The last few appliances I've gotten I've researched online (usually including Consumer Reports, though my impression is that they're getting a lot less reliable and relevant, but always starting with a Google search such as "front loading washer review rating"), created a list of three or so items that would work, then gone to a "scratch and dent" outlet and buy it for 25%-60% off, usually just because it is not in its original packaging. This has saved me tons of money in the last few years and I've had no more problems than I've had buying new.

For the kinds of relatively high-end equipment pictured in this posting, another way to get a discount is to go to a appliance trade show and offer to buy the one they're showing at the end of the show.

Consumer Reports has never been of any use to me in any purchase I have made -- they simply do not cover enough of the market. They purposely avoid the end of the market in which I am interested: European appliances, high end appliances, etc.

So I check internet sources as well as a particularly good appliance showroom where the salespeople are paid a salary, not a commission. I found their advice to be very good; thanks to them, we *didn't* buy a SubZero fridge.

consumer reports and a trip to ye olde sears scratch and dent first to see if they have something awesome that is 60% off because it was on the floor. my stove has a teeny scratch on the side and was so much less than it would normally be!

European brands and high end appliances are for the most part price controlled. Doesn't matter where you shop you'll get the same price.

I'd be very interested to know what the previous poster purchased over a Sub Zero. Even "non-commissioned" sales people will get bonuses for selling certain brands (sometimes from their employer and sometimes from the manufacturer). From what I've experienced there isn't anything better being built today.

I may be biased because I work for one but I think you get the best deal and the best service from local long standing dealers especially over big box stores like Best Buy or Home Depot. Where I work you are likely to call in and get the owner of the company answering the phone.

Also do all the internet research you want but buying appliances online and having them shipped is a BAD idea. There is a huge risk of damage and on some brands it will be extremely hard to get serviced since local distributors control the service end as well.

I find that the website for online store AJ Madison has the most complete information regarding appliances. I may not have purchased the appliance from them, but I definitely used their site to research the purchase. Most sites don't include information like measurements with and without the door handle, etc.

How do you find a scratch and dent outlet?

When considering new purchases, I often look at ConsumerSearch.com. They don't cover everything, and their review roundups are generally limited to the highest-scoring products, but they offer an additional source of insight I've found very useful.

You can find Sears scratch-and-dent outlet locations on the Sears website.

They usually list the appliances available online, and you can then call the specific location to get the lowdown on the actual piece and find out exactly what's wrong with it.

I find Consumer Reports helpful for determining which brands are the least repair-prone (it changes, depending on the appliance). I use that, along with online reviews, to narrow my choices.

Then I find the lowest price available online, and use that to negotiate with my local appliance dealer, who delivers for free. If I'm buying several appliances at the same time, I try to negotiate a multiple-appliance discount.

Just a warning... we have had TERRIBLE luck with our new Amana Refrig. (bottom freezer). The sales person recommended it as being a great product. -Shame on us for believing him. It's on it's 7th repair since purchasing it two years ago. I would avoid Amana/MayTag/Jenn-Air/Hotpoint in any future purchase.

I know someone who has scheduled appliance service for the last 20 years. If you ask him what brand to buy he says "they all suck". Just because one person had horrible luck with a single appliance doesn't mean all Amana products suck and your salesperson lied to you. You are just as likely to have had the same problem with a GE, Whirlpool, Viking or Dacor product. There are certainly some clunker models built (laundry especially) but brand to brand there isn't a lot of difference as far as reliability. You're paying for features/looks.

I do not agree with Rpoole11 about buying appliances. I just bought a high end oven and ventilation hood from two different internet sites and had real positive experiences.
I bought a discontinued oven at half price from Drimmers and trucked to California. The oven arrived in pristine condition except for a lot of dust since it was siting in a warehouse for a few years. The shipping cost $35 curbside - what a deal. It was a real great workout moving the 160 lb oven into my apartment!
I bought the hood from US appliances in michigan and it also arrived in great condition free shipping.
When the appliances arrived I had to examine the packaging to make sure they were in great condition. If there was anything wrong, package wise I was to refuse the shipment. The seller let me know about this before the shipment arrived. And I was able to schedule the delivery on a holiday monday and saturday so it was less inconvient then waiting for the cable guy. IMO, drimmers really helped us by holding two different ovens until we could sort out the power requirements.
You do need to complete your research before buying.
Try this forum:http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/appl/
I had seen both items at a Miele design center a few years ago. The Miele design center does not sell products so they do give out good information and are happy to test out situations for you. We were able to "burn cheese" at the center one saturday in order to test the hood.
Just before buying the appliances, I spent about an hour over several days discussing the oven with the Miele reps to make sure it was right for us and check whether our current pans would fit in it. We got a full warrenty from Miele and I would be upset if the local service rep does what Rpoole11 is implying above.
Can't wait to install the new appliance until then they are sitting in my bedroom with our new Miele dishwasher! Lot's of jokes about our "german kitchen"...

I'm just saying be careful. I know locally our Viking distributor won't service products under warranty if they were shipped in from out of state. The products have regionally protected distribution contracts and the sellers can get in some serious hot water for selling outside of their area.

Whenever we look up something, we check consumerreports.com first, just to get a good idea of the various features available and what they like. But it's hardly descriptive, which is why we then go to amazon.com and read every single review (and sometimes comments). If we're still not satisfied, we just google "dishwasher reviews" or what have you.

Any kind of website with a good amount of reviews over time (some people even come back and update their 2 year old review, which is a huge help) is great.

After remodeling last year, the hardest appliance was the fridge. We wanted a counter depth model that could hold a frozen pizza (yes there are those days), etc etc. The stylish bottom drawer turns out to be the worse design unless you like to dig.....

Anyway, when we shopped we learned to bring an empty frozen pizza box, a 12 pack soda box (same size as the wire roll out dispensers) and a few rubber-maid like containers to simulate worse case scenarios.

It was amazing how many models we were able to cross off immediately -especially when looking at counter depth.

In the end we got the perfect model and we still love it. The long search paid off and we know we made the right choice.

I recently had to euthanize a 22-year old GE refigerator. It was specific dimensions because it fit into a specific space. So not much of a choice when it came to choosing a new one. I went with the same sized GE because no other manufacturer made a similar size. The new one is Energy Star rated, and is sooo much quieter than the old one. BONUS!! My monthly electric bill is now $15 less!!!