The 9 Best Refrigerators To Add To Your Kitchen

calendar_month October 12, 2022
folder Home Design & Decor, home owners

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appliances, California, Housing, vetted

Finding the best refrigerator for your family is a big decision; it’s one of the most important appliance in your household. Yes, your washer and dryer are important, and toaster ovens and coffee machines make life easier every day. But your fridge keeps all your perishables fresh, and beyond that, it’s the emotional center of your home. It’s the place where everyone in the family goes for meals, snacks and refreshments. It’s where you tack notes and the kids’ drawings, and often serves as the visual anchor of the entire kitchen. There’s a lot riding on this appliance, so you’re no doubt looking for the best refrigerator you can buy.

A sleek design, easy-access configuration and essential features earn the Maytag 25 Cu. Ft. French ... [+]

THE HOME DEPOT

There are a few things to consider when it comes to narrowing down the best fridge for your kitchen. How would you like it configured, for example? You might like a French door fridge with the freezer on the bottom, or prefer one that puts the freezer and fridge side-by-side. Is storage your top priority when it comes to picking a fridge? In that case, a high capacity option with over 25 cubic feet of space will be what you need. There are also counter-depth fridges that enhance the aesthetics of your room—possibly at the expense of storage space (and your wallet). But as something you’ll use every day—and several times a day—you’ll want to make sure the refrigerator you choose is the right fit for your lifestyle.

Below, we’ve rounded up the best refrigerators on the market. From budget-friendly to premium smart fridges, read on to see which refrigerator we recommend for your next kitchen upgrade.

Want to save some cash on a new refrigerator? Right now is a great time to buy. Check out all of the Presidents’ Day appliance sales going on now.

Best Refrigerator Overall: Maytag 25 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator
Best French Door Refrigerator: GE 27.8 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator
Best Counter-Depth Refrigerator: Samsung 22.1 Cu. Ft. Counter Depth 4-Door Flex Food Showcase
Best Top Freezer Refrigerator: Samsung 21.1 Cu. Ft. Top Freezer Refrigerator
Best Bottom Freezer Refrigerator: Whirlpool 22 Cu. Ft. Bottom Freezer Refrigerator
Best Budget Refrigerator: Frigidaire 18 Cu. Ft. Top Freezer Refrigerator
Quietest Refrigerator: Frigidaire Gallery 26.8 Cu. Ft. Stainless French Door Refrigerator
Best Smart Refrigerator: Samsung 28 Cu. Ft. 4-Door French Door Family Hub Refrigerator
Best Mini Fridge: Midea 3.1 Cu. Ft. Compact Refrigerator

A Classic Option That Checks Off All The Boxes

HOME DEPOT

Maytag 25 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator

$2249$2499SAVE $250 (10%)

Buy From Home Depot

Dimensions: 32.88 x 35.63 x 70.13 inches
Total Capacity: 25 cu. ft.
Rating: 4.4/5

While smart features like Wi-Fi and touchscreens can be a nice luxury, they’re not the most important features of a fridge. Maytag built this 25 cu. ft. refrigerator to check all the most important boxes. It’s available in black or white, but it’s the fingerprint resistant stainless steel where this appliance shines—literally, since most messes clean easily off the finish. And the ice and water dispenser only adds $100 to the price, making it a great value.

Inside, this model has bright, energy-efficient LED lighting and a variety of temperature- and humidity-controlled zones. One of the most interesting features is the fridge’s temperature-controlled Wide-N-Fresh Deli Drawer which is oversized to accommodate large party platters and deli trays. In addition, Maytag’s PowerCold feature is a quick-chill setting you can enable when you bring groceries home to quickly get them down to their ideal temperature.

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Best French Door Refrigerator

A French Door Refrigerator With Practical Shelving

HOME DEPOT

GE 27.8 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator

$2906$3229SAVE $323 (10%)

Buy From Home Depot

Dimensions: 34.75 x 35.75 x 69.88 inches
Total Capacity: 27.8 cu. ft.
Rating: 4.5/5

French door refrigerators are a favorite in many homes because you get a spacious cool zone on top with wide shelves and large storage bins which create lots of organizational options. GE’s take on the format includes twin chill evaporators that give you more control and accuracy over the climate in the fresh food and freezer sections. There are also humidity-controlled drawers to keep vegetables fresh and spill-proof glass shelves that keep liquids from leaking onto lower shelves.

