Best American-made appliances
The thousands of products that pass through Consumer Reports test labs each year come from all corners of the globe. There are washing machines and water heaters from Mexico, TVs and refrigerators from South Korea, dishwashers and vacuums from Germany. We see lots of appliances that are made right here in the U.S. too, of course. Every country has winners and losers when it comes to quality and performance.
Here, we focus on the best American-made large and small appliances available now. Especially with so much recent reshoring, the U.S. is competitive in these categories, so you have plenty of choices. You may have to spend a bit more, however, since in many cases, appliance manufacturers have brought production of premium lines home , while continuing to outsource lower-priced models.
Read our special report, "Made in America," to find what's really a U.S.-made product and not an import. ANd find out what makes a car ‘American’.
Refrigerators
Among all bottom-freezers and built-ins we’ve tested, roughly 40 make our recommended list, including these 10 American-made models. (Most top-freezers and side-by-sides are manufactured overseas.)
French-door bottom-freezers
GE Profile PWE23KMDES, $2,600
Whirlpool Gold GX5FHTXV[Q], $1,600
Conventional bottom-freezers
Whirlpool WRB322DMBM, $1,400
Whirlpool Gold GB2FHDXW[Q], $1,200
Amana ABB2224WE, $1,350
Maytag MBF2258XE, $1,100
Amana ABB2224BRM, $1,250
Maytag MBF1958XE, $1,150
Built-ins
Jenn-Air JS42PPDUDB, $7,200
Sub-Zero BI42S[S], $8,000
Dishwashers
In this category, KitchenAid is the safest bet because all its dishwashers are manufactured in Findlay, Ohio. Bosch and Kenmore mix of domestic and foreign production, but the models below are made in the U.S.
KitchenAid KDTM354DSS, $1,080
Kenmore Elite 12793, $1,200
Kenmore Elite 12783, $1,070
KitchenAid KDFE454CSS, $1,350
Bosch 800 Plus Series SHX7PT55UC, $1,300
Wall ovens
Michigan-based Whirlpool (which also owns Maytag and KitchenAid) makes many of the best performing wall ovens on the market. GE’s innovative French-door oven is also a recommended model.
Whirlpool WOS92EC0AH, $1,500
Maytag MEW9530AW, $1,400
KitchenAid KEBS109BWW, $2,000
GE PT9050SFSS, $3,900
Maytag MEW7530AW, $1,000
Ranges
Looking for a great American-made range? Many electric models score highly in our tests, including the top induction model from Kenmore. The best pro-style ranges are made in KitchenAid’s factory in Cleveland, Tenn.
Smoothtop electric
GE PS950SFSS, $2,800
Maytag MET8885XS, $1,700
GE PS920SFSS, $2,800
Maytag MET8885XS, $1,700
Induction
Kenmore 95073, $1,530
GE PHB920SFSS, $2,200
Gas
KitchenAid KDRS505XSS, $2,500
Pro-style
KitchenAid KDRS407VSS, $4,000
KitchenAid KDRU763VSS, $6,000
Washers
About a third of our washing machine picks are American-made. No dryers produced in the U.S. make the cut in our current Ratings.
Front-loader
Maytag Maxima MHW8100DC, $1,300
Maytag Maxima MHW5100DW, $950
HE top-loader
Whirlpool Cabrio WTW8500DW, $1,000
Conventional top-loader
Whirlpool WTW4850BW, $580
GE GTWN5650FWS, $650
Freezers
About half of our recommended freezers are made in the U.S. , including both upright and chest configurations.
Self-defrost upright
Frigidaire FFFH20F2QW, $750
Maytag MZF34X16DW, $550
Frigidaire FFFH17F4QT, $800
Manual-defrost upright
Frigidaire FFFU17M1QW, $700
Manual-defrost chest freezer
Frigidaire FFCH16M5QW, $590
Amana AZC31T15DW, $550
Small appliances
American-made small appliances are hard to come by. Indeed, no recommended toaster, coffeemaker, or food processor is made here. But the mixer and blender choices below are all top-rated.
Gas grills
The vast majority of gas grills are manufactured in China. But all Vermont Castings grills are made in central Vermont, and Weber’s Summit and Genesis lines are made in Palatine, Ill.
This article also appeared in the July 2015 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
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10 great gas grills for $300 or less
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