a score like that, you could even go as far as to say the brand is still a winner. Unfortunately though, there can only be one, and so Bosch gets our highly commended title instead.
Most User-Friendly Fridge-Freezer Brand
Winner: Samsung
- Samsung takes the win with an overall user-friendliness score of 97%
- 75% of respondents voted the brand’s fridge freezers ‘very ease’ to use
Another win for Samsung here, as it snaps up our most user friendly award. If you’ve ever used a Samsung product, this might not come as a surprise – its home appliances receive high praise from long standing customers.
In fact, our survey showed that only 1% of users would class their Samsung fridge freezers as ‘not easy’ to use.
Highly Commended: Hisense
Hisense just missed out on the top spot for the most-user friendly /ease of use award, with an average score of 96% – that’s still pretty impressive and wins the brand our highly commended badge of honour.
Kitchen Awards 2026: Air Fryers
Best Overall Air Fryer Brand
Winner: SharkNinja
- SharkNinja lands an incredible score of 99% to win the best overall air fryer brand of the year
- This score combines all of the brand’s total scores for areas such as performance, ease of use and more
You’ll see SharkNinja’s name appear a lot in our air fryer brand of year awards, so it’s no surprise it bagged the top prize as the best brand overall. We combined results from all our survey questions to determine respondents’ favourites and with consistent scores of 90+%, SharkNinja is a worthy winner.
Just look at user ratings for Ninja air fryers on the brand’s website and you’ll see why it’s a worthy winner.
Highly Commended: Russell Hobbs
While Russell Hobbs’ score of 82% wasn’t enough to contend with overall winners SharkNinja, the brand does sit at a very worthy second place. Our survey shows that respondents scored the Russell Hobbs air fryers highly across ease of use, reliability and performance.
Best Value Air Fryer Brand
Winner: SharkNinja
- SharkNinja takes the win as the best value air fryer brand with a score of 93%
- The brand received a score of 95% and 90% for perceived value and energy efficiency respectively
A surprising result here that proves ‘best value’ doesn’t always mean cheapest product. Despite SharkNinja’s air fryers coming in at a slightly higher price point in most instances, survey respondents felt the brand offered great value for money. Energy efficiency was also taken into consideration here, with SharkNinja ranking highly alongside Philips.
Highly Commended: Philips
Not only is Philips well worthy of a highly commended title with an overall value score of 92.6% but our survey revealed that the brand is also our energy efficiency champion. While it might not have won any awards this time, Philips air fryers consistently showed up as the most energy efficient alongside the brand’s coffee machines.
Most Recommended Air Fryer Brand
Winner: SharkNinja
- With a recommendation score of 72% SharkNinja blaze ahead of the competition
- A whopping 77% of respondents gave the brand a 9 or 10 out of 10 recommendation score
A worthy winner. SharkNinja air fryer owners are not only impressed with their appliances but happy enough to recommend them to a friend too – and we agree.
The Ninja Foodi Dual Zone is still one of our favourite air fryers and the brand takes up four spots in our best air fryer roundup.
Highly Commended: Russell Hobbs
It’s not all about SharkNinja though, as our highly commended badge of honour goes to Russell Hobbs, which made it to second place with an overall recommendation score of 56%.
Most Reliable Air Fryer Brand
Winner: SharkNinja
- SharkNinja take another win with an outstanding 99% reliability score overall
- When asked, 89% of respondents said their Ninja air fryer was very reliable
We asked people how reliable they felt their air fryers were. This included remaining free from faults, errors and breakdowns. Most users were fully satisfied with their SharkNinja appliance, 9% noted minor or occasional issues and only 1% felt their air fryer was only somewhat reliable. Not a single respondent said their appliance had any major or recurring faults – impressive stuff.
Highly Commended: Tefal
In second place with an overall reliability score of 98% is Tefal, making the brand well worthy of our highly commended title. We’re big fans too. Tefal’s Easy Fry Pizza air fryer made it onto our best air fryer roundup thanks to its great design and performance.
Most User-Friendly Air Fryer Brand
Winner: Russell Hobbs
- Russell Hobbs take the win as the most user-friendly brand with a total score of 97%
- 58% said the appliance was ‘very easy’ to use, while 39% said it was ‘easy’
British Brand Russell Hobbs takes the win here for ease of use. Survey participants are clearly very happy with how simple their Russell Hobbs air fryers are to use and while the brand hasn’t taken the top spot elsewhere, it’s well deserving of this win.
Highly Commended: SharkNinja
Close, but not quite enough for top marks this time, SharkNinja. Still, you can’t win them all and the brand gets a well deserved highly commended title for second place. With an overall score of 94.4%, it’s still a very user-friendly choice.
Kitchen Awards 2026: Coffee Machines
Best Overall Coffee Machine Brand
Winner: Nespresso
- Nespresso takes the win for best overall coffee brand with a score of 76%
- Nespresso scored highly (90+%) across performance, reliability and ease of use
After pulling together scores across all surveyed areas, Nespresso proved to be the brand that scored best generally across the board. We’re fans of the Nespresso Vertuo Pop, which features on our roundup of the best coffee machines.
