7 Best Refrigerators, According to Lab Testing and Real Consumers

Side-by-side refrigerators like this Whirlpool pick are an excellent choice for kitchens with limited clearance, since the narrower doors don’t swing out as far as those on French-door or top-freezer models. They're also ideal for organizing, keeping your frequently reached-for foods—both refrigerated and frozen—at eye level.

This 36-inch model is a favorite among our consumer testers for good reason. It includes plenty of adjustable shelving on both the interior and door, so you can customize the layout to fit your grocery haul. The fridge drawers glide smoothly, helping keep produce and deli items neatly stored.

The freezer section is designed for maximum storage, with just two drawers and three adjustable shelves that provide more usable space from top to bottom. One of my favorite features is the in-door ice bin—it's easy to access and frees up valuable shelf space.

Like some of our top-tested models, this fridge includes digital controls, a built-in water filter, and both water and ice dispensers. The one trade-off? The water dispenser does take up a bit of storage space on the freezer side.

This high-tech four-door fridge is a great choice for homeowners who want to stay on the cutting edge of technology and make their fridge a statement piece in the kitchen. It also performs exceptionally well, but you’ll need to pay a little more for the smart features.

We’ve been touting Samsung’s smart fridge technology for years, and this Bespoke model is one of the most impressive yet. The vivid touchscreen takes up nearly the entire right door panel, transforming into a piece of digital art when idle, but it’s much more than just a pretty face.

Once connected to Wi-Fi, the panel functions like an oversized tablet: You can stream music and YouTube, leave digital notes, sync calendars, manage your grocery list, and display family photos. I especially love that it tells you the weather at a glance.

After testing this fridge in the Lab, we sent it to a consumer tester with two kids under 6, and it quickly became the family’s favorite appliance. Our tester uses it to stream music while she cooks, the kids love doodling on the touchscreen and flipping through the camera roll, and the smart features have become part of their daily routine.

One of the fridge's most impressive capabilities is that it can identify what’s inside and recommend recipes based on what you already have. You can read more about that in our smart fridge story, where we dig into the AI-powered features.

Beyond the tech, this counter-depth, four-door fridge is spacious and thoughtfully laid out. The left door features a secret second built-in door that covers the autofill water pitcher and water dispenser, as well as several interior shelves ideal for grab-and-go items like drinks and snacks. The water filter is tucked neatly between the two crisper drawers, which helps maximize shelf space but slightly reduces drawer size.

The left side of the freezer has pull-out shelves and produces crystal-clear ice cubes in two different sizes. The right side features a convertible zone with five temperature settings, so you can use it as extra fridge space if needed. We tested this model in the Lab for over a year without encountering any issues. That said, we continue to keep an eye out, as some Samsung owners we surveyed reported long-term concerns with the ice maker.

This stunning bottom-mount refrigerator is one of my all-time favorites. It’s a premium model with advanced features and a stylish design that helps it stand out (in a good way).

This fridge has a unique middle drawer lined with wooden shelves that hold up to 17 bottles of wine or other beverages. With adjustable temperature settings, this feature makes the fridge look and feel like a luxury appliance. It’s definitely on the pricier side, but after more than three years in our Lab, it still impresses.

The interior of the fridge features a stainless steel back panel and four glass half-shelves with silver trim that add to the high-end feel. The adjustable shelves allow you to customize the layout to suit your needs. Instead of the usual two crisper drawers, this model features a single large drawer that can better accommodate wide or oddly shaped produce. Even the door bins have a sleek, modern look that complements the overall design.

One notable feature is the adaptable "flex bar" on the upper back wall. It comes with accessories, including an egg organizer and storage bins that can be hung or repositioned as needed.

The water dispenser is discreetly built into the interior wall, keeping the appliance's exterior clean and maximizing shelf space. However, like many internal dispensers, it’s a bit slow.

The freezer is spacious and well-organized, featuring a soft gray interior, two upper drawers, a built-in ice maker and bin, and a large bottom drawer with ample room for bulkier items.

This French door refrigerator combines style and functionality. It’s a great choice if you’re looking for a sleek-looking fridge that maximizes organization and flexibility.

After testing it in the Lab, our nutrition director, Stefani Sassos, has been using this fridge in her home for over a year, and it's become a beloved centerpiece in her kitchen.

The platinum glass finish looks incredibly sleek. "I have a mix of stainless and gold accents in my kitchen, and somehow this fridge ties everything together,” she says. She also loves the handle-free design, which uses recessed grooves to open and close the doors. “It’s way easier to clean, and I don’t bump into bulky handles anymore—something that used to happen all the time when navigating around the kids.”

Aside from its appearance, this four-door model offers ample practical storage. The spacious interior includes four adjustable shelves, and the lighting—especially the soft glow of the back panel—adds a designer touch. "Even when the fridge is open, it looks elevated," she says. "And that light helps me find things quickly, even during middle-of-the-night milk runs for the baby."

One of the highlights is the built-in auto-fill water pitcher, which sits discreetly inside the fridge door for a clean, uninterrupted exterior. “I love that it refills on its own,” she notes. “And since it’s tucked inside, the outside still looks sleek and sophisticated.” There’s also a standard water dispenser and easy-access filter system.

The middle drawer, which you can access without opening the French doors, has an adjustable temperature range from 23°F to 42°F, so it can switch between fridge and freezer space. Our pro consumer tester uses it to stash healthy snacks at kid height. “It’s super easy for the little ones to grab their own fruit or yogurts, which I love."

As for the freezer, it's both spacious and well-organized, featuring an upper drawer (complete with a built-in ice maker) and a large bottom drawer with customizable compartments. "It holds way more than I expected, and the ice maker has been reliable," she said.

The only things to note are that you can hear the pitcher refilling and the filter needs to be replaced frequently, every one to two months.