It's hard to know what you're getting when you can only read about the refrigerator's specs and features. Using it in everyday life is another matter. That is why we test refrigerators ourselves and do not rely on manufacturers' descriptions.
If you want to know what a refrigerator looks like when you have one in your kitchen, get an honest review from our reviews.
According toEnergy Conservation Foundation, refrigerators and freezers account for about 13% of the average household electricity bill. We'll give you an idea of how much it will cost to run the fridge/freezer we're reviewing. If you know your electricity rate, you can get an even more accurate estimate by using it onlineenergy cost calculator.
We'll also tell you about new tech solutions to help you organize your shopping and keep your food in perfect condition for longer, such as air-conditioned chambers and adjustable settings for fresh produce. They can help you save on your grocery bills by reducing food waste.
Some of the fridge-freezers we reviewed also have switchover technology - sections that can double as a fridge or freezer depending on your needs. So if you're taking people out and making salads and cold cuts, you can maximize your fridge space. But if you see an offer for frozen products or want to prepare meals for several weeks, you can opt for an additional freezer compartment.
Below the table you will find more information about fridge types and current fridge technology, as well as how we test reviewed fridges.
And if you're looking for a dedicated wine cooler, check out our reviewBank Wina Haier 50 Seria 7, a combined wine bank with some really clever features. Otherwise, read on for the best refrigerators we've tested.
The best refrigerator reviews
1. LG InstaView Door-in-Door GSXV90MCDE - best features
Advantages
- Artisan ice cream
- UVNano water and ice dispenser
- Capacity 635 liters
Cons
- Gotta break in
- It will be expensive to operate
- Manual humidity slider
This new American fridge freezer from LG has so many great features that you don't know where to start. But let's start with the redesigned Door-in-Door InstaView panel. Knock on the glass and the window in your refrigerator will light up, allowing you to view drinks and snacks. Do you want something to drink? Just open the recessed glass door.
It has a water and ice dispenser that sterilizes itself using UVNano technology to remove bacteria. In addition, there is the Craft Ice Maker, which produces spherical ice for frozen drinks.
Plus, there's plenty of room: it has a total capacity of 635 liters and comes with a range of clever storage features, including spacious door shelves, a Fresh Balancer drawer with humidity control, a wine rack and a fridge-sized container for storing snacks or ready meals.
Smart features are also available: using the ThinQ app, you can remotely change the temperature and track the freshness and energy consumption of food.
However, remember that this is a connected device, so you need to think about its placement and have a suitable (and large enough) space to accommodate it.
Read our fullReview LG Instaview Door-in-Door GSXV90MCDE
2. Haier HTF-456DM6 Cube Fridge Freezer - Best Design
Advantages
- Four-door design
- Drawers with humidity zone
- Door storage rack
Cons
- Integrated fridge door seal
- No built-in ice maker
- Rigid manual ice tray
This spacious Haier fridge-freezer is beautifully designed with a four-door format that can transform the way you use your kitchen. It has brilliant technology including a digital control panel on one of the doors.
Includes Humidity Zone and Dry Zone drawers, which in our tests showed a noticeable difference in food freshness and shelf life. It also has Haier's antimicrobial treatment–UV lamp designed to kill bacteria in the refrigerator for more hygienic food storage.
Under the fridge is a transparent no-frost freezer with a capacity of 140 liters.
Okay, there's no ice maker, but other than that, this Haier cube has everything you could want from a luxury fridge-freezer, at a very reasonable price.
Read our fullHaier HTF-456DM6 Cube fridge freezer review
3. Samsung RB7300T fridge-freezer - the best price
Advantages
- SpaceMax technology
- Cooling all around
- Flat back
- lekki
Cons
- Non-adjustable shelves
- Constant humidity
- Top cable ties
The RB7300T is a really affordable fridge-freezer that offers a constant temperature and a huge amount of space thanks to Samsung's SpaceMax technology.
It offers 230 liters of fridge capacity and 114 liters of freezer capacity, which is spacious considering its slim size. The freezer is frost-proof and has a removable drawer for flexible storage.
As you'd expect at this price point, you can't adjust the humidity in the vegetable drawer, nor does it have a built-in ice maker. But what this device offers is space and seamless quality.
Read our fullReview of the Samsung RB7300T fridge-freezer
4. Hitachi R-BGX411PGB1 fridge-freezer - Stylish, space-saving
Advantages
- Shiny door
- Pull-out drawers
- Double fan
Cons
- No freezer light
- No numerical temperature indicator
- Manual slider for meat/vegetable tray
This 60/40 fridge-freezer has a door so reflective you can see your face and an ombre color that goes from black to brown. It has touchscreen controls via the front panel of the refrigerator and the interior is kept cool at all times thanks to the dual fan system.
