Buying guide for Best side-by-side refrigerator
Side-by-side refrigerators are split vertically, with one side — usually the right — acting as a fridge and the other as a freezer. This sets them apart from refrigerators that don't have an integrated freezer or bottom-freezer refrigerators that have the freezer section below the fridge. They're great for people who regularly use both their fridge and freezer since the most-used items in each can be stored at eye level. This means you don't have to bend down every time you want to access your freezer.
But there's plenty to consider when choosing a side-by-side fridge. You'll need to consider the size and capacity to make sure it'll fit your kitchen and has ample room for the amount of food you want to store. Energy efficiency is a big consideration, especially if you want to save money on bills or make your home as eco-friendly as possible. Plus, there are a range of features you might be interested in, such as ice and water dispensers, soft-close drawers and even smart features.
The GE GSS25IYNFS Side-By-Side Refrigerator is our favorite. It's among the top-rated side-by-side refrigerators and performs brilliantly. We love the ice and water dispenser and the adjustable edge-to-edge shelves and bins.
Which side-by-side refrigerator is best?
Best refrigerator with ice maker and water dispenser
Product specifications
Dimensions: 35.75” W x 69.5” H x 34.75” D | Capacity: 25.1 cu. ft. | Dispensers: Water and ice | Finishes: Stainless steel and slate | Weight: 320 lb | Warranty: 1 year
Our top pick comes from trusted brand GE and offers loads of useful features to meet just about anyone’s needs. With its 25-cubic-foot capacity, this is a good mid-sized fridge, but it feels even roomier than some of its same-size competitors because the edge-to-edge shelves give you more usable space. You can also remove shelves and rearrange them to meet your needs, so you can tailor your fridge and freezer however works best for you. If you’re concerned about the purity of your water, the water dispenser has an optional filtration system that reduces trace pharmaceuticals in both water and ice.
The flush LED lighting illuminates all of the fridge and freezer, even the farthest corners, so you won't have any food or drink get lost or overlooked. We love the electronic controls that let you precisely set the temperature in both fridge and freezer compartments.
Best side-by-side refrigerator without water dispenser
Product specifications
Dimensions: 36” W x 70” H x 33.5” D | Capacity: 28 cu. ft. | Dispensers: No | Finishes: Black and silver stainless steel | Weight: 242.5 lb | Warranty: 1 year
If you can live without a water dispenser (or actively don't want one), this Samsung fridge provides a lot of space and some great features for your money. The lack of dispenser gives it a sleek look and there's an in-door icemaker inside, so you can still easily get chilled drinks from this fridge. It's Wi-Fi compatible and works with the Samsung SmartThings app to control and monitor the temperature. Plus, it works with Alexa, Bixby and Google Assistant.
It circulates air evenly, so you aren't left with some cooler and some warmer parts of the fridge. We find the touch-panel controls easy to use, plus they're ADA-compliant, so they're within reach for people who use a wheelchair.
Best side-by-side refrigerator with clear view door
Product specifications
Dimensions: 36” W x 70.5” H x 33” D | Capacity: 27 cu. ft. | Dispensers: Water and ice | Finishes: Black and silver stainless steel and slate | Weight: 295.6 lb | Warranty: 1 year
The first thing you'll notice about this fridge is the clear-view panel. Most of the time, it blends in with the rest of the door, but when you knock on it twice, it turns transparent, giving you a glimpse of what's in your fridge. We find this is great for checking what ingredients you have for a meal or what snacks are on offer without opening the door for long stretches and wasting energy.
But there's plenty more to love about it. The dispenser gives you water, ice cubes and crushed ice. There's also a craft ice maker in the freezer, which makes larger ice cubes that are good for fancy cocktails. It's Wi-Fi compatible and works with the ThinQ app, as well as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Best Energy Star-certified side-by-side-refrigerator
Product specifications
Dimensions: 36” W x 70” H x 32.5” D | Capacity: 25.6 cu. ft. | Dispensers: Water and ice | Finishes: Silver stainless steel, black stainless steel, black and white | Weight: 278.35 lb | Warranty: 1 year
With its Energy Star certification, you can rest assured that this fridge uses less energy than an average model, saving you money over time. We love that the vegetable crispers block dry air to keep our product fresh for longer and that cold air is circulated evenly so no spots are too warm or cold.
The water dispenser integrates a PurePour water filter, which reduces 99% of contaminants. It also dispenses ice in cubed and crushed forms. The gallon bins in the doors are conveniently adjustable. While we like that we can remove shelves inside, we'd prefer more options to rearrange them.
