Tuesday, December 10, 2024

How We Test the Best Refrigerators

March 2014

How We Test

We have researched a number of leading refrigerators on the market and conducted in-depth reviews on some of the best models to see how they compared against one another. Using a 100-point scale, we evaluated each refrigerator based on its refrigeration technology (25 points), storage capabilities (20 points), extra features (25 points), exterior style and functionality (10 points), brand reputation (10 points), and online customer feedback (10 points). While we felt it was important to incorporate actual customer feedback in a refrigerator's score, we didn't weigh it as heavily because we felt that unhappy customers would be more likely to submit negative reviews. To balance the customer reviews, we also included reviews from experts like Consumer Reports and J.D. Power & Associates as part of the brand reputation category.

You can read more about our methodology and how each refrigerator performed in our Refrigerators Overview. While some may argue that the scoring system is subjective, we determined that having a set formula was the best way to conduct a more objective side-by-side comparison of each model. To remain neutral, we also purposely excluded subjective items (ex. price, size, style, etc.) from our scoring system. These are still important things to consider when evaluating a refrigerator (see: Refrigerators Buying Guide), but we didn't want them to skew the results. The bottom line is that all of the refrigerators reviewed are ones that we would recommend to our readers. It is simply a matter of determining which one is right for you.