CNET’s reported overall refrigerator pick was an LG 25-cubic-foot French-door model in an article updated June 3, 2025. That recommendation remains useful as a dated editorial judgment, but it should not be treated as a definitive 2026 ranking. CNET’s selection was based on specifications, major-retailer reviews, market availability, and popular or highly rated models—not a standardized laboratory comparison.
For a 2026 purchase, use the CNET pick as a starting point, then verify the exact model number, current availability, dimensions, service coverage, and independent model-level testing.
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CNET’s overall refrigerator pick
CNET’s 2025 list named an LG 25-cubic-foot French-door refrigerator as the best option for most kitchens. The recommendation was aimed at shoppers who wanted broad fresh-food storage, a bottom freezer, and a mainstream full-size layout.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →French-door refrigerators are often a practical fit for families because the refrigerator compartment is wide and kept at eye level. They can accommodate large platters and containers more easily than many side-by-side designs. The trade-off is that freezer food sits lower, and the additional doors, drawers, ice systems, seals, and controls can increase mechanical complexity.
#1 Best Overall
- SPACIOUS STORAGE: With a generous 7.5 cu. ft. capacity, this platinum refrigerator ensures you have ample space for all your essentials, making it easy to keep everything at your fingertips.
- ORGANIZED CONVENIENCE: Equipped with removable glass shelves, a transparent crisper, and a full-width door bin, this small upright fridge offers organized and convenient storage for all your food and beverage items.
- DEDICATED FREEZER: Enjoy the convenience of a separate freezer compartment with ample space for your frozen goods, along with an adjustable thermostat and interior lighting for both compartments.
- SLEEK DESIGN: Featuring a sleek and durable platinum design with chrome trim and handles, this small fridge freezer adds an upscale retro look that will elevate your space.
- FLEXIBLE CONFIGURATION: The adjustable/removable shelves offer flexibility to customize the interior layout according to your needs, accommodating items of various sizes with ease. A reversible door also allows for flexible opening to best suit your space
The CNET article was updated on June 3, 2025. The accessible evidence confirms the overall LG recommendation, but not enough detail to responsibly reproduce every model, award category, price, dispenser configuration, or model number from the original lineup. Buyers should therefore avoid treating an online summary of that article as a current, complete 2026 product ranking. Read the syndicated CNET article and its date.
What the CNET recommendation does—and does not—prove
- It is a dated editorial recommendation: the source reflects CNET’s 2025 evaluation window.
- It is not a 2026 market ranking: newer models, replacement model numbers, prices, and availability may have changed.
- It is not equivalent to controlled lab testing: the reported process considered specifications and retailer user reviews.
- It is not proof that every LG refrigerator performs similarly: model-level performance varies substantially within the same brand.
Before buying the exact LG model referenced by CNET, confirm that it is still manufactured or supported, sold by a reputable U.S. retailer, covered by the applicable warranty, and supported by available filters, shelves, ice-maker parts, control boards, and authorized service.
What changed for refrigerator shoppers in 2026?
Newer independent evidence makes model-level comparison more important. Consumer Reports’ 2026 refrigerator guide separates laboratory-style performance categories—including thermostat performance, temperature uniformity, energy efficiency, noise, ease of use, crisper performance, and ice-maker performance—from predicted reliability and owner satisfaction.
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Its listed French-door models show why a brand-wide conclusion is unsafe. Examples include:
| Model | Consumer Reports overall score | Guide price |
|---|---|---|
| LG LF25H6330S | 76 | $2,098 |
| GE GNE25JYKFS | 74 | $1,395 |
| LG LF25H6200S | 73 | $1,399 |
| Bosch B36CT80SNS | 73 | $3,499 |
These are guide prices and ratings, not guaranteed current retail prices or promises about an individual owner’s experience. See the Consumer Reports 2026 refrigerator buying guide for the underlying model-level fields.
J.D. Power provides a different kind of evidence: customer satisfaction among recent purchasers, not laboratory performance. In its 2026 U.S. appliance study, Samsung ranked highest in French-door satisfaction with 733 points, followed by LG with 722. Samsung also ranked highest in the side-by-side and top-mount-freezer categories. The study included 28,411 evaluations collected from April 2025 through April 2026. Those results should not be read as proof that Samsung is the best refrigerator brand overall. See J.D. Power’s 2026 methodology and results.
Choose the refrigerator layout before choosing the brand
French-door refrigerators
Best for: wide fresh-food storage, large dishes, and households that frequently use refrigerator contents at eye level.
