My favourite home tech appliances of 2026

Whether you’re buying a dishwasher, fridge, shower or washing machine, Kya deLongchamps reveals how to select your next top model from the appliances lighting up the showroom runways

LG GBBS524CEV 60/40 Fridge Freezer, from €800, suppliers nationwide.

Trends and technological specs are changing the way we look at new appliances and none more so than the large machines we’ve pushed into those 60cm gaps in the kitchen cabinetry. Here is how to find the latest and greatest, including the best budget options.

Invisible but chill

The aesthetic of large appliances set in open-plan spaces that include a kitchen is moving towards quiet inclusion in line with the rage for hidden storage. The invisible kitchen features concealed cooling with no clunky handles, external ice-makers, preferring controls integrated into the edges or the interior of the machine, and soft, sleek lines. LG Fit and Max is a good example, championing fridge/freezers with zero-clearance doors (4mm). These feature hinges with an exquisitely engineered internal axis that allow the door to open fully without having the front of the cabinet bloom even slightly out of flush with the surrounding cabinets or a large dirt-catching vertical gap. We do still need a 15mm at the top of any fridge or fridge/freezer’s door under an overhead cabinet and set clearance at the rear (to maintain necessary heat escape).

LG also integrates AI smarts into its top models, and I’m glad to see it’s intensely focused on energy saving and cooling performance rather than the gimmicks of door-mounted tablets, meal suggestions and interior cameras. “By analysing your regular door-opening patterns, the fridge freezer anticipates periods of frequent use,” according to LG. “Powered by LG’s AI inverter compressor, it increases cooling performance around two hours in advance to help maintain stable temperatures and consistent freshness” The LG. GBBS524CEV 60/40 fridge freezer is priced from €800, suppliers nationwide.

LG GBBS524CEV 60/40 Fridge Freezer, from €800, suppliers nationwide.

Look into Siemens’ new line of tall, single-door refrigerators and freezers, versatile as extra coolers set a pantry or utility space. Siemens has also improved the interior storage in this new KS36N line of fridges by 15% in a single fridge (402l), and a multi-airflow system that allows you to put your chilled foods on any shelf you fancy. The Siemens super-cooling system, which chills groceries arriving from the car, and its active cooling system, to eliminate warm pockets, are becoming an industry standard for new cooling appliances. The IQ300 KS36NVICGG single-door larder fridge is around €1,049.

Dripping in tech

Electric showers might not be the most efficient way to shower, but with older gravity-fed central systems, low pressure and placements not linked to the hot water system where a conventional shower won’t work — they are a reality for many families. Timing showers to off-peak usage (time-of-use tariffs) and trimming showers to as short a period of use as possible — they don’t have to be the energy bogeyman of the household.

Ensure your model is detailed to either the attic tank (pumped electric) or the cold mains supply (electric only), depending on your needs. If the pressure or temperature of your current electric model is unreliable, the shower is noisy or it is showing any signs of strain, it might be time to change out to a more current, quieter model. Even with the best of care, the internal element can suffer from inevitable limescale build-up.

I’m drawn to the Triton T90ER for its superb good looks, 96% energy efficiency, relative silence (Quiet Mark-certified) and upgraded internal safety engineering. Gravity-fed only, you can enjoy the additional comfort of a pumped, instantly hot shower as either a standard shower head with five modes, or in Triton’s popular DuElec with an overhead rainfall shower. There are better graphics, easier grip knobs (I know, as I have a T90SR which I do love), and Triton has moved away from unsustainable chrome plating to gloss white trims with a polished stainless-steel riser rail, or a premium matt black with brass trims.

Triton T90ER From €310, tritonshowers.ie.

Triton says, “All power-carrying cables have been upgraded to high-grade silicone insulation, boosting the temperature rating from 105C to 180C.

“Micro-switch suppliers have been upgraded, and wire thickness has been increased from 2.5 sq mm to 4 sq mm to drastically reduce any risk of overheating.” You can swap out any older T90 models with the Triton T90ER from €310, check out Tritonshowers.ie.

Getting fresh

We’re all skidding in and out of the house, and with the best practice around washing and drying clothes at off-peak energy slots, things don’t always go to plan. Even fully washed and ready for the dryer, if clothes are left in a machine for even a few hours, they can start to smell. Wear that shirt or those slacks to work, and right about elevenses, you might catch a subtle whiff. Whirlpool is a customer favourite not just for its price point, but for its pursuit of good detailing, indicated by greater and more pricey German brands.

These programmes and extras are centred on how we actually live, and that’s not always ready on time for work, or able to monitor the wash for hours on end. FreshCare+ is a case in point. “This purposeful technology gently rotates and delicately steams your laundry at regular intervals to circulate the air in the drum, creating the perfect level of humidity to keep your laundry fresh,” according to Whirlpool.ie.

Whirlpool 9kg, 1400rpm, Supreme Silence, W8 99AD from €800, multiple suppliers.

The brand’s Steam Refresh cycle can turn slightly dirty clothes around in just 20 minutes, cutting back on the expense and nuisance of short runs of half loads. You can also deploy the power of steam as part of a standard load, ideal for anyone using cloth nappies for babies. With SteamHygiene, steam is generated in the drum, holding the temperature at 70C-80C for 20 minutes to kill most bacteria without additional detergent help. Look for Whirlpool models with the proprietory 6th Sense sensor-driven technology.

My choice is the feature-rich Whirlpool 9kg, 1400rpm, Supreme Silence, W8 99AD from €800.

What a dish

The best dishwashers can last for many years, and Miele tests its machines for 20 years of service. This level of reliable, energy-efficient, top-quality performance over that time frame is well worth paying for. The latest Miele machines offer the highest energy class available, delivering a load for as little as 0.67kWh (eco programme) with water consumption down to just 6l using automatic programmes for crockery only (barely enough to fill a kitchen sink). Whatever the budget, I always like to examine the best and use that as a standard for finding any appliance at any price point. What we should look for in today’s dishwasher is automatic load-sensing as delivered by Miele. This ensures that even a half-load will not destroy the machine’s potential efficiency. Dishwashers are smelly beasts, which huff the honk back into the kitchen or utility as they are opened and closed. Being able to run them more regularly can make a big difference to the perceived air quality in a smaller home.

Miele models, like most premier machines, are also highly insulated, and reduce both noise and the thermal loss that can make a dishwasher more expensive to run. The devil really is in the detail.

Look for machines that include a second solenoid valve to shut off the flow of water directly at the stopcock in the event of a leak. Together with a wide range of programmes, there’s a small feature in Miele machines that makes them a stand-out for me — the little yellow handles marking out positions for adjusting the flexible baskets (3D MultiFlex trays and baskets). This considered inclusion is all but life-altering when you’re in a hurry and have gigantic pans swinging from each hand.

Miele G5811SC Front Active Plus, from €1,199 with CleanSteel, multiple suppliers.

I’m going all out on the G5811SC Front Active Plus CleanSteel for €1,199. On a budget shop? Again, just examine the specs for this or another fabulous German machine to judge more pocket-friendly models like the Bosch Series 6 or 8 in the €830 to €900 range.