Best Refrigerators and Brands Reviewed

Technology is making its way into every aspect of our everyday lives, making it difficult for us to choose between devices because of the infinite options we have.

When it comes to refrigerators, it is not the same as it was twenty years ago.

Now, we not only choose a refrigerator that can freeze our food and water, we also want one that matches our kitchen décor and offers the most modern features available within our budget.

With millions of options on the market, it’s hard to even know what the best refrigerator brands are, let alone which model is best for your kitchen.

That’s why we wrote a useful buying guide with refrigerator reviews and present what we think are the top 10 refrigerators (skip to see our top brands and model recommendations).

We also include what it is that really makes for a top-rated refrigerator and which of the best fridge brands are right for your needs and your budget.

Home Depot is having a Special Buys promotion right now on top refrigerator brands, so this is definitely a good time to get a fridge for a lot less. Be sure to check out their sales!

Types of Refrigerators

Which One Will Be The Best Fridge For You?

Refrigerators have a variety of models and styles. Here are the standard six types, starting with the most popular types today:

French Doors:

This type is similar to a bottom freezer. The only difference is that these types tend to have double doors, with two top refrigeration sections that come with two separate doors.

The advantage is you only open part of your fridge when you access it. The smaller door needs less space to swing open as well so it gets an extra point for convenience.

These refrigerators usually offer more space than top- or bottom-freezer models and often have water and ice dispensers in their doors.

See below for our recommendation for the best French door refrigerator brand and model.

Side-By-Side:

This kind of refrigerator also has two doors, with the fridge on one side and the freezer on the other. It is typical that the freezer side is a bit smaller than the refrigeration side.

Larger families tend to use this type because they offer more cubic feet overall while still fitting in most kitchens.

They are usually in need of storing larger quantities of food in the freezer, but a big complaint here is that the freezer space fills up quickly and doesn’t offer enough room.

It’s important to note that these options are also not as energy efficient. This can definitely make a difference with your electric bill over time.

Check below for the undisputed best side-by-side refrigerator brand you can buy.

Top Freezer:

These are the traditional fridges we all know. They tend to have a lot of storage in the bottom part and offer some decent space at the top for freezing.

They are typically 30 inches wide and can store lots of food products inside, but features and reliability do vary from brand to brand.

A freezer-on-top model is also very energy efficient, making it a good choice as an extra fridge in the garage or basement.

They usually provide just the basic features, so you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank. And while they’ve become less popular over time, they no doubt offer great dependability.

Below, we share our pick for the best top freezer refrigerator brand and model.

Bottom Freezer:

These are often less spacious than the top freezer type; however, it all can vary by model and brand.

Bottom freezers are usually more user-friendly because you can access the freezing shelves more easily.

This is because you can reach down into a “bucket” style compartment. Frozen food can be stacked within interior drawers for even more convenience.

Built-In:

Often very large and spacious, these types come with lots of cabinets, shelves and different features that can vary among models and brands.

You’ll find this with French doors or some styles offering up to four doors.

They are typically good-sized appliances with up to 25 cubic feet of capacity and offer a variety of freezer styles.

Mini or Compact:

This is the perfect option for small houses, apartments or dorm rooms. You see them work well in offices and of course, in nicer hotel rooms. They work best as secondary fridges more than everyday ones.

One issue is they can sometimes have temperature regulation problems, which can lead to bacteria or mold issues inside. They are usually less than half the price of a basic, regular sized refrigerator.

Only some models have a freezer but it tends to be really small.

Best Refrigerator Brands

When you’re looking for a refrigerator to fit with your necessities and desires, it’s always worth comparing the major refrigerator brands. Finding out who is the most trusted and what refrigerator brands to avoid is a great first step.

This will help you in understanding the better models, narrowing down which one offers the best features like storage configurations, temperature control and efficiency.

However, it is not an easy task to choose the perfect refrigerator, that’s why we have taken our time to research and uncover just what makes these brands great.

We’ve compiled exhaustive information using basic specs, sales and maintenance history, to personal hands-on experience and user input so we can present the best refrigerator by style and brand while considering its performance and reliability record.

If there’s one thing to know, it’s that different brands excel among the different fridge types – some brands have great top-freezers and others produce amazing French door type models.

It’s what makes choosing a fridge so hard…yet so rewarding in the end, because when you get down to it, there’s truly a perfect unit out there for you.

Let’s take a look at the top brands and models for each style now.

Best French-Door Refrigerator Brands

This is one of the most common and popular refrigerator styles sold today. If you value space efficiency and helpful added features, you’ll agree.  The best brands to look out for when shopping for these stylish and versatile refrigerators are Samsung, GE, LG Electronics, Whirlpool,  KitchenAid, and Maytag.

However, the brand that steals the show with the most popular and best-selling model is Whirlpool. This is durability, quality, and value all in one machine.

