I have a few things that help me when making these decisions.
There might not be brand loyalty, but there is store loyalty. I know a few places around that have sold me good stuff in the past and I usually check there first. A brick and mortar store, even if you buy from them online, has an interest in not thrashing their reputation by selling you junk. Eg, I tried several electric shavers, but the one I currently use is one of the only ones a local big-name store had. The 'best reviewed' one I found by searching online sucked.
No internet connected anything.
Old technology is usually more reliable. I got an infra-red electric stovetop with knobs instead of paying extra for an induction one and I don't regret it. It was the only one they had because apparently no one wants knobs instead of touch sensitive buttons, but it still works perfectly years on and I'm still fairly happy with it. You never want to be first in line for anything.
Subscriptions to "Consumer Reports" or "Choice" magazines are always helpful, and their reviews are very reliable, but you won't always be able to find the stuff they're recommending.