Resolve the identity
Brand, exact model code, stable identifiers and regional variants are kept together. Near-matches are not silently merged.
How ApplianceBench works
Evidence first. Calculations shown. Gaps left visible.
ApplianceBench is a decision platform built on Atlas product and regulatory data. It does not describe database evidence as hands-on testing.
ABIndependent methodologyVersion 1.0 / 2026
Normalise the evidence
Units and fields are made comparable while preserving the original source, regime, retrieval date and missing values.
Calculate practical meaning
Annual energy is converted only when the exact model has a non-conflicting annual kWh value. The GB reference rate, effective dates, source and formula stay visible.
Gate recall evidence separately
A safety notice needs an official identifier, source, date, jurisdiction, remedy and an exact model or bounded official model-pattern fit. Serial-number limits remain visible, and no unmatched model is called safe.
Keep commerce separate
Only approved offer routes for an exact product identity can appear. Affiliate offers can help people buy, but do not make a page indexable, change a recommendation or overwrite official evidence.
Current launch evidence
Authoritative records, bounded use
EPREL
European energy label records surfaced through the Atlas bounded, value-added catalogue. Official records remain linked.
ENERGY STAR
US government certification data supplies product identity, annual kWh and performance context where present.
France repairability
Official model-level scores are retained with the French market scope, calculation date and source link. A score is not converted into a lifespan or reliability claim.
CPSC recall evidence
Official US notices appear only after the RecallCheck identity gate passes. Exact suffix and serial ranges remain part of the owner check; an absent match is not safety clearance.
Ofgem electricity rate
The GB calculator starts at the published average default-tariff unit rate for the current cap period. It excludes standing charge and remains editable for the visitor's actual tariff.
Retail partners
Exact-match availability and prices are dated. Some links may be affiliate; that relationship is disclosed next to offers.
Identity rules
One model, one brand, or none.
Exact model codes
A page is built around one model designation. Variants and near-matches are not merged, and a shorter model stem is not treated as evidence for a longer one.
Shared certifications
Some registries certify one unit and record several partner or private-label brand names against it. Where that happens we publish no manufacturer for the model and list the brand names on the record as a sourced fact. We never join them into a single brand string.
Manufacturer hubs
A brand hub is built only from records that name one manufacturer. Records with an unresolved brand stay on their product page and in their category, and are excluded from brand pages and brand comparisons.
Publication rule
A record is not automatically a page.
- Stable, exact identity and unique canonical path
- Useful normalised specifications and clear provenance
- At least two approved independent evidence systems for an exact product page
- Recall pages additionally require hazard, remedy, jurisdiction and explicit identity fit
- No unresolved duplicates, licensing or image-rights issue
- Affiliate availability is never a quality gate
How we stay independent
Where the money comes from, and what it cannot buy.
ApplianceBench earns commission
Some outbound retailer links are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the retailer or its network may pay us a commission at no extra cost to you. Current partners are the Awin retailer network and the Amazon Associates programme; as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
No paid placement
No manufacturer or retailer pays to appear, to rank higher, or to have a record removed. Retailer prices are ordered cheapest first, and the order does not change with commission rate.
Evidence is not commercial
Official registry evidence is loaded, matched and published on its own. An offer cannot create a page, add to the independent source count, change a measured value or override a safety notice. Pages exist for models with no purchasable offer at all.
What we do not do
We do not test appliances, and we do not describe registry data as hands-on testing. We publish no star ratings, editor's picks or “best buy” verdicts, because nothing in the underlying data would support one.