- Every kitchen needs a good refrigerator but finding one that’s energy-efficient, budget-friendly, and spacious enough to hold your weekly grocery haul is key.
- Our top pick is the Whirlpool 25 Cubic-Foot French Door Refrigerator because it has lots of useful features and looks and performs like a much more expensive fridge.
When I was growing up, my family always had a standard white, freezer-on-top refrigerator. At some point, many of my friends started getting fridges with built-in water and ice dispensers on the door. I was enamored with this high-tech feature and never tired of helping myself to a glass of water.
Of course, refrigerators have come a long way since then. Recently, at The Home Depot, my eight-year-old daughter and her friend amused themselves for half an hour playing with a futuristic Samsung Family Hub Smart Refrigerator. They used their fingers to draw pictures and make notes on the whiteboard and then recorded silly messages and played them back as other customers giggled. Other high-tech features on this fridge include three built-in cameras so you can see the inside of your fridge from anywhere and have the ability to stream music or watch TV right there on your appliance.
It’s fun stuff, but smart fridges are expensive, and not everyone needs the advanced features. Most people just want an energy-efficient fridge with sufficient storage and a reasonable price tag, which is why our picks range from $700 to $2,000 with plenty of mid-range options in between.
When choosing a fridge, consider which style you prefer. The most popular style of fridge comes with French doors and a bottom freezer. Other common options include the classic freezer on top, or the side-by-side freezer and fridge.
It may sound obvious, but make sure you measure carefully to ensure that a new fridge fits into your allotted space. You should also measure all doorways and other possible obstructions like kitchen islands to make sure the fridge can actually get into your kitchen. You’ll also want to consider inside capacity (measured in cubic feet) so you get enough space.
Most new refrigerators are much more efficient than older models. Still, it's a good idea to look for the EPA Energy Star rating. The Energy Star Product Finder allows you to compare different features among refrigerator models to optimize your purchase.
Here are the best refrigerators:
- Best overall: Whirlpool 25 Cubic-Foot French Door Refrigerator
- Best bottom-freezer fridge: Whirlpool 18.5 Cubic-Foot Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator
- Best side-by-side fridge: Frigidaire 22 Cubic-Foot Refrigerator
- Best on a budget: GE 17.5 Cubic-Foot Top-Freezer Refrigerator
- Best high-end fridge: LG 23.5 Cubic-Foot French-Door Refrigerator
Prices and links are current as of 7/29/20. Our previous top pick, the Samsung 25.5 Cubic-Foot French-Door Refrigerator, is currently out of stock, and if and when it does become available again, it looks like it won't be on sale anymore. Instead, we're recommending the Whirlpool 25 Cubic-Foot French Door fridge for now. It's only slightly smaller by half of a cubic foot, and the price is roughly the same when the Samsung isn't on sale. We've also added a new high-end pick and are testing new refrigerators for a larger update to this buying guide.
The best overall
The Whirlpool 25 cu. ft. French Door is spacious, making it ideal for families. The sleek stainless-steel finish is fingerprint-resistant too, so it'll withstand young children.
In January 2017, Whirlpool expanded fingerprint-resistant capabilities to its stainless steel fridges. The result? No longer do families have to choose between beautiful stainless steel and fingerprint-free exteriors. Just wipe those smudges away with soap and water, and your fridge is like new again.
The fridge measures 35.63 by 70.13 by 34.63 inches, and it's a very good-looking fridge with an ice and water dispenser on the door. Of course, all eyes are on that extra exterior drawer which helps keep items that are used daily within easy reach.
Whirlpool's fridge also has its own temperature controls and adjustable dividers. Other high-tech features include LED lighting, adjustable gallon-sized door bins, and exterior tap-touch temperature controls. The measured water dispenser is a handy touch.
Several buyers did complain that the stainless steel rusted quickly (though it's unclear where they live in relation to saltwater), that the unit is noisy, and that the large ice maker takes up too much room on the interior of the freezer.
Pros: Sleek styling, extra external drawer, LED lighting, smudge-proof finish
Cons: Some users complain that it is noisy and that the ice maker is too big
The best bottom-freezer fridge
The Whirlpool 18.5 cubic foot Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator makes it convenient to reach for frozen goods and the interior shelves are useful at keeping things organized.
