Best refrigerators in 2024

The most important element of any refrigerator is that it keeps food at a stable and chilled temperature and offers accurate settings for precise control. And along with your washing machine and dryer, your refrigerator needs to fit into your space perfectly and suit your food storage needs, so you’re not cramming everything in or left with empty shelves.

We’ve done the research to find the best refrigerator you can buy with a range of price options to suit every budget. We’ve searched the market and compared a shortlist of models, considering capacity, energy consumption, and any special features. Finally, we compiled our research and selected the best refrigerators to suit a range of food cooling needs, including the latest smart tech, and extra features such as water and ice dispensers.

For overall versatility, you can’t beat the GE Profile PFE28KYNFS, although it lacks the smart features that the Samsung RF27T5501SR provides. Imagine being at the supermarket and checking the stock level within your refrigerator without preparing a list before you go out? But there’s lots of other options including compact refrigerators, those with large French doors and functionality on a budget. Here are the best refrigerators you can buy right now.

The quick list

Here’s the best refrigerators you can buy right now based on our comprehensive research. Scroll on for our full in-depth reviews.

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Chosen by

Chosen by

Camilla Sharman

I've been through quite a few refrigerators in my time. Many of them have lasted for years, and have seen me through lots of different life stages. While my first refrigerator was perfect for two, I then needed to invest in a larger appliance when my family came along. Now I'm back to where I started and don't need as much capacity. Apart from size, there's also lots of other features and functions to think about, including the flexibility of space, and added features like chilled water dispensers and ice makers, and even smart features. I've pulled together a round-up of the best refrigerators for whatever life situation you need covered.

Black Friday Refrigerator Deals

Black Friday deals are in full swing for refrigerators. The main online retailers are already offering big discounts on these large appliances, with the Lowes, Home Depot and Walmart offering savings of up to 50%. These are all big reductions considering the significant investment needed to purchase a refrigerator. And who wants to be without a working refrigerator before the holiday hosting season gets in full swing?

You'll find some of the best Black Friday refrigerator deals at Walmart with prices from $24 for mini fridges and $148 for larger models. Best Buy is taking up to 45% off select refrigerators and bundling up to a $300 gift card with select purchases.

The best refrigerators you can buy today

The best refrigerator overall, the GE Profile PFE28KYNFS French door refrigerator, is beautifully designed, has well-thought-out storage, and boosts 27.7 cubic feet of space. It has a smudge-proof stainless steel finish to keep it looking smart and is also available in slate or black stainless steel.

Features
Apart from looking cool, this French-door refrigerator will keep you cool. It has a cubed and crushed ice dispenser and an autofill water dispenser. When you place a glass in the water dispenser, it fills it automatically, so you don’t have to stand and press a button as it dispenses. This is one of the only refrigerators with an advanced water filter that removes pharmaceuticals such as ibuprofen, chlorine, and lead. Plus, if you are looking for an energy-efficient appliance, this GE refrigerator is Energy Star certified.

Refrigerator
With 18.5 cubic feet of space, you’ll find lots of features inside for organizing and protecting food. It has a full-width shelf with temperature control; at the coldest setting, it will keep meat fresher longer, and on the warmer setting, it’s ideal for stashing party trays or a cake when you’re entertaining. One of the shelves slides under itself to make room for a tall item like a pineapple or a giant soda bottle.

Freezer
Here, you’ll find two baskets with dividers to keep your food from getting lost in a giant bin. This allows you to easily dive in and find whatever you are looking for. And with 9.17 cubic feet of space, there’s plenty of room for those extra sweet treats.

Best value

The Samsung RT18M6215SR is the refrigerator to get if you want a great deal and don’t always need a freezer. Its design has a premium appearance, and stainless steel and black stainless steel options are available. However, be wary that some reviewers found it dents easily.

Features
It features FlexZone technology, so you can convert the freezer compartment to further fridge space. It also includes a built-in ice maker and internal LED lighting—useful if you get cravings at night. Apart from being the best value refrigerator in our buying guide, it’s Energy Star Certified, which means it will save you money in the long run.

Refrigerator
This Samsung refrigerator has a capacity of 12.7 cubic feet — 5.8 cubic feet less than our best refrigerator overall. However, what’s smart about the design is that you can convert the top freezer compartment into further fridge space, adding a further 4.9 cubic feet. Three refrigerator shelves are also included, but it’s worth flagging that these are full-length shelves, so if you need to store taller items, you’re likely to lose a shelf.

