The Best Smart Refrigerators of 2022

When we talk about smart refrigerators, your options currently go well beyond simply obtaining a glass of cold water without opening the door. You may match your built-in to your kitchen cabinets with bespoke panels. Some recent variants feature five doors rather than four. You can even open a refrigerator drawer to get cold beverages, chilled wine, or kid-friendly grab-and-go munchies. Our fridge-by-fridge guide clarifies advertised vs. usable storage capacity and points you in the direction of the quietest models so you and your groceries can relax.

A smart fridge might alert you if the door has been left open, run diagnostics, and keep track of the items within. The next generation smart fridge can do more than simply keep your food cool and produce ice; it can also function as a virtual assistant, operate your smart home, and even brew your morning cup of coffee. Although these technological wonders are generally more expensive than ordinary refrigerators, they are well worth the money for the convenience they may provide.

• Best Overall: LG LMXS28596S Door-in-Door0174 Refrigerator

• Runner-up: Samsung RF27T5501SR 27 3-Door French Door Refrigerator

• Best Value Product: LG LFXC22596S Stainless Smart Counter-Depth Refrigerator

• Best Premium Choice: Cafe CVE28DP4NW2 27.8 cu. ft. Smart 4-Door French Door Refrigerator

• Best Performance Choice: Frigidaire FFHB2750TS 36 Inch French Door Refrigerator

1. Styles

• Top-Freezer Refrigerators

These conventional refrigerators are great for storing a lot of food in a small space. They have the most room about their size. (Widths range from 28 to 33 inches like LG LMXS28596S Door-in-Door0174 Refrigerator.) Although manufacturers advertise capacities of up to 23 cubic feet, our studies revealed that the average usable capacity is 17% lower. Allow for a wide door swing, and get in the habit of bending down to reach lower shelves and drawers.

•  Bottom-Freezer Refrigerators

The widths range from 24 to 36 inches, and the advertised capacities are around 30 cubic feet, albeit the average usable area is smaller than comparable top-freezers. (Top-freezers are also less expensive.) Instead of the freezer being at eye level, which many people don't utilize, your refrigerator shelves are simply scannable. Simply get used to stooping over to rummage among frozen foods.

• French-Door Refrigerators

These feature two little doors on top and a freezer underneath. There may be one (or more) drawers in between. The widths vary between 28 and 36 inches. The maximum capacity claimed is 34 cubic feet, although the average usable space is just 17 cubic feet. When you're storing smaller goods, the space-saving small-swing doors provide the extra benefit of just opening half the fridge.

• Side-by-Side Refrigerators

These normally have through-the-door ice and water dispensers with the fridge on one side and the freezer on the other. With widths ranging from 33 to 36 inches, they're said to hold up to 28 cubic feet of storage (but only about 70 percent is usable). Narrow doors are beneficial in tiny kitchens, but they don't open wide enough for a pizza box, and tall, narrow compartments make it difficult to locate stuff at the rear. They aren't as energy or space-efficient as other varieties.

•  Built-In Refrigerators

They are typically tall (over 70 inches) and broad (30 to 48 inches), with a capacity of up to 27 cubic feet (of which only about 70 percent is usable). Optional front panels to match your kitchen cabinets are available. A freestanding counter-depth variant can give you the same aesthetic for a little less. A column fridge, as small as 18 inches, is another built-in option for making the most of a kitchen nook.

2.  Size

When looking for a new refrigerator, size is the most significant factor to consider. It's a frequent assumption that if you measure your area and find a refrigerator with such measurements, it'll fit. The basics of measuring height, depth, and breadth are only the start. Make careful to account for door opening area, clearance required for the door hinge, ventilation, cleaning space, and how the refrigerator will be installed in the house and kitchen.

Measure the length of your refrigerator's journey into the kitchen. Pay special care to the area surrounding your kitchen island if you have one. Also, measure the width and height of any entrances, hallways, stairways, or other passageways that the new one will have to pass through to get to the kitchen. Allow enough space for the refrigerator's doors to swing open, as well as a 1-inch clearance around the sides and rear for airflow.

For a family of four, most manufacturers recommend 19 to 28 cubic feet of storage space. For example,  Samsung RF27T5501SR 27 3-Door French Door Refrigerator. However, if you go grocery shopping every week or buy in bulk, you may want more space, up to 30 to 33 cubic feet.

3. Decode the EnergyGuide Label

Consumers are increasingly concerned about energy efficiency. New refrigerators like Samsung French Door Smart Refrigerator are all far more energy-efficient than they were a decade ago, but here's a glance beneath the label to help you go green.

When buying, the Energy Star rating from the Environmental Protection Agency is an excellent place to start; it indicates that a product is in the top 25% of its category. However, model efficiency differs (e.g., an unlabeled top-freezer might be more efficient than an Energy Star certified French-door model). We also check for energy usage, which might mean a difference of $50 to $60 each year, or more than $500 during the unit's lifetime.

Compare the yearly running expenses and kilowatt-hours consumed per year on the EnergyGuide labels of the refrigerators you're considering for an apples-to-apples assessment of which models are the most efficient.

We assign an energy efficiency score to each refrigerator we assess and provide an estimate of the annual energy cost. For further information, see our refrigerator ratings.

What does it cost to buy a smart fridge?

The average smart fridge costs between $2,000 and $5,000, with some smart fridges costing as much as $10,000 such as Frigidaire FFHB2750TS 36 Inch French Door Refrigerator.

How do Internet-connected smart refrigerators work?

Wi-Fi and a companion app are used by most smart refrigerators to interact. Popular voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant are also used by many smart refrigerators.

Why would you want to buy a smart refrigerator?

You can check what's in your fridge in real-time from anywhere with most smart fridges. Can say about  Samsung RF27T5501SR 27 3-Door French Door Refrigerator. Some smart refrigerators also can display expiration dates on all of your food, allowing you to remember to consume them before they spoil, saving you the cost of having to buy them again.

A smart refrigerator performs everything a traditional refrigerator does, but it also has additional functionality thanks to its Wi-Fi connection. Temperature settings, refrigerator status, and alarms about the door being left open are all possible with this connectivity. Some refrigerators, such as Samsung RF27T5501SR 27 3-Door French Door Refrigerator, include a screen on the front that provides additional services such as entertainment, organizing, and recipe suggestions.