This four-door French-door is one of the best fridges we've tested. It has near-perfect temperatures, great features, and almost no downsides.
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This French-door stunner aced our tests, maintaining unwavering temperatures. It also boasts a through-the-door dispenser and smart connectivity.
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The Frigidaire Galllery GRMC2273CF has consistent temperature performance, a huge amount of storage for its size, and highly-customizable fixtures.
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If you want a seamless, streamlined kitchen, you’ll need a counter-depth fridge. These compact refrigerators typically measure about 30 inches from front to back, sacrificing storage space to give you more floor space.
While they may be more shallow than standard-depth fridges, we hold them to the same standards in testing. We measure temperature consistency, storage space, energy efficiency, and ability to retain humidity. In testing, the Frigidaire Gallery Quattro GRQC2255BF
(available at Abt for $1,949.00)
has emerged as the top-performing counter-depth model. In fact, it's the best refrigerator of any kind we've tested to date.
Special features: CrispSeal Crispers with Auto Humidity, SpaceWise Organization System, Custom-Flex Temp Zone, through-the-door ice and water dispenser
The Frigidaire Gallery Quattro GRQC2255BF 4-door French door is the best refrigerator we've tested to date, by a healthy margin, and it's our best counter-depth fridge by an even wider one.
One of the most impressive abilities of this fridge is to keep temperatures within a fraction of a degree of their target, both over time and throughout each of its compartments. Typically there's a bit of wiggle to any fridge's temperatures due to defrost cycles or opening the door to grab something. Thanks to its TwinTech cooling system, the GRQC2255BF is able to adapt quickly to any changes to prevent your food's internal temperature from changing even a single degree Fahrenheit. This is, by far, the best temperature performance we've ever recorded.
The Frigidaire Gallery Quattro GRQC2255BF doesn't stop with near-perfect temperatures. When it comes to extra features, the GRQC2255BF has just about everything you'd expect from a high-end fridge. It has a through-the-door ice and water dispenser, a custom-temp compartment located next to its freezer, humidity-controlled crispers, and some highly customizable storage throughout.
The GRQC2255BF offers an unbelievable value for its purchase price, both in terms of its raw performance and its overall usability. If you want to buy the best of the best, the Frigidaire Gallery Quattro GRQC2255BF is it.
Finishes: White, black metallic steel, stainless steel
Special features: None
The Hisense HRB171N6ASE is a high-value, low-cost bottom freezer refrigerator. It has remarkable temperature consistency for its price range and has notable energy efficiency, even compared to other counter-depth models.
However, it isn’t without issues. We recommend making sure it’s properly calibrated out of the box: the unit we received ran at a slightly higher temperature than is ideal. Additionally, there is only one crisper drawer, so those who store lots of fruits and vegetables might find better options elsewhere.
Still, this refrigerator offers impressive performance for its purchase price. If you’re looking to pick up a counter-depth fridge on a budget, the HRB171N6ASE is a solid bet.
Special features: Through-the-door filtered water and crescent/crushed ice, Home Connect app support
The Bosch BG36CD50SNS delivers rock-solid temperature control, holding steady at 38°F and varying by less than 1°F in either direction. Its freezer offers even steadier temperature control, never moving by more than a fraction of a degree from its position just below 0°F.
There are plenty of advanced features here, as well. The ice and water dispensers are top-tier. The ice dispenser can churn out about 12 pounds of ice every day, and the water dispenser can remember the size of your most-used vessels and fill them up, hands-free. There are also wi-fi smart fridge features, including push notifications if your door is open.
The design is incredible, as well: It’s carefully built to use a minimum of space, from hidden hinges and feet to a door that’s designed to sit flush with your cabinetry.
It isn’t perfect. We’d like to see some spill-capture on the shelves, and the drawers aren’t as sturdy as they could be considering the care put into the rest of the design. We also have some complaints about freezer space, compared to the average French door fridge. Still, the Bosch BG36CD50SNS has a lot going for it, and would make a great addition to any space-conscious kitchen.
Special features: Through-the-door ice and water, PerfectChill drawer, three cooling zones, full-width glide-out tray, MsmartHome app support
The Midea MRQ22D7AST seemingly has it all: stylish looks, useful features, and steady temperatures. It's no surprise it's towards the top of most of our "best of" lists.
