Our pick
Considering its smaller-than-average footprint, this handsome, quiet refrigerator is spacious. In our surveys, LG consistently ranks at the top for customer satisfaction.
The well-rounded and good-looking LG LRFLC2706S offers the strongest marriage of capacity and design we’ve seen for the price (it’s usually around $2,000), from a company known for its reliability.
This model squeezes 26.5 cubic feet of space into a relatively compact frame (just over 29 inches deep without the handles). Though the LRFLC2706S doesn’t sit fully flush with counters or cabinets, it looks as if it does, thanks to its door design.
This model has a standard layout that’s user-friendly and more attractive than most. However, you can’t store tall bottles or containers upright in the fridge without removing a shelf.
There’s a sensor-activated water dispenser inside the LRFLC2706S’s door (you can operate it with one hand), and there’s an ice maker in the freezer.
This model is Energy Star–certified for efficiency, and owners report that it’s noticeably quiet. It has Wi-Fi–enabled smart features, so you can monitor or adjust the fridge remotely or get diagnostics if it breaks.
LG consistently ranks at the top of our surveys for customer satisfaction. This model is particularly well regarded both by experts and by respondents to owner surveys.
The LRFLC2706S’s standard warranty covers the refrigerator for one year. It covers the compressor and cooling system for five years, and it adds an additional five years for parts (but not labor) on those components, which is rare. Our surveys suggested, however, that LG’s customer service isn’t as strong as that of some of its competitors.
The LRFLC2706S comes in one finish (fingerprint-resistant stainless steel).
Runner-up
This model is similar to our top pick, but it isn’t smart, and it takes up more space. It does have a more versatile layout, however.
If our top pick is unavailable or you prefer a different brand, or if you just want more finish options, we recommend the solid GE GNE27J.
It’s about 33 inches deep (without the handles), so it takes up more room than our top pick without providing much more capacity (27 cubic feet, versus our top pick’s 26.5 cubic feet).
The GNE27J has a more-versatile shelving system than our top pick: You can fit a tall bottle or container upright in the GNE27J, thanks to a sliding shelf.
The freezer’s ice maker produces nearly twice as much ice as our top pick’s ice maker (which is great if you love ice). The GNE27J also has a water dispenser inside the door, but you have to use two hands to operate it (our top pick’s water dispenser can be operated with one hand).
This model doesn’t have smart features (like remote alerts or diagnostics), and it is not as quiet as our top pick. But you can often find it on sale for several hundred dollars less.
The GNE27J is Energy Star–certified. Its warranty is standard, covering the refrigerator for one year and the compressor and cooling system for five years. And our research shows that GE Appliances has a better customer-service track record than LG.
The GNE27J comes in four finishes (fingerprint-resistant stainless steel, black, white, and slate).
Upgrade pick
This streamlined fridge has plenty of capacity and such extras as a door-in-door compartment and a touch-activated translucent panel. It also makes lots of deluxe ice.
The LG LRYKC2606S has all of the best qualities of our top pick: It’s compact yet spacious, smart, quiet, and beloved by its owners. Plus it has bells and whistles that its owners really like.
This model has slightly less capacity than our top pick (25.5 cubic feet, compared with our top pick’s 26.5 cubic feet). But this fridge’s interior is a little nicer, with durable metal trim and a sliding shelf for tall items like wine bottles. Instead of handles, the doors have pockets, which look sleek (but they could be harder for some people to use).
The LRYKC2606S has a door-in-door compartment, which allows you to access often-used items, such as beverages and snacks, without having to fully open the fridge. The door has what LG calls InstaView—a mirrored surface that turns into a translucent window when you knock on it, so you can see a bit of what’s in the fridge without opening it. (Some owners have reported that this doesn’t always work as described.)
This fridge has three ice makers (one in the door, two in the freezer), and they produce four kinds of ice, including mini cubes and large spheres. It also has an in-door water and ice dispenser with a slimmer footprint than most. However, some users have reported the ice occasionally jams.
The LRYKC2606S is Energy Star–certified. It has a one year warranty for the refrigerator and five years for the compressor and cooling system, plus an additional five years for parts (but not labor) on those components.
The LRYKC2606S is available in one finish (stainless steel).
Also great
This smart, four-door French-door fridge has a very useful temperature-controlled drawer, an in-door water and ice dispenser, and the greatest capacity of our picks. But it takes up the most room.
If you want a fridge that offers extra customization and a little more space, the GE Profile PVD28BYNFS—a four-door French-door fridge—may appeal. With 27.9 cubic feet of capacity, this model is the most spacious of our picks, and it has the largest footprint (34.25 inches deep, without its handles).
Its fourth door is actually a separate, temperature-controlled drawer that’s useful for snacks, beverages, party trays, or any other items you reach for often or want to keep isolated and at a specific temperature.
Like our upgrade pick, the PVD28BYNFS has a door-in-door feature, which lets you access beverages in the door pocket without having to fully open the fridge. (Unlike the one on our upgrade pick, this extra access point is a traditional door, and it doesn’t have a transparent window.) This fridge also has an in-door water and ice dispenser, which is well liked.
The PVD28BYNFS is Energy Star–certified, and it has Wi-Fi–enabled smart capabilities, including diagnostics, push alerts, and remote temperature control. It comes with a standard one-year warranty for the refrigerator and a five-year warranty for the compressor and cooling system.
The PVD28BYNFS is available in one finish (fingerprint-resistant stainless steel).
