Finding the best refrigerator for your household hinges on factors like the size of your kitchen, the number of people in your home, and whether you’re in the habit of preparing meals every day or prefer frozen options. “A general guideline is to plan for around 4-6 cubic feet of fridge space per person," says Joelle Battista, Head of Culinary Marketing at Designer Appliances.
We researched refrigerators from top brands like Frigidaire, KitchenAid, Whirpool, Smeg, and LG. For those with limited space, a top-freezer refrigerator is usually the best bet based on price and functionality—top freezers are often the most efficient, whilst bottom-freezers are the least.
Beyond the basics, we adore French door refrigerators for their adaptability, while side-by-sides put fresh and frozen foods at eye level at the cost of narrower shelves. Our favorite refrigerators include useful storage features, a variety of footprints to fit different spaces, and capacities to meet the needs of every household.
Convenient area for snacks
Ethylene-absorption filter in the crisper
Wide temperature range
Dedicated freezer is small
With a space-saving footprint, a modern four-door configuration, and a spacious and highly customizable storage system, the Frigidaire Gallery GRQC2255BF is our best refrigerator pick. This refrigerator has a lot going for it, including its counter depth, making it ideal for compact kitchens and those who like a built-in look. We also like its bottom-freezer design, which keeps your perishables at eye level, and its French doors, which are great for small spaces.
This fridge is full of thoughtful touches, like two shallow snack bins that occupy space that would typically go unused in a four-door French door model. They’re at just the perfect height for kids, so this is also a great fridge for families.
We like that this fridge is well-lit with bright LEDs, making it easy to find your food (and keeps it looking nice and appetizing). The air is recirculated using Frigidaire's TwinTech cooling system, which provides very uniform temperature distribution and incorporates an integrated air filter to keep things fresh.
The dedicated freezer compartment is a bit small, but that’s offset with the Custom-Flex zone that takes up the other side of the bottom of this fridge. The Custom-Flex zone has its own independent temperature control that lets you use it as a freezer, extra refrigerator space, or even a wine chiller, complete with a removable built-in wine rack—so you won't need a separate wine fridge. Even with all this, you can still accommodate large items like frozen pizzas.
Dimensions: 70.125 x 35.8 x 29.5 inches | Capacity: 21.5 cubic feet | Installation Depth: Counter | Energy Star Rating: Standard | Additional Features: Water dispenser, ice maker, custom-flex temp zone, humidity-controlled crispers, LED lighting, water filter, air filter
Spacious storage
Auto-close doors
Modest energy usage
Not Energy Star rated
Ice maker not included
If you're looking for a fridge with no frills, our best value model is the Frigidaire FFTR1814WB Top Freezer Refrigerator. It provides ample storage in the fridge and freezer compartments, large door bins big enough for gallon jugs, and doors that close automatically if they’re accidentally left open. It isn’t Energy Star certified, but energy usage isn’t very high at an estimated 410 kWh per year.
This fridge provides 13.4 cubic feet of refrigerator space and a 4.9 cubic foot freezer, which is ample space for two or three adults or two adults and two children. The fridge has bright lighting, deep door bins, two sliding crispers, and two adjustable wire shelves. The basic manual temperature controls don’t provide digital accuracy, but the EvenTemp airflow system does keep temperatures even throughout.
The freezer also has deep door bins and an adjustable full-width shelf. It doesn’t include a water dispenser or ice maker, but Frigidaire sells an optional low-profile ice maker that you can install later on if you get tired of juggling ice trays.
Dimensions: 66.375 x 30 x 30.375 inches | Capacity: 18.3 cubic feet | Installation Depth: Standard | Energy Star Rating: Not rated | Additional Features: Humidity-controlled crispers
Best Counter-Depth
KitchenAid French Door Refrigerator with Ice Maker
Sliding storage trays
Max Freeze and Max Cool modes
Two independent freezer compartments
Cramped freezer storage
No ice or water dispenser
Counter-depth refrigerators are just a bit skinnier than standard fridges, so they fit flush with standard kitchen counters. The KitchenAid KRQC506MPS is our favorite counter-depth model because it provides ample space in the fridge compartment, four independent temperature control zones, and a high-end fit and finish both inside and out.
The outside of this fridge is clad in KitchenAid's PrintShield stainless steel coating, which repels fingerprints and other smudges (something you'll be sure to appreciate if you have children). The interior features a platinum-colored finish with metal accents and slide-out wood-like trays.
This fridge is a bottom-freezer French door model with four doors instead of two drawers and a pull-out freezer drawer, which simplifies organization and access. The freezer is a bit cramped, but each section has its own temperature controls.
