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We are gathered here today to mourn the recent loss of your household appliance. After providing you with years of exemplary service, it has finally run its last wash cycle, or chilled its last leftover. You told the kids it went to live at an appliance refurbishing facility upstate.
While it can be difficult to let an old appliance go, it's for the best: Older appliances are inefficient when compared to newer models, so much so that the cost of a new unit will likely be completely recouped within the first few years of use. Chances are, though, it's been a while since you last shopped for appliances, which means the product space has likely changed dramatically since the last time you went shopping.
That's where Reviewed can help out. We've been testing and reviewing appliances for more than a decade, and we know which of the latest and greatest models are worth your money and which aren't. To help you narrow down which appliance is best for you, personally, however, you'll need to answer some questions first.
Credit: Getty Images / Zephyr18
Decide your budget before shopping for the appliance you need. There are great appliances available at many different price points.
Your budget may be your biggest concern when you’re buying a new appliance. Decide what you want to spend on a new appliance before you shop. Depending on the appliance, prices can be separated by hundreds or thousands of dollars. Dishwashers, for example, can range in price from $300 to $2,000 or more. Fortunately, there are good appliances at a variety of price points. If your budget is generous, you can go for the top of the line, but a high price isn’t always a guarantee of quality.
Pro tip: You can often get a better deal by buying appliances in suites, which means buying a refrigerator, range, and dishwasher as a bundle. Also, check for brand rebates before you purchase.
Applies to: Any appliance
Credit: Getty Images / Zephyr18
Measure your space and the appliance before you make a purchase, and be sure to research the dimensions of models you like. For example, the compact washers we've tested at Reviewed are 24 inches wide and about 33 inches in height.
Before you buy, measure carefully to find out how much room you have for the new machine. While dishwashers have very set dimensions, most other appliances come in a variety of widths: It's essential to match the size of the appliance with the dimensions of the space.
Even if you’re doing a new build or total kitchen renovation, you may have constraints—for example, if the side of the room that has the water or gas hookup is narrower than the rest of the kitchen.
And remember, that new appliance is going to have to pass through your hallways and doorways before it arrives in its new location. To avoid damage during delivery, make sure you measure those spaces, too.
Pro tip: When measuring the space where the appliance will stand, don't forget to measure the depth as well as the width of the space. This can tell whether you need to buy a counter depth refrigerator to fit a shallow cut-out, or a slide-in instead of a freestanding range.
Applies to: Refrigerators, ranges
Credit: Getty Images / Juanmonino
Ensure that the refrigerator you want to buy has enough storage capacity for your family's groceries.
You want to be able to pack as much food into your fridge as is reasonable, but looking at an image of the outside doesn't tell you much about the amount of space inside.
You can look up capacity on brand sites, but keep in mind those values are only good for rough estimates. There's no standardization for how manufacturers determine a fridge's capacity, and different manufacturers may use different measuring methods.
What is a savvy consumer to do? Well, outside of reading our reviews, viewing images of the interior can help. For most fridges, the large door bins are usually wide enough to snugly fit a gallon jug of milk: That should provide a decent point of reference that will allow you to estimate the size of the other storage options. Really, though, nothing beats heading to the show floor to check it out in person. If you want to compare scale to your appliance at home, take plenty of pictures of your appliance to bring with you, preferably with a bag or purse included for scale that you can bring to the show floor with you.
Dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers fortunately have much more straightforward capacity measurements: number of place settings and internal cubic footage, respectively. You can directly compare these measurements between different appliances of the same type.
Pro tip: Look up capacity online beforehand, then visit the appliance at a local retailer to ensure it's the right size for your family.
Applies to: Refrigerators
Credit: Reviewed / Dave Kender
These are the four most popular types of refrigerators. There are lots of add-ons, features, and variations from here.
That depends on the style of your kitchen. Your new appliance needs to suit it in design and scale. If you have rustic farmhouse décor, a modern column fridge may clash with your aesthetic, but a classic stainless French door refrigerator may be perfect.
And take a look at your laundry room. Your washer and dryer can be gorgeous or utilitarian, depending on whether they'll live in the basement or an Insta-worthy laundry area.
But the bigger decision is whether you want to buy a front-load or top-load washer. We’ve written about the science: Front loaders are more efficient, but modern top-loaders can still do a good job, if that's your preference.