You may also appreciate the fridge’s showcase LED lighting and in-door ice maker with an integrated water filtration system. It comes in three colors—slate black, slate and stainless steel—but the smudge- and fingerprint- proof slate black is our favorite, giving your kitchen a sleek, modern feel.

Best Counter-Depth Refrigerator

A Good Looking Option That Compliments Any Decor

SAMSUNG

Samsung 22.1 Cu. Ft. Counter-Depth 4-Door Flex Food Showcase

$4199

Buy From Samsung

Dimensions: 28.86 x 35.75 x 71.85 inches
Total Capacity: 22.1 cu. ft.
Rating: 3.5/5

Counter-depth refrigerators are something of a paradox; with a smaller footprint so they don’t stick out past your counters for a streamlined, almost built-in look, they tend to cost a little more yet offer less storage space. But for those who value the aesthetics, the trade-off is worth it. If you’re going to spend a little more on a counter-depth fridge, you should probably make it one of the most versatile and convenient models you can buy: Samsung’s 22.1 cu. ft. Counter Depth 4-Door Flex Food Showcase.

This fridge has four doors for French door access on both top and bottom. While it offers marginally less storage space than average, the way you can use that space is pretty compelling. The Food Showcase gives you easy access to popular items with a see-through door that opens to in-door shelves, but you still get inner shelves for larger items. And there’s a CoolSelect Plus door on the bottom which you can configure as a fridge or freezer and switch modes with the press of a button. The fridge is controlled from three independent evaporators and includes in-door ice and water with digital controls.

Best Top Freezer Refrigerator

An Affordable Option With Two Special Features

BEST BUY

Samsung 21.1 Cu. Ft. Top-Freezer Refrigerator

$1125

Buy From Best Buy

Dimensions: 31.87 x 32.87 x 67.75”
Total Capacity: 21.1 cu. ft.
Rating: 4.5/5

This Samsung 21.1 cu. ft. Top-Freezer Refrigerator has two unique features that make it one of the best in this category. The first is a feature, fittingly named FlexZone, that allows the fridge compartment to convert freezer space into more fridge space. If you always find yourself needing an extra shelf of storage in your fridge, this feature was made for you. The other is twin cooling which maintains high levels of humidity to keep your fruits and vegetables fresher longer while also maintaining a dry freezer to lower the chances of freezer burns ruining your frozen foods.

This fridge also includes removable glass shelves, gallon door storage, humidity-controlled crispers and a slide-and-reach pantry for easy access to your favorite foods. The freezer itself features an automatic ice maker that can produce up to 3.7 pounds of ice a day. The LED lighting throughout offers a brighter and more energy-efficient way to see your food. It’s available in two finishes: stainless steel and black stainless steel.

Best Bottom Freezer Refrigerator

A Bottom Freezer Refrigerator With Generous Storage Capacity

HOME DEPOT

Whirlpool 22 Cu. Ft. Bottom Freezer Refrigerator

$1619$1799SAVE $180 (10%)

Buy From Home Depot

Dimensions: 33.38 x 32.75 x 70 inches
Total Capacity: 22 cu. ft.
Rating: 4.6/5

Bottom freezers have become a lot more popular than top freezer fridges in recent years—not only does that put the lion’s share of your fresh food at eye level, but the slide-out drawer approach to the bottom freezer is usually both larger and a lot more efficient. Case in point is this Whirlpool bottom freezer fridge that has a generous 22 cu. ft. of storage (15.5 for fresh food and 6.5 for frozen) with a built-in ice maker. The digital temperature controls are located in the fridge and make it easy to precisely set the climate in both food zones.

The lined glass shelves help to contain spills for quicker cleanup. It also includes bright LED lighting, humidity-controlled crispers and Whirlpool’s Accu-Chill Temperature Management System that is designed to sense the temperature of foods in the fridge and adapt, only activating the compressor when necessary to keep things sufficiently cool while also saving energy.

Best Budget Refrigerator

A Budget-Friendly Refrigerator With All The Must-Have Essentials

HOME DEPOT

Frigidaire 18 Cu. Ft. Top Freezer Refrigerator

$720

Buy From Best Buy

Dimensions: 30.1 x 30 x 66.6 inches
Total Capacity: 18.2 cu. ft.
Rating: 4.3/5

If you’re looking for a quality fridge well below the ticket price of $1,000, this Frigidaire Top Freezer Refrigerator is just what you need. It lists for only $720, but still has must-have fridge features. First off, the doors are reversible which means they can be installed to open on either the left or right. Left-handed folks, rejoice! Next, a single knob control inside the fridge allows for effortless temperature adjustments that’ll eliminate frozen leftovers in the back of the fridge or soupy ice cream in the freezer. Speaking of the freezer, there’s an optional ice maker so you can skip filling up ice trays.

