Shopping The 7 Best Refrigerator Brands of 2023 Our favorite refrigerator is made by Whirlpool. But if you’re on a budget, we love Insignia. By Deanne Revel Published on February 14, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Reviews The Bottom Line What to Know About Refrigerator Brands Your Questions, Answered Who We Are We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Better Homes and Gardens / Brian Kopinski A new refrigerator is one of the best home improvements you can make. It’s an investment, but the best refrigerator brands will add value to your home and can help you save big on energy bills. However, like other major appliances, the world of refrigerators is vast with tons of features, settings and sizes to navigate, not to mention dozens of brands claiming to be the best. So what is the best refrigerator brand? It comes down to style and budget, but no matter how great the refrigerator brand is, you always have to measure your space before clicking “Add to Cart” as some refrigerator brands specialize in over-sized, third-drawer refrigerators and other brands are known for small and simple models. “There are a wide variety of refrigerator types available, and the best is dependent on your individual needs,” says Brian Shaunfield, Lowe’s Store Manager. “However, one question to ask yourself before you buy a new refrigerator is ‘Will this refrigerator fit my kitchen?’” We carefully selected the best refrigerator brands for every kitchen need and style, taking into consideration price, energy efficiency and design. Whirlpool makes one of our favorite refrigerators but for straightforward budget options, Insignia is hard to beat. Keep reading to see our top picks. Whirlpool Lowes View On Lowe's View On Home Depot View On Best Buy Why You Should Get It This brand is a sweet spot for features and price. Keep in Mind There aren’t as many ultra-luxe tech features. We’ve already awarded the Whirlpool French Door Refrigerator with Ice Maker and Interior Water Dispenser as the best refrigerator so it stands to reason we consider Whirlpool one of the best refrigerator brands, too. A Whirlpool checks most of the boxes. It’s not a budget brand but it’s also not the most expensive with most refrigerators in the $1,500 to $3,000 range. Whirlpool has one of the best selections of styles and finishes, including side-by-side or French doors and stainless steel or black stainless steel. Whirlpool refrigerators aren’t known for fancy Wi-Fi capabilities or smart windows, but they consistently rank well across retailer sites for satisfaction and reliability. If you buy directly from Whirlpool, any purchase more than $399 comes with free delivery. While you won’t find Jetsons-level tech in a Whirlpool fridge, you will find smart organizational features, including adjustable gallon door bins and tiered storage shelves in bottom freezers so no frozen veggies ever get lost in the abyss. Even the simple top-freezer fridge is outfitted with the company’s trademarked Flexi-Bin, a drawer that pops out and moves from side to side to make room for taller, bulky items in a pinch. LG LG View On Lg.com Why You Should Get It These refrigerators are the most teched-out. Keep in Mind Smart features don’t come cheap. If you want a teched-out fridge with every bell and whistle possible, LG is the best refrigerator brand to shop. But be prepared to splurge; these smart features don’t come cheap. However, it’s important to note that LG outfits its smaller and counter-depth refrigerator models with nifty tech, too. The Door Cooling+ vent is an air system that blasts cold air into the doors when opened to ensure items stored in the door bins don’t rise in temperature. LG also claims this system keeps produce fresh twice as long. And then there are features that aren’t as technically cool, but are downright luxurious, such as the door-in-door panel. Refrigerators with this feature have dedicated bins you can reach into without actually opening the fridge. If you have kids or teens in need of snacks, it’s a godsend. And then there’s the spaceship-looking InstaView windows in refrigerators in the $3,000+ range. This see-through window allows you to peek inside and take inventory without actually opening the fridge. It makes meal prep and grocery shopping a breeze. For LG’s wifi-enabled refrigerators, you need to use the LG ThinQ App. And it’s more than just temperature controls—ThinQ sends maintenance tips, adapts to user patterns by adjusting ice production and energy usage, and connects to Amazon for fast and simple part replacement orders. GE GE View On Geappliances.com Why You Should Get It These refrigerators can withstand major environmental temperature swings. Keep in Mind The LED lighting throughout is very bright. GE has an impressive range of styles and finishes for every budget, from top-freezer units less than $700 to extra-large French door refrigerators more than $3,000. But what impressed us the most is the range of external temperatures these refrigerators can withstand (from 38 to 110ºF) making it the perfect refrigerator for unfinished basements and garages where temperatures can fluctuate with the seasons. It’s one of the reasons we awarded this GE Top Freezer Refrigerator in Fingerprint Resistant Stainless Steel as the best fridge for a garage. Another feature that makes GE one of the best refrigerator brands is the interior lighting. From the most basic fridge to the $4,000+ refrigerators, they’re all outfitted with LED lighting and tons of it. Some models feature flush mounted LED lighting and others–typically the larger French door refrigerators–have a full back wall