How to identify reliable products/market leaders?

Alan_Cross

I've come up against this situation time and time again... and there seems to be no obvious solution to it.

Maybe the world of retail prefers it that way...

It so happens that this time I'm looking for a reliable toaster, one which isn't going to go phhtt after 13 month's use and just after the guarantee has expired.

However this is a general problem with products which have to work, using electricity, gas or whatever. It could be any item.

Here I am, toasterless and needing to acquire one within a relatively short timeframe. How do I get an overview of the working quality of what's available within my price range?

It's just not possible - or is it?

[Deleted User]

I'd start off by looking on Amazon and finding the correct subcategory i.e.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/bestsellers/kitchen/11716951/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_kh_1_4_last

and then seeing which is the most popular. Then google for some reviews and look at the ones on Amazon too.

Fifer

Posting specific questions on the right forums here normally gets a good response.

free4440273

Well, very often a case of u get what u pay for: for toasters, Dualit are superb - excellent build quality and toasts beautifully, but certainly not cheap

buglawton

You could subscribe to Which? magazine which also gives you online access to their tested products database. Which? tests are very thorough and address the needs of real people not just techies. Also covers motoring and lots of other consumer topics. The Which? subscription is a bit expensive, what I do is go to the library - every main library in the UK has years of back numbers of the mag with periodic indexes to find product types. Make use of the rates that you pay & use the library!

see
Which? Toasters Review
(but it's only a teaser page)

The_Biff

I just bought the Which? Best Buy toaster. It's £37 at Co-op Elecs with free P&P. Excellent product. It's made by Krups.

aliEnRIK

The_Biff wrote: »

I just bought the Which? Best Buy toaster. It's £37 at Co-op Elecs with free P&P. Excellent product. It's made by Krups.

Do they take longevitity into account? Or is it just best toaster from new?

cfbc

free4440273 wrote: »

Well, very often a case of u get what u pay for: for toasters, Dualit are superb - excellent build quality and toasts beautifully, but certainly not cheap

Totally agree.. A lot of these "offers" and best buys are not always the best in the long run even at the knock down "offered" prices. Not to say all are "get what you pay for", but there is normally a darn good reason if a certain product has 70-80% off... Certainly true with games!

As to the way I do it... Research via Google on what I want, then Amazon and Play.com (some good feedback by users), then I go to some forums and then I actually go and try and take a peek in any electrical shop if it is something like a tv, radio, microwave or such like to get the feel and look.

Then I go back on the internet and search for best deal or I go back to a shop and haggle....

Remeber, cheapest is not always the best and you do get what you pay for most of the time and if the offer is too good to be true, it probably is!

BillScarab

Have a look at https://www.reevoo.com there are lots of user sunmitted reviews fo appliances there.

As someone else said you can also look at the reviews on Amazon.

The other thing is to if you are itnerested in specific models google the model name and the word review to find reviews. Obviously this tends to be better for things likeTVs rather than toasters.

Heres the list of toasters on Reevoo in raked order, a tefal model is top followed by a Dualit.

Fifer

buglawton wrote: »

You could subscribe to Which? magazine which also gives you online access to their tested products database. Which? tests are very thorough and address the needs of real people not just techies. Also covers motoring and lots of other consumer topics. The Which? subscription is a bit expensive, what I do is go to the library - every main library in the UK has years of back numbers of the mag with periodic indexes to find product types. Make use of the rates that you pay & use the library!

see
Which? Toasters Review
(but it's only a teaser page)

You have to apply judgement with the Which tests though. For example, their reviews of technology products can be ridiculously, laugh-out-loud innacurate.

DCFC79

Depends if you have a budget and what the budget is