Rank #2
- Compact Size with Generous Storage: This 3.2 cu.ft mini fridge with freezer measures 18.7’’*17.4’’*33.1’’(W*D*H) , maximizes storage while maintaining a compact footprint. The interior includes a 0.3 cu.ft freezer compartment and 2.9 cu.ft refrigeration space, providing room for beverages, fruit, snacks. Ideal as a compact refrigerator for bedroom, dorm, office, or apartment
- Precise Cooling: Easily customize cooling with 5 adjustable temperature levels ranging from 32°F to 50°F (Not suitable for storing ice cream and ice cubes). This mini refrigerator keeps drinks chilled, fruits fresh, and dairy properly stored. The adjustable thermostat makes this small refrigerator with freezer suitable for different foods and seasonal temperature needs
- Quiet & Efficient: Operating at only 38 dB, this quiet mini fridge runs smoothly without disturbing sleep, study, or work. Designed for efficiency and Energy Star certified, it helps reduce electricity consumption while delivering reliable cooling performance, making it perfect for bedrooms, dorm rooms, and office spaces
- Flexible Storage: Designed for convenience, this compact fridge includes two adjustable glass shelves that allow flexible storage for bottles, cans, and taller food items. The reversible door design lets you choose left or right opening to better fit your space, making it a practical dorm refrigerator or office fridge
- Practical Details for Everyday Use: Thoughtfully designed features include a crisper drawer, tight door seal for better cooling retention, adjustable leveling feet for stability on uneven floors, and a defrost tool for easy maintenance. A versatile small refrigerator perfect for bedrooms, kitchens, offices, or dorm living
Trade-offs: freezer items are lower, door clearance can be difficult, and dispensers, drawers, seals, and ice systems add parts that may need service.
Top-freezer refrigerators
Best for: lower purchase cost, small kitchens, rentals, backup refrigerators, and shoppers who prefer a straightforward design.
Trade-offs: fresh food is lower, storage is less flexible, and premium features are less common.
Bottom-freezer refrigerators
Best for: shoppers who want a single-door refrigerator compartment with fresh food kept higher.
Trade-offs: freezer organization can be awkward, and water and ice configurations vary widely.
Side-by-side refrigerators
Best for: narrow kitchens where reduced door swing matters and buyers want fresh and frozen food accessible at standing height.
Trade-offs: the vertical compartments can make wide platters, pizza boxes, and large containers difficult to store.
Rank #3
- Large Capacity, 21 Cu. Ft.
- Factory Installed Automatic Ice Maker
- ENERGY STAR Qualified
Four-door and convertible models
Best for: shoppers who value compartmentalized organization or want to convert a section between refrigerator and freezer use.
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Standard-depth versus counter-depth
Counter-depth does not mean completely flush with the cabinetry. Doors, handles, hinges, and required ventilation still project beyond the cabinet face. Counter-depth models commonly provide a cleaner appearance and better walkway clearance, but they may sacrifice usable storage compared with standard-depth refrigerators.
Before ordering, measure:
- The cabinet opening width, including baseboards and wall irregularities.
- The total opening height, including hinge clearance.
- Depth with doors and handles installed.
- Depth with doors removed if the delivery path is tight.
- Side clearance needed to open doors and pull drawers fully.
- The location of the water line and grounded electrical outlet.
- Every doorway, hallway, elevator, stairway, and turn on the delivery route.
Current retailer listings illustrate the range: Costco has shown LG 26-cubic-foot Counter-Depth MAX models, Samsung 24-cubic-foot Bespoke models, GE 18.6-cubic-foot 33-inch models, and smaller counter-depth units. Retailer ratings vary by model and should support—not replace—independent testing. For current examples, see Costco’s counter-depth refrigerator listings.
How much refrigerator capacity do you need?
Cubic feet is only a starting point. Ice makers, water reservoirs, thick shelves, door bins, air towers, drawers, and four-door dividers reduce or reshape usable storage.
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- How many people will use the refrigerator?
- How often do you shop?
- Do you store large trays, pizzas, sheet pans, or beverage cases?
- Do you bulk-buy or keep a separate freezer?
- Is freezer organization more important than fresh-food width?
- Will children or older adults need easy freezer access?
Compare usable capacity and estimated annual energy cost where available, rather than relying only on the large number in a product name. Consumer Reports’ guide includes both types of information.
Water and ice: convenience versus complexity
External water and ice dispensers are convenient, especially for children and households that fill glasses frequently. They can also provide filtered water, measured filling, or specialty ice.
Rank #4
- 【Spacious & Customizable Storage】Enjoy the World Cup Watch Party! With a 3.2 cu. ft. capacity, this mini fridge for bedroom holds up to 130 standard cans. Measuring 18.5"D x 17.8"W x 30.9"H, beverage refrigerator features 5 removable shelves that can be arranged across 5 slots, allowing you to flexibly organize various canned or bottled drinks, beer, soda, and wine.
- 【Precise Digital Temperature Control】This mini fridge offers precise temperature adjustment from 37°F to 61°F, through an intuitive smart touchscreen panel. This drink fridge features an LED display and sleek frame that combine modern style with clear visibility of your collection.
- 【Advanced Cooling & Glass Door】Featuring a compressor system and air circulation cooling fan for even temperature distribution, this beverage fridge maintains a consistent climate. The double layer UV blocking glass door, high tightness seal and hight density foam of this mini fridge glass door, work together to lock in ideal temperature and humidity, protecting your drinks' quality.
- 【Flexible & Efficient Design】This mini fridge glass door features a reversible door, built in handle and adjustable feet for flexible placement. Energy efficient at just 0.69 kWh per day, our beer fridge operates quietly at 36dB, making it ideal for freestanding installation in kitchens, bedrooms, or offices.