Freezer
As mentioned above, the freezer capacity is on the small side, at 4.9 cubic feet, but it is ideal if you don’t need much freezer space and are more interested in what the refrigerator can offer. It also includes one shelf.

Best French door

This LG French-door refrigerator is a popular appliance that offers the capacity you typically get with a standard-depth refrigerator, but with a built-in look, which will sit flush with your countertop. Although it has slightly less space than the GE Profile PFE28KYNFS, voted our best refrigerator overall, it still offers a total capacity of 26.5 cubic feet.

Features
This elegant French-door refrigerator offers the convenience of a water dispenser hidden inside the appliance to keep the external look sleek. It also features a smudge-resistant finish and smart pull handles to make getting in and out of the freezer easy. It can also be connected to the ThinQ app, allowing you to get notifications about usage and maintenance.

Refrigerator
The storage is exceptional and is highly praised by reviewers, providing 17.8 cubic feet of space. The refrigerator has four shelves, two crisper bins, a glide n’ serve drawer, and six door bins, each holding two gallons. It also houses the internal water dispenser. LG offers a 3-layer Fresh Air Filter with a dedicated fan that pushes cleaner, fresher air into the fridge to keep everything super fresh.

Freezer
The freezer drawer, with an 8.7 cubic feet capacity, provides plenty of space to keep your frozen food organized. It also contains an automatic ice-making compartment, providing you with large cubes.

Best side-by-side

Samsung’s RS27T5200SR side-by-side refrigerator has a classy and timeless design, with elegant flat doors and a spacious capacity of 27.4 cubic feet. Its fingerprint-resistant finish keeps it looking pristine, and it’s available in stainless steel and black stainless steel colorways that will suit most modern kitchens.

Our only gripe? It’s not the most energy-efficient refrigerator, needing 728 kWh/year to run, and it doesn’t carry the Energy Star certification. Despite the steep price point, it’s also not app-compatible.

Features
It features an exterior ice and water dispenser built into the door. There are two ice styles to choose from: cubed and crushed. The water dispenser button also acts as a child lock to prevent accidents.

Refrigerator
There’s ample storage space inside, with an overall capacity of 17.9 cubic feet, and the inner door shelves are particularly deep — great for holding large cartons. It includes 5 bins, including 4 gallon bins, and 4 shelves, with an adjustable top shelf for flexible storage.

Freezer
Inside the freezer, you’ll find 9.5 cubic feet of capacity, 5 shelves, 2 door bins, and a freezer box.

Best for small kitchens

If you don’t have the space or need for a standard or large refrigerator, this GE GTE18GMHES appliance will be a good fit. It’s perfect for an apartment or a small kitchen and is a no-frills yet nice-looking option. It’s also available in three finishes: stainless steel, silver, and white. And unlike the Samsung RS27T5200S, it will barely make a dent in your electric bill, plus it’s Energy Star certified.

Features
This GE appliance has more basic features than the others in this guide, but it does have a flexible deli shelf and an ice maker. However, it lacks humidity controls for the crisper drawers and independent controls for the fridge and freezer, so you’ll have to choose between “colder” and “coldest” for both.

Refrigerator
While it’s not huge by typical refrigerator standards, this model has 13.5 cubic feet of space and will give you more than enough room for a big grocery load. It has easy-to-clean, glass edge-to-edge shelves to maximize storage. For stashing cold cuts and cheeses, a deli drawer can be moved from one side to another to accommodate a tall item like a pitcher of lemonade.

Freezer
The top section of this appliance is dedicated to the freezer, which has just over 4 cubic feet of space. Although not huge, the freezer includes an adjustable wire shelf with two positions and flexible shelves within the interior door.

Best smart tech

If you love all things smart home, you’ll want to invest in the Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator RF27T5501SR. If you love the latest tech and value smart connectivity, it’s worth the investment as one of the best refrigerators. It’s also Energy Star certified, although we noticed the energy consumption is a little higher than others on our list.

Features
Its predominant selling point is its touchscreen display, which allows you to access all kinds of innovative features. For instance, you can answer the front door, play your favorite music, leave notes for family members, and even plan out your meals. Connecting the refrigerator to your phone allows you to access and control the appliance remotely. You can even see what’s inside while you’re away — useful if you need to check what’s in stock while shopping for groceries. Aside from the smart features, this Samsung appliance houses an external water and crushed and cubed ice maker.

Refrigerator
This refrigerator comes with an impressive capacity of 17.9 cubic feet of space. A useful hidden drawer within provides extra space for flat-storage items, such as party platters. It also has a handy middle shelf that can be adjusted to fit taller items. It’s a little on the pricey side, but it’s not extortionate compared to other premium models on the market. Ultimately, this refrigerator will provide more smart features than you know what to do with.

