Credit:
Samsung
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Credit:
Samsung
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The Hisense HRM260N6TSE is the best mid-range French-door refrigerator we've tested. Read More
This French-door stunner aced our tests, maintaining unwavering temperatures. It also boasts a through-the-door dispenser and smart connectivity. Read More
The Bosch B36FD50SNS French-door is nearly perfect. Temperatures in both the fridge and freezer are right on the mark, and it has a lot of storage. Read More
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. Read More
The Samsung Bespoke RF29BB8600 is one of the better Bespoke fridges we've tested, with solid temperatures, excellent extras, and a custom look. Read More
Nothing adds a bit of attainable luxury to a kitchen like a French-door refrigerator. There’s something majestic about opening up those double doors and having more than enough room for whatever casserole dish or grocery haul you need to store.
Besides boasting extraordinary interior space, French-door fridges often offer a number of highly desirable features. If you want a water dispenser, ice maker, or a high-end finish, you’re more likely to find those features on a French-door. They also tend to have a larger chassis, which provides more room for compressors and superior airflow.
While the best French-door refrigerators sometimes cost more than their side-by-side and top-freezer counterparts, the user satisfaction that comes with a French-door refrigerator is typically worth the higher price tag.
Editor's Note: Appliances purchases are a large investment of both money and time. We’ve not only compiled lists of the best fridges to shop, but also the best places to buy in-stock appliances right now and the best times of year to buy appliances to take advantage of sales and new releases.
The Hisense HRM260N6TSE is one of the best fridges you can buy at this price point.
Near-perfect temperatures
Through-the-door dispenser
Smart connectivity
Less storage space than average
Solid temperatures
Lots of fridge storage
Through-the-door dispenser
Its shelves only have a spill-capture lip on their front
Near-perfect temperatures
Custom-temp compartment
Tons of great extra features
Short warranty
Solid fridge temperatures
Flexible-temperature drawer
Customizable aesthetic
The custom-color panels are a separate purchase
Near-perfect temperatures
Lots of highly-customizable storage space
Effective crispers
A few fixtures feel cumbersome to use
Perfectly consistent temperatures
Innovative deli net storage
Stylish design
Crisper settings can be confusing
Consistent temperatures
Backlit interior
Custom-temp drawer
Smaller capacity
Backlit interior
Flexible drawer with custom temp
Through-the-door ice and water
Maintains consistent temperatures
Interior wood finish
Through-door dispensers
Drawers feel rickety
Maintains consistent temperatures
Temperature-controlled drawer
Retractable shelves
Lacks through-door dispensers
Excellent temperature control
Large fridge compartment
Internal dispensers
Small freezer
Solid fridge temperature performance
Efficient crispers
Excellent extras
Temperatures in the freezer weren't consistent
Poor value
Our refrigerator testing lab is a sealed room connected to a system that automatically maintains a constant 70°F temperature and 50% relative humidity, regardless of how hot and dry or cold and wet it may be outside. Keeping environmental factors consistent is extremely important, because variations in temperature and humidity can affect how hard a fridge needs to work.
We evaluate French-door refrigerators on objective and subjective metrics; you can read about our complete testing process for more information. The objective tests allow us to compare performance across models and manufacturers, while the subjective tests give us insight into how easy or difficult it is to use a refrigerator in day-to-day life.
To ensure consistency in our testing, we keep each refrigerator in a climate-controlled chamber that ensures a temperature of 72°F +/- 5°F and a relative humidity of 50% RH +/- 15% RH. Refrigerators have to work harder if the air surrounding them is extremely hot or cold, so by ensuring stable room temperature conditions we can directly compare fridges without worrying about the weather that particular day.
We spend a week running various tests on the refrigerators, measuring everything from their temperature consistency over time, their humidity levels, and how energy efficient they are. We also hand-measure each and every shelf and bin, to ensure a consistent methodology across brands: No counting the empty space around an ice-maker or in the gap between the door and interior shelves.
Check out one of our in-depth refrigerator reviews below:
There are many factors to consider before buying a refrigerator. Beyond budget, style, and kitchen space, you may also want to think about finish, warranty, and special features like smart platforms.
French-door refrigerators have two large doors with handles at the center of the fridge. These open from the center out, much like a side-by-side fridge, but unlike a side-by-side, the French-door opens into the same large, refrigerated compartment.
In most French-door models, the freezer sits beneath the refrigerated compartment, similar in design to what you'd find on a bottom-freezer, and pulls outward like a drawer. Some models have four- or even five-door designs, integrating separate, flexible-temperature compartments into the usual “fridge and freezer” paradigm.
The boon of a French-door fridge over a top-freezer, bottom-freezer, or side-by-side, is its sheer amount of space, as well as premium features like through-the-door dispensers and custom-temperature flex drawers.
When deciding how much to spend on a fridge, know that French-door fridges can be pricey, but they also have the highest ceiling for possible extra features, resulting in a huge range of possible prices.
Most French-doors typically fall into the $2,000-$3,000 range, sometimes running upward of $4,000. We've reviewed excellent, entry-level French-door refrigerators that cost under $1,500 and higher-end, feature-dense models that cost over $5,000.
Special features like through-the-door dispensers, higher-end ice-makers, custom-temperature flex drawers, and smart platforms and built-in touchscreen displays can boost the price.
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.
Leigh Harrington has 25 years experience as a writer and editor for myriad print and digital publications.
At USA TODAY and Reviewed, Harrington oversees large appliances, including refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, and laundry, and manages Reviewed's overall home content, including areas of focus like home improvement, cleaning, gardening, cooking, and parenting. She focuses on developing and editing consumer ed content, product reviews and buying guides, but she also writes, too.
Harrington is also an experienced travel writer, and has authored books including Fodor's Boston, 100 Things to Do in Boston Before You Die, and Colorful Boston, an adult coloring book. www.leighharrington.com
Managing Editor, Kitchen & Appliances. Danielle has a B.S. from Syracuse University and a AAS in Culinary Arts from Newbury College. Previously, Danielle was a Test Cook and Associate Editor at America's Test Kitchen, as well as a freelance recipe developer and food writer. She’s the mom of two boys and loves making pizza on Friday nights.
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.
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