In terms of performance, the Midea MRQ22D7AST pretty much maximizes the shelf life of your food. The crispers keep veggies fresh, it has a slide-out tray for easily accessing platters, and we love the deli net. Overall this fridge has some great innovative storage options.
The only downsides we could find are incredibly minor and will likely come down to personal preference. While it's not quite as good a value as some other fridges listed here, you're still getting an amazing and aesthetic fridge for your purchase price.
Special features: SpaceWise organization system, Custom-Flex Temp drawer, PurePour Connect water filter, TwinTech cooling system, OpenAccess door, Pure Air AF-2 air filter, through-the-door ice and filtered water dispenser
If you've been looking at counter-depth French-door models but haven't been thrilled with their low overall storage, the Frigidaire Gallery GRMC2273CF may be the pick for you.
While the GRMC2273CF does feature a counter-depth design (which is less deep than full-size builds, resulting in fewer cubic feet of storage), it manages to use the space it does have incredibly well, with more fridge storage space than even some full-size models.
The GRMC2273CF also provides some excellent customization features to make sure that space conforms to your specific needs. It has sliding door bins and folding shelves that can move to make way for taller objects stored underneath, a storage area at kid-height called the Snack Zone, and a custom-temperature drawer that can be set anywhere from freezing to 45°F for chilling wine.
The GRMC2273CF excels in most other areas as well. Modern Frigidaire fridges are using a new air circulation technology, the TwinTech cooling system, which keeps temperatures consistent throughout its compartments as well as over time.
Special features: Internal cold water dispenser, dual ice maker, 4-door Flex temperature flex compartment, LED lighting, flex crisper, water filter, SmartThings app support
The stylish Samsung RF23A9675AP offers the incredible array of aesthetic options that the Bespoke line is known for. It’s also loaded with high-tech features, including a door-in-door beverage center, a powerful deodorizing filter, wi-fi smart features, and a “flex” compartment that can be used for refrigeration or for freezing.
Unfortunately, it struggles to do the one thing a fridge needs to do: Keep food cold. Our test model averaged a temperature of 39.89°F, perilously close to the “danger zone” for bacterial growth of 40°F. At times it went as high as 43°F. You’ll either want to calibrate the fridge lower, or make sure you carefully observe your expiration dates.
Even with lower temperature calibration, you still get wide swings in temperature, which isn’t great for the fridge but is extra bad in the freezer, which can lead to freezer burn.
All in all, this Samsung has some cool features, but the brand offers less-expensive models that deliver better performance where it counts.
Special features: Wine drawer refreshment center, smart features via Home Connect, FlexBar with attachments, dual compressors/evaporators, MultiAirFlow, internal ice and water dispensers
The Bosch B36CL81ENG 800 Series refrigerator is a classy kitchen fixture for wine lovers. Its flagship feature is its refreshment center—a custom-temperature, wood-and-glass drawer that can hold up to 15 wine bottles. This is a design-forward fridge aimed at serious oenophiles and those who do a lot of entertaining. While expensive, if you're interested in this fridge's overall aesthetic and wine drawer, it's difficult to find a similar fridge outside the luxury market.
Above and beyond its unique features, the B36CL81ENG has excellent performance and build quality. Its temperatures are steady and every fixture feels well-designed and easy to use.
Special features: Through-door water/ice dispenser
The KitchenAid KRFC704FBSPS is one of the most unique fridges we've tested. In addition to low, stable temperatures it delivers an exquisitely unique look, featuring a natural-looking wood-style trim in its platinum interior.
It includes a water/ice dispenser with modern automation features, but it also has some more unique features. A sealed gasket preserves the butter drawer, and the shelving retracts towards the back of the fridge to make room for tall items below, as needed. There’s also a fairly generous warranty.
Its push to maximize space means that some of the shelves and drawers aren’t as sturdy as we’d like. But a host of clever engineering touches makes this fridge an incredible option.
Special features: Internal water and ice dispensers, custom-temp crisper drawers, Home Connect app support
The Bosch’s 800 Series B36CT80SNS passed all of our temperature tests with room to spare, maintaining cold, even temperatures in both the fridge and freezer. We also like its smart fridge capabilities via Home Connect, crispers with customizable temperatures, and a refrigerator compartment with tons of storage.
The only downside? Its freezer, though well-organized, is small—almost half as big as you’d typically see on a French door.