Best side-by-side refrigerator with deli drawer
Product specifications
Dimensions: 35.5” W x 70” H x 34” D | Capacity: 24.6 cu. ft. | Dispensers: Water and ice | Finishes: Silver stainless steel, black stainless steel, black and white | Weight: 262.4 lb | Warranty: 1 year
Not only does this fridge have two crisper drawers to keep your produce fresher, it also has a deli drawer, which is designed to hold cheese and deli meats. We also love the can caddy in the door that holds six standard cans or a couple of bottles on their sides. Plus, the shelves are frameless to give you more room, and you can adjust the door bins, so customizing your storage options is a breeze.
Storage aside, we're fans of the exterior control panel that lets you easily control the temperature, lights, child lock and water dispenser. The dispenser gives you chilled water as well as ice cubes and crushed ice.
Best side-by-side counter-depth refrigerator
Product specifications
Dimensions: 36” W x 70” H x 31” D | Capacity: 22.3 cu. ft. | Dispensers: Water and ice | Finishes: Silver stainless steel and black stainless steel | Weight: 257 lb | Warranty: 1 year
Thanks to its counter-depth design, this fridge gives you a fitted look, lining up with your cabinets. The trade-off is its slightly smaller size, with a 22.3-cubic-foot capacity. Still, that's big enough for small- to medium-sized households. We like that the CrispSeal Plus crisper technology not only controls humidity but also has a filter that removes gasses that cause certain fruits and veggies to ripen faster.
In addition to the crisper drawers, there's a deli drawer to conveniently store sandwich meats and cheeses. It has an air filter to keep fridge odors at bay and a water filter to purify tap water through the dispenser. The dispenser also produces crushed and cubed ice.
Best side-by-side refrigerator with beverage dispenser
Product specifications
Dimensions: 36” W x 71” H x 29” D | Capacity: 23 cu. ft. | Dispensers: Water | Finishes: Stainless steel and white glass | Weight: 229 lb | Warranty: 1 year
During our research, this model stood out for its beverage center with both a dispenser and an integrated pitcher that you can use for plain or infused water. The beverage center is inside the fridge door, giving it a sleek look that's compounded by its counter-depth design. Although the specifications above refer to the counter-depth fridge, there's also a standard-depth version for anyone who would prefer a large interior over a slimmer depth. There's a dual ice maker in the freezer that makes cubes and smaller "Ice Bites."
We also like that it has an auto-open door sensor, which limits the amount you touch the exterior of your fridge, which means fewer fingerprints and less cleaning. It has smart features and is compatible with Samsung's SmartThings app, as well as other popular smart-home systems. Using these apps, you can control the temperature, cooling modes, ice maker and more.
Best side-by-side refrigerator with food preservation system
Product specifications
Dimensions: 36” W x 71” H x 27” D | Capacity: 22.6 cu. ft. | Dispensers: Water and ice | Finishes: Silver stainless steel and black stainless steel | Weight: 259 lb | Warranty: 1 year
We love KitchenAid's Preserva Food Care System, which works to help keep food fresher for longer. It involves dual cooling systems and an air filter that helps reduce over-ripening. There's another filter that deals with odors, too. The exterior dispenser gives you ice and water and even measures out water in cups and ounces, which we find handy for cooking.
This refrigerator is a great choice if you're looking for a built-in appearance, as it sits flush with standard counters. However, that means the capacity is slightly smaller than you'd expect for this type of fridge.
Best basic side-by-side refrigerator
Product specifications
Dimensions: 36” W x 70” H x 34” D | Capacity: 25 cu. ft. | Dispensers: No | Finishes: Stainless steel | Weight: 231 lb | Warranty: 1 year
Sometimes what you want is a solid yet basic fridge at a decent price — and this Maytag model fits the bill. It doesn't have fancy smart features or even an ice or water dispenser, but it performs solidly and makes it easy to organize your food. We're fans of the two crisper drawers with humidity control to keep your produce fresher. There's also an array of shelves and bins in the doors for easy storage.
It's simple to adjust the temperature, even though you don't get to control it as precisely as some higher-end models. We find it spacious, and the lack of water dispenser and ice maker means there's even more storage space.
Best smart refrigerator
Product specifications
Dimensions: 36” W x 70” H x 33.5” D | Capacity: 26.7 cu. ft. | Dispensers: Water and ice | Finishes: Stainless steel | Weight: 306 lb | Warranty: 1 year
So many appliances have smart features these days, and there's no reason why your fridge should be left in the dark ages. We love the Family Hub on this fridge. It lets you control your refrigerators — but so much more, as well. It has a range of other features, including the ability to display photos and play music. And you control it all using the built-in Bixby voice assistant.
Even ignoring the smart features, this is a great fridge. You can adjust the shelving and bins for flexible storage, and it has two handy vegetable crisper drawers. The all-around cooling makes sure that every part of the fridge is evenly chilled. The dispenser gives you cold water along with crushed and cubed ice.
Is a side-by-side refrigerator right for you?
