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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
Not sure why you say that. I bought that Whirlpool at Lowes. Of course the “associate” that I talked to tried to up sell me to the LG/Samsung **ap. I said no, I like this boring white Whirlpool that looks like it will last 20 years. The guy looked at me like I was nuts!
gp,
I can speak directly regarding Lowe’s and I’ll cut HD some slack…. but I’ve read enough.
My opinion is that the BB stores do not stand behind their product nor do they support the customer (you and me) when it comes to appliances. Lowe’s is especially bad about this. I bought a new 36” gas range from them that came wit a manufacturer’s 4 year warranty. The sales person was trying to upsell me on the Lowe’s extended 3 year warranty. I asked him specifically - does it kick in ATER the manufacturer’s warranty expires? Yes it does. Read the paperwork - same thing.
Well, I needed warranty support. First, Lowe’s online support and phone support sucks. Second, they denied the support because it started from day 1. I sent them a clip of the text…. Nothing. So, fool me once shame on you, foll me twice….
I needed a new dishwasher. Dishwashers are important in my house 
Got a Bosch from BB, bought the geek squad 5 year warranty, had them out 3 times, no BS, knowledgeable fixed the issue. Technically, BestBuy is a big box store but at least they are unequivocal about their warranty.
I agree that the electronics in fridges are a huge failure point. There is absolutely no reason why a fridge should have a computer in it.
Someone should make thermostat converters that are plug-and-play to replace different fridge computers. Of course, the manufacturers would say it voids all warranties, the Feds would come after the people making these, and nobody who needs one would know to look for them. But it is a great idea!
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Look at Lowe’s, Home Depot, any local appliance stores, Costco, Best Buy. Figure out what fits your needs/wants. Be sure to measure depth and height. Width (36”) is pretty standard unless you’re going for top of the line very expensive brands (wider), or extremely low priced models (narrower).
Once you know what you want that fits your space, look for best pricing (including complete installation and haul away of your old one) and best warranty.
In 2008 we bought a complete new set of kitchen appliances. They all had 10 year full warranties. As I’ve replaced them, for same quality level, I’ve found that current warranties are at best two years; some only one.
Purchased a Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerator last month. Here’s my review. It’s noisy! Had a service technician out seven (7) days after delivery. The service included tightening up the inside rear panel of the freezer. Still noisy. Service technician said new refrigerators last less than ten (10) years now. He recommended repairing older models rather than purchasing a new refrigerator. Next, the ice maker is a joke. It produces a tray of ice every four hours, this according to the service technician. If you find a refrigerator you like, read the customer reviews. In retrospect, they’re pretty accurate. A salesperson at Lowes said they get a lot of complaints about LG refrigerators. My previous Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerator lasted seven (7) years. The Frigidaire previous to that lasted three (3) years. Planned obsolescence?
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Check out refrigerators at Costco. Costco offers a longer warranty, delivery, and installation.
As for ice makers, I bought an under $100 counter top ice maker (like a Frigidaire). It makes two different size bullets of ice in just minutes. If any of the cubes start to melt, the water goes right back into new cubes.
There are various similar models as I see them at Lowes, Home Depot, Target and Walmart.
I would use one of these, especially if I didn’t have a water line into the kitchen for the fridge, or had to have ‘special’ water filters.
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We all have different definitions of “noisy”. I can tell when my Whirlpool is running, I wouldn’t call it noisy.
I have the basic ice maker. It makes one batch every hour to an hour and a half. That’s enough to fill the ice bin in 24 hours. That’s more than enough for me. I don’t know how much ice you use.
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Generally, people become accustomed to the noise of noisy refrigerators. But some of them do quiet down after they’re broken in, too.