Best Overall
Whirlpool Side-by-Side Refrigerator with Ice Maker
- It’s roomy, and it features an air filter to keep your fridge smelling fresh.
It’s roomy, and it features an air filter to keep your fridge smelling fresh.
- It’s not Energy Star certified, which would be helpful considering its size compared to the others on this list.
It’s not Energy Star certified, which would be helpful considering its size compared to the others on this list.
For the best overall side-by-side refrigerator, our top pick is the Whirlpool 28.4-Cubic Foot Side-by-Side Refrigerator with Ice Maker. It’s the largest fridge on our list at 28.4 cubic feet, meaning it has the most storage capacity.
The 17.5-cubic-foot fridge features five shelves, three drawers, and five door bins, while the 10.9 cubic foot freezer has five shelves, two drawers, and three door bins. The refrigerator is also available in three color options: white, gray, and black. The gray and black are both made with fingerprint resistant stainless steel.
Conveniently, LED lights are installed on both the inside and the outside water and ice dispenser. You also can decide exactly how much filtered water you need from the dispenser with the measured fill button, anywhere between 1 and 128 ounces.
One of our favorite features about this side-by-side refrigerator is the built-in air filter that helps prevent your fridge from trapping unpleasant odors—competing with the effectiveness of baking soda at masking smells. There’s even an adaptive defrost system, which monitors your freezer and only runs the cycle as needed.
However, we miss the Energy Star certification. While not available on every model on our list, the certification would be nice given that this refrigerator uses more energy since it's so large.
Product Details: Dimensions: 36 x 34.875 x 69 inches | Weight: 283 pounds | Capacity: 28.4 cubic feet | Color/Finish: White, gray, or black | Certifications: Not listed
Best Budget
LG 27.2-cu ft Side-by-Side Refrigerator with Ice Maker
- This fridge has a sleek look, and the ice maker is located in the door so you have more shelf space.
This fridge has a sleek look, and the ice maker is located in the door so you have more shelf space.
- The shelves aren’t adjustable.
The shelves aren’t adjustable.
There’s a lot to love about this refrigerator, starting with the exterior: the flat panels, pocket handles, and touch controls all look sleek and more expensive than they really are. Plus, you can choose from platinum silver, fingerprint resistant stainless steel, white, and black.
On the inside is 27.2 cubic feet of space, including four shelves, two humidity-controlled crispers, four door shelves, two freezer door shelves, five freezer shelves, and one freezer basket. The shelves, unfortunately, are not adjustable. If you forget to shut the doors, an alarm will sound to let you know so you don’t waste energy and your food doesn’t spoil.
The ice maker also helps you maximize the space. It produces both filtered cubed and crushed ice, alongside water. The pharmaceutical water filter is NSF certified, which basically means that it’s guaranteed by an independent certification organization to reduce more contaminants than any other LG filter.
Product Details: Dimensions: 33.5 35.88 x 70.5 inches | Weight: 265.7 pounds | Capacity: 27.2 cubic feet | Color/Finish: Platinum silver, fingerprint resistant stainless steel, black, and white | Certifications: NSF certified water filter
Best Splurge
Cafe 21.9 Cu. Ft. Counter-Depth Side-by-Side Refrigerator
- The hardware finish is customizable, and most of the interior storage is adjustable.
The hardware finish is customizable, and most of the interior storage is adjustable.
- The finish customization costs extra.
The finish customization costs extra.
Café is renowned for its beautiful, customizable appliances. This stainless steel refrigerator comes with your choice of hardware color: brushed stainless, brushed bronze, brushed copper, brushed black, and flat black. However, if you upgrade your refrigerator from stainless steel, there is an additional fee.
Regardless of whether you upgrade your hardware finish, you’ll find a lot of perks that justify the price. The fridge has 14.24 cubic feet of storage space, and there are three drawers, four shelves (three adjustable), one door box, and four door bins.
The 7.7-cubic-feet freezer includes two drawers, four shelves (one adjustable), and four door bins. Dynamic storage you can adjust as needed is always an added value because it makes organizing the fridge easier.
This side-by-side refrigerator also features humidity-controlled drawers, interior LED lighting, a quick ice setting, a water filter, and a turbo cool setting. However, it is designed to be counter-depth so it does have less capacity than other fridges on our list.
