Refrigerator Buying Guide (Interactive Video) | Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports helps you decide which type of refrigerator to buy from a top-freezer, bottom-freezer, or side-by-side, to a French-door or multi-door. You'll also find out which features are worth considering and which to skip. For additional reviews, tips, and recommendations check us out at www.ConsumerReports.org and Subscribe to our KZbin Channel: bit.ly/1Nlb1Ez
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[@RubioTran]

Why is reliability not one of your metrics!?! Or what about ease of service? I read so many angry comments about top of the line Samsung and LG refrigerators breaking down. It's not a good consumer report if I buy the best fridge ever that lasts less than 3 years. Please address.

[@michaeltipton5500]

I have 25 year old appliances that I am looking to replace. An old Admiral refrigerator that has never given me a days trouble. The rest are Kenmore. Only the dishwasher needed a minor repair. I'm starting to think I should just keep them until they croak. Maybe never.

[@Chanmantroop10]

this. they don't make things like they used to. if it ain't broke keep it b

[@jennifersoto5353]

Will be in the market for a new fridge in a couple of months. Thanks for educating us! Great video!!

[@panzer2902]

I like bottom freezer refrigerators, because I use freezer from time to time. At the same time they big enough.

[@DavidComeau]

Good information but reliability is key here concern here. Ice makers are a highly desirable feature but prone to breaking as they mentioned. Let's see which ones have fewer repairs. Samsung's seem horrible in this regard, there is even a class action law suit. Also repair costs and service availability? Also so many of these fridges have flimsy plastic drawers and shelves. The last two houses I bought came with GE fridges. Both of them ended up with broken plastic drawers that are hard and expensive to replace. So I'm examining the drawers closely as I shop for a new fridge. LG and Samsung seem better in this area, Whirlpool brands not so much, Same thing goes with doors, and handles. A fridge with 4 or 6 external doors/drawers or door in door has more features to break. Lack of discussion on these issues makes me suspicious of how impartial Consumer Reports is....but I guess it's good for them if consumers are shopping for new equipment ever few years.

[@thuhuongnguyen6001]

what an informative and well made video. this will be useful in the future when i move out

[@sonya9718]

What’s the european fridge with the clear freezer drawers at the 6:21 min mark ?

[@ametsai536]

It’s been 6 years. How about a update?

[@scarrollodi]

We just got a new Frigidaire 2750 model and the fan(s) seem to run 23-24 hours a day. Fridge temp set at 36 and freezer at 4 degrees and set up 3 inches from back wall and on sides. I understand that newer models compressors run much more often at lower speeds to save energy but having the fan(s) run constantly uses energy and will make them wear out soon. We will see the truth when our electric bill comes as we are in Florida so have not used any Heat or A/C all month...

[@lilypadchic7212]

I bought an LG (French door) refrigerator as well. Same issue. It is 6 years old and the compressor died. My LG microwave died at 5 years old. I will not buy an LG product again.

[@depotcat1763]

I had an LG microwave for over ten years. I'm only getting rid of it so I can get a new one to go with a refurbished kitchen.

[@catlo8l521]

Bought an Electrolux side by side. Beautiful box but worse refrigerator ever!! Electrical panels are exposed in water dispensers. Guaranteed issues. Good luck in your search!

[@MrRoyPacheco]

Any comments on Samsung refrigerators?

[@PecanPie1102]

Samsung ice maker are problematic (changed 3x in 7yrs) why not include that in the metrics.

[@michaeljarosz4062]

They did. CR always points out that icemaker refrigerators have the highest repair rate. I have never had one for that reason.

[@La-yt1wr]

Wow I just bought a whirlpool 5 door refrigerator

[@tophgeld8440]

I wish CR would explain the range of results that make up each grade in their ratings. For example, temperature control. As mentioned in the video, 37 F is considered optimal for the fridge - what range of temps qualifies an Excellent rating? How about Very Good? Do door temps affect the grade or just temps in the main cavity? There was a guy at Cnet that used to do great fridge reviews. He included two images showing the average temp of each area of the fridge over a 72 hour period. One at the default setting and one at the coldest setting. Eye opening info (do not keep milk in your door! and do not assume that every fridge can maintain average temps below 40 F) and far more useful than a simple, unexplained rating. Please, please publish the ranges for each rating level. Thank you.

[@aroundtown976]

you have to pay for that.

[@icantbable]

how did I get from fruit smoothies to this 😁

[@mafismathis8012]

6:40 what is the name of this fridge?

[@24hourcar]

Samsung 4 Door Flex

[@juliecharlebois8445]

Our Whirlpool Refrigerator (only) only lasted 3 years, 2016/05. Bought at Sears, no warranty.

[@mafismathis8012]

6:48 what is this??

[@JRS2248]

Yes we know about the refrigerators and there options what we want to know is which one is the best as far as brands go. I hear LG sucks and Sub Zero isn't what its cracked up to be...

[@jw5031]

Does anyone even trust Consumer Reports anymore? The best ratings money can buy...

[@Iambriangregory]

Maybe but how do you YOU really no at all? Everything's an assumption

[@susan945]

The problem with all of this is that even though this was a thorough report, they only went through the different "types" of refrigerators, which anyone out shopping can see. but didn't really specify an opinion on what they felt, based on their testing, what were the top runners of refrigerators. You read one set of reports & it's this is the best brand or the worst brand, then you go to the very next one & the ones that loved a certain brand in the last report, a whole new set of people hate that brand & like THIS brand instead, so you go to a third & it's the same story. Some love LG, some hate them, some love Samsung, others hate them & so on. HOW are you supposed to know what's going to last, when everyone is so split on what they feel is the best or worst brands? You can't just go on the bells & whistles that the brands offer, they can offer all they want to on an appliance, but, if you're on the phone with the repair man constantly, who cares what they offer on their products. I wish there was a better way to define the more reliable brands, without them being the more to totally expensive models, which most can't afford, we all just want something that we can afford that lasts, it's a big expense.

