We have a variety of recommendations because picking a fridge really boils down to finding one that best fits your space and your lifestyle. You might need a narrower or shallower fridge than we recommend. Not sure if you want a French door or side-by-side? Counter-depth or standard-depth? If our picks don’t suit you or you just want to double-check our criteria, check out our refrigerator buying guide to help find the best fridge for you.
Best Overall Refrigerator: GE Side by Side Refrigerator
The GE Side by Side Refrigerator is a modern and attractive selection for any kitchen. This model comes in stainless steel, high gloss white, high gloss black, and slate doors with a dark gray case finishes. It’s virtually a fridge to go with any kitchen style. It also conveniently features an ice maker and water dispenser.
The fridge and freezer can store about 26 bags of groceries. A small or large family can comfortably use this model. The side by side door design is great for a wide kitchen. The water and ice features may at first scare off first-time users. The dispensers are tall and wide, to fit large cups and mugs. The Arctica ice maker gives you easy access to ice.
The water dispenser also boasts an advanced water filtration system to ensure you consume only the best. It is known to remove trace pharmaceuticals such as ibuprofen, atenolol, fluoxetine, progesterone and trimethoprim.
Best Apartment-Friendly: KitchenAid Double Drawer Refrigerator
For a good interior style in the kitchen, it helps to have pieces and appliances that add to the overall design. Beyond the colors, cabinets, and counters, the types of appliances you put into the kitchen can help define the overall looks of the space. A good way to add some style in your kitchen is with a refrigerator that you can use as a focal point.
The Samsung Food Showcase French Door Refrigerator makes an obvious statement in any kitchen due to its unique double door/double drawer design. The upper compartment acts as a normal refrigerator on both sides and includes a unique 2-in-1 door design to view the interior contents through the inner glass. The bottom two drawers are a freezer space and counter-height FlexZone drawer respectively.
Best French Door Refrigerator: LG Electronics 29.7 Cu. Ft. French Door Fridge
French door design maximizes access to both sides of the refrigerator. Traditional fridges, particularly ones that have the fridge and freezer stacked on top of one another, tend to make it difficult to get to the things you need inside. With a side-by-side, French door style refrigerator, on the other hand, you get access to the full vertical or horizontal space the fridge has to offer in each compartment.
The LG Electronics 29.7 Cu. Ft. French Door Fridge includes the classic split-door style mixed with two lower drawers for additional organization. The upper compartment is one continuous space between both doors so you can use the full amount of storage up top. Below, the EasyReach Bins and chiller drawer will allow you to keep frozen foods and daily snacks separated from the other food and drinks without messing up the overall organization.
Best Retro Refrigerator: Daewoo Retro Compact Fridge
If there is one thing to complain about a typical refrigerator, it is its lack of style. Thankfully, not all refrigerators have the same plain old design. If you want something that is more pleasing to look at in the kitchen, a refrigerator with some style is the way to go. This next top pick will throw you back to the retro period of appliance design.
When you want a touch of retro accent and a compact refrigerator, the Daewoo Retro Compact Fridge is the perfect choice. Coming in at the size of a normal compact, portable refrigerator, this option provides enough room for a few meals worth of food and drinks. The exterior is an all-metal construction stylized with sleek, retro lines that are also easy to clean for continued use and longevity.
Best Tech Savvy Refrigerator: LG Electronics InstaView
Tech savvy individuals often appreciate appliances that make their life more efficient. A high-tech refrigerator is one such appliance that can make keeping track of food supplies in the kitchen easy. Such smart refrigerators often connect to the internet, keep track of edible contents inside, and can even order new food from the internet automatically when supplies run low if connected to the right service.
The LG Electronics InstaView combines a little bit of old school and new school tech to create something truly unique in refrigerator design. A see-through, door-to-door window panel lays on the right side of the main compartment so you can see right into the fridge. Using LG’s SmartThinQ technology, you can access the smart functions of the fridge via an app to control different settings and to monitor the contents inside
Best Compact Refrigerator: Magic Chef Mini
Often known as a "mini fridge," a compact refrigerator is the best choice for small spaces. Whether you find yourself living in a cramped apartment or just want something for an individual room, a compact fridge allows you to keep a small amount of food and drinks cool whenever you want. They are also great as a secondary fridge for people needing a little bit of extra cool space.
The Magic Chef Mini fridge keeps things simple with 2.6 cubic-feet of space and two easy-to-clean glass shelves to divide up the inside contents. As an Energy Star-qualified fridge, this one maximizes the power savings boost you will get just by reducing the size alone. The temperature can be controlled upfront using the included adjustable thermostat.
Our Pick
One of the more affordable French door fridges at the most popular width (36 inches), this LG comes with in-door water and ice, has well-placed shelves and drawers, and a record of reliability.
The LG LFX25974ST is a 36-inch-wide French door refrigerator with a stainless steel finish and in-door water and ice dispenser. It’s reasonably priced for this category, and you get a lot of value for your dollar: Smooth-gliding drawers, bright LED lighting, and space-maximizing door bins, to name some highlights. It’s a reliable model from a reliable brand, with solid user reviews and no record of any systemic problems. LG has topped customer satisfaction rankings for both French door refrigerators in 2017 (J.D. Power) and household appliances overall three years running (American Customer Satisfaction Index). At 24.1 cubic feet, it’s got room for a large household’s needs, and is ample for a family of four. It comes in black and white, too.
