When shopping for a new refrigerator, you have several elements to consider, including size, design, price, and finish. We’ve analyzed the best refrigerators on the market to help narrow down the search. Our ratings include French door, top-freezer, side-by-side, and counter-depth models. Once you’ve found your appliance of choice, see our guide to the Best Places to Buy a Refrigerator to decide how you want to purchase.
LG 26.2-Cubic-Foot Smart French Door LFXS26973 Refrigerator: Our No. 1 refrigerator is the LG 26.2-Cubic-Foot Smart Wi-Fi Enabled French Door Refrigerator with a score of 4.3 out of 5. It’s a relatively large refrigerator with a French door design, featuring double doors above a freezer drawer. It features design elements such as a water and ice dispenser in the door, an additional ice maker in the freezer, bins that can fit gallon-sized containers, and a drawer that runs the full width of the fridge.
It also has Wi-Fi connectivity which, along with LG’s ThinQ smartphone app, allows you to adjust the refrigerator temperature remotely and receive alerts when the refrigerator door is left open. LG’s Smart Diagnosis app also helps you identify issues that may require a technician. This fridge comes in stainless steel and black stainless steel finishes, both of which are fingerprint-resistant. It retails for $2,849, which is roughly average among the refrigerator models in our rating.
Samsung 27.7-Cubic-Foot Four-Door RF28R7551 Refrigerator: The Samsung RF28R7551 places No. 2 in our rating. It has a four-door French door design, meaning it has a refrigerator section with double doors on the top, a freezer drawer below, and a FlexZone drawer in between. The FlexZone drawer has four different temperature settings and an adjustable divider, making it great for entertaining.
This Samsung refrigerator also features the Family Hub, a 21.5-inch touch screen that you can use to post notes, maintain a calendar, and view weather updates. You can also use the Hub to see inside the fridge, find recipes, and make shopping lists. This refrigerator is available in both standard-depth and counter-depth models in stainless steel, black stainless steel, and Tuscan stainless steel fingerprint-resistant finishes. It starts at $3,899, one of the most expensive models in our rating.
Whirlpool 25.2-Cubic-Foot French Door WRF535SMH Refrigerator: The Whirlpool WRF535SMH ties for the No. 3 slot in our rating. With 25.2 feet of capacity, it’s about average in terms of available interior space among the refrigerators in our rating. However, it’s well below average in price.
This Whirlpool doesn’t have features like Wi-Fi connectivity, fast chill, or even an external water and ice dispenser. However, it does have a filtered water dispenser inside, humidity-controlled crisper drawers, gallon-sized door bins, and a full-width, temperature-controlled drawer that can be used to store cheeses, deli meats, or party platters. It comes in white, black, fingerprint-resistant stainless steel, and fingerprint-resistant black stainless steel finishes, with prices starting at $1,799.
Café 27.8-Cubic-Foot Smart Four-Door CVE28D Refrigerator: Café is a relatively new brand from GE Appliances that specializes in stylish and customizable appliances. The Cafe CVE28D refrigerator ties for No. 3 in our ratings of the Best Refrigerators and the Best French Door Refrigerators of 2022.
It has a four-door French door design, featuring a convertible drawer with adjustable dividers that can be set at temperatures ranging from 23 to 42 degrees. The main freezer section also features a drawer that spans the full width of the fridge so you can store items like frozen pizzas. The interior of the refrigerator section is lit by an LED light wall that illuminates the back wall of the fridge for better visibility. The in-door water dispenser has an AutoFill feature that detects the size of your container and dispenses water accordingly. With a total capacity of 27.8 cubic feet, it’s one of the larger refrigerators in our rating.
While many of the refrigerators in our rating come in multiple smudge-proof finishes, the Café series is unique in allowing you to select not only the appliance’s finish but also its hardware. The lowest cost options for the CVE28D model are a stainless steel finish with stainless steel hardware, costing $4,199. The price goes up from there if you select a black or white finish or black, copper, or bronze hardware. The Café 27.8-Cubic-Foot Smart Four-Door French Door Refrigerator is the most expensive fridge in our rating.
Maytag 24.7-Cubic-Foot French Door MFI2570FE Refrigerator: With a starting price of $2,299 and a capacity of 24.7 cubic feet, the Maytag MFI2570FE is about average in both cost and size compared to the other models in our rating. It comes with features that are common for most modern, mid-range refrigerators, like an in-door water and ice dispenser, humidity-controlled crisper drawers, and a full-width deli drawer. It also has a PowerCold feature which quickly cools the fridge back down to the right temperature if it rises as you’re unloading groceries.