There are lots of reasons why some people prefer a side-by-side refrigerator to a traditional unit.
Pros
- Convenience: Many people have come to love side-by-side refrigerators for their water dispensers and easily organized shelves. If you like being able to rearrange the shelves and having ice and cold water dispensed in an instant, side-by-sides are the way to go.
- Door clearance: The doors have a smaller clearance, which makes these refrigerators popular in galley kitchens where fridges with bigger doors might be a pain to navigate.
- Height: These refrigerators give you the option to keep food at eye level in both the fridge and freezer sections. You can keep your most-used products at a convenient height and put foods you don't use as much lower down.
Cons
- Width: Because of the narrower shelves in side-by-sides, wide items, such as some pizza boxes, don’t fit as easily. That said, the fridge side is usually a little wider than the freezer, which works well for most users.
- Water dispensers can break: While water dispensers might seem convenient — and are when they're working — they're one of the most common refrigerator repairs.
Side-by-side-refrigerator features
Size
Like all the different refrigerator types, side-by-sides come in many sizes. Make sure to carefully measure your kitchen space to make sure the refrigerator you’re looking at is neither too tall nor too wide. You’ll also need to consider whether it will fit through your front door, down hallways or up any stairs to get to the kitchen. The vast majority of side-by-side fridges measure 36 inches wide (although, in reality, they're usually slightly under 36 inches to fit in a 36-inch gap). However, you can occasionally find smaller 33-inch models or ones larger than 39 inches.
Capacity
Manufacturers usually recommend 19 to 22 cubic feet of refrigerator space for a family of four. But with many people buying more than a week's worth of groceries, 20 to 25 cubic feet is far more common. If you have a large family and you buy almost everything in bulk, you might need 25 to 30 cubic feet of space. A few of our top picks offer this much space, including the Samsung RS28A500ASR/AA and the LG LRSOS2706D. Note that your amount of usable space could be as much as 20% less than the manufacturer claims.
Dual evaporators
Some side-by-side refrigerators have dual evaporators, which means there’s an evaporator for the freezer and a separate one for the refrigerator. Dual evaporators prevent air from circulating between the refrigerator and freezer. That keeps cold, dry freezer air from drying out food in the refrigerator. It also maintains higher humidity levels in vegetable drawers, keeping produce fresher for longer.
Soft-close doors and drawers
Soft-close doors and drawers have a mechanism that makes them close slowly and quietly. This prevents slamming, which can prolong the life of your refrigerator. If you have children or teens, this feature could prevent the need for repairs, too.
Water dispenser
A built-in water dispenser is one of the main reasons people like side-by-side refrigerators. Many dispensers also produce ice — often giving you the option of cubes and crushed ice. They're usually located on the outside of the freezer door, but occasionally they're positioned internally. Keep in mind that water dispensers take up some of the interior door space. They're also one of the parts of a fridge most prone to breaking.
Organization and storage
- Adjustable drawer and shelf configuration: The ability to adjust the shelves and interior configuration lets you fit the refrigerator to your lifestyle and food choices. Some models might offer one or two adjustable shelves, while others allow you to arrange the whole interior to your liking.
- Crisper drawers: These drawers allow you to adjust the humidity of the drawer based on the type of food in it. Some models have digital controls that you can use to change the temperature in the drawer, while others have a simple manual slide mechanism to adjust humidity.
- Freezer bins: Some models have bins or drawers on the freezer side, in addition to shelves. These are great for storing items of non-standard shapes that might roll or fall off shelves when you open the door.
Energy efficiency
Most people are far more aware of energy efficiency now than they were a decade ago. A refrigerator with an EPA Energy Star rating tells you that it’s in the top 25% of the market for efficiency. An energy-efficient model can save you $50 to $60 a year or $500 over the lifetime of your refrigerator. When comparing models, check the annual operating costs and the kilowatt hours used per year to get an accurate idea of the savings.
Temperature controls
Basic side-by-side refrigerators have a dial numbered one through 10 to control the interior temperature. It might take some trial and error to find the right setting for your model. More expensive models have a digital display that tells you the exact temperature in the refrigerator and freezer and let you control the temperature using a digital touchpad. While these models cost more, they offer better safety and control over the interior temperature.
Smart features
Who would have thought smart features would be an option for a refrigerator? More and more models are incorporating many of these technologies. If wireless control and monitoring are high on your priority list, you might be willing to pay the extra thousand dollars it takes to get many of these smart features. On the other hand, more complexity creates more ways for a refrigerator to malfunction.
- Energy monitoring: Refrigerators with this option can sync with the smart grid in your city to then schedule defrost cycles for times with lower energy rates.
- Voice control: Some models can sync with virtual assistants so you can check the interior temperature and adjust it from anywhere in the room. You can also check on the water or air filter simply by asking.