of LED lights so you’ll never miss an expired yogurt cup or small tupperware of leftovers in the way, way back corner again. It’s also handy at night if you need a midnight snack and don’t want to stumble around turning on all the kitchen lights. Samsung Samsung View On Samsung Why You Should Get It The brand excels at providing maximum storage refrigerators. Keep in Mind No budget finishes here; nearly all Samsung refrigerators are stainless steel. No contest: Samsung makes a great TV. But their appliances can be hit or miss with not-so-great customer reviews on washers and dryers. Refrigerators, however, are a hit. If you’re looking for an XL fridge with a third or fourth drawer and extra freezer space, Samsung is the best refrigerator brand to shop. The company has a series of French door refrigerators just larger than 28 cubic feet, making them about 10% larger than the average fridge. The brand’s Ice Max bins store more ice than most freezers with a capacity up to 4.2 pounds of ice, making it great for entertaining a crowd or filling up a cooler without waiting on more ice. If you want bells and whistles, Samsung’s got it. Most French door refrigerators are Wi-Fi- and Google’s Bixby-enabled, meaning you can change the fridge temperature from your smartphone. Some models feature the brand’s signature FlexZone Drawer, a separate drawer with four different temperature settings perfect for keeping delicate cakes or desserts perfectly chilled and protected from anything else in the fridge. With all the extra features, though, Samsung doesn’t mess around with budget finishes. Most refrigerators are only available in stainless steel, or black stainless making this brand not the most budget-friendly. The 9 Best Refrigerators to Keep Your Food Fresh Frigidaire Fridgidaire View On Lowe's View On Home Depot View On Best Buy Why You Should Get It The brand makes a great classic fridge. Keep in Mind Not all stainless steel models are touted as smudge-proof. Frigidaire produced some of the first home electric refrigerators and freezers more than 100 years ago, and the company still ranks as one of the best refrigerator brands to shop by our editors and consumers alike. We even chose this Frigidaire Top-Freezer Refrigerator as the best classic top-freezer fridge. If you’re in the market for a simple, classic fridge in stainless steel that’s also less than $750, this is your buy. Even most smaller Frigidaire models are Energy Star-certified, which can help lower your energy bills year round. On the high-end ($4,000+), Frigidaire has a professional series of refrigerators and freezers that look like custom builds in a celebrity home thanks to the included, nifty trim kit to fit around your existing cabinets. And the chic single-door fridge can be paired together with the single-door freezer for the ultimate gourmet side-by-side door refrigerator. Or you can split them up if your kitchen layout doesn’t have the space. Insignia Insignia View On Insigniaproducts.com Why You Should Get It You can snag select models for less than $500. Keep in Mind Saving big means sacrificing high-end finishes. On a budget? Insignia makes some of the most budget-friendly fridges out there making it one of the best refrigerator brands to shop if you need to replace a fridge fast and weren’t planning on making a major appliance purchase. The least expensive refrigerators are top-freezer models in either black or white. However, you can snag a stainless steel top-freezer fridge for less than $750. (Though it typically still comes with some plastic features, such as handles.) And prices for the larger French door and side-by-side door fridges aren’t bad either with a range of models coming in less than $1,500–even for stainless steel. One thing to note for shopping: You won’t find Insignia at home improvement stores such as Lowe’s or The Home Depot or any other appliance store because it’s Best Buy’s in-house brand. So, if something is out of stock, it’s truly out of stock. Bosch Bosch View On Bosch-home.com Why You Should Get It Efficient design keeps food fresh and energy bills low. Keep in Mind These are major investments with prices starting around $3,000. The French door refrigerator is arguably the most coveted, stylish fridge around and we awarded the Bosch 800 Series Counter-Depth French Door Refrigerator with Ice Maker as our all-time favorite. Bosch is one of the best refrigerator brands to shop because of the intentional, efficient design inside and out. These refrigerators are extremely pricey up front but promise to help lower energy bills and cut food waste over time. How? Highly specific temperature controls. Bosch refrigerators are Energy Star certified to lower utility bills, but the company’s signature FarmFresh System is what makes Bosch the most sustainable choice to shop. The cooling system uses four Bosch-created technologies: VitaFreshPro, the FreshProtect Ethylene Filter, MultiAirFlow, and the AirFresh Filter. The VitaFreshPro can balance both temperature and humidity, meaning it perfectly calculates the optimal environment for food, whether it’s deli meat, cheese, or veggies. Even better: The FreshProtect feature absorbs ethylene, which can slow ripening, meaning it helps keep leafy greens and bagged salads fresh longer. Of course, this magic comes with a huge cost as most Bosch refrigerators are well over $3,000. However, it may be a solid investment to curb food waste for your family–especially if you love to buy in bulk and meal prep. The Bottom Line For a variety of finishes and energy-efficient performance, Whirlpool refrigerators check all the boxes. But for a less expensive