Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by consumers.
Skip to Main ContentThe payment for your account couldn't be processed or you've canceled your account with us.
Re-activateThere are plenty of reasons you might not want to spend thousands of dollars on a new refrigerator. Maybe yours quit suddenly but you have other financial priorities. Or maybe you’re doing a budget kitchen remodel and can’t splurge on appliances.
Consumer Reports has done the testing and research for you, and found that about $1,500 is the sweet spot for a great value.
“We’re seeing fridges for less than $1,500 that offer nice features, such as dual evaporators, icemakers, and compartments you can convert from fridge to freezer and back again,” says one of our test engineers, Joseph Pacella, who oversees CR’s refrigerator labs.
How We Test Refrigerators
After a refrigerator gets wired up with thermocouples, we monitor it for more than a month in a climate-controlled chamber to evaluate thermostat control and temperature uniformity. CR’s test engineers collect more than 5.4 million temperature readings for each model to detect warm and cold spots and to determine which refrigerators will keep your food fresh longer. We also factor in survey data from thousands of CR members to judge brand reliability and satisfaction.
All that data—and then some—informs CR’s refrigerator ratings, which include more than 300 models.
Below is a roundup of 10 high-scoring refrigerators from our ratings for $1,500 or less. One caveat: Prices fluctuate throughout the year, so depending on when you look, you might spot models on this list that cost more than $1,500. (What you won't find are any built-in refrigerators, because they're too pricey: The 49 models in our ratings range from $3,800 to more than $10,000.)
Keep reading for ratings and reviews of models from Kenmore, LG, Samsung, and Whirlpool that offer fantastic value.
Go to Consumer Reports' 2018 Holiday Central for updates on deals, expert product reviews, insider tips on shopping, and much more.
Overall Score: 79 (Very Good)
CR’s take: Samsung’s 32-inch-wide French-door earns Excellent ratings for thermostat control and temperature uniformity, the two biggest performance factors in a model’s Overall Score. It gets Very Good ratings for noise and ease of use, as well as a Good rating for energy efficiency. In general, Samsung French-doors receive Good ratings for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction in our surveys. This model features dual evaporators, and while it doesn’t have an external ice and water dispenser, it does dispense filtered water inside. It also has a few other convenience features, including digital controls and spillproof shelves.
Overall Score: 74 (Very Good)
CR’s take: This Samsung French-door also earns an Excellent rating in CR’s two crucial temperature tests—thermostat control and temperature uniformity. It receives Very Good ratings for energy efficiency and ease of use, a Good rating for noise, and identical reliability and satisfaction ratings as the Samsung model above. This model offers more usable capacity than its sibling above, but that extra space may put a kink in your kitchen layout: It's 5 inches deeper. At 35 inches deep, this Samsung will stick out at least 10 inches past a standard 25-inch-deep countertop. In terms of features, you’ll find spillproof shelves, dual evaporators (to prevent air from mixing between compartments), digital controls, an internal water dispenser, and more.
Overall Score: 74 (Very Good)
CR’s take: This stainless steel Samsung French-door earns Excellent ratings for thermostat control and temperature uniformity, as well as Very Good ratings for the rest of our tests. It also receives the same ratings for reliability and satisfaction as the above two picks. Features are similar (spillproof shelves, dual evaporators), and this model adds an external water/ice dispenser along with uniquely adjustable shelving, which comes in handy if you need to reconfigure the interior to, say, hold numerous big or tall items before a party.
Overall Score: 73 (Very Good)
CR’s take: Prefer Kenmore over Samsung? This Kenmore receives Excellent ratings in both thermostat control and temperature uniformity, Very Good ratings for energy efficiency and ease of use, and a Good rating for noise. Like Samsung French-doors, Kenmore French-doors also earn Good ratings for both reliability and satisfaction. In addition to an external water/ice dispenser, this model comes with pullout shelves/bins, spillproof shelves, and digital controls. For the price, this fridge offers good performance without sacrificing functionality.
Overall Score: 73 (Very Good)
CR’s take: This Kenmore side-by-side is an all-around superb refrigerator and earns a CR recommendation for performance. In our tests, it earns a rating of Excellent for energy efficiency and ease of use, a Very Good for thermostat control and noise, and a middling Good for temperature uniformity, meaning it's a bit more susceptible to warm and cold spots. In our survey, Kenmore side-by-sides earn a Good rating for predicted reliability, but only a Fair for owner satisfaction. It comes with digital controls and external water and ice dispensers. It’s not the largest fridge, with just 18.7 cubic feet of measured usable storage, but it’s a stylish stainless steel model that might appeal to couples and small families.
Overall Score: 73 (Very Good)
CR’s take: One of our highest-rated side-by-sides, this Kenmore earns Excellent scores for thermostat control and ease of use, a Very Good rating for temperature uniformity, and Good ratings for energy efficiency and noise. In our surveys, Kenmore side-by-sides receive a Good rating for predicted reliability but only a Fair rating for owner satisfaction. This Kenmore features an external water and ice dispenser, digital controls, dual evaporators, and more. It’s this fine balance of features and performance—for less than $1,500—that earn this model a CR Best Buy recommendation.
Overall Score: 71 (Very Good)
CR’s take: This LG side-by-side offers a feature no other fridge on this list can claim—a door-in-door design for easy access to commonly used fridge items. The refrigerator gets a Very Good or higher for every performance test, with Excellent ratings for thermostat control, noise, and ease of use. While this model offers impressive performance, LG side-by-sides don't fair as well in our annual surveys. They receive only a Fair rating for predicted reliability and a Good rating for owner satisfaction. In addition to the door-in-door design, this LG features an external water/ice dispenser, dual evaporators, digital controls, and more.
Overall Score: 71 (Very Good)
CR’s take: For another traditional side-by-side option, consider this Whirlpool. It receives Very Good ratings for everything except temperature uniformity and energy efficiency, where it receives Good and Excellent ratings, respectively. Whirlpool side-by-sides are one of only two side-by-side brands (the other being Whirlpool-owned Amana) that receive a Very Good rating for predicted reliability. However, both brands also earn a Fair rating for owner satisfaction. This model features digital controls, an external water and ice dispenser, and more.
Overall Score: 90 (Excellent)
CR’s take: This LG bottom-freezer is the highest-scoring bottom-freezer in our ratings, earning an Excellent in every performance test except ease of use (where it still manages a Very Good rating). LG bottom-freezers also get Very Good ratings for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction. This model features spillproof and half shelves (each half of the shelf can be raised or lowered for more flexible storage), an icemaker, digital controls, and more. With a stainless steel finish and such strong scores, this LG is a great deal.
Overall Score: 76 (Very Good)
CR’s take: Top-freezers are the classic bargain refrigerator. They’re typically smaller in size, with fewer features and bare-bones design, so it’s not hard to find a top-performing model for less than $1,500. This Samsung bucks a bit of that image thanks to its black stainless steel finish, roomy 20.2 cubic feet of usable storage, and an innovative flexible freezer compartment that you can convert from freezer to fridge and back. When it comes to performance, this Samsung doesn’t disappoint—it’s the fourth-highest-scoring top-freezer in our ratings. It rates Excellent for energy efficiency, Very Good for thermostat control and noise, and Good for temperature uniformity and ease of use.
