Brands like Frigidaire, Kenmore, and Whirlpool generally don’t manufacture anything anymore. They pay other companies to make the appliances and then slap their name on them. And you can guarantee they go with the lowest bidder.
I avoid all those brands now.
It sounds like she’s an introvert, and you’re an extrovert.
For you, chatting is effortless and energizing. For her, it requires effort and can be draining.
Meanwhile, you find mental exercises like deep thought or creating require effort and can be draining. For her, these are effortless and energizing.
You need to talk with her about her and your needs, and you must recognize the differences between you and find a middle ground where you can each be happy. That could mean you go out with friends to get your chatting needs and give her the space to recharge, and you and her find topics that interest her to talk about.
One last bit of advice: don’t treat this like it’s a you versus her problem. Treat it like it’s you and her versus the problem. The collaborative approach will yield better solutions and results.
I’ll read the Consumer Reports reviews and see what the comments say. Their rankings can give you an idea of the models to avoid at least. Even in the same brand, one model can be wildly different from another model simply due to who the real manufacturer was, or just the parts used.
Sometimes the reviews are detailed and thorough, but sometimes they only list the basics. Usually for the appliances they go in depth in my experience.