We love this fridge's Max Cool mode, which lets you quickly chill food and drink when you're in a pinch. The fridge compartment is also quite spacious for a counter-depth fridge of this size, and it includes two adjustable shelves, two crisper drawers, and a wood-like bottom shelf that slides out for easy access.
Dimensions: 68.5 x 36 x 28.375 inches | Capacity: 19.4 cubic feet | Installation Depth: Counter | Energy Star Rating: Standard | Additional Features: Ice maker, LED lighting, touch panel controls
Best Water Filtration
Whirlpool French Door Refrigerator
EveryDrop water filtration
Spillproof glass shelves
Door alarm and dispenser lock
Adjustable split shelves
Freezer capacity is a little small
Ice maker takes up a lot of space
Water filtration can be an afterthought, but you may want to bring it to the forefront if you're looking for an easy way to keep up with your daily hydration requirements and access clean, cold water for your cooking needs. The Whirlpool WRF555SDFZ French Door Refrigerator provides our favorite filtration, with Whirlpool's EveryDrop filtration system built right in. It features cartridges that are easy to access and replace, and a through-door water and ice dispenser for on-demand water whenever you need it.
This French door refrigerator also has a lot of other things going for it, including highly customizable shelving configuration in the fridge, spillproof glass shelves, and a pull-out freezer drawer on the bottom with two storage baskets.
The freezer is a bit small compared to the total fridge volume, but the pull-out baskets simplify the organization of your frozen foods. Bright LED lighting is provided throughout the fridge and freezer compartments, making it easy to find what you’re looking for.
This model also includes some features that are quite useful to families with small children, including a door alarm and a lock that prevents the ice maker or water dispenser from being activated inadvertently. It’s available in fingerprint-resistant stainless and black stainless steel, along with standard black and white options.
Dimensions: 68.63 x 35.63 x 35.25 inches | Capacity: 24.7 cubic feet | Installation Depth: Standard | Energy Star Rating: Standard | Additional Features: Water dispenser, ice maker, LED lighting, sliding freezer baskets, door alarm
Best Side-by-Side
GE Side-by-Side Refrigerator
Fingerprint-resistant finish is easy to clean
Easy controls and electronic display
Includes advanced water filtration
Low-profile ice maker
No meat and cheese drawer
Water filter takes up space inside the fridge
Side-by-side refrigerators place the freezer and refrigerator next to each other, which allows you to place commonly used items right at eye level in both compartments. The GE GSE25GYPFS Side-by-Side Refrigerator is our favorite because it provides ample storage in both compartments, with bright LED lighting and edge-to-edge shelves, and it also includes an ice maker and external water dispenser with built-in filtration.
This fridge is available in black or white for a little less money, but the GSE25GYPFS, in particular, features fingerprint-resistant stainless steel like our top counter-depth pick, the KitchenAid KRQC506MPS fridge. We like this finish because it's easy to keep looking great with just the occasional clean down with a microfiber cloth.
The main drawback of side-by-sides is that the compartments tend to be quite narrow, but this is a 36-inch fridge, so that’s less of a concern. The fridge compartment is wide enough for serving platters and snack trays, and the freezer includes a convenient slide-out basket for items too long or bulky to fit on the shelves. The freezer includes a low-profile ice maker that doesn’t take up too much space, with a bonus storage shelf squeezed in on top, and a through-door ice and water dispenser.
Dimensions: 69.625 x 36 x 34.75 inches | Capacity: 25.3 cubic feet | Installation Depth: Standard | Energy Star Rating: Standard | Additional Features: Water dispenser, ice maker, filtration, LED lighting, slide-out freezer basket
Best Bottom-Freezer
KitchenAid 18.67-cu ft Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator
Customizable shelving and bins
Full-width pantry drawer
Ethylene-absorption cartridge
No ice or water dispenser
Drawer rails feel flimsy
If you’re tired of always bending over to see what’s in your fridge, the KitchenAid KRBL109ESS Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator is what you’re looking for. Bottom-freezer refrigerators turn the age-old fridge paradigm on its head, with the refrigerator compartment on top and the freezer compartment underneath. We especially like the adjustable split glass shelves, see-through door bins, and pull-out drawers with convenient viewing windows, which make it easy to see all of your groceries at a glance.
This fridge is packed with useful features, like two crisper drawers that provide humidity-controlled zones and utilize an ethylene-absorption cartridge to keep your produce fresher longer. It also includes a full-width pantry drawer with separate temperature controls to accommodate a variety of items that need to be kept at a colder temperature than the rest of the fridge. It uses plastic drawer rails, though, so you do need to be careful when sliding the drawers in and out.