Pro tip: If you're artistic, create a mood board to help you decide whether an appliance suits the look of your kitchen or laundry area.
Applies to: Any appliance
Credit: Appliances Connection
Luxury brands like La Cornue often make beautifully colored appliances that can add pop to a plain white kitchen.
Classic black and white will never go out of style, but there’s a world of other finishes out there.
Stainless steel has a sleek, professional look that has dominated kitchen design for the past several years. Fingerprint-resistant finishes have exploded in popularity (for good reason), bringing the feature from scarce specialty to industry standard.
If you want a fashion-forward finish and you’re willing to pay more to get it (usually about $100), black stainless steel can be your go-to. Slate, a warm gray finish unique to GE Appliances, is another alternative.
Samsung has been dramatically ramping up its finish game recently, first by releasing the warmer Tuscan Stainless finish a few years ago, and more recently by launching its new design-first Bespoke line-up of home appliances. The Bespoke line-up is a series of custom finishes that are available across product categories, so you can finally get a fridge, coffee maker, and air purifier that all match.
Companies like Smeg, BlueStar, and La Cornue also make high-end appliances in brilliant colors that can add some pop to your kitchen.
Pro tip: Every brand has a different take on black stainless steel, which can make it hard to match appliances made by different companies.
Applies to: Refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges
Credit: Samsung
Modern appliances offer dreamy features. Make a list before you shop, keeping your budget in mind.
If you’re a serious cook, you may want a range that offers an induction cooktop or built-in, waterless sous vide.
Higher-end washers and dryers often include steam cycles.
In homes with open kitchens quiet dishwashers are a must. And who can resist a smart, door-in-door refrigerator with a tablet built into the front?
While many features can be invaluable, keep in mind that buying a washing machine with WiFi connectivity isn't a great investment if you're not planning on downloading its app. There are a ton of great appliances out there, from bare-bones to feature-filled: Don't pay extra for a feature you'll never use.
We recommend checking out a few reviews of the top products in any category that your shopping, to get a better sense of what extra features you can expect for your money.
Pro tip: Make a list of the features you want before you start shopping. Be flexible—you may have to compromise.
Applies to: Refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, washers, dryers
Credit: Getty Images / Tommi.
While you can get a sense of scale from photos online, nothing is better than seeing the appliance in person.
Again, do your best to get hands-on with an appliance before you order it. What you discover can prevent you from making a mistake.
If you can’t reach the bottom of a top-load washer’s tub, you may be happier with a front loader. If a dishwasher’s door is hard to pull open, or an oven door slams shut, it could drive you crazy for years.
Your appliances should last for about 10 years, so you really want to make sure you're buying the one that feels best for you, personally.
Pro tip: Read user reviews (See #8) for comments on trouble spots.
Applies to: Refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, washers, dryers
Credit: Getty Images / fizkes
Online research can be time consuming, but also rewarding. Triangulate your data by checking several reputable sources.
Visit Reviewed and other sites to read what experts have to say, and take a look at what owners think, too.
We test each appliance for a week. Users live with them for long periods of time, and sometimes issues can emerge months or years into the appliance’s lifecycle.
You should also be aware that user reviews won’t give you the full picture: People who write them are often those who had either a very positive or very negative experience.
Pro tip: If you can get a personal recommendation from friends or family, start there. That can be the most useful and personal review of all.
Applies to: Any appliance
Credit: Getty Images / JodiJacobson
Choose delivery options carefully. Measure every door and hallway to ensure that it's wide enough for your new appliance to pass through.
Delivery may not mean the same thing to you as it does to the retailer, especially if you’re buying from a big-box store or a direct-to-consumer brand.
Some stores consider delivery to be a drop-off in your driveway. Other retailers will bring your appliance into the home, but may charge extra for every stairway on the way to the kitchen or laundry room, or may cancel the delivery entirely if certain conditions aren't met.
If you plan to buy directly from a brand, like Samsung, check out the store’s delivery policy first.
Of course, since most damage occurs between your driveway and your home, you may prefer paying for a delivery and installation instead of taking on the responsibility yourself.
If you do have your new appliance delivered, make sure you prepare beforehand to avoid problems and be sure to inspect the appliance for damage before you sign off.
Pro tip: Measure every stairway, hallway, and doorway your appliance will need to pass through prior to delivery. And don't forget to protect your walls and floors.