Samsung 17.6-Cubic-Foot Top-Freezer RT18M6215 Refrigerator: Starting at $899, the Samsung RT18M6215 is the lowest-cost refrigerator in our rating. It’s a top-freezer model, which is typically less expensive than French door models. It’s fairly small, with just under 18 cubic feet of capacity, making it the smallest refrigerator in our ratings as well.
While it doesn’t have Wi-Fi capabilities or other bells and whistles, this top-freezer model does include several features. The freezer is equipped with Samsung’s FlexZone capability, which allows you to adjust the temperature to use the space as a freezer or a refrigerator. The fridge also has adjustable shelves, a reversible door, and a full-width deli drawer. This is a good option for someone looking for a budget-friendly refrigerator to fit a small space.
GE Appliances 27.9-Cubic-Foot Smart Four-Door PVD28BYNFS Refrigerator: The PVD28BYNFS from GE is the largest refrigerator in our rating with a total capacity of 27.9 cubic feet. It has a four-door design, with French doors on the refrigerator top half, a bottom freezer drawer, and a middle drawer with four temperature settings for meats, drinks, snacks, and wine. This smart fridge features Wi-Fi capabilities so you can remotely monitor temperature, plus an interior LED light wall and an in-door water and ice dispenser with auto-fill.
The GE Appliances 27.9-Cubic-Foot Smart Four-Door PVD28BYNFS Refrigerator is one of only two refrigerators in our ratings with a door-in-door layout. In this model, the door-in-door feature is designed to give you easier access to your door bins by opening the back portion of the door. It comes equipped with a rotating door bin. With a retail price of $3,999, this GE Profile is one of the most expensive products in our Best Refrigerator of 2022 rating.
LG 26.1-Cubic-Foot Door-in-Door LSXS26366 Refrigerator: The LG LSXS26366 also has a door-in-door design feature to provide easy access to frequently used items without the need to open the whole door. This model is one of two side-by-side refrigerators in our rating, a layout that has the refrigerated section on one side and the freezer section on the other, split vertically. This layout is good if you want to have frozen foods at eye level. One drawback to the popular bottom-freezer design is that frozen items can pile up in the freezer drawer, requiring you to dig to the bottom to see everything. The freezer in a side-by-side model features shelves that run the full height of the appliance for easy organizing.
This LG side-by-side refrigerator has a storage capacity of 26.1 cubic feet, a bit more than the average 24.85 across all refrigerators in our rating. It comes in stainless steel and black stainless steel, with prices starting at $2,099, several hundred less than the average cost of $2,562 for the models we rated.
Samsung 27.8-Cubic-Foot Food Showcase RF28R7351 Refrigerator: The Samsung RF28R7351 has one of the largest capacities among the refrigerators we rated, with a total capacity of 27.8 cubic feet across the refrigerator, freezer, and middle drawer. It’s also available as a counter-depth model for an additional $100.
This fridge has Wi-Fi connectivity and Samsung’s virtual assistant, Bixby. This enables you to use a smartphone app to remotely monitor the refrigerator, adjust the temperature, and make shopping lists. The Samsung 27.8-Cubic-Foot Four-Door French Door Food Showcase Refrigerator is one of the few models in our rating that is ADA compliant with easy-to-reach controls.
It also features a door-in-door element that Samsung calls the Food Showcase Door. This allows you to open the outer portion of the door to access items in the drawer bins. Prices start at $3,399.
GE Profile 27.7-Cubic-Foot French Door PFE28K Refrigerator: The GE PFE28K is a three-door French door model. It features adjustable shelves, adjustable door bins, and a temperature-controlled drawer that runs the full width of the fridge. With 27.7 cubic feet in total capacity, it’s great for people who want a lot of options for configuring their fridge.
It also features elements common in the other refrigerators in our rating, like an in-door water and ice dispenser with auto-fill, a Turbo Cool setting to get the refrigerator to the right temperature quickly, and multiple options for fingerprint-resistant stainless steel finishes. Prices start at $3,299, toward the higher end of the range of prices in our rating.
Whirlpool 21.4-Cubic-Foot Side-by-Side WRS321SDH Refrigerator: The Whirlpool WRS321SDH rounds out our ratings at No. 12 and a score of 3.4 out of 5. Measuring just under 33 inches wide and totaling 21.4 cubic feet in capacity, it’s not quite the smallest model in our ratings, but it’s close. It’s a side-by-side model, with the refrigerator portion wider than the freezer. It features an in-door water and ice dispenser, a can caddy, and fingerprint-resistant finishes. Prices start at $1,399, making it one of the more affordable options in our rating.