Product Details: Dimensions: 35.75 x 30.75 x 69.8 inches | Weight: 340 pounds | Capacity: 21.9 cubic feet | Color/Finish: Gray stainless steel with customizable hardware | Certifications: Not listed
Best Smart
Samsung Bespoke 28-cu ft Smart Side-by-Side Refrigerator with Dual Ice Maker
- This smart fridge has an autofill water pitcher you can infuse in addition to a regular dispenser, a dual auto ice maker, and a sensor that automatically opens the doors.
This smart fridge has an autofill water pitcher you can infuse in addition to a regular dispenser, a dual auto ice maker, and a sensor that automatically opens the doors.
- The fancy features take up valuable space in the fridge.
The fancy features take up valuable space in the fridge.
The Samsung 28-cubic-foot, Energy Star-certified refrigerator comes with a minimalist exterior in either fingerprint resistant stainless steel or white glass. It’s also smart: Download the SmartThings app, connect it to your fridge via bluetooth, and then use it to set and track power consumption goals.
Intended to be ADA compliant for those with restricted movement, light touch sensors will automatically open the doors about 25mm—which is also useful when your hands are full.
On one side is the Beverage Center, which has a dispenser for filtered water and an autofill water pitcher that you can choose to infuse with flavor. The other side has a dual auto ice maker with cubed ice and what Samsung calls “Ice Bites,” which are smaller slivers that are supposed to chill your drink faster.
It is worth noting, however, that these features take up what would be valuable shelf space. Luckily, almost all of the four fridge interior, five fridge door, three freezer interior, and five freezer door shelves are adjustable. Bonus: They’re all trimmed in silver, elevating them from standard refrigerator shelves.
Product Details: Dimensions: 33.75 x 35.9 x70.62 inches | Weight: 282 pounds | Capacity: 28 cubic feet | Color/Finish: White glass and fingerprint resistant stainless steel | Certifications: Energy Star certified
Best with Ice Maker
LG Smart Side-by-Side Refrigerator with Dual Ice Maker
- This Wi-Fi enabled refrigerator with a glass panel produces slow-melting round craft ice, plus the usual cubed and crushed ice.
This Wi-Fi enabled refrigerator with a glass panel produces slow-melting round craft ice, plus the usual cubed and crushed ice.
- Some may find the glass panel aesthetically unattractive or distracting.
Some may find the glass panel aesthetically unattractive or distracting.
For the best side-by-side refrigerator with an ice maker, the LG 27.1 Cubic Feet Side by Side Refrigerator is our top option. Not only does it have an ice maker with the option for crushed or cubed ice, but it also makes craft sphere ice cubes. But heads up—the fridge only produces three ice spheres a day.
We love the glass panel, which is a convenient and innovative feature. Instead of opening the fridge door while you’re writing your grocery list or deciding what to eat, you can simply knock twice on the glass panel. The panel will then brighten the interior with LED lights to display the items on the top three shelves and bins.
This, along with the Energy Star certification, can help you save energy. Some people may not like the technology-forward look of the panel though.
The 17.5-cubic-foot fridge side has four shelves (one adjustable), two drawers, and four door bins. In the 9.6-cubic-foot freezer are three shelves, two drawers, and two door bins. The result is 27.1 cubic feet of storage total.
On the outside is LG’s PrintProof stainless steel that’s fingerprint and smudge resistant to make cleaning easier. One more notable detail: the Wi-Fi. You can use LG’s ThinQ app or a smart home system like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to perform tasks like adjusting the temperature and upping ice output.
Product Details: Dimensions: 35.87 x 34 x 69.88 inches | Weight: 284 pounds | Capacity: 27.1 cubic feet | Color/Finish: Gray stainless steel | Certifications: Energy Star
Best Stainless Steel
GE Profile 25.3 Cu. Ft. Side-by-Side Refrigerator
- Extra drawers and baskets offer more functional storage than some other models, and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without features like Quick Ice and Turbo Cool.
Extra drawers and baskets offer more functional storage than some other models, and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without features like Quick Ice and Turbo Cool.
- There are no smart features, despite being more expensive than the smart fridges on our list.
There are no smart features, despite being more expensive than the smart fridges on our list.
This 25.3-cubic-foot refrigerator is full of useful details, starting with the raised edge—aka spill proof—shelves: there are four refrigerator shelves (three adjustable), four refrigerator door shelves (all adjustable), two freezer shelves (one adjustable), and three freezer door shelves (all adjustable).