Applies to: Any appliance
Credit: Getty Images / BardoczPeter
Is there enough room for the new appliance to go through relevant doors, stairways, and hallways in your home? Make sure before the truck gets there.
Credit: Getty Images/baranozdemir
Recycling centers are built to efficiently dispose of any harmful components in your appliances and ensure qualifying materials will be reused.
Before you buy your new appliance, you need to think about how you'll get rid of the old one. There are a surprising number of options available, but you'll need to decide on one in advance.
The retailer may offer a haul-away option, usually for extra cash. Some municipalities let you leave an appliance by the curb for pickup, but you still have to get it to the sidewalk.
If your appliance is in good working order, you can find a charity that will accept appliance donations. That’s a good way to update your home and someone else’s at the same time.
Pro tip: Plan ahead. Your kitchen or laundry room probably doesn’t have room for both the old appliance and the new one.
Applies to: Any appliance
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
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Refrigerators have long been thought of as the boxy, boring behemoths of the kitchen, and buying one used to be as simple as choosing between eggshell and off-white. Well, times have changed. Industry stalwarts like Whirlpool and GE have spent the last 100 years adapting to intense competition from names like Samsung and LG , and a growing focus on the smart home is forcing manufacturers to get creative and more "gadgety" with the way they think about these appliances in the first place.
As a result, today's shopper will find an ever-increasing range of color and style options, cleverly designed units designed to disappear into your decor and a wide variety of new smart features, including ones aimed at transforming your kitchen into an entertainment hub. It's enough to make you wonder if the ol' icebox might be going through a bit of an identity crisis.
Read more: Repair pros tell all: Whirlpool, Maytag make the most reliable appliances
This reinvention of the refrigerator comes with an abundance of new models to choose from -- enough to make the process of picking one out a little bit overwhelming. Fortunately, you've come to the right place: a handy overview designed to help you narrow down the countless options and come out confident that the refrigerator you're buying will give you the most bang for your buck.
For more information, please visit custom refrigerator manufacturers.
In the end, finding the right fridge is all about understanding your own needs and asking the right questions, so let's get started with:
Stylewise, you've got four options to choose from, and each comes with its own pros and cons. Figuring out which one is best for you is the first, most obvious step toward making a final buying decision.
Top freezers like this Samsung model aren't too flashy, but they offer a lot of value.
When I say the word "fridge," chances are good that this is the style that pops into your head. With the bottom two-thirds dedicated to fresh-food storage and the freezer unit sitting on top, most of us probably struggled to reach the Popsicles in a top freezer unit when we were kids, or maybe we used one in our first apartment.
Tastes have moved on since then, so if you're looking for something modern, high-end and feature-rich, then a top-freezer model probably isn't for you. If style isn't as much of a concern, however, you'll find that top freezers offer some of the best bargains on the market. Plus, there are still enough being made to offer a solid variety of choices.
Price: $479 to $2,199
Average dimensions: Width: 29 inches; depth: 31 inches; depth with door open 90 degrees: 58 inches; height: 66 inches
Best suited for: Bargain shoppers who aren't looking for anything too flashy.
Bottom freezers like this Whirlpool model offer easier access to fresh ingredients.
If you're looking for something on the simpler side, and would enjoy slightly easier access to your fresh foods, then a bottom-freezer unit might be right for you. Bottom-freezer units aren't much different from top-freezer units except for the fact that the freezer is located -- you guessed it -- on the bottom. This means that you won't have to hunch over while rooting around for commonly used ingredients.
Of course, this also means that frozen foods will be located down around your ankles -- though a majority of models now come with drawer-style freezer doors, which can make getting the ice cream out a little easier. Bottom-freezer units tend to be just slightly bigger than top freezers, but there's also less variety of models to choose from.
Price: $999 to $1,899
Average dimensions: Width: 29 inches; depth: 32 inches; depth with door open 90 degrees: 59 inches; height: 67 inches
Best suited for: Home cooks who don't mind bending over to get into the freezer.
Side-by-side models are good for narrow kitchens, and some will offer high-end features like the door-in-door compartment in this LG model.
Side-by-side units split your fridge right down the middle, offering you frozen foods on the left and fresh foods on the right. Some models offer equal real estate for both sections, but most allocate an extra couple of inches for the fridge. This can make for an especially narrow freezer section, so frozen-pizza aficionados might want to consider something a little less limiting.