Both compartments feature KitchenAid’s ExtendFresh temperature management system, which uses sensors to monitor airflow and redirect cold air where it’s needed to maintain the selected temperature and keep your food cold and fresh longer.
Dimensions: 67 x 29.75 x 33.375 inches | Capacity: 18.67 cubic feet | Installation Depth: Standard | Energy Star Rating: Standard | Additional Features: LED lighting, temperature-controlled drawer, two humidity-controlled crispers
Best for Small Kitchens
Smeg 24-inch Bottom Freezer 12.8 cu. ft. Refrigerator
Compact form factor
Fun retro design
Versatile storage compartments
No water dispenser or ice maker
A narrow refrigerator like the Smeg Bottom Freezer Refrigerator is ideal for compact kitchens with limited counter space. This colorful, retro-styled model is only about two feet wide, so it’s perfect for kitchens that don’t have a lot of room, but it holds enough perishables and frozen items to keep two adults fed without excessive trips to the grocery store.
The classic design features bold colors and simple lines that go perfectly with the throwback and vintage design trends that are bringing a touch of fun and whimsy to kitchens in 2024. This fridge is only retro on the outside, so it includes modern conveniences and design touches that you won’t find in an authentic vintage fridge.
It uses modern refrigerant that’s less impactful on the environment, and it’s Energy Star certified, so it doesn’t cost as much to operate as the vintage models it looks like. It also has modern touches inside, like easy-glide drawers on telescopic guides, controlled temperature zones, a door-ajar alarm, and electronic temperature controls that remain hidden as long as the door stays closed.
Dimensions: 77.48 x 23.66 x 30.24 inches | Capacity: 12.8 cubic feet | Installation Depth: Counter | Energy Star Rating: Standard | Additional Features: LED lighting, temperature-controlled drawer, digital LED display and controls
Best Top-Freezer
Whirlpool Top-Freezer Refrigerator
Lots of space
Very energy efficient
Full-width frameless glass shelves
Lighting is a little dim
No water dispenser
Top-freezer refrigerators are configured with the freezer on top and the fridge compartment underneath, which provides an easy view of your frozen foods. Our favorite top-freezer model is the Whirlpool WRT541SZDZ Top Freezer Refrigerator because it provides a lot of space in both the freezer and fridge, with efficient LED lighting, and clear shelves and drawers in the fridge that make it easier for taller individuals to see the contents of the bottom shelves.
This fridge carries the Energy Star Most Efficient label, so it’s one of the most efficient models in the already efficient top-freezer category. It provides a total of 21.3 cubic feet of storage, with a spacious 6.1 cubic foot freezer and a 15.2 cubic foot fridge compartment that provides plenty of room to store groceries for a family of four. It doesn’t have a water dispenser or ice maker, but Whirlpool does sell an optional ice maker if you decide that you just can’t live without one.
The freezer door bins are open at the bottom to simplify cleanup, but the space is big enough that smaller items like bagged veggies can fall through, which is a bit of an annoyance. The fridge door bins are much more substantial with a very flexible placement system, and they’re also clear, so it’s easy to see exactly what condiments and drinks you have on hand. The crisper drawers are also clear, and they’re also humidity-controlled to keep your produce fresh longer.
Dimensions: 66.25 x 32.75 x 34 in inches | Capacity: 21.3 cubic feet | Installation Depth: Standard | Energy Star Rating: Most Efficient | Additional Features: LED lighting, Humidity-controlled crisper, optional ice maker
Best Smart
LG Counter-Depth MAX InstaView LRFOC2606S
Alexa and Google Assistant support
Convenient InstaView window
Two tier freezer organization
Doesn’t work with HomeKit or SmartThings
No touchscreen
Smart refrigerators include smart home connectivity, so they’re most useful if you have a compatible smart home speaker and other related tech. Fridges in this category have wide-ranging feature sets, but we prefer to keep it simple when it comes to an appliance that you’d like to keep in your kitchen for a decade or more since compatibility issues are likely to crop up over the years. That’s why our favorite is the LG Counter-Depth Max InstaView Counter-Depth, which is an excellent fridge that won’t stop working altogether if LG were to drop support for its ThinQ smart features in the future.
This counter-depth fridge is spacious, Energy Star certified, maintains both temperature and humidity levels to keep your food fresh, and features LG’s PrintProof stainless steel finish that’s easy to clean.
All of the smart features are accessed through the ThinQ app—available for Android and iOS—and control any other LG smart appliances you might own. Voice commands like turning on the ice maker or adjusting the refrigerator temperature work through Amazon Echo or Google smart speakers, too.