Highly Commended: Sage
Missing out on the win by a hair is Sage, which bagged an overall score of 75%. Not quite enough for the top spot but enough to earn the title of highly commended. Sage also features in our best coffee machine roundup and we recommend the Sage Luxe Brewer and Sage Oracle Jet machines, which both scored highly in our reviews.
Best Value Coffee Machine Brand
Winner: Philips
- Philips coffee machines bag an overall value score of 95%
- The brand scored 97% for value for money and 92% for energy efficiency
Philips are well deserving winners of the best value award. Not only has the brand come out on top here but our survey found it was the energy efficiency champion across both coffee machines and air fryers.
Highly Commended: Lavazza
Lavazza takes second place with an overall value score of 87.1%, while the brand wasn’t deemed as energy efficient as the likes of Philips or Nespresso, survey respondents felt the brand still offered good value for money more generally.
Most Recommended Coffee Machine Brand
Winner: Lavazza
- With an overall recommendation score of 48%, Lavazza is a worthy award winner
- Over 60% of survey respondents gave a recommendation score of 9 or 10 out of 10
Despite not bagging the top prizes for performance or value, Lavazza is the brand that most would recommend.
The results here were scattered, meaning the brand’s overall score looks a little low but that doesn’t mean people don’t love their Lavazza coffee machine. Respondents were asked to rate how likely they were to recommend the brand from 0-10 and 61% gave the brand a score of 9 or more, while 32% gave a score of 7 or 8.
Highly Commended: Breville
A surprise appearance from Breville here. Despite not appearing elsewhere on our list, the brand swoops into second place with an overall recommendation score of 42%, earning it the highly commended title.
Most Reliable Coffee Machine Brand
Winner: De’Longhi
- De’Longhi are the worthy winners with an overall score of 95% for reliability
- 57% of respondents voted the brand as very reliable with no faults
Owners of De’Longhi coffee machines were asked how reliable they felt their appliance was, this included how often they encountered errors or faults. While the majority of respondents reported no faults at all, we think it’s impressive that 39% found the brand to be reliable (with occasional issues), while only 1% felt De’Longhi was unreliable.
Highly Commended: Philips
Philips has once again only missed out on the top spot by 1%. With an overall reliability score of 94%, the brand receives our highly commended title – be sure to check out our review of the Philip’s L’OR Barista Sublime to see why the Expert Review team also rates the brand.
Most User-Friendly Coffee Machine Brand
Winner: Nespresso
- An overall score of 92% secures the win for Nespresso
- 63% of respondents said their Nespresso coffee machine was very easy to use
Another win for Nespresso here, this time securing the award for the most user friendly/ ease of use. Users were asked how easy their coffee machine was to use taking into consideration things like controls, cleaning and general day to day use and Nespresso coffee machines came out on top.
Highly Commended: Lavazza
Lavazza didn’t quite secure the win this time but with a 90% overall score, the brand gets a well deserved second place. In fact, 42% of those surveyed said their Lavazza machine was very easy to use, while 48% deemed it to be easy.
Methodology
The survey for our kitchen brand of the year award was conducted in June 2026 and targeted a sample of 1,344 UK residents. To ensure our insights were reliable, eligibility was restricted to only homeowners. Our team also obtained regional data to reflect geographical nuances and increase the validity of our results.
Our survey looked at data on a variety of brands across dishwashers, fridge freezers, air fryers and coffee machines.
- We asked respondents 12 questions covering overall performance, value for money, reliability, ease of use and energy efficiency.
- We also asked respondents how likely they were to recommend their brand of appliance to friends or family, and whether they’d purchase the same brand again in future.
To ensure the integrity of our analysis, we applied a minimum sample size threshold, which qualified a specific number brands to be looked at for the survey. Then, from this group, an even smaller number of brands were deemed eligible for an award through our relevancy benchmarks.
All of this data was then brought together to choose award winners and highly commended brands across the categories mentioned above.
Analysis brands for dishwashers:
Hotpoint, Indesit, Bosch, AEG, Beko, Miele, NEFF
Award eligibility brands for dishwashers:
Hotpoint, Indesit, Bosch, AEG, Beko, Miele, NEFF
Analysis brands for fridge freezers:
Hotpoint, Hisense, Samsung, Bosch, Beko, Haier, Hoover.
Award eligibility brands for fridge freezers:
Hotpoint, Hisense, Samsung, Bosch, Beko.
Analysis brands for air fryers:
Philips, Tefal, SharkNinja, Tower, Russell Hobbs, Cosori, Salter, Instant.
Award eligibility brands for air fryers:
Philips, Tefal, SharkNinja, Tower, Russell Hobbs.
Analysis brands for coffee machines:
Philips, Nespresso, De’Longhi, Sage, Melitta, Lavazza, and Breville.
Award eligibility brands for coffee machines:
Philips, Nespresso, De’Longhi, Sage, Lavazza, and Breville.