[@rkulla]

Saying they liked a samsung lost all credibility. Every fridge expert i've talked to says they're the least reliable brand and I know from experience.

[@Iambriangregory]

How many fridge experts have you really spoken to? Who said they were experts? We live in a world that someone will say they only going to buy a Harley and never buy a Honda and not have and not have no rhyme or reason for doing it except their narrow-minded view ,so you're telling me these experts so-called are any different for sure please!

[@B.D.F.]

"Our testers check for a refrigerator's real capacity, measuring the amount of usable space inside the cavity. We find it's usually about 20% less than the cubic feet claimed." Well I hope you don't measure like you showed in the video, where the spool accounts for about 20% of the measurement. That could explain a lot.

[@lolouro2266]

DOESN'T matter if he measures it 50x, it's user error!!! lol that was heeelarious what a dumb ass. I wonder about their "engineers" hahah

[@michaeljarosz4062]

Tape measures take inside and outside measurements. The case that holds the spool is usually a set dimension like 2 inches or 3inches. Sometimes this is printed on the case, sometimes only in the manual. When taking interior dimensions like in this video, add the case length to the length indicated on the tape for the correct inside dimension.

[@jcepri]

Consumer Reports tests models that you'll never find in a store. And their ratings are often diametrically opposed to real consumer ratings.

[@CheeseBae]

That's usually because Consumer Reports mostly rates appliance features, while consumer ratings usually factor in reliability. CR doesn't keep their appliances and use them month after month.

[@steviereay]

Please don’t do a disservice to your customers and let them know about LG refrigerators and their in-line compressor failures which is a known issue and their absolute lack of customer service ours has been out for a month and a half now no resolution

[@nadannehartwell8538]

Whirlpool Customer support does not exist. When the product doesnt work. No technicians to help. They dont show up for appointments. Leaving me with a $800 paperweight that should be a refridgerator. Hours on hold trying to get a hold of customer service who cant help you at all! so disappointing. will never buy again!

[@Cindy14max2]

W#

[@tarassu]

Thumbs down for minimal analysis about efficiency. Here in Europe EVERY consumer device has energy rating. BTW fridges are at top of energy consumption @home. Also like bottom freezers. Make sense ergonimically also thermodynamically.

[@manuthpung0074]

1st

[@NAWennerholm]

Since I don't drive and thus pick up what I can for immediate use the order for delivery a months worth of for to keep service charges and delivery costs down. Plus with health issues prefer fresh frozen over canned when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Plus needing the storage for what protein sorces we do eat that are easy on our stomachs such as plant based but animal thatvelis easy on our stomachs and not allergic to such as eggs cheese chicken and turkey occasionally some fish that meet kosher laws since I found out that seafood that is not I am allergic to kind of funny when you think about it. Any foods that don't meet the dietary laws set in the Bible ai have really bad allergic reactions and get really sick. And thus usually have a day or two recovery time because of how it causes me to suffer physically to Purge out what my body can't handle with throwing up and diarrhea and sometimes triggering an asthma attack with my breathing.

[@crackerjacksomething2033]

Refrigerators are to expensive for what you get they will not hold up you can’t hardly get two years out of them without breaking down

[@Saki630]

3:08 BOOTY, You will thank me later

[@clarknewtech03]

Our new LG refrigerator failed so we finally found out that these units are junk after no repair person would work on them, so we were told there was this class action lawsuit and we needed to contact LG. LG customer service was a joke as they used a specific deterrence tactic to prevent LG from having to replace there poorly make refrigerators. They say their policy is that they will replace the unit after 3 documented work orders to fix it, so when you contact them after the third repair fails they just say they have not documentation of a third work order and continuously have to keep submitting work orders to have a repair person do the same repair that does not work! In the mean time, initially my family and I got very sick due to the high temps the refrigerator and now were have no refrigerator through the holidays!!!! This process has now exceeded two months and is not resolved! We will look into a lawsuit in our area as well.

[@_Lazare]

BEAUTIFUL at a painful shameful cost , like 6 to 9 months later and then let the nightmares begin !! Samsung and LG will laugh at you till the cows come home ! Mark my word ! Sad eh , invest in cheaper ugly ones like our parents did ! It will last you a life time

[@mrpoolplayer6379]

Don't buy a GE Profile. GE says it will last about 17 years... my $2500.00 reefer died in 7 years. No More GE stuff...

[@tomluu4391]

my GE compressor die in five years. a piece of junk.

[@michaelr9547]

My Kenmore elite just died after 7 1/2 years. Had a tech come out ($90) and told me to buy a new one and gave me a quote of $2150 to repair mine

[@FooFahFoeFum]

Refrigerator manufacturers are not in business to make excellent machine for their consumers. Refrigerator manufacturers are in business to make PROFITS for their shareholders. Maybe GM should start making fridges that last 20 years like their cars from the 1950`s used to. Consumer reports is a joke.. They report on the features 90% of their articles and the other 10% they mention reliability. Consumer Reports will be out of business before you can say, ... ``Mississippi must meet Mulligans`s multiple malevolence and maleficence memberships disorder now.

[@jw5031]

It amazes me that people are dumb enough to trust Consumer Reports these days...

[@srimanish458]

There is no use buying a double door refridgerotor if u buy any door refrigroter like double door r single refrigrator is refrigrator only

[@aminaleposo4511]

3690jj

[@tzephinglim9016]

first

[@1beyond]

don’t believe anything

[@larryy6467]

Go Samsung they are great