Looking to replace our LG refrigerator.
Any suggestions on where to look to efficiently and effectively review refrigerators?
i.e, besides simply looking at Lowes, Home Depot, Best Buy, etc websites…
My first choice would be Lowes and Home Depot in the appliance section where they have slightly damaged items. At least here, there may be some cosmetic dents due to extra shipping distances, people who orders and didn’t measure first and so on. It is not unusual to find items drastically reduced with a warranty.
Recently I also found a floor model of a glass-front beverage cooler at a significant savings. I don’t think it was ever plugged in at the store, but probably had the door opened many times by the public.
Convenience is not an issue for me. I don’t need an ice maker, I don’t need a water delivery system on the door nor a water filter for the unit. Some water filters I hear are expensive and difficult to bypass. I have an old Roper model fridge that has a build date of Feb 2005! Yeah it has some small rust spots on the front, but that is to be expected in my climate.
At the time, I only had the refrigerator with a small freezer compartment above. However since then I have purchased an upright freezer. This is because we tend to stockpile deals when they show up. When I can buy Top Sirloin for more than 50% off, I don’t mind buying $50 to $80 worth for myself and always have some on hand. A freezer also helps with Costco trips.
The home improvement stores also have other deals. We were building an ohana (small apartment) and found a base cabinet marked 80% off. The issue was the right side was damaged. We bought it, replaced the panel with a something similar. That side of the cabinet butts up against the wall and was not an issue for us.
I prefer local family-owned appliance stores. They may cost a little more than the big box stores but they often provide delivery, installation, and service after the sale.
Avoid bells and whistles if you can. The more technology in a fridge, the more breakdowns and repair bills. Even with a warranty you may have to wait days to weeks for service and parts. The function of a fridge is to keep your food cold. Everything else is window dressing.
I agree! I have friends that bought into the Samsung/LG “French Door” cult and then the electronics break in 3 or 4 years and it’s a nightmare. And who really needs to be able to have their fridge connect to the internet?
I bought a fridge 6ish years ago and I wanted simple. The only gadget is the ice maker. Not in the door, just in the freezer. It’s a Whirlpool, fridge on top, freezer on the bottom. Nothing in the door. My past refrigerators lasted 20/30 years? I expect this Whirlpool to last a long time.
I look for message boards where repairmen post for their comments. With appliances the comments I have seen are similar to those above: minimize add ons and electronics. I also use Consumer Reports particularly for the reliability reports.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve gotten cheaper Whirlpool appliances and paid a little more for 5-year warranties that cover all repairs and replacement if needed. (And FWIW, per Clark’s advice, I never buy extended warranties on anything. This was an exception to my rule based on the crap quality of the new appliances, the price of the warranties, and the solid service that comes with them.)
Beware that companies that advertise Made in America usually don’t make the cheaper level products in America. Things may change due to the tariffs, but that’s the way it is now in 2025.
They don’t make them like they used to!
avoid lowe’s and HD.
Best Buy is okay, and I’m going to disagree with clark here, get the geek squad extended warranty.
Alternatively, buy something used. I’ve never had someone come into my house and go “eww, old fridge.” Not when I slap a ribeye in front of them.
I’m going to double down - go used. You’ll save a thousand or more, it will work fine, and it might have no electronics in it. My mom passed a few years ago. The refrigerator she had was still doing it’s job… after 30 years.