The 3 Highest-Rated Refrigerators On Consumer Reports All Have These 2 Things In Common

If you've ever felt colossally overwhelmed while shopping for a new fridge, you're not alone. There is a sea of brands to choose from (some of them unreliable), all making refrigerators in countless different types, colors, materials, you name it. Perhaps instead of laser-focusing on the brand, we should first consider the style of a fridge. According to a ranking by Consumer Reports, the three refrigerators with the highest rating are all stainless steel with a bottom drawer freezer.

The fridges in question are Kenmore Elite 79023, LG LDCS24223S, and Kenmore Elite 79043. They all received the exact same score, tying for the best fridge. The stainless steel design gives them a polished, elegant look, and the freezer in the entire bottom drawer ensures there's plenty of space for all the family-sized frozen meals you wish to stock up on. The three fridges are quite similar in their features and specs, too. They have similar dimensions, though the Kenmore Elite 79023 is significantly narrower than the other two. All have great temperature uniformity, meaning the temperature remains the same throughout the whole interior, even inside the doors.

All of them also have great energy efficiency, adding only about $60 to your yearly electricity bill. The fridges may cost a bit more upfront, but energy-efficient kitchen appliances are a long-term money-saver. The only potential downside of these models is the touchpad, which could be a dealbreaker for less tech-savvy customers and complicate the ease of use.

Stainless steel has been a favorite in American kitchens since the '90s. It's durable, modern, easy to clean, and neutral enough to match a variety of kitchen styles. There are definitely more important parameters to consider when purchasing a fridge than just the finish, but at the end of the day, it's precisely the finish that you'll be looking at every day. Stainless steel is a material you can trust to last, even with low maintenance. It can be on the pricier side, but it's worth it in the long run.

Bottom drawer freezers have been around even longer, since the late '40s. This type of fridge creates a more natural, seamless daily use, as the perishable food stored in the refrigerated compartment is placed directly at eye level, while the prolonged freezer storage is placed below. By keeping the fresh food on top and frozen on the bottom, you don't have to bend every single day to get your yogurt.

A stainless steel fridge with a freezer drawer might be the winning combination, generally speaking, but choosing a fridge that fits your cooking style should be the priority. For example, if frozen foods are at the core of your daily cooking, a side-by-side fridge might be a better choice. Same with the finish — if your entire kitchen is clad in retro decor, you may just have to pass on the modernistic stainless steel.