- 【Note & Reliable Support】For optimal performance, please let the beverage cooler stand upright for 24 hours before initial use. Your purchase of our drink refrigerator is backed by a 12 months product support service, and our customer service team is available to assist.
The drawbacks include additional plumbing, filters, moving parts, cleaning requirements, possible leaks, ice clumping, auger problems, reduced door storage, and more expensive repairs. This does not make every dispenser refrigerator unreliable. It means the dispenser should be evaluated as part of the ownership cost.
Check the:
- Ice-maker location.
- Water-dispenser location.
- Filter price and availability.
- Warranty coverage for the ice and water system.
- Local authorized-service network.
- Option to disable the dispenser or ice maker.
Buyers prioritizing simplicity may prefer an internal water dispenser, a freezer-based ice maker, or no dispenser at all.
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Smart features worth paying for
Useful connected features can include door-open alerts, temperature warnings, vacation mode, filter reminders, outage notifications, and diagnostic tools. They are worthwhile only if the household will use them.
Large screens, interior cameras, recipe displays, voice assistants, and entertainment functions are less essential for most buyers. Confirm whether each feature requires an account, smartphone, Wi-Fi connection, or subscription. Basic cooling, temperature adjustment, and ice operation should remain available if the app or cloud service is unavailable.
A practical refrigerator decision framework
Use this order rather than starting with a brand name:
- Pass the fit gate. Reject any model that cannot clear the opening, delivery path, walls, cabinets, or door-swing requirements.
- Choose the layout. Decide whether wide fresh-food shelves, narrow door swing, simple design, or flexible compartments matter most.
- Compare usable capacity. Look at shelf width, drawer access, freezer organization, and large-item storage.
- Evaluate food preservation. Compare thermostat performance, temperature uniformity, crisper performance, and ice-maker performance where testing is available.
- Check reliability and serviceability. Review predicted reliability, warranty terms, parts support, and authorized service in your area.
- Price the ownership cost. Include delivery, installation, water-line work, haul-away, filters, tax, protection plans, and likely repairs.
- Add features last. Choose dispensers and smart functions only when their convenience outweighs their added complexity.
Buyer profiles
- Most families: A French-door model with broad fresh-food storage, internal water if desired, and freezer-based ice can be a balanced choice—provided the opening and service network work.
- Budget and simplicity: Start with a top-freezer model and compare exact model reliability and warranty terms.
- Narrow kitchens: Consider a side-by-side or a narrow counter-depth model, but verify door and drawer clearance.
- Bulk shoppers: Prefer standard depth and wide, uninterrupted shelves over divided four-door storage.
- Clean built-in appearance: Choose counter-depth, accepting the likely reduction in usable capacity.
- Low-maintenance buyers: Favor fewer connected features, an internal or no dispenser, and a freezer-based ice maker.
- Smart-home users: Choose alerts and diagnostics that work for your household, while confirming that core refrigerator functions work offline.
- Frequent ice users: Investigate ice-maker capacity, storage-bin design, service history, filter cost, and warranty coverage—not merely the number of advertised ice types.
Installation checklist
- Confirm the measured opening against the manufacturer’s installation diagram.
- Measure the full delivery route, not just the kitchen opening.
- Verify hinge, handle, side, and drawer clearances.
- Confirm a grounded outlet is accessible and correctly located.
- Inspect the water line and shutoff valve before delivery.
- Ask whether delivery includes door removal and reinstallation.
- Confirm delivery, installation, haul-away, and leveling charges.
- Make sure the refrigerator can be leveled on the existing floor.
- After installation, check door seals, drawer operation, water leaks, ice production, and temperature settings.
How to read refrigerator reviews
A high retailer rating can reveal delivery problems, noise complaints, leaking dispensers, or recurring usability frustrations, but it is not a controlled reliability test. Separate these evidence types:
- CNET: dated editorial recommendation based on specifications, availability, and retailer-review analysis.
- Consumer Reports: model-level performance testing plus separate predicted-reliability and owner-satisfaction fields.
- J.D. Power: customer satisfaction among recent purchasers, not laboratory performance.
- Retailer reviews: useful owner anecdotes and service signals, but vulnerable to delivery mix-ups, small samples, and selection bias.
Do not convert a brand reputation into a model guarantee, treat a delivery complaint as proof of appliance failure, or call a refrigerator “energy-efficient” or “quiet” without a named rating or measured source.
Bottom line on the CNET pick
CNET’s LG 25-cubic-foot French-door refrigerator was a reasonable 2025 pick for a typical full-size kitchen, but the date matters. In 2026, the best purchase is the exact model that fits the opening, provides the right usable storage, has acceptable ice and water complexity, and can be serviced locally at a sensible ownership cost.
Before checkout, confirm the current model number, stock, finish, price, warranty, installation terms, return policy, filter availability, and local repair coverage. Current listings and prices vary by retailer, ZIP code, membership status, promotion, and delivery date. Manufacturer specifications are available from LG, Samsung, GE Appliances, Whirlpool, and Bosch.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