Whirlpool has been making refrigerators since 1955, and it's one of the best-known brands in the world. This simple, but solid fridge offers spill-proof glass shelves, a roomy interior, an ice maker in the freezer, and humidity-controlled bins. There is no water dispenser.
It has the classic fridge look, except that the freezer is on the bottom instead of the top. The fridge measures 29.625 by 67 by 30.875 inches, so measure carefully. Inside, you'll find five fresh-food shelves, six door bins, and two freezer shelves for food storage. Whirpool's fridge also got the Energy Star seal of approval, so it won't consume much electricity.
The one downside to a bottom-freezer fridge is that those who have trouble bending may find it difficult to access their frozen goods. Keep in mind how often you reach for frozen veggies, ice, or pints of ice cream before committing to a bottom-freezer refrigerator.
Multiple professional reviewers highly recommend the Whirlpool 18.5 cu. ft Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator in Stainless Steel for its sturdy construction and high performance.
Pros: Affordable, highly-rated performance, roomy interior
Cons: Some users complain that it is noisy, wobbly drawers, bottom freezers are not the most convenient
The best side-by-side fridge
The sleek Frigidaire 22 cubic foot fridge has a thru-the-door ice machine, filtered water dispenser, and other fun features not found in traditional side-by-side fridges.
Some folks are still fans of the side-by-side fridges that were extremely popular in the 1990s. Practical advantages to this type of fridge include smaller doors and easy access to the freezer. It measures 33 by 69.625 by 32 inches, and stands at 22 cubic feet.
This snazzy, counter-depth Frigidaire fridge with an ice and filtered water dispenser offers some fun features including a place to store frozen pizzas, wine bottle holders on the door, a meat drawer with its own thermostat, and a "Sabbath mode" which allows it to be used by those observing Jewish holidays.
Frigidaire's fridge is not Energy Star-certified, so that is something to keep in mind. There is a one-year warranty for parts and labor, so if you run into problems within that period, you're covered.
Pros: Great price for counter-depth fridge, snazzy appearance, wine bottle holders
Cons: Drawers don't glide open and shut easily, not Energy Star-certified
The best budget refrigerator
If you are looking for a basic unit, the GE 17.5 cubic foot fridge is a good value for well under $1,000.
GE refrigerators are well-known for their durability, and this model lives up to its famous name even though it is very affordable.
Two adjustable glass shelves and two drawers with separate humidity controls provide flexibility in how you store your food. Easy access controls allow you to separately regulate the temperature of the fridge and freezer. The doors do provide features usually only found in more expensive refrigerators: can holders and extra deep bins to hold gallon-sized containers.
For a small refrigerator, there is a lot of usable space. It measures 28 by 67.4 by 32.5 inches in size. This fridge comes with a limited one-year manufacturer's warranty.
Fans of this fridge rave about the spacious interior, the famous GE dependability, and of course - the low price. Critics of the unit frequently claim that it is too noisy.
Pros: Reasonable price, roomier than it looks, two adjustable glass shelves, white matte finish doesn't smudge
Cons: Old-fashioned look, no bells & whistles, limited lighting
The best high-end fridge
If you want to splurge a bit more on a fridge, the 23.5 cubic-foot three-door (French-door) from LG offers all the basics along with superior humidity and temperature control.
Refrigerators are appliances you probably rely on several times a day, and while, yes, most any fridge will do its job of keeping things cold without fail, some offer exceptional performance where thermostat control and temperature consistency, low noise, and ice making are concerned.
Features include an external water dispenser, adjustable shelving, built-in water and air filters, digital controls on the front door, dual evaporators to keep excess moisture at bay (this is great for fruits and veggies), and a child lock for the water and ice dispensers.
All in all, LG has been doing a knockout job on refrigerators, and this one, though a large step up from the other refrigerators on our list, is no exception.
The fridge measures 71 inches tall by 36 inches wide (standard) by 29 inches deep, leaving it a little on the deeper side, and likely to protrude from standard counters that have a depth of 24 inches. The brand purports the fridge space to offer 23.5 cubic feet of space, but Consumer Reports measures something more like 15.7 cubic feet total, with 11 cubic feet of usable space in the fridge and 4.7 cubic feet of space in the freezer. That might be a bit smaller than other fridges in our guide, but not by a whole lot.
Pros: Chock-full of features to keep your food fresh, crisp, and consistently cool
Cons: On the pricier side, maybe too small for some households
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