I have a Heart Interface Freedom 10 inverter that's been in constant service (float-charging the batteries) for, what, maybe 8 years now? Very reliable, except that the AC transfer switch section doesn't like my old Onan generator. It's rated at 1KW, which is plenty for running the microwave oven, hair drier, steam iron or most power tools.
Trace Engineering used to enjoy an excellent reputation, and Statpower's wasn't too bad, either. However, all three of these companies were recently bought by Xantrex, and I'm not sure whether the quality is still being maintained.
Several generic considerations:
1. Linear-type inverters (the ones with a big, heavy power transformer) tend to have much higher surge capability than the much smaller, lighter switching-type models.
2. Most of the linear models also include a high-capacity battery charger at little or no extra cost — a happy consequence of the fact that most of the inverter components can also be used for the charger circuit. Only a few switching-type inverters include any battery charger capabilty.
3. Switching-type inverters operate at very high freqencies, which makes them more prone to interfering with radio and TV reception.
For these reasons, I prefer linear-type inverters, (except in the smaller sizes, where switching-type inverters are the only kind commonly available, and in situations where minimizing size and weight are crucial).