Your refrigerator does more than just keep perishable food cold. Some models make ice, filter water, and dispense both. Some newer models even have screens where you can post notes, create shopping lists, and show you the contents. When looking at available features, consider that a refrigerator should function around your life, providing space to store prepared ingredients for meals, party platters for entertaining, or snacks for kids. "Appliances should reflect the way the homeowner lives and entertains," advises the National Kitchen & Bath Association
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Kitchens in particular can function as the social center of a home, where families cook together or friends gather for dinner parties or happy hours. And the refrigerator is front and center. Because of this, you’ll want to consider appearance in addition to features and size. You’ll also, of course, want to keep cost in mind. Here, we’ll go into more details about things to consider when looking for a new refrigerator.
Refrigerator space: The most important function of a refrigerator is its ability to store food, so capacity is obviously a primary consideration. In fact, many retailers list capacity right in the name of the refrigerator model. Still, it can be difficult to picture just what 26.4 cubic feet looks like. One way to visualize the space is to consider that one grocery bag takes up about 1 cubic foot of space. Among the refrigerators in our rating, total capacity ranges from 17.5 to 27.8 cubic feet.
You’ll also want to think about the layout of the refrigerator and what storage options it has. If you want to store tall containers, you might want to look for refrigerators with adjustable shelves. If you have kids, you might want a deli drawer or bottom bins to store snacks in an easy-to-reach spot.
Freezer space: Though not quite as significant as your fresh food spaces, the size and layout of the freezer is also central. Decide if you prefer your frozen foods to be at eye level (like with a top-freezer or side-by-side model) or lower (like with a French door refrigerator). In our ratings, the average freezer volume is about 7.6 cubic feet, ranging from about 4.1 to 9.2 cubic feet.
Additional features: Other refrigerator features often get used on a daily basis. Water and ice dispensers in the door are among the most popular. Spill-proof shelves that contain leaks, fast cooling modes that quickly lower interior temperatures, and smart tech that lets you monitor your fridge from afar are among popular features.
Exterior dimensions: Measure your space before you go shopping, as not all refrigerators are the same size. Don't forget to account for open depth as well. This is the distance from the back of the refrigerator to the door's edge when the door is open 90 degrees. If you have a small kitchen or a countertop facing your fridge, look for a model with narrower doors.
Finish: While white appliances were previously the norm, stainless steel is becoming a more common finish choice. Most fridges now are available in stainless steel, with white still being a common option as well. Black-, gray-, and rose-tinted stainless steel models are gaining in popularity, though they aren’t as widely available. When shopping for a new fridge, think about the style of your kitchen and whether or not you want it to match your current appliances.
Remodelers replacing several appliances will get the most bang for their buck by looking at current trends. For instance, the National Kitchen and Bath Association predicts that "whites/off whites will be the most popular kitchen color scheme for the near future," according to a 2020 survey of designers, architects, and other industry professionals.
Energy Star ratings: When a refrigerator is Energy Star-certified, it means your electricity costs to run the appliance will be lower. "Qualified refrigerators are at least 15% more efficient than the minimum federal efficiency standard," states the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, which creates the criteria for Energy Star ratings.
Warranties: A new refrigerator lasts an average of nine to 13 years, according to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors. This matches up with the best refrigerator warranties, which cover the compressor for up to 10 years. Coverage under some brands is far less. GE warranties its refrigerators for only a year, for example. Many warranties are a complicated blend of what is covered (between specific parts and labor) and for how long. Separate portions of the warranty coverage may be broken up into one-, five-, and 10-year spans.
Retailers: For a big-ticket item like a refrigerator, you may want to see your options in person before you commit. However, browsing a single store won’t present you with all the options available on the market. Online comparison shopping can give you a sense of your choices for design, features, colors, and price. To combine these methods, you can do your research online and then find a store that carries the products you want to compare. The websites of major retailers usually feature a store locator so you can find a convenient location.
Refrigerator warranties may include one or more of the below warranty coverages:
Counter-Depth Refrigerators
Pros:
Gives the appearance of a built-in refrigerator but costs a lot less
Compact design allows for more space to move about the kitchen
Cons:
Smaller footprint means less overall volume for storing food
Usually more expensive than standard-depth refrigerators
A counter-depth model is shallower than a standard refrigerator. The standard countertop has a depth of about 24 to 26 inches, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association guidelines, but despite the name, counter-depth refrigerators aren’t usually 24 inches deep. This is because the doors, handles, and necessary clearance add a few inches to the overall measurements of the fridge. The two models in our Best Counter-Depth Refrigerators rating both measure 31 inches deep while the standard depth versions of those models are 36 inches deep.