While it is on the smaller side, this fridge wastes no space. It includes two full-width wire sliding shelves to help you organize with ease, three full-width door racks for gallon storage and two humidity-controlled drawers to keep your produce fresh. There’s also a clear compartment in the fridge door to hold your dairy items such as butter and cheese. On top, the freezer includes a wire sliding shelf and two full-width storage racks on its door that’ll keep all your frozen treats in place. It’s available in two colors: black and white.

Quietest Refrigerator

A Whisper-Quiet Option With A French Door Design

WALMART

Frigidaire Gallery 26.8 Cu. Ft. Stainless French Door Refrigerator

$2095

Buy From Walmart

Dimensions: 33.38 x 36 x 69.88 inches
Total Capacity: 26.8 cu. ft.
Rating: 4.5/5

For an appliance as large and central to the home as a refrigerator, you might think that it’s somewhat surprising that brands don’t advertise the noise level of their models, or even include the decibel level in their specs sheets. There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for that, though: Most refrigerators are quiet enough that it’s not a serious concern. To be sure, some models are noisier than others, and the worst offenders are small and budget priced. Larger and more premium refrigerators are made with higher quality parts and materials with greater opportunities for dampening the sound of the compressor.

The Frigidaire Gallery 26.8 Cu. Ft. Stainless French Door Refrigerator is notable for being especially quiet, and brings a lot of other benefits to the table as well. It’s a bottom freezer French door design with 8.7 sq. ft. of storage space down below. An in-door water and ice dispenser adds convenience, and the interior boasts adjustable shelves with CrispSeal humidity-controlled drawers.

Best Smart Refrigerator

A Smart Option That Makes Grocery Shopping Easier

BEST BUY

Samsung 28 Cu. Ft. 4-Door French Door Family Hub Refrigerator

$3200$3420SAVE $220 (6%)

Buy From Best Buy

Dimensions: 36.5 x 35.75 x 70 inches
Total Capacity: 28 cu. ft.
Rating: 4.6/5

We’d love to whole-heartedly endorse a smart fridge. The Samsung Family Hub series, for example, is excellent in principle—it gives you an enormous, gorgeous touchscreen on one door, where you can do tablet-like things (like surf the web) but also find recipes and check the contents of your fridge. Cameras inside the fridge let you see what’s in stock in your kitchen when you’re out at the grocery store. But keep in mind you’ll pay a serious premium for these features, and they’re not particularly upgradeable. Your fridge’s smart screen, UI and apps might be obsolete well before the 20-year lifespan of the compressor and chiller expire.

All that said, if you can live with the expense and potential obsolescence of a smart fridge to have the convenience of one right now, the Samsung 28 cu. ft. 4-Door French Door Family Hub Refrigerator is perhaps the best money can buy. Cameras inside the fridge combined with artificial intelligence recognize the items in your fridge so it knows what you have on hand and can suggest recipes that’ll work without a trip to the store. It can also stream music and video, show your personal calendar and serve as a digital cork board for the family to check in with one another.

All that smart tech is in addition to the fact that this is simply a great fridge. It’s got highly adjustable shelves, high-efficiency LED lighting, and a clever FlexZone drawer which you can configure with four different temperate settings and adjustable dividers for the ultimate in customizable microclimates.

Best Mini Fridge

The Perfect Compact Option For Smaller Homes Or Dorm Rooms

AMAZON

Midea 3.1 Cu. Ft. Compact Refrigerator

$250

Buy From Amazon

Dimensions: 18.5 x 19.37 x 32.95 inches
Total Capacity: 3.1 cu. ft.
Rating: 4.6/5

This Midea 3.1 Cu. Ft. Compact Refrigerator has a completely separate freezer compartment that will make you wish you had this mini fridge in college. This mini two-door top freezer fridge has features found in standard-sized fridges such as two removable glass shelves, a transparent produce drawer, and an adjustable thermostat. The fridge door has a rack specifically for canned drinks and can also hold a 2-liter bottled beverage. You’ll never have to worry about half-melted ice cream pints because the top freezer will store your frozen favorites in temperatures from -11.2F to 10.4F. You can choose from three color options: black, white or stainless steel.

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