Side-by-side units come in a wide variety of models and tend to showcase more features than their horizontally minded top and bottom freezer counterparts. Many of these features are aimed at saving space, especially when it comes to the shelving inside the doors. Side-by-side units also don't need as much clearance to open the doors, making them ideal for narrow kitchens. Due to the vertical split, you'll probably want to go with the widest model that will fit into your kitchen, and your budget.
Price:$1,149 to $3,099
Average dimensions: Width: 35 inches; eepth: 30 inches; eepth with door open 90 degrees: 45 inches; height: 71 inches
Best suited for: Space-conscious consumers who still want a feature-rich fridge.
French-door models like this GE Cafe Series fridge tend to offer features and storage space galore -- but they don't come cheap.
Highly popular, French-door models combine the drawer-style freezer of a bottom-freezer unit with the low-clearance doors of a side-by-side unit. This means that you'll have a full-width, double-door fridge with plenty of storage space. With your refrigerator door effectively split into two, it also means that you won't be letting quite as much cold air out when you're opening just one door to grab the milk.
With the high demand for French-door refrigerators, you're sure to find a huge variety of options, including models with top-of-the-line smart features you won't find with other styles. You can also upgrade the look of your fridge to match your kitchen or even get one that camouflages itself entirely among your cabinets, but be aware that you'll likely be tacking a few thousand dollars onto the already steep price.
Price: $1,599 to $3,999 ($4,500 to $8,000 for a built-in cabinetry appearance)
Average dimensions: Width: 35 inches; depth: 29 inches; depth with door open 90 degrees: 48 inches; height: 68 inches
Best suited for: Fashionable homeowners who want lots of space for groceries and the most advanced features available.
Selecting the style that's right for your kitchen is half the battle, and should give you a much clearer idea of what you want from your new refrigerator. But don't run off to the department store just yet, because you still have some very important questions to ask yourself, including:
The bigger, the better, right? Not necessarily!
It varies, but a general rule of thumb is that you'll want 4 to 6 cubic feet (cu. ft.) of refrigerator space per adult in your household, along with a little bit of extra contingency room. With full-size refrigerators ranging from 10 to 32 cu. ft., this means that a family of four probably won't want anything much less than 20 cubic feet, and might prefer something even roomier.
Of course, the biggest limiting factor is your kitchen, so be sure to measure to see how much width, height and depth you've got to work with before you start shopping around.
If you don't need a lot of space, you could consider a compact model.
All of that said, a bigger fridge means a bigger energy bill, so be careful not to splurge on extra space that you aren't actually going to need. You'll be paying more both upfront and down the line as you continue paying the power company to refrigerate that wasted space alongside your food.
If you're looking for something on the small side, you'll probably want to stick with a top or bottom freezer, as none of the other types of refrigerators come in sizes much smaller than 20 cu. ft. If your kitchen is particularly cramped, or if you're just looking for something small for a garage or a back room, you'll find compact models in both styles, too.
This counter-depth side-by-side refrigerator from LG is designed to run flush with your countertops. Only the doors stick out.
You're likely to hear this term quite a bit as you shop around. As the name suggests, "counter-depth" refrigerators are simply refrigerators that are designed to align perfectly with the edges of your countertops, leaving only the refrigerator door sticking out. This gives your fridge the appearance of an expensive, custom-designed unit that's built directly into your kitchen's cabinetry -- without anything actually being custom-built.
Since they shave a few inches off the front of the fridge, counter-depth refrigerators are slightly less spacious than their normal-size counterparts. They also tend to cost a little bit more. Whether or not you're willing to sacrifice that space and pay extra for a more fashionable fridge is totally up to you, but for my money, it's a feature you should consider skipping.
And hey, while we're on the subject of features...
Refrigerators have come a long way since the debut of the egg holder and the butter bin. These days, you'll find a wide variety of features designed to bring a whole new level of functionality to your fridge. With the endless parade of trademarked names and bold claims, finding the features you actually want can quickly become overwhelming. So, which ones are worth it?
First, think about the things you like to cook and/or eat, then look for features that take really good care of those things. It's a safe bet that those are the features you'll enjoy using the most. Are you a devoted foodie who always wants a variety of fresh ingredients on hand? Many models offer sectional climate controls for the different compartments in your fridge or even dedicated, temperature-adjustable drawers. Do you live off of TV dinners and frozen leftovers? Look for advanced defrosting features designed to help eliminate freezer burn. Love a nice glass of pinot grigio? Look for a fridge with a built-in wine rack.