A counter-depth refrigerator can give your kitchen a smooth, clean look but will cost much less than a custom built-in fridge. However, it will usually still cost you more than a standard-depth model. Even if the regular price of a standard-depth version and counter-depth version of a refrigerator model is the same, the sale prices can make a difference overall.
It’s also important to remember that by reducing the outer dimensions of a refrigerator, the inner dimensions are reduced as well. This means that you’ll likely end up paying more for less food-storage space.
For more information, see our rating of the Best Counter-Depth Refrigerators of 2022.
French Door Refrigerators
Pros:
Relatively narrow when doors are open, making this a good style for cramped kitchens
Places refrigerated space conveniently at eye level
Has wider refrigerator shelves than a side-by-side fridge
Its popular style means lots of models and options are available
Cons:
Basket-style freezer storage isn't as easy to organize or access as a freezer with shelves
Typically extends out further from the wall than some refrigerator types
Some have relatively high annual energy costs
A French door refrigerator features double doors in the main top portion with a freezer space underneath. These models generally allow for more refrigerator space, because you have access to the full width of the appliance, unlike a side-by-side model. The French doors allow for more kitchen space in front of the fridge, since they don’t require as much clearance as a full-sized door. The model with the most fridge space in our overall Best Refrigerators rating is a French door model: the GE Profile 27.9-Cubic-Foot Smart Four-Door French Door Refrigerator.
French door refrigerators are very popular, which means you have a lot of options in terms of brands, features, finishes, and prices.
While refrigerators with the fridge portion on top keep refrigerated foods at eye level, it means freezer foods may be neglected. French door models often feature a pull-out freezer drawer, so items can pile up on top of each other and be forgotten.
For more information, see our rating of the Best French Door Refrigerators of 2022.
Side-by-Side Refrigerators
Pros:
Only refrigerator style that puts both fresh and frozen foods at eye level
One of the roomiest refrigerator types
Models tend to have lower prices than French door and counter-depth refrigerators
Open doors don't extend very far into the room, making this a good choice for small kitchens
Cons:
Wide platters and large frozen pizzas don't always fit on the narrow shelves
Some don't consider the style to be as fashionable as chic French door or counter-depth refrigerators
If you’re someone who tends to forget what you have in the freezer, a side-by-side refrigerator might be the right option for you. This style allows you to put both fresh and frozen foods at eye-level since both the refrigerator and freezer sections are next to each, split vertically. This also means you don’t always have to stoop to see what’s in one section, as you would with other models that divide the appliance horizontally.
The design of these types of fridges doesn't allow for as much wide space as other models, so it’s not the best option if you want to store large platters, cakes, or whole pizzas. However, some people may find the many shelves helpful for organization. The shallow doors of a side-by-side fridge make them good for tight kitchen spaces since they don’t take up as much room when open.
For more information, see our rating of the Best Side-by-Side Refrigerators of 2022.
Bottom-Freezer Refrigerators
Pros:
Stores fresh foods at eye level
Prices tend to be more affordable
Offers the layout of a French door refrigerator, with the freezer underneath, in a less expensive model
Cons:
No water or ice dispenser in the door
Large door encroaches on kitchen space
Fewer high-tech features
A bottom-freezer refrigerator borrows the layout of a French door refrigerator, with its lower drawer-style freezer, but swaps the double fridge doors out for a single door. The biggest advantages of a bottom-freezer refrigerator are that your food is up high where it's easiest to reach and its prices are much more affordable.
Water and ice dispensers in the door, a convenience that many households rely on throughout the day, aren't common in a bottom-freezer refrigerator. You'll also want to measure the amount of space you have in front of the fridge to make sure this style will fit, as its door reaches further out into your kitchen than models with double refrigerator doors.
Top-Freezer Refrigerators
Pros:
Least expensive type of refrigerator
Very common, providing shoppers with lots of models to choose between
Cons:
Classic style is too outdated for some
Wide doors take up a lot of space when open
Lack exterior ice and water dispensers
A top-freezer refrigerator is the traditional style: a single storage area for frozen foods placed above a single storage area for fresh foods, each with one door. These doors are quite wide when open, which can be a nuisance in cramped kitchens. Top-freezer refrigerators also tend to lack a lot of the bells and whistles available in other types. That said, the best models offer the basics any household can appreciate, such as adjustable shelves, bright LED lighting, and gallon-size bins in the door. If you need a simple refrigerator for a low price, you can't go wrong with a top-rated top-freezer fridge.
Average Refrigerator Price by Refrigerator Type
The average price of the refrigerators we rated is about $2,562, with prices ranging between $599.99 and $4,199. If you are remodeling your kitchen, the cost of your new fridge can make up a sizable portion of what you spend. "When projects cost over $4,000, homeowners are 85% more likely to upgrade their kitchens with appliances, compared to consumers completing projects which cost under $4,000," reported the National Kitchen and Bath Association.
