The Most Innovative Fridge Features to Look for in 2026

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab, we know that a refrigerator is an investment. That’s why we test fridges for weeks, if not years, in the Lab and in our homes before making a recommendation. We’ve tested dozens of refrigerators in the Lab and Test Kitchen since 2022, including for our 2027 Good Housekeeping Kitchen Awards.

Over the years, we’ve noticed that certain features put some models above the competition. These six design features make upgrading your refrigerator worth it based on our findings.

Many new refrigerators give you more control over the layout of the shelves and door bins. Adjustable parts help you stay organized for a satisfying, Instagram-ready look. If you need more room for bulky items or a backstock of milk jugs to keep your kids in supply, you can remove shelves altogether.

Extra-large drawers, such as the full-width crisper drawer in the Midea model we love, better accommodate large pieces of produce like celery hearts and whole cabbages without damaging them.

Some newer refrigerators have a third cooling compartment, in addition to the fridge and freezer sections, that you can use as a fridge, freezer, or beverage drawer.

For example, the middle drawer on the Café French Door Smart Refrigerator (one of our favorite fridges for years) has five temperature settings, from 23°F for freezing to 42°F for wine.

This flexibility lets you adapt the space to whatever you need most. Use the space to chill drinks for a party, turn it into a freezer for your ice cream stash, or use it as a crisper drawer after a trip to the farmers’ market.

If you like some variety in your ice, you’ll appreciate a refrigerator that does more than make crushed ice or cloudy crescents. Some can produce multiple shapes, including large, crystal-clear cocktail spheres and chewy nugget ice.

Most refrigerators are designed to fit within standard kitchen dimensions. Whether you choose a spacious 37-inch-wide model or a compact 30-inch one, today's refrigerators make better use of that same footprint. Flat back panels and more compact ice makers—often housed in the freezer instead of the refrigerator door—free up valuable interior storage space.

Depending on your refrigerator's age, a new model may be significantly more energy efficient. Some, including our award-winning Maytag model, have Vacation Mode that uses less energy while you’re away.

But the bigger game-changer in energy use is the type of compressor your refrigerator uses. Most fridges use a standard fixed-speed compressor that's either on or off. It runs until the fridge reaches a specific temperature, then shuts down.

An inverter compressor, like the Midea model, varies its speed to match the fridge's current conditions. This helps maintain steadier temperatures while using less energy than repeatedly starting and stopping. You can check your fridge's compressor type by looking up the product specs online.

Many newer appliances, fridges included, offer smart capabilities. Some connect to an app via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, giving you access to appliance settings and controls. According to Nicole Papantoniou, senior director of Kitchen & Cooking at GH, “Some fancier smart fridges can even play music or YouTube, or keep track of ingredients for you.” This GE fridge, which won a Kitchen Award, allows users to scan any grocery item and add it to a shopping list.

Lizzy Briskin is a contributing analyst and writer in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab. She tests kitchen gear, develops recipes, and writes about all things cooking. She’s tested dozens of fridges during her time in the Lab, and her favorite fridge feature is an ice-cold, purified-water dispenser.