Freezer
The lower pull-out drawer houses the freezer, which has an 8.6 cubic feet capacity. The two drawers are divided for easy organization so your food doesn’t end up in a jumble.

Best bottom-freezer

If you’re looking for a premium single-door refrigerator, then look no further. The LG LRDCS2603S offers all the convenience of a more compact design whilst still boasting an impressive 25.5 cubic feet capacity; this bottom-freezer refrigerator will easily hold enough groceries for a small family. Plus, it’s available in a black stainless steel design and standard stainless steel so that you can match it to your kitchen. It’s not the cheapest, but with it being Energy Star Certified, this refrigerator will pay for itself over time.

Features
It comes with some quality features, including an ice maker and LED lighting, although it does not have smart connectivity or an ice or water dispenser.

Refrigerator
With a premium design, you get a generous internal layout with 17.2 cubic feet of capacity. The refrigerator includes two shelves, two crisper bins, two 2-gallon door bins, two half-tilt door bins, and one small door bin, as well as a glide n’ serve drawer.

Freezer
The bottom freezer includes two drawers with dividers that house 8.3 cubic feet of storage and the ice box.

Best counter-depth

If you’re looking for a counter-depth refrigerator, style is probably super important to you, and the Bosch 800 Series B36CT80SNS French-door model delivers in spades. It’s handsomely designed in fingerprint-resistant stainless steel and is packed with special features.

Features
There’s no ice and water dispenser in the exterior to detract from its sleek appearance, but it has a dispenser inside the fridge door and an ice bin that you can pull out. The ice cubes are uniquely shaped in small pyramids, so even they seem special. And this appliance is also smart. By downloading the associated Bosch Home Connect app, you can control the Bosch remotely.

Refrigerator
With 15 cubic feet of internal space, this refrigerator isn’t the biggest in this guide, but it still provides well-organized storage with flexible shelves and door bins. Inside, there’s a pantry drawer that’s both humidity and temperature-controlled, so if the two crispers don’t give you enough room for fresh produce, you have another compartment to keep fruits and vegetables crisp.

Freezer
The freezer has three bins to keep foods organized and minimize scrounging around to find that bag of peas you know is in there somewhere, one extra that the other freezer compartments in this guide. It also has 6 cubic feet of capacity, which is small but adequate unless you want to be freezing in bulk.

How we chose

We conducted extensive online research to find the best refrigerators. We took our time reading up countless reviews to find those with the highest and most consistent ratings. Any faults or recurring problems were an immediate red flag during this research. Those models which were shortlisted demonstrated the highest reputation from consumers and came strongly recommended.

Once we had this list, we also factored in the specifications of every model. We looked at capacity, energy consumption and added features, such as ice and water dispensers. In doing this, we were able to find the models that have the most to offer. During our research, we made sure to consider and include different sizes of refrigerators and alternative layouts to suit all kinds of homes.

Refrigerator sales and deals

If you’re thinking about buying a new refrigerator, be sure to check out our best refrigerator sales and deals page first. We’re constantly updating this with the latest offers and some of our favorite brands have made an appearance.

How to choose

Refrigerator Type
There are four main types of refrigerators:

• French Door: This is the most popular model, with two doors that open the refrigerator compartment. This feature makes it easier to access the fridge, such as when a kitchen island might prevent you from fully opening a full-size door. These refrigerators also have the freezer section on the bottom.
• Side-by-side: These two-door refrigerators have the freezer compartment on the left side and the refrigerator compartment on the right. This style makes it easier to reach items in the freezer — you don't have to bend down — but makes it harder to fit in wider items, such as pizza boxes and sheet cakes. For this reason, you need to watch you don't overfill your freezer.
• Top freezer: As the name suggests, the freezer is on the top, with a single door below for the refrigerator. These models make it easier to get to the freezer, at the expense of having to bend down to reach the lower drawers of the refrigerator.
• Bottom freezer: With the freezer on the bottom, this style of refrigerator makes everything in the main compartment at waist level or higher. It's better for those who don't use their freezer as often. Freezers which are located towards the bottom tend to be easier to defrost manually. So you're less likely to worry about how to defrost a freezer. Ever wondered how long will food last in your freezer? We've got the answer.

Standard vs. counter depth
Many refrigerators come in two sizes: standard and counter depth. Counter-depth refrigerators are not as deep, so their front edge will be aligned with your countertop and kitchen cabinets. While more stylish, this makes them both smaller and more expensive than standard-size refrigerators.