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This Frigidaire's top shelf slides in and folds up to make room for large items.
If you're constantly rearranging things in your fridge to make space for groceries, then look for storage-minded features designed to give you a hand. Shelves that slide in or fold up will make it a lot easier to make room for tall items, and the increasingly common door-in-a-door feature can transform your in-door shelves into a makeshift mini-fridge for kitchen staples like beverages and condiments.
One storage consideration you might not have thought of: the ice maker. Some fridges situate it up on the top shelf -- the ice drops down through a chute in the door into your waiting glass. That's all well and good, but the icemaker eats up some obvious space inside of the fridge, and the bulky overhang of that in-door chute will tend to block off the in-door shelves underneath it.
That's why I tend to prefer fridges that squeeze the entire icemaker into the door. They tend to make less ice, but they'll also give you more usable space inside of the fridge. That's a fair trade-off in my book.
One trend that we've seen over the past few years: creativity from the water dispenser. GE has been leading the pack here, with French-door models that can serve the exact amount of water you want, and even ones capable of shutting off automatically once they detect that your glass, pitcher or pot is full. You'll even find nifty features in GE's less-expensive top-freezer models -- most notably, ones that come with an Autofill Pitcher that'll fill itself back up whenever you place it back in the fridge. Samsung's in the mix now, too, with an autofilling water pitcher of its own in its higher-end French door models.
This GE fridge comes with a special pitcher that fills back up with water whenever you dock it in place.
The brand's Cafe Series line of fridges can dispense hot water at a variety of temperature settings. The newest models even add in a mini K-Cup brewer that'll let your fridge brew up a quick cup of coffee on demand. It's a surprisingly sensible addition, given that refrigerators have dedicated water lines -- that means you won't ever have to worry about keeping a reservoir full.
Of course if you keep shopping around, you'll also find refrigerators with touchscreens and built-in Wi-Fi, and plenty of bold manufacturer claims about smartening up your kitchen -- which brings us to one last question:
First introduced in 2016, the Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator is basically a concept car for the connected kitchen of tomorrow. But should you buy in today?
You can certainly live without one, if that's what you're asking, particularly if affordability is your chief concern. Simply put, smart fridges don't come cheap, and whether or not the extra cost is worth it is really up to you.
For some, smart technology gives refrigerators a whole new cool factor, and the fact that we use our refrigerators every day makes these features a sound investment. For others, "smart" just seems like another word for "gimmicky." If this includes you, then spending an extra $1,000 or more in order to have a cutting-edge kitchen probably seems like a waste of money.
That said, don't be too quick to slam the door on so-called "smart" features, because there are plenty of them that live up to the name, and a growing variety of options to choose from, too. In 2017, LG even went so far as to say that it plans to start putting Wi-Fi radios into each and every refrigerator that it manufactures.
In other words, we might be quickly approaching a point where smart refrigerators are the norm, not the exception.
Glad you asked. Here's a quick rundown of what's currently out there:
from Whirlpool
Nest Learning Thermostat to take advantage of Nest's Rush Hour Rewards feature, or send your phone an alert if the power ever goes out.K-Cup-brewing Cafe Series fridge from GE
teach these smart fridges how to identify foods
Again, the question is, "Do you need any of this in your kitchen?" And given that people have done just fine with dumb refrigerators for generations now, the answer is clearly no. None of these smart fridges comes cheap, and none of the smart features is quite compelling enough on its own to justify the extra expense.
That said, most manufacturers are doing their best to tempt you by giving these fridges premium designs and filling them with additional features beyond the smarts: things like door-in-door compartments, temperature-adjustable drawers and even see-through panels that let you peer inside without opening the door. You don't need any of these fridges, but I certainly couldn't blame you for wanting one -- or buying one, for that matter.
Fortunately, you don't need to spend thousands on a top-of-the-line fridge in order to feel like you're getting an upgrade. With a growing diversity of options across a wide range of prices, there's nothing stopping you from buying a refrigerator that you'll love, provided you're willing to put in a little bit of legwork first. Do your homework and shop smart, and you'll be happy with your fridge for years to come.
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