There's 215 liters of storage in the fridge, including a wine rack, an easy-to-reach pull-out drawer, and a vegetable or meat and dairy drawer with a choice of temperature depending on what you're storing. It's fine, but in an ideal world we'd prefer more accurate digital control.
The 115 liters frost-free freezer is divided into three sections, one of which is a pull-out shelf and an ice cube compartment.
Read our fullReview of the Hitachi R-BGX411PGB1 fridge-freezer combination
5. Hotpoint FFU3DW1 Fridge Freezer - French doors, small footprint
Advantages
- Excellent capacity
- Three refrigerator drawers
- No freezer
Cons
- The height makes the top shelves less accessible
- The limited space in stretched out
If you need a French door fridge-freezer but simply don't have the space, this Hotpoint appliance could be the solution. It is available in black or white with solid silver handles.
Measuring just 70cm wide and 78cm deep, it has plenty of capacity - 302 liters in the fridge and 150 liters in the no-frost freezer.
It has double doors to access the fridge and a cupboard underneath to access the three freezer drawers. Hotpoint's Active Fresh technology maintains a constant temperature in the fridge and well-designed storage space: two drawers for fruits and vegetables with humidity control and a full-size drawer for meat and fish.
Read our fullHotpoint FFU3DW1 fridge freezer review
6. Samsung Bespoke tall refrigerator - design your own series
Advantages
- Choice of color and finish
- Modular design
- SpaceMax technology
- Cooling all around
Cons
- Manual humidity controller
- Confusing range navigation
- Only two adjustable pockets in the door
In the UK, Samsung's Bespoke series consists of pantry, freezer and fridge-freezer. You can buy them yourself or set them in a configuration of your choice. But the real reason for buying is the choice of door colors and finishes, giving you plenty of scope to personalize your kitchen.
The refrigerator is equipped with Samsung's SpaceMax technology, which maximizes the internal capacity. It also features branded All-Around Cooling for an even, consistent temperature.
It's a beautiful appliance that will transform the look of any kitchen, but keep in mind that not all colors and finishes are currently available.
Read our fullSamsung Bespoke Large Refrigerator Review
7. Hisense PureFlat RQ758N4SWF1 - Four Doors and Flex Zone
Advantages
- Excellent capacity
- My Fresh Choice Flexibility
- Water dispenser
Cons
- Light charging
- No wine rack
- No ice dispenser
PureFlat is a stylish, modern fridge-freezer combination. We looked at the black steel finish, which gives the perfectly flat device an ultra-modern look. The same stainless steel model is cheaper.
It is a four-door refrigerator with freezer compartment, with a freezer under the refrigerator and a water dispenser without a water pipe in the door. However, there is no ice machine.
One of the best features is the "My Fresh Choice" cabinet. This means that half of the freezer can be turned into a fridge if you need more space to store fresh food. There are also many other nice storage options, such as pull-out freezer shelves, a snack box and a large pantry drawer.
It is also a very capacious device, with a total capacity of 606 liters.
Read our fullHisense PureFlat RQ758N4SWF1 refrigerator review
8. Haier HTF-508DGS7 Cube - Switching Technology
Advantages
- Flexibility of my zone
- Two programmable refrigerators
- Perfect storage
Cons
- Capacious ice cream maker
- 190+ cm tall
- No ice dispenser
If you have a slightly bigger budget and space and are looking for something bigger than the Haier HTF-456DM6, this might be for you. Not only does it have an extra 50 liters of food storage, but it also has technology and features that other Cubes lack.
This model has a glass finish and the control panel lights up when touched and disappears when not needed.
One standout feature is My Zone's flexibility, which allows you to turn half of your freezer into a fridge.
In addition to the effective moisture drawer, there is a specialist fresh food storage drawer that can be adapted to the climate, depending on whether you want to store cheese, meat or fruit and vegetables in it.
It has super cool quick freeze and holiday modes that are easy to set up.
Read our fullHaier Cube HTF-508DGS7 fridge freezer review
9. Bosch Serie 6 Pantry Fridge - The best option for the fridge only
Advantages
- Low running costs
- Huge memory capacity
- Nice design features
Cons
- Available only in white
- Annoying door alarm
Series 6 KSV36AWEG is a pantry fridge, so the unit does not have a freezer compartment. But if that's what you're looking for, this is an excellent option.
There is enough storage space in the fridge - 346 liters, which is more than 17 bags of groceries - to keep your groceries well organized and everything in sight. And considering the capacity, running costs are very low (it could cost you as little as £17 a year).
There are some nice design features that elevate it above the typical white kitchen cube and make it easier to access and organize your groceries, such as a long handle, EasyAccess and EasyLift shelves.
