The Best Refrigerators of 2025

With so many options on the market, it can be difficult to find the best refrigerator for your kitchen. That’s why our experts have tested hundreds of refrigerators of all sizes, styles, and configurations, to determine which ones are worth the investment. This roundup presents the best refrigerator in each style category, as well as models scoring the highest in our testing.

During testing, we consider temperature consistency, storage capacity, and ease of use as the benchmarks of a good fridge. We also consider value, smart features, and build quality. Our top-rated refrigerator is the Hisense HRM260N6TSE 4-door French-door refrigerator (available at Lowe's) . This French-door fridge is nearly perfect, offering even temperatures and tons of storage space at a reasonable price.

For those with tighter budgets, or certain style and feature preferences, we have plenty of other recommendations that will work in your kitchen. Whether you want a French-door model, a counter-depth fridge, or a side-by-side, we've evaluated hundreds of fridges across these styles and more.

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Other Refrigerators We Tested

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What To Consider When Buying A Refrigerator

A new fridge is one of the biggest investments you make in the daily life of your kitchen. Here are some things to know before purchasing your new kitchen appliance.

Styles of refrigerators

A refrigerator is one of the most used appliances in any kitchen, so the form may matter significantly to you. Here are the four main types of refrigerators and some of the benefits and drawbacks of each:

• French-door refrigerators: The most popular style of fridge in the U.S., French-door fridges feature dual fridge doors above a sliding freezer drawer, which is typically divided into multiple levels. Some also include an additional drawer between the fridge and freezer, which is usually a flexible temperature zone. French-door fridges keep fresh food at eye level and typically offer extensive organizational storage options. Quad-style French-door refrigerators have also gained popularity recently. This style replaces the freezer drawer with two doors, like a side-by-side model.

• Side-by-side refrigerators: These fridges, which typically position the freezer on the left and refrigerator on the right in a one-third/two-thirds configuration, can often fit in spaces with less clearance for French doors. This style often has more technical freezer capacity, although the narrow shelving presents problems for storing items like pizza boxes and baking trays.

• Top freezer refrigerators: This traditional style i s efficient and inexpensive but tends to have fewer features and weaker aesthetics. While top-freezer refrigerators keep the freezer at eye level, you’ll have to bend over to see and reach the lower shelves in the fridge. Storage and organization are typically less efficient than in other fridge styles.

• Bottom freezer refrigerator: These fridges are the reverse of a top freezer, with a single refrigerator door rather than French doors. This puts your fresh food at eye level, and typically comes with better organizational options. The freezer pulls out like a drawer rather than a swinging door. This style typically has more freezer storage space and better organization, but you’ll have to bend over to access it.

Usable space vs. total capacity

One of the most common refrigerator specs is the total capacity in cubic feet. Unfortunately, a higher capacity doesn’t necessarily mean more storage space.

Shelves, drawers, and ice makers can eat into a fridge’s capacity. That’s why we measure usable space—how much room is actually available to store your food and drinks.

Measuring, delivery, installation, and haul-away

If you’re looking to fit your new fridge into an existing enclosure, then getting the right measurements is crucial. The old adage about measuring twice applies to refrigerators. It would be terrible if you had to hire a contractor just to get your new fridge to fit into your kitchen. Don’t forget to measure for door clearance, both at the hinges and at the full depth of the door, and to measure your home’s entry and doorways to ensure your desired fridge will fit upon delivery. Most delivery services will hook up the water line if the fridge has water and ice dispensers, but always check to make sure. Haul-away services for your old fridge are often included with the delivery but may incur a small fee. Always have a plan to dispose of an old appliance before scheduling delivery of the new one.

Water and ice dispensers

Through-the-door water and ice dispensers used to be the most common configuration, especially for French-door and side-by-side models, but our research has found that in-door ice dispensers have more service issues than internal ice-makers. Internal water dispensers—typically accessed on the inside wall of the fridge—take up less space than those built into the fridge door.

