The best fridge to buy for your needs will depend primarily on what style of fridge you are looking for (top freezer, bottom freezer, french door & side-by-side). Here’s a quick run-down of which fridge we & other reviewers think are the best in each category:

Top Freezer: Kenmore 78222 - this refrigerator is quiet & energy efficient, but does have a hefty price tag

Bottom Freezer: Kenmore Elite 76252 - includes ice maker & is Energy Star compliant, but it is also slightly above average on the pricing

French Door: Amana AFD2535DEW - it’s nice and big, comes with water filter & ice maker; a tad pricey though

Side-by-Side: Hotpoint HSS25GFTWW - it’s reliable, decently priced & roomy; on the negative side, it isn’t Energy Star qualified

Like I mentioned earlier, it all depends on which style you are looking for. Overall, I would have to go with the Kenmore 78222 top freezer refrigerator. However, if pricing is your main focus, then the best fridge for you would be the side-by-side Hotpoint HSS25GFTWW.

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A user reviews the Igloo FR280 2.8 Cu-Ft Refrigerator: “The Igloo FR280 2.8 Cu-Ft Refrigerator is an ideal size for an office space. It has adequate space. The only thing I don’t like is that you can’t make ice without freezing the rest of the items in the fridge. The fridge has to be 1 temperature for both the fridge and freezer section so I am having to make ice in another fridge in our office which is an annoyance. Also, the Igloo FR280 2.8 Cu-Ft Refrigerator is white, not black as advertised.”

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A user reviews the Maytag MFI2568AES 25 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator: “The Maytag MFI2568AES 25 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator does its job and looks nice doing it. The biggest problem though is the noise. It spends half the day making a vibrating noise, but worse it is not constant. We have had the fridge almost 1 year and we have the Maytag repair people out twice to investigate the issue and both times they made minor adjustments and then the noise came back as soon as they left.

Despite the noise, the Maytag MFI2568AES 25 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator does its function (so far at least) and it looks nice. We get many compliments on the look, but we didn’t buy it to look at! I have a hard time with larger items (like 2 liter bottles) and often wind up laying them down on a shelf inside the fridge. I love the deli drawer and how it goes across the width of the fridge and I like the drawers in the freezer, although tall or bulky items become an issue again.”

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An Epinions user reviews the General Electric Profile Energy Star PFSS6PKWSS Stainless Steel French Door Refrigerator: “My family has had the General Electric Profile Energy Star PFSS6PKWSS Stainless Steel French Door Refrigerator since November 07. We love the freezer on the bottom, and the french door design. The only problem is the apparently razor thin stainless steel that causes the front to warp. Light is reflected off the door fronts such that it looks flimsy and cheap. I feel an appliance at this price should be at least as durable as a cheap laminate fronted model. This one is not. There was a slight indentation in the steel on the day it was delivered and it has since gotten worse all over the front. Other than that, the General Electric Profile Energy Star PFSS6PKWSS refrigerator is a great fridge. The design is very good with spacious drawers and versatile shelves. At Thanksgiving we had two 12lb. turkeys in the freezer along with all our other stuff with no problem. The ice maker doesn’t take up too much room and it is well worth the space that it does. When ice drops from the machine during ice making it is quite loud, but the compressor is nearly silent. The ice/water dispenser design is brilliant; large cups can get ice/water just as easy as small ones because it is tilted. Water dispenses somewhat slowly, but the filtration seems to work well, as the water tastes good. I’m a little wary about the life of the button that switches between water, cubed and crushed ice though. You have to press it three times to get cubed ice water(my family of four probably presses it 30+ times a day). I’ve only rarely used the “turbo” functions and we still have it set to the default temperatures, which seem to be perfect (milk doesn’t give you brain freeze and ice cream is scoopable). I do plan to contact GE about the doors and ask about the button.”

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An Epinions user reviews the Amana Easy Reach AFD2535DE Bottom Freezer Refrigerator: “The Amana Easy Reach AFD2535DE Bottom Freezer Refrigerator is pretty nice. It is a bit noisy though - it has a good hum to it. Also, we do not care for the cold cuts drawer that runs the length of the fridge across - you get used to accessing everything when you open only one side of the fridge - but for that drawer you have to open both sides. Next time I’d spend a little bit more money and get something of a little better quality and a bit more quiet”

Another user wrote: “The Amana Easy Reach AFD2535DE Bottom Freezer Refrigerator’s appearance is great, filter change out was easy, and storage is good in both upper & lower compartments. Installation was a breeze. Manuals were accurate and complete. We haven’t found any weak points yet, no unexpected noises, and no leaks.

We don’t care for the wide, single meat storage bin as it requires both doors to be opened for access. The compartment rails in the door storage bins are rounded, reducing the amount of possible items stored in the doors.”