This fridge doesn’t include a touchscreen interface, but we prefer a smart fridge without that feature because it doesn’t accomplish anything that you can’t already do with a tablet or phone. Instead of a touchscreen, this fridge features LG’s innovative InstaView window that instantly shifts from opaque to transparent with a gentle knock, allowing you to see inside without opening the door.
Dimensions: 35.75 x 70.25 x 31.63 | Capacity: 25.5 cubic feet | Installation Depth: Counter | Energy Star Rating: Standard | Additional Features: InstaView window, ice maker, internal water dispenser, air filter, Wi-Fi with smart connectivity
Best Energy-Efficient
Dacor 36" Counter-Depth Free Standing Refrigerator
Full-width FreshZone drawer
Two independent evaporators
Flexible shelving layout
Rapid cooling option
Low total capacity
Door bins aren’t adjustable
Shows fingerprints
The Dacor DRF36C000SR is the ideal option if you’re looking for a large fridge with many useful features that are also very energy efficient. This fridge carries the Energy Star Most Efficient label, which is granted to the most efficient fridges in categories based on capacity and features. This model, in particular, uses a staggering 24 percent less energy than the maximum consumption allowed by the US Department of Energy for a fridge of this configuration and size.
Despite its high efficiency, this fridge is also packed with features like a through-door ice and water dispenser and a full-width FreshZone drawer with its own independent temperature controls.
This fridge uses a dual evaporator system that provides a high level of control over the temperature in each compartment while maintaining a high level of efficiency. The use of two evaporators also prevents odors from mixing between the compartments for fresher-tasting food.
The pull-out freezer drawer provides plenty of convenient storage, and the FreshZone drawer offers a lot of flexibility since you can set it to whatever temperature you need. It’s great for snacks and drinks if you have kids, or for holding meat or other items at a specific temperature.
Dimensions: 70 x 35.75 x 30.875 | Capacity: 22.6 cubic feet | Installation Depth: Counter | Energy Star Rating: Most Efficient | Additional Features: LED lighting, ice maker, water dispenser, power freeze
Final Verdict
We selected the Frigidaire Gallery GRQC2255BF as our overall best refrigerator. It features a flexible four-door design, with through-door ice and water, easily customizable shelving and bins, and a compartment that can function as an extra fridge or freezer space to fit your needs. If you’re working with limited space, our best for small kitchens pick is the Smeg Retro-style Bottom Freezer FAB32ULRD3. It combines fun retro styling with modern efficiency and features like easy-glide drawers, controlled temperature zones, and a door ajar alarm.
What to Look for in a Refrigerator
Size and Capacity
When you start shopping for a refrigerator, size and capacity will be the first things to consider. Here are some important things to look for:
- Refrigerator size: Refrigerators are often referred to by their width measurement, so you’ll hear about a 30-inch fridge or a 36-inch fridge, but it’s also important to consider the height. If your kitchen has a cabinet over the fridge cutout, then that provides a constraint on the maximum height of your new fridge unless you’re willing to remove the cabinet. We recommend the Smeg Retro-style Bottom Freezer for small kitchens because it’s so narrow, but it won’t work in every kitchen because it is nearly 80 inches tall.
- Counter vs. Standard Depth: Standard depth refrigerators are designed to stick out past your counters, so they’re good in large kitchens where space isn’t a concern. Counter-depth refrigerators fit flush with standard counters, which can provide extra breathing room if you have a smaller kitchen or a kitchen with a narrow space in front of the fridge. Our best counter depth recommendation, the KitchenAid KRQC506MPS, provides a clean, built-in look, and it’s also a four-door model, which makes it good for kitchens without a lot of space in front of the fridge.
- Fridge and freezer capacity: Most refrigerators include a freezer compartment, so checking both capacities is important instead of just looking at the total capacity. Battista recommends a 70/30 ratio, favoring more fridge space for most households. You might want to look for a larger fridge compartment if you prepare and eat primarily fresh foods or a larger freezer compartment if you enjoy the flexibility of having a large selection of frozen foods on hand. Freezer capacity may be especially of interest if you're shopping for a garage refrigerator.
Energy Efficiency
Refrigerators and freezers require a lot of energy, but advances in refrigeration technology have made these appliances significantly more efficient over the years. “I always recommend looking for the Energy Star certification as the gold standard,” says Katy Smith, lead interior designer at JD Elite. “These models have passed rigorous testing to prove their energy savings.”
Most of our recommendations are Energy Star certified, which means they’re about 9 percent more energy efficient than the minimum efficiency standard set by the federal government. That can add up to hundreds of dollars in savings over the life of a fridge.