Read our fullReview of the Bosch KSV36AWEG refrigerator
10. Hisense RL170D4BC21 Under Counter - the best budget option
Advantages
- Great value
- Matching freezer available
- Stainless steel effect option
Cons
- Limited interior lighting
- Sensitive thermostat knob
This undercounter fridge is a great option if you have little space and are on a budget. It's just a fridge but you canbuy a matching freezerand since both sets of doors are reversible, put them side by side.
If you buy a stainless steel effect finish, it has a surprisingly stylish look.
Read our fullHisense RL170D4BC21 undercounter fridge review
How we rate refrigerators
There is no substitute for taking the fridge home and using it. We have been using each of the tested fridge-freezers for about a month.
During the test period, we test its functions. (Does the moisture tray really make a difference? How well does the instant freeze feature work?)
We also measure the temperature in every part of the fridge to make sure it's consistent and as accurate as advertised. The more constant the temperature, the longer the food will be good. We also test how long the fridge and freezer keep food safe in the event of a power outage.
But we also use the appliances as we would on a daily basis, checking how easily accessible the individual parts of the fridge and freezer are, whether they are well lit and how much storage space you get for your money.
Fridge Freezer Buying Tips
What are the main types of refrigerator styles?
American refrigerators with freezer
Also called side-by-side fridge-freezers, they have double doors that open from the inside, with a fridge on one side and a freezer on the other - a vertical split instead of the typical British horizontal split. Normally, the freezer compartment is narrower than the refrigerator.
American refrigerators often contain ice makers and water dispensers, plugged in or not.
french fridge-freezers
They can be two-door, four-door or a combination of doors and drawers. While there is a crossover of American-style refrigerators, they are more likely to be perfectly symmetrical, with the refrigerator above and the freezer accessed through the bottom two doors or drawers.
Upper or lower freezer
Also called 70/30 or 60/40 fridge-freezers depending on layout, these are the most popular fridges in the UK. They are arranged horizontally.
What features should you pay attention to?
Depending on how you use your fridge-freezer, you may find that some of the features below can really change your life.
No frost
This is a feature that most people are now familiar with. Frost-free freezers are equipped with an automatic fan to remove the hot air that enters when the freezer door is opened. This means there is no time for water to condense and freeze. So if you've ever had trouble with your shrinking freezer space starting to look like an ice cave on Hoth, this is the technology to watch out for.
Swap zones
Switching zones are interchangeable zones that can function as both a refrigerator and a freezer. They are usually in the freezer, but the temperature in the compartment can be individually adjusted to function as extra space in the fridge, giving you more space for freshly prepared party food. Then you switch it back to make room for frozen items.
Fast cooling and fast freezing
If you're bringing home bags of fresh or frozen food, the quick chill and quick freeze functions let you quickly chill or freeze your groceries to keep them in their best condition for longer. In addition, this means that the ambient temperature in the fridge and freezer will not rise when you load room temperature food into them.
Holiday Mode
Many fridge-freezers have a holiday setting that is designed to be energy efficient and save when you are not at home. Since you don't have a lot of fresh food to chill, this will raise the fridge temperature slightly but still keep your frozen food safe.
Antibacterial technology
Some brands, such as Haier, use UV light technology in the refrigerator that turns on when the refrigerator door closes to kill bacteria.
Humidity drawers
Controlling ambient humidity is the secret to keeping vegetables juicy and others crunchy. You can adjust the humidity in these drawers to create the perfect environment for stored fruits and vegetables. For example, leafy vegetables like a high humidity environment.
There are alternatives to moisture drawers, such as those from BekoHarvestFreshlight technology that recreates the natural light cycle in the fresh vegetable drawer to keep produce fresher for longer.
Cooling systems
All brands have their own refrigeration systems, which are designed to minimize temperature fluctuations and maintain a constant temperature in all parts of the refrigerator or freezer.
Smart features
Smart features can vary greatly by device and brand. For example, some refrigerators from Siemens, Samsung and Bosch have an "inside view" feature that allows you to remotely monitor the contents of the refrigerator via an app using the refrigerator's camera, so you know if you're short on cash. item or intends to buy it twice.
Others send a notification to your phone when the refrigerator door is ajar or inform you when the ice level is low or the water tank needs to be refilled.
You can also remotely change the temperature in the fridge or freezer via the app or activate the quick chill function to prepare the fridge for the food you take home.
There may also be app features that help you organize your grocery shopping, food storage, and cooking schedule. For example, you can scan purchased items into the app for meal planning, order groceries through the app, and get recipe suggestions.
So far, we don't think the smart features are really essential, but depending on your lifestyle, they might work for you.