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An Amazon user reviews the GE 3.1 cu. ft. Compact refrigerator: “GE 3.1 cu. ft. Compact refrigerator - I am not a fan of the can dispenser in door, but it is well worth it to live with that minor layout dislike because the rest of the refrigerator is of good quality. The compressor mechanicals in the back are tucked within the back plane of the refrigerator frame, unlike a competitor’s I tried. The rear framing that the mechanicals are attached to is one piece and looks like better quality than competitor’s. A competitor’s compressor was definitely quiet to their credit, but to my surprise this one is even quieter.

The only real negative things I can say about the GE 3.1 cu. ft. Compact Refrigerator is that one of the bolts holding the compressor to the frame looks like it isn’t seated 100%, but it doesn’t appear to be loose, so I guess wouldn’t have ever known if I hadn’t looked at it closely, although I wish that they paid more attention to quality like this, and there is no freezer drip tray for when you defrost, there looks to be a slot for it though. I would say the GE Spacemaker 3.1 cubic foot compact refrigerator is pretty decent for this price range. I would assume GE’s other refrigerators are similarly well built.”

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An Amazon user reviews the Amana AFD2535FES French Door Refrigerator: “The Amana AFD2535FES French Door Refrigerator is simply the best. We have owned ours for about a year. In that time, its operation has been flawless. Its size and convenient features make for large capacity storage and easy use.

The pros:

An internal filtered water dispenser, which is hooked up to the house’s water supply, provides for fresh cold water at any time (and the filter is easy to change). An ice maker that works quickly. One day’s ice production lasts me almost a week (I don’t have kids). An added benefit: the ice maker is hooked up to the filtered water system. The French doors, which provide lots of storage space. With the Amana AFD2535FES French Door Refrigerator get the convenience of a side-by-side, but without loosing all that space. The chef’s pantry drawer. A really nice feature. It has its own temperature control, and is normally colder than the rest of the fridge. Great for storing meats, cheeses, and eggs. Easy-to-adjust temperature controls keep overall temperature consistent, both in the fridge and freezer. The large capacity freezer, which pulls straight out. We have plenty of room to stock up, and it’s convenient on the bottom. The top bin slides out for easy access. The bottom bin pulls out when you open the door. The Amana AFD2535FES French Door Refrigerator has crisper drawers that really keep things crisp. Four adjustable spill-saver shelves made of easy-to-clean tempered glass. Five adjustable door bins that have lots of room. They have rubber bottoms that come out for easy cleaning.

The lonely, and only, little con:

The location of the on/off arm for the ice maker is a little inconvenient. It’s on the left side in the back of the freezer. The premise is that when the ice bin is full, the arm will rise and snap to the off position. If I ever let the fridge make that much ice, it would last me a year. I find myself snapping it on/off manually, and it’s a little awkward to reach.

Overall, the Amana AFD2535FES French Door Refrigerator is superior to any I have owned in the past. For me, it was like going from the smallest compact car to a large SUV (but it’s still an energy saver!). Highly recommended.”

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An Amazon user reviews the Haier HNSB02 Refrigerator: “I bought the Haier HNSB02 Refrigerator for my smallish office, so I could have cold drinks all day (soda, juices). For the price (and the free and convenient shipping), it can’t be beat. That’s not to say it’s perfect. Mine arrived damaged (the purely cosmetic triangular plastic cap for the door hinge, located at the top corner of the unit, was cracked and separated from the fridge itself, though it kind of clicks back on, though it’s prone to falling off, as the greenish goo that holds it is kind of smeared off). Also, the cardboard box the Haier HNSB02 Refrigerator is shipped in isn’t really that well-made and was falling apart, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the fridge doesn’t work for the longish haul (never mind the long haul). The fridge is also pretty dirty and needs a wipe-down; there’s a dusty film in places and it has a chemical odor to it. But again, for the price, this made-in-China fridge is just fine.”

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An Epinions user reviews the Whirlpool GS6NBEXRS Side by Side Refrigerator: “The Whirlpool GS6NBEXRS Side by Side Refrigerator’s side door has various bins and gallon storage, etc. That door channels cooled air to keep liquids colder. Crispers include one with temp control. The tempered glass shelves have drip trays to catch spills and slide out to get to items in the back without unloading. The freezer includes wire bins on bottom as well as the glass shelves and since the icemaker is in the freezer door more space is available for storage on the upper shelf.

The thing that sets the Whirlpool GS6NBEXRS Side by Side Refrigerator apart is the icemaker / water dispenser. The door mounted icemaker is available across the Whirlpool Gold line and in the Kenmore badged Whirlpool products. The difference in this particular model is that it offers a larger fill panel. The panel has a taller cutout in the door to accommodate pitchers and tall glasses. The bottom of the panel pulls out to allow oversized containers to be placed firmly for filling and the water spout spins out to make filling large vessels spill proof.

We have had the Whirlpool GS6NBEXRS Side by Side Refrigerator in the house for almost a year. The twice a year filter change was simple. It’s just below the freezer door and pops right out. No problems to date. We are both happy with this Whirlpool.”

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