Another popular solution from manufacturers like Samsung, GE, and Café is the in-door beverage center with water dispenser and auto-fill pitcher. By keeping the ice-making in the freezer, manufacturers not only improve storage space, but can offer multiple types of ice, like Samsung’s dual ice maker with cubes and Ice Bites.

Don’t forget to factor in filter replacement costs, and put reorders on a schedule to keep up with necessary maintenance.

Smart tech features

Refrigerators with Wi-Fi connectivity are increasingly commonplace and can now do far more than send an alert when the fridge or freezer door is left open too long. Connected apps can help keep track of your fridge contents, adjust temperatures ahead of a big grocery trip, and send important maintenance alerts.

Some refrigerators also come equipped with a touchscreen, which you can use for everything from accessing recipes to streaming TV, movies, or music. These high-tech fridges also connect to voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Home.

Finish, build quality, and warranty

Stainless steel (typically fingerprint-resistant) has become the most common finish for kitchen appliances, but it isn’t the only option by far. The refrigerators on this list come in everything from stainless-steel and black stainless to white glass, even custom-colored panels. You can now choose the aesthetic that’s right for your kitchen, even if it isn’t stainless steel or bright white.

The build quality often goes hand-in-hand with the finish, and budget may dictate what you can afford, but some affordable brands are known for being particularly durable, like GE and Bosch. Look for models with comfortable, sturdy handles. Consider the type of hinges and ensure the doors open properly into your space.

Warranty is typically one year for parts and labor, but some brands offer 5- to 10-year warranties on compressors, converters, or other sealed elements.

FAQ: What To Know About Refrigerators

How Does a Refrigerator Work?

Refrigerators pull in air and cool it down to temperatures cold enough to preserve food and limit bacterial growth. This is usually around 37°F. This cooling method means that fridges are very sensitive to air conditions.

In hot weather, the condenser and cooling coils have to work harder to cool the warmer air. In cold weather, the fridge condenser may not even turn on.

What Temperature Should a Refrigerator Be?

Ideally, your fridge should be exactly 37°F and your freezer should be 0°F.

If your fridge drops to 32°F—just 5°F below the ideal temperature—some food in your refrigerator will start to freeze. On the other hand, temperatures of 40°F and higher are dangerous. That's the temperature at which bacteria start to proliferate quickly.

If your freezer gets warmer than 0°F, it means your food isn't being truly frozen. Furthermore, consistency is key: if temperatures in your freezer bounce around, freezer burn can become a huge issue.

How Long Do Refrigerators Last?

While the lifespan of any appliance can vary wildly due to several factors, you should expect your fridge to last about 10 years.

Most manufacturers will at least cover the first year in a refrigerator warranty. Some companies will offer more robust programs that will cover specific parts up to five years, 10 years, or for the lifetime of the product.

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Why You Should Trust Our Expertise

Reviewed's appliance testing team has spent years testing major appliances, including washers, dryers, refrigerators, and dishwashers.

We test each fridge in our lab using a data-driven, objective point of view. We've got a detailed scientific refrigerator testing protocol, but we also use the appliances we test in our daily lives, as a regular person trying to get at the leftover Chinese food.

These two experiences combine to help us recommend the best fridge for you at any price point. It also helps us determine which special features are actually beneficial.

Learn more about how we test refrigerators.

More on fridges

• The Best French-Door Refrigerators We've Tested
• The Best Counter-Depth Fridges We've Tested
• The Best Bottom-freezer Fridges We’ve Tested
• The Best Side-by-side Refrigerators We've Tested
• 4 best garage refrigerators to store extra drinks and food
• How much should you spend on a fridge?
• 10 great refrigerators and freezers to store all your extra food
• 10 things to consider when buying a refrigerator
• 8 refrigerator features that work smarter not harder
• 10 things you need to consider before buying a refrigerator
• In need of a fridge repair? Check your warranty first