If you’re not looking to spend thousands on a new fridge, the Hotpoint HPS16BTNRWW is a good option for anyone on a budget. Unlike most lower-cost fridges, this Hotpoint doesn’t skimp on temperature performance, and stays remarkably consistent, straying by less than 2°F throughout both the fridge and freezer.
What you won’t get in this fridge is features. Also, its freezer runs a bit warm before calibration, which is an easy fix.
If you’re looking for a fridge in this price range, it’s going to require compromises. In this case, those compromises are tiny compared to the performance at this price.
Weighing the floral foam ball lets us measure how much water it was able to retain after a while in the fridge's crisper, allowing us to figure out the rate at which humidity escapes.
There are many, many considerations that come into play when testing refrigerators in the Reviewed lab. For a complete rundown of the process, you can read our refrigerator lab testing procedures. But, in general, we examine temperature, humidity loss, useable space and energy efficiency from a science-based perspective.
Inside our fridge lab, we maintain a strictly standardized environment — to ensure that each fridge operates under the same conditions. Refrigerators pull in air and cool it down to preserve food and prevent bacterial growth. Extreme temperatures outside of the fridge can affect its operation.
We keep the lab temperature to 72°F +/- 5°F (basically, room temperature), with a relative humidity of 50% RH +/- 15% RH. We also pack the fridge with water-filled containers, because fridges operate better when there’s less empty space. Then, we spend a week testing and measuring the fridge’s temperature, humidity loss, freezing time, usable space, and energy use.
What To Look For In A Counter-depth Refrigerator
Price
Making an appliance smaller than standard often means squeezing its technology into ever-smaller spaces. That’s why counter-depth refrigerators often cost more than standard-depth fridges. Higher-end models are definitely more expensive than full-sized fridges, but you can find basic, budget-friendly counter-depth fridges that provide good performance.
Space
While they’re great for smaller kitchens or seamless aesthetics, you’ll want to make sure that you have enough room in your fridge. You typically lose about 6 inches of depth, so you may want to seek out a fridge that maximizes space in other ways.
In general, a counter-depth fridge should be fine for one or two people. If you have a larger household, you may want to go with a full-size unit.
Features
There are plenty of feature-rich counter-depth fridge models. However, adding features eats into your storage space, and drives up the price. If you need the extras and all the refrigerator and freezer space you can get, you may want to consider a full-size fridge.
What You Should Know Before Buying A Counter-depth Refrigerator
What Is A Counter-depth Fridge?
A standard countertop is 24 inches deep, and the body of a counter-depth refrigerator—not counting the doors or handles—is usually close to that depth. By comparison, the body of a standard refrigerator is usually the same width and height as a standard-depth refrigerator, but closer to 30 inches deep.
There is no standard for what defines counter-depth—but if you don’t want your fridge to stand out six inches from your counters, a counter-depth model is your best bet.
So, what's the tradeoff? You'll have less space in your fridge.
Most standard-depth refrigerators can hold between 26 and 32 cubic feet of groceries, while the majority of counter-depth fridges can only hold between 20 and 24 cubic feet.
(Also, the smaller overall size often means better efficiency—compare a counter-depth's Energy Star rating to its standard depth refrigerator counterpart.)
They do come with downsides, however. You often pay 5% to 20% more for the counter-depth version of a fridge, despite getting less storage space.
How Deep Is A Counter-depth Refrigerator?
A counter-depth fridge is typically around 24 inches in depth, not including the door and handles, which typically stick out further.
Can You Get a Counter-depth Fridge That Fits Flush With Cabinetry?
No typical counter-depth fridge with standard doors will fit perfectly flush with your cabinetry. They need space around their hinges so they can open properly, and so they’ll always extend past your cabinetry at least a little bit.
There may be a few options out there. There are a few specially-engineered, low-profile designs. You may also look into column fridges or other custom-made models, but that will involve specialized retailers and premium prices.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
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Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.
Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.
Michael Garrett Steele has been writing and editing professionally since 2013, and has been a part of Reviewed since 2020.
An MFA in music composition, Garrett has lent audio expertise to everyone from Independence Community College to Bethesda Softworks, informing reviews of audio equipment and services. Garrett also covers tech, drawing on experience working everywhere from IT helpdesks to enterprise architecture sales. Steele has also become a go-to reviewer for minor plumbing fixtures since covering bidets for Reviewed in early 2020.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.