Finish
Stainless steel is currently the most popular finish for all kitchen appliances — black stainless steel is even trendier — but you can also get refrigerators in more traditional white or black. Higher end models can also be outfitted with cabinet-like exteriors, so that they blend in with the rest of your kitchen's decor.

Is it magnetic? Keep in mind that many stainless steel models are not magnetic, so you'll have a harder time posting your kids' artwork and report cards, not to mention those takeout menus.

Will it fit?
There's nothing worse than ordering a fridge, only to find out it won't fit through your front door. Before buying a refrigerator, be sure to measure every opening it will have to go through. Since you can remove the doors from a refrigerator, you have a little more leeway.

As a general guide, refrigerators are usually between 24 inches to 36 inches wide, but do check the height, to make sure you’ve got enough clearance. Plus, it’s worth checking how much space you need around the appliance to ensure there’s adequate air flow and that you can open the door sufficiently to pull out the drawers once it's installed.

If you're replacing a refrigerator, measure your current model; you'll know that a fridge that size will fit.

What is the average cost of a good refrigerator?

The price of refrigerators really can vary in price, with entry level models starting from less than $400, ranging all the way up $3,000 for the most premium designs. For that reason you should have a budget in mind before you start browsing and consider which features you actually need. A touchscreen display looks incredible, but it will soon mount up the price.

You shouldn't have to spend too much to get a reliable refrigerator. Every model we've included in this guide gets our backing, but if you're on a budget, we would recommend reducing the size or features available on your refrigerator to ensure that you're still getting a high-quality refrigerator that will stand the test of time.

When to replace a refrigerator

Most brands will offer a one year warranty with a refrigerator, although the National Association of Home Builders says the lifespan of this product should be around 13 years. Extended warranties are available, however we don’t recommend these because it tends to cost more than any potential repairs. If your repair costs more than half the value of a new refrigerator, we recommend simply replacing it.

The most common refrigerator fault is that it’s struggling to keep the food chilled. Don’t pick up the phone to call a repairman just yet, as this could be fixed easily. The first step is to give both the gasket and coils a quick clean. You should also take a look at what temperature the refrigerator is set to — you might be able to lower it from here. If, on the other hand, your refrigerator is too cold, you can check the internal temperature setting once again. Otherwise, you might have to call in a professional. This problem could be caused by a faulty ice and water dispenser, which you should repair if possible. If the condenser is the problem and your refrigerator isn’t new, then it might be best to replace it.

A refrigerator is constantly running, so it naturally uses up more energy than other appliances. Modern designs are much more energy efficient however, so if you replace an older model, you might notice a difference on your bills. If you’re shopping for a new refrigerator, it’s worth buying one which is Energy Star certified as these are roughly 9% more efficient, which will save you about $200 over its lifetime.

Features to look for

The latest refrigerators come with lots of design features to improve their efficiency and to make them more convenient.

Humidity-controlled bins: Some feature specific produce bins with humidity controls and drawers which can maintain colder temperatures. This will make your meat and vegetables last much longer as both can be stored at the ideal temperature.

Exterior doors: Other models come with small compartments or drawers which can be opened without opening the whole refrigerator. This is ideal for grabbing snacks and means the fridge can better maintain its temperature. Look out for compartments which can be switched from fridge to freezer too.

Ever wondered if you should keep eggs in the refrigerator? The answer might surprise you.

Reversible doors: If you’re tight for space, reversible doors can be a very useful feature. This essentially means you can remove the fridge/freezer door and install it on the opposite side, so you can open it from left to right, rather than right to left for instance.

Glass doors: You will find this premium feature on LG’s InstaView models. You can essentially see straight into the refrigerator without opening the door by knocking twice — useful for retaining the temperature.

Touch screen: The latest refrigerator designs from Samsung come with touch screen displays. These can do all sorts, from ordering groceries and displaying your calendar to playing music and connecting with your smart home system. These aren’t the cheapest, but they’re certainly impressive.

Water/ice dispensers: Some Water dispensers can automatically fill a glass and some ice dispensers can produce crushed or shaved ice. The possibilities are endless! Many more colors are available these days as well — you don’t have to have a stainless steel finish!

"Smart" features: Smart fridges are much more common too. These can be controlled from your smartphone and will let you know when they detect a fault. Some can even self-diagnose, so the serviceperson will arrive with the right parts.

Next: These are the 11 foods that you should never put in the fridge. And don’t make these 7 refrigerator mistakes.

Also, have you ever wondered if you should keep eggs in the refrigerator? The answer might surprise you.