Top-freezer refrigerators are one of the least expensive types in our rating of the Best Refrigerators of 2022. Prices for the two top-freezer models in our rating start at $599.99 and $899. The most expensive models in our rating are French door refrigerators. Topping this range is the $4,199 Café 27.8-Cubic-Foot Smart Four-Door French Door Refrigerator. Counter-depth refrigerators also tend to come with high price tags.
Our 360 Methodology for Evaluating Refrigerators
The following describes our 360 approach to researching and analyzing refrigerators to provide guidance to prospective buyers.
1. We researched the brands and products people care most about.
U.S. News analyzed and compared publicly available data to determine which brands and styles of refrigerators consumers are most interested in. Using a combination of professional and consumer reviews, we found 12 brands and 45 refrigerator models that stood out in terms of volume of searches and consumer data. After this analysis, we narrowed the list down to the 12 best refrigerators of 2022.
We examined various features of the refrigerators to provide the consumer with the most relevant data for making a decision: size and style, energy efficiency, certifications, capacity, smart features, and more. While researching the features available in the 16 refrigerator models, we were able to narrow down which specifications are most important to consumers when making a refrigerator purchase. The refrigerators were grouped to compare features and specifications of certain styles and brands. The most prominent styles to compare were French door, side-by-side, and counter-depth refrigerators. With these factors in mind, we created a thorough set of guides that provides a 360 overview of what consumers should consider.
2. We created objective 360 Overall Ratings based on analysis of third-party reviews.
Our scoring methodology is based on a composite analysis of the ratings and reviews published by credible third-party professional and consumer review sources. The ratings are not based on the personal opinions, tests, or experiences of U.S. News. To calculate the ratings:
(a) We compiled two types of third-party reviews and ratings:
Professional Ratings and Reviews. Many independent refrigerator industry sources have published their assessments of refrigerators on the web. We consider several of these third-party reviews to be reputable and well-researched. However, professional reviewers often make recommendations that contradict one another. Rather than relying on a single source, U.S. News believes consumers benefit most when these opinions and recommendations are all considered and analyzed with an objective, consensus-based methodology.
Consumer Ratings and Reviews. U.S. News also reviewed published consumer ratings and reviews of refrigerators. Sources with a sufficient number of quality consumer reviews and ratings were included in our scoring model.
***Please note that not all professional and consumer rating sources met our criteria for objectivity. Therefore, some sources were excluded from our model.
(b) We standardized the inputs to create a common scale.
The third-party review source data was collected in a variety of forms, including ratings, recommendations, and accolades. Before including each third-party data point into our scoring equation, we had to standardize it so that it could be compared on an apples-to-apples basis with data points from other review sources. We used the scoring methodology described below to convert these systems to a comparable scale.
The 360 scoring process first converted each third-party rating into a common 0 to 5 scale. To balance the distribution of scores within each source’s scale, we used a standard deviation (or Z-Score) calculation to determine how each refrigerator’s score compared to the source’s mean score. We then used the Z-Score to create a standardized U.S. News score using the method outlined below:
Calculating the Z-Score: The Z-Score represents a data point's relation to the mean measurement of the data set. The Z-Score is negative when the data point is below the mean and positive when it's above the mean; a Z-Score of 0 means it's equal to the mean. To determine the Z-Score for each third-party rating of a refrigerator, we calculated the mean of the ratings across all refrigerators evaluated by that third-party source. We then subtracted the mean from the refrigerator’s rating and divided it by the standard deviation to produce the Z-Score.
Calculating the T-Score: We used a T-Score calculation to convert the Z-Score to a 0-100 scale by multiplying the Z-Score by 10. To ensure that the mean was equal across all data points, we added our desired scoring mean (between 0 and 10) to the T-Score to create an adjusted T-Score.
Calculating the common-scale rating: We divided the adjusted T-Score, which is on a 100-point scale, by 20 to convert the third-party rating to a common 0-5 point system.
(c) We calculated the 360 Overall Score based on a weighted-average model.
We assigned “source weights” to each source used in the consensus scoring model based on our assessment of how much the source is trusted and recognized by consumers and how much its published review process indicates that it is both comprehensive and editorially independent. The source weights are assigned on a 1-5 scale. Any source with an assigned weight less than two was excluded from the consensus scoring model.
Finally, we combined the converted third-party data points using a weighted average formula based on source weight. This formula calculated the consensus score for each refrigerator product line, which we call the 360 Overall Rating.