The Whirlpool 24.5 cu. ft. French Door Refrigerator in Fingerprint Resistant Stainless Steel (See Model #WRX735SDHZ for more info), is arguably the best French door refrigerator to buy due to its price and abundant features. You can also see our Top-5 choices for French door fridge brands below.

 

Best Side-by-Side Refrigerator Brands

Around 35% of people who buy refrigerators will choose this type thanks to the greater storage space and the really ample vertical freezer.

You’ll find GE, Whirlpool, Samsung and Frigidaire having leading models for this style. All offer excellent features and quality, but GE is the easy stand-out in this category.

For the best side-by-side refrigerator, we highly recommend the ever-popular GE 25.3 cu. ft. Side-by-Side Refrigerator (See Model #GSS25GSHSS for more info), which has all the right features you really need and at a price you simply can’t beat for what you get in a modern fridge. Its value is “wow” good. Also check out our Top-5 choices for double-door fridges below.

 

Best Top-Freezer Refrigerator Brands

Customers who desire a simple and traditional style will select the classic freezer-on-top setup. This basic design uses storage space very efficiently despite being comparatively smaller, with sizes ranging from 7 cu. ft. to 22 cu. ft. in storage space.

The most trusted brands for these models include Frigidaire, Whirlpool, Maytag and GE. Hotpoint and Haier are honorable mentions as well.

Our favorite top freezer brand is unquestionably Frigidaire.

They’ve been the most reliable refrigerator brand the longest. We highly endorse their top-selling model: The Frigidaire 18 cu. ft. Top Freezer Refrigerator (See Model #FFTR1814TW to see why). This is a solid basic model that is built around convenience with the reliability of a trusted brand.

It comes with over-sized door bins for easier storage of bottles and jugs, strategic lighting placement to see inside better, and adjustable shelves for your preferred custom configuration. It’s easy to see why it’s a top choice for the best top freezer refrigerator.

Best Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator Brands

Bottom-freezer fridges are one of the most popular types purchased worldwide. They tend to be simpler but soar in the convenience category with their easily accessible bucket-style freezer compartment and a fridge space that sits mostly at waste level.

LG, Whirlpool, GE and Maytag are the front-runners when it comes to the best brands for bottom-freezers. There is one that blows away the competition, though, and it’s Whirlpool again, impressing us… and hundreds of thousands of consumers alike.

You can call it no-frills or just awesome simplicity. The Whirlpool 22 cu. ft. Bottom Freezer Refrigerator (See Model #WRB322DMBM for details) is everything when it comes to refrigerator performance.

It does what the best bottom freezer refrigerator should do better than most units out there of all types. It keeps all areas of the interior consistently cold so your food stays fresher longer. It may not be loaded with expensive features, but if you want efficiency and the freshest food, this machine is easily the best.

 

Best Compact and Mini Refrigerator Brands

When we talk about compact and mini refrigerators, we mean the kind of refrigerator that is specially made for small spaces.

There are hundreds of models, but the best ones come from two brands.

The first one is the Danby DAR017A2BDD Compact Refrigerator, which offers great features like a small freezer, energy star compliance, scratch-resistant top and tall bottle storage. This model comes in sizes starting at 1.7 cu. ft. and goes up to 4.5 cu. ft. of storage space.

The other one is the MERM33S1ABB.

The Midea is your true mini-fridge. But it does the job really well. Its small size of 1.6 cubic feet is a little smaller than Danby’s smallest offering and also doesn’t come with a freezer.

For a small or single office, game room, basement or man cave in the garage, this will fit in conveniently and keep your favorite drinks, leftovers, snacks or lunches chilled.

 

Best Built-In Refrigerator Brands

These refrigerators are often used in big kitchens or other areas where space is available. They are specially made to store a large amount of food and other items.

They have little energy-efficient technology but offer great temperature measures and at the same time, keep all food fresh and stored efficiently.

Top brands for built-ins include KitchenAid, Fisher-Paykel, Electrolux, Frigidaire, and GE with their Profile line.

It’s pretty easy to see that KitchenAid doesn’t mess around when it comes to producing built-in appliances. It’s 25 cu. ft. Built-In Side by Side Refrigerator (See Model #KBSD602ESS4) will give you the cavernous storage space you need with dependable ice and water dispensers you’d expect from a professional-grade refrigerator.

As a full-size fridge, this model is a wonderful alternative to the popular Sub-Zero brand, and at a lower cost.

Best French Door Refrigerator List

Here are our top picks for this highly favored and versatile fridge type.

Best Side-by-Side Refrigerator List

And here’s our top picks for the style that gives you the best value for both storage and convenience.

Best Top-Freezer Refrigerator List

Now, the top choices for the style that many of us feel does the job just fine without the big sizes or heavy price tags.