Too bad wirecutter is very hit or miss. I have definitely bought their recommendations and regretted it.
Searching for query + reddit is an OK means of looking for recommendations
What would be nice is a store (like amazon or target) that only sold reputable items. I'm not looking for 3rd party marketplace (like walmart or amazon offers). Maybe costco (brick & mortar) offers this curated selection, but even costco's products are hit or miss.
If that fails, I do the Google + "reddit" search, but I have to look through a few posts to see if there's general consensus among accounts.