Look for the Energy Star Most Efficient rating for even more efficient models. Our most efficient recommendation, the Dacor DRF36C000SR, consumes almost 25 percent less energy than the US federal standard thanks to digital inverter technology and a digital compressor.
Energy Star certifications are a good way to find efficient refrigerators, but they don’t tell the whole story. Battista advises that you, “pay attention to the actual energy use, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year. Lower kWh values indicate better energy efficiency, helping you save on electricity costs!”
While our best value recommendation, the Frigidaire FFTR1814WB, isn't Energy Star certified, it only uses 410kWh per year. Other top-freezer models are more efficient, which disqualifies it. Retailers often provide energy use estimates, and you can check energy use on the Energy Star website.
Ice and Water Dispensers
Ice and water dispensers provide easy access to clean, fresh-tasting water and ice, but through-door dispensers have both advantages and disadvantages. If your current fridge doesn’t already have a water or ice dispenser, you’ll probably need to install a water line to take advantage of this feature.
Some fridges come with just an ice dispenser or allow you to install one later. Others include a through-door dispenser that provides cool water and ice on demand, which are nice upgrades.
Our best refrigerator recommendation, the Frigidaire Gallery GRQC2255BF dispenses water and either cubed or crushed ice, with a 10.4-inch pocket to accommodate tumblers, pitchers, and sports bottles.
Fridges with dispensers are more expensive than models that skip this feature, and through-door dispensers tend to have high failure rates, so this isn’t a must-have feature for everyone.
Standout Features
Door-in-Door Storage and Viewing Windows
Door-in-door storage and viewing windows are both ways to provide easy access to your favorite items without opening the whole fridge or allow you to identify what you're looking for before you open the door. Since these options let you minimize the time the fridge door is open, they can help save energy.
Door-in-door fridges use a two-part door system with a compartment built into the door that you can open without opening the entire fridge door. They’re typically designed to hold drinks and other small items.
Viewing windows are similar to door-in-door storage in that they allow you to see what’s in the fridge without opening the door (a bonus when writing up a grocery list), which helps minimize the time you spend with the door open. Our best smart recommendation, the LG InstaView LLFGC2706S, has an opaque viewing window that turns transparent when you knock on the door.
Convertible Compartments
Some refrigerators include a compartment that can function as either refrigerator or freezer space, which provides some extra flexibility. Our best overall recommendation, the Frigidaire Gallery GRQC2255BF, has a large Custom-Flex Temp Zone that you can set between -6 to 45 degrees, so you can use it as extra fridge space, refrigerator space, or even as a wine chiller.
Air Purification Systems
Some fridges include a replaceable air filter that traps food odors that would otherwise linger and have an adverse impact on the smell and taste of everything in the fridge.
Our best overall recommendation, the Frigidaire Gallery GRQC2255BF, includes an air purification system and a specialized ethylene gas entrapment system to keep veggies fresh in the crisper drawer. This system slows down the ripening of fruits and veggies in your fridge.
Smart Home Connectivity
Wi-Fi connectivity allows a smart fridge to connect to your wireless network, enabling various functions. Our best smart fridge pick, the LG InstaView LLFGC2706S Smart French Door Refrigerator, empowers you to monitor and adjust the temperature from your phone or a compatible smart speaker and provides other monitoring, notification, and smart diagnostics through a phone app. For example, the app will alert you if the door is left open.
Specialty fridges on the market include wine fridges and beverage coolers. They have environments and settings specifically tailored to the drinks you'd store inside them, and they are usually an additional appliance you purchase for your home.
Like regular fridges, they come in high-capacity and narrow builds. The right one for you will depend on how much you want to store at once and what you want to store. For example, some wine fridges have multiple zones for properly chilling any white and red wine.
Why Trust The Spruce?
Jeremy Laukkonen is a commerce updates writer for The Spruce who has over a decade of experience writing about appliances, home improvement, and smart home technology. He's owned a variety of top freezers, bottom freezers, and side-by-side refrigerators over the years, but he especially likes four-door models with through-door water and ice for a ready supply of fresh drinking water along with excellent fresh and frozen food storage and access.
For this story, Laukkonen considered models from all the most popular manufacturers, including KitchenAid, Frigidaire, Whirlpool, LG, Smeg, and many others. Each model was evaluated for factors like size and capacity, layout, and energy efficiency, along with useful features like ice and water dispensers, flexible storage, and convertible compartments that can make your life easier.
Our Experts:
- Keely Smith, lead interior designer at JD Elite
- Joelle Battista, Head of Culinary Marketing at Designer Appliances