The top shelf in the refrigerator is even retractable, so you can store tall items without sacrificing having to remove a shelf. Two crisper drawers, another drawer for things like cold cuts and cheese, and a covered spot on the door for butter round out the fridge side.
The freezer has three freezer baskets, plus an ice maker that can hold up to 10 pounds of ice. Going through a lot of ice? Use the Quick Ice setting to create it up to 50% faster than usual.
The advanced water filtration reduces trace pharmaceuticals from water and ice. This means that it removes 98% of ibuprofen, atenolol, fluoxetine, progesterone, and trimethoprim that may be present. When your refrigerator keeps being opened, the Turbo Cool setting drops the interior temperature to prevent any spoilage.
It comes in stainless steel, fingerprint resistant stainless steel, and fingerprint resistant black stainless steel. LED lights on the inside make it a breeze to find what you need. The one noticeable negative: Because it’s more expensive than the two smart refrigerators on our list, we do wish it was smart as well.
Product Details: Dimensions: 35.25 x 35.75 x 69.25 inches | Weight: 360 pounds | Capacity: 25.3 cubic feet | Color/Finish: Stainless steel, fingerprint resistant stainless steel, and fingerprint resistant black stainless steel | Certifications: Energy Star certified
Best White
GE Side-by-Side Refrigerator with Ice Maker
- The white exterior is sleek, and the interior adjustability makes it easy to maximize space.
The white exterior is sleek, and the interior adjustability makes it easy to maximize space.
- The door bins are awkwardly placed and not as functional as they could be.
The door bins are awkwardly placed and not as functional as they could be.
For a long time, white refrigerators were considered “out,” to be replaced with contrasting black or modern stainless steel options. Since the rise of the all-white kitchen, they’ve been coming back because of how they blend in with the rest of the space.
This one has a sleek, low profile appearance that caught our eye. We were further convinced once we learned about the features. The 16.07 square foot fridge is packed with four shelves (three adjustable), two drawers, two door bins, two gallon-sized door bins, and one door box.
On the 9.25 cubic square foot freezer side are four shelves (two adjustable), one basket, and four door bins (two adjustable). The ability to customize your storage is incredibly convenient when working with a limited amount of space, and is especially game changing for large families and home cooks.
It’s worth noting, however, that the door bins leave something to be desired in terms of placement and size. The LED lighting is a useful detail, helping you easily see everything in the refrigerator. The external dispenser allows you to access cubed or crushed ice and water (filtered to remove 98% of impurities).
There is also a door alarm that helps you keep food cold by alerting you to when the doors have been open for too long.
Product Details: Dimensions: 35.75 x 34.75 x 69 inches | Weight: 320 pounds | Capacity: 25.3 cubic feet | Color/Finish: White | Certifications: Not listed
Best Counter Depth
Whirlpool 20.6-cu ft Counter-Depth Side-by-Side Refrigerator with Ice Maker
- There is a solid amount of storage despite the smaller amount cubic feet.
There is a solid amount of storage despite the smaller amount cubic feet.
- There’s no craft ice option.
There’s no craft ice option.
The Whirlpool 20.6-cu ft Counter-Depth Side-by-Side Refrigerator with Ice Maker is the best counter-depth side-by-side refrigerator. This appliance is 20.6 cubic feet, which is at least 5 feet less than other options on our list.
However, there is an impressive amount of storage. In the 13.6 cubic foot fridge, there are four shelves, three drawers, two door bins, and two adjustable gallon-sized door bins. The 7-cubic-foot freezer features four shelves, one bin, and three door bins.
There’s also a water and ice dispenser, although there isn’t a craft ice option available. The interior technology features a temperature management system that adapts to the environment to cool food quickly, as well as an adaptive defrost that monitors the freezer and determines when it’s necessary to start a cooling cycle.
There is also an air filter that’s effective at reducing common food odors. The appliance is available in four different finishes: white, black, fingerprint-resistant black stainless steel, and fingerprint-resistant stainless steel.
Product Details: Dimensions: 36 x 29.75 x 68.625 inches | Weight: 242 pounds | Capacity: 20.6 cubic feet | Color/Finish: Black, black fingerprint resistant stainless steel, white, and gray fingerprint resistant stainless steel | Certifications: Not listed