- Multitasking kitchen command center: Refrigerator command centers have large touchscreens and a long list of apps that can include a cooking timer, recipes, digital calendars and music.
- Interior cameras: If you’re at the grocery store and can’t remember if you need milk, an interior camera gives you a visual. (It might also let you know who’s sneaking your favorite yogurt.)
Extra features
You can expect to find some extra features offered by your side-by-side refrigerator. Some are fairly standard, such as LED lights to see what's going on when you open the door and a number of finish options to match your other appliances. However, some features are higher-end, such as door alarms, craft ice makers and clear-view door panels that turn transparent so you can see what's inside. Take a look at all of the listed features before buying to make sure you aren’t paying for features you’ll never use.
Side-by-side refrigerators vs. bottom-freezer refrigerators
Side-by-side refrigerators have a vertical split design, with the fresh food compartment on one side and the freezer compartment on the other. The compartments are typically of equal width or close to it. This layout gives you easy access to both the refrigerator and freezer sections. Bottom-freezer refrigerators, on the other hand, have a horizontal layout, with the fresh food compartment on top and the freezer compartment on the bottom. The fresh food section is larger than the freezer section, which is located at the bottom.
While side-by-side refrigerators let you easily see and access both the fridge and freezer, they have narrower compartments, which can limit the storage space for larger items. Bottom-freezer refrigerators usually provide more storage space in the fresh food section, so they're good for anyone who needs more fridge space. The freezer space, though, is usually smaller and is low down, so you'll need to kneel or stoop to access items.
Side-by-side refrigerator prices
Depending on features and brand, you can expect to pay from about $1,000 to $10,000 for a side-by-side refrigerator.
Inexpensive: Side-by-side refrigerators start at around $1,000, but you can find a few models for less. These refrigerators have up to 25 cubic feet of interior space. Some include a water dispenser, and most have at least a few adjustable shelves and drawers.
Midrange: Between $1,000 and $2,000 is where you’ll find most side-by-side models. These all include water dispensers and automatic ice makers, but you’ll also see electronic temperature controls with temperature management systems that might have several sensors inside the refrigerator to make sure food stays cold.
Expensive: In the $2,000-to-$3,000 range are models with smart features along with the other typical side-by-side features like water dispensers, child locks and adjustable shelves.
Premium: At $3,000 to $10,000 are built-in side-by-side refrigerators with the most space and features. These require a custom fit in your cabinetry.
Tips
- Try a side-by-side counter-depth refrigerator for a built-in look. Some refrigerators are designed to align with your countertops, with the open door being the only portion that extends into the floor space. These refrigerators look like built-ins but don’t require the extra installation cost. However, these do have less interior space and capacity.
- Think about the foods you eat when deciding on extras. When you’re choosing features for your side-by-side refrigerator, picture the kinds of foods you love to eat. If fresh fruits and vegetables make up the majority of your diet, you might want a model with crisper drawers or dual evaporators.
- Avoid packing too much food in the refrigerator. For a refrigerator to work properly, air must be able to circulate through the space. If items are packed too tightly, the air can’t circulate and the interior will have colder and/or warmer spots.
How did we choose the best side-by-side refrigerators?
Since 2017, BestReviews reporter Lauren Corona has covered products for the home and kitchen. For this guide, she considered more than 30 side-by-side refrigerators to find the best ones on the market. She compared them on a range of factors. Their overall quality and functionality was one of the most important things she considered — making sure the fridges she recommended have a track record of working reliably and are pleasant to use. She also compared more specific features, such as ice and water dispensers, adjustable shelving, crisper drawers and temperature controls.
FAQ
Q. What is a “food showcase” design?
A. A food showcase design means there are two doors over one portion of the refrigerator. The interior door is made of glass so that you can open the exterior door, see the food inside and decide what you want without opening the door. This feature helps to maintain a more consistent interior temperature.
Q. What’s the capacity of a built-in side-by-side refrigerator?
A. Built-ins are larger than normal side-by-side models, with a capacity of 30 cubic feet. However, these come with a high price tag and need to be professionally installed. You might have to have your cabinetry customized as well, making the price even higher.
Q. What are the disadvantages of a side-by-side refrigerator?
A. There are some disadvantages to side-by-side fridges. Their narrower shelves can make it challenging to store wide or bulky items, such as large pizza boxes, roasting pans or wide platters. The crisper drawers are often positioned near the bottom, so you need to bend down whenever you want to get fresh produce. While side-by-side refrigerators are often more affordable than some high-end configurations like French door refrigerators, they're still often pricier than bottom-freezer models with similar features and capacity.
Q. What is the life expectancy of a side-by-side refrigerator?
A. You can expect an average side-by-side fridge to last for eight to 12 years. However, this can vary based on the make, model and how well you maintain it.