price tag, Insignia refrigerators are a great option if you’re on a budget. What to Know About Refrigerator Brands Before Shopping Price “Refrigerators run in price from $700 to $4,500 and beyond,” says Shaunfield. Though the average price of a refrigerator is around $1,000 to $2,000. Stainless steel and black stainless steel will be much more expensive than a white or black plastic finish. You can typically save a couple hundred dollars on a refrigerator model by not buying stainless steel. The most expensive refrigerators are custom built-in units, though you can get the look for less with these tricks. Warranty Most refrigerator brands offer a one-year warranty with the option to purchase a longer warranty. If you’ve already purchased a refrigerator and can’t remember what your warranty is, Shaunfield says many manufacturers list previous model warranty information online. Types of Refrigerators Refrigerators come in four main styles: freezer-on-top, freezer-on-bottom, side-by-side doors, and French doors. You can also buy a refrigerator without a freezer. Classic top-freezer refrigerators devote a larger bottom unit for fresh foods and a smaller top compartment for frozen foods. “They’re a good choice for small areas–like an apartment kitchen or a garage–where space is at a premium,” Shaunfield says. “Bottom-freezer units tend to be larger and more expensive than top-freezer models.” Side-by-side refrigerators split the refrigerator in the middle, housing frozen items on the left and fresh foods on the right. “Some models offer equal space for both sections, but many allot extra inches to the fridge side. Side-by-side refrigerators are ideal for use in narrow kitchens because the doors don’t need much clearance to open fully,” Shaunfield says. And then there’s the coveted French door refrigerator, which combines the drawer-style freezer of a bottom-freezer refrigerator with the low-clearance doors of a side-by-side unit on the top. “If you love entertaining,” Shaunfield says, “these units make a great choice, as they offer plenty of room to hold freshly prepared foods. Also, this design reduces energy usage because you won’t let as much cold air out when you open just one door for a single item.” If you already have a stand-alone freezer, a refrigerator without a freezer offers more space for produce. “Because freezerless refrigerators offer more cooling space, they’re a great choice if you need to store large amounts of fresh food,” Shaunfield says. But remember: Food lasts longer in the freezer than the refrigerator. Delivery Options When purchasing a new refrigerator, there are a couple of different delivery options to consider. Delivery and haul away is important if you’re replacing an existing refrigerator and need the old one removed from your home. Another option is reconnection, where you can pay to have an existing refrigerator moved and reconnected to another area of your home such as the garage or basement. Most new refrigerators come with appliance delivery and connection, which means the manufacturer or third party company will both deliver the new refrigerator and connect it to an existing water line for you. Be sure to read the delivery services carefully before buying a new refrigerator as some retailers will charge a fee for connection if a connection kit isn’t purchased from the retailer directly. Your Questions, Answered How big should a refrigerator be? “Standard-depth refrigerators vary by style, manufacturer, and model,” Shaunfield says. “But generally they’re about 30 to 34 inches in width and up to 70 inches in height. At around 36 inches, they’ll extend out past the counter or cabinetry by about 6 inches.” To find out if a refrigerator is the right size for your kitchen, start by measuring the width of the space where you plan to install the refrigerator. “Since the width can vary from point to point, measure in several places–at the very top if you have upper cabinets, in the middle at the countertop level, and at the floor level–and record the smallest measurement,” says Shaunfield. “Next, measure the height from the floor to the bottom of the upper cabinet. Some refrigerator models will have a top hinge, so account for that measurement as well. Lastly, to make sure the refrigerator won’t jut out into the kitchen, measure the depth from the back wall where the refrigerator will be placed to the front edge of the counter or the adjacent wall. Depending on its placement, make sure that there’s enough space on the hinge side of the refrigerator door so that it opens without hitting the wall.” Which style of fridge is the most reliable? “When discussing reliability of refrigerators, the more simple, classic styles seem to be the most reliable,” Shaunfield says. And classic, freezer-on-top models are typically hundreds of dollars less than refrigerators with French doors so it’s usually the least expensive way to get a stainless steel refrigerator if you have your eye on stainless steel. How long should a residential refrigerator last? “Factors like maintenance and use affect the lifespan of a refrigerator,” Shaunfield says. “But on average, they can last up to 13 years.” Cleaning a refrigerator often as well as organizing foods to prevent spills will ensure your refrigerator is in top shape to last years. Who We Are Deanne Revel is an award-winning journalist and host based in Seattle. She covers home and design shopping, including the best deals and dupes, and did significant research on the best refrigerator brands for this story. She also spoke to Brian Shaunfield, Lowe’s Store Manager. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit