Top-freezer refrigerators often last longer than more complex refrigerator configurations, and they’re space-efficient, too. Here are CR’s highest-rated models.
Consumer Reports tests top-freezer refrigerators in our climate-controlled test chambers and incorporates survey data from thousands of CR members to judge brand reliability and satisfaction.
By Daniel Wroclawski
When you’re replacing a dead refrigerator, the probable lifespan of your next fridge may be top of mind. And if you’re serious about buying a refrigerator that will last for the long haul, consider a top-freezer model. These refrigerators consistently earn some of the highest predicted reliability ratings in our member surveys.
Because they’re designed simply, many top-freezers lack the components that seem to break most frequently—an icemaker and dispenser, for instance. “Top-freezers are usually bare-bones models,” says Breann Chai, CR’s test engineer for refrigerators. “The more complicated refrigerators become, the more prone they are to breaking.”
And these refrigerators are wallet-friendly, with some of our top-rated models costing $750 or less.
But the controls of top-freezers are often hard to reach and not very intuitive, especially on narrower models.
CR members can read on for ratings and reviews of the best top-freezer refrigerators in a variety of widths. If you’re interested in other styles, explore our complete refrigerator ratings. And if you’re not sure where to start your refrigerator shopping journey, consult our refrigerator buying guide.
Best 28-Inch-Wide Top-Freezer Refrigerators
Our fridge recommendations are organized by width. We recommend measuring the space where you plan to put your refrigerator before you begin shopping. Narrow top-freezers (28 inches wide or less) can work well in a small kitchen.
Samsung RT70F18LRSR
The 28-inch-wide Samsung RT70F18LRSR is the best top-freezer in our ratings. It receives excellent scores for thermostat performance, temperature uniformity, and energy efficiency, as well as a very good score for low noise output. But it receives a subpar score for ease of use and a poor score for crisper drawer performance. The refrigerator features a stainless steel finish, an optional icemaker (sold separately), digital temperature controls, and WiFi connectivity to control the fridge from your smartphone. And it’s Energy Star certified. In our latest member surveys, Samsung top-freezers receive an excellent score for predicted reliability and a midlevel score for owner satisfaction. If you want to buy this fridge with the icemaker already installed, consider the Samsung RT70F18LASR.
LG LT18S2100W
The LG LT18S2100W delivers strong performance all-around, and given its price, it’s also an incredible bargain. This refrigerator, which measures 28 inches across, garners stellar ratings for energy efficiency and thermostat performance, and it’s a great performer for temperature uniformity and noise output. (It’s one of the quieter top-freezers we’ve tested.) But this model receives our lowest rating for ease of use and crisper performance. In surveys of our members, LG top-freezers get a top-notch rating for predicted reliability and a middling rating for owner satisfaction.
Best 30-Inch-Wide Top-Freezers
If you have more room in your kitchen for the refrigerator, these 30-inch wide options are worth a closer look.
LG LTCS20030S
The 30-inch LG LTCS20030S is a high-quality top-freezer refrigerator that excels in thermostat performance and energy efficiency, receiving top-level scores in both tests. It also boasts very good temperature uniformity and receives a middling score for noise output. But it falls short in ease of use, earning a subpar rating, and its crisper drawer receives a poor rating, meaning it won’t keep produce fresh for very long. It comes equipped with an icemaker (though its performance is less than satisfactory), digital controls, and spillproof shelves, but it lacks a built-in water filter and water dispenser. In our latest member surveys, LG top-freezers receive an excellent score for predicted reliability and a midlevel score for owner satisfaction.
Samsung RT18DG6700SRAA
The Samsung RT18DG6700SRAA is 29 inches wide, but it’s also a great option for a 30-inch space. It’s a strong performer and one of the more feature-rich top-freezers in our ratings. It receives very good scores in all but three tests. The exceptions are its midlevel score for ease of use, a subpar score for icemaker performance, and a poor score for crisper drawer performance. Despite those shortcomings, Samsung top-freezers receive an excellent rating for predicted reliability and a decent rating for owner satisfaction. In addition to an icemaker, this refrigerator features a stainless steel finish, a freezer light, digital temperature controls, and WiFi connectivity to control the fridge from a smartphone.
Best 33-Inch-Wide Top-Freezers
These are two of the widest top-freezers we recommend, at 33 inches.
LG LRTLS2403S
The 33-inch LG LRTLS2403S has an outstanding energy-efficiency rating and very good scores for thermostat performance, temperature uniformity, and noise output. It receives decent performance scores for its crisper drawers and icemaker. But it falls short in our ease-of-use test. This refrigerator comes with a built-in water filter and spillproof shelves. In our latest member surveys, LG top-freezers receive an excellent score for predicted reliability and a midlevel score for owner satisfaction.
GE GTS22KGNRWW
The 33-inch GE GTS22KGNRWW is a simple top-freezer without any bells and whistles, but it performs fairly well in our lab tests. It receives an excellent score for energy efficiency, a very good score for temperature uniformity, and midlevel scores for thermostat performance and crisper drawer performance. But it also receives a subpar score for noise, meaning it runs louder than other fridges, and a poor score for ease of use. Its only feature is gallon-jug storage on its door, and it comes in a white finish; for stainless steel, choose the GE GTS22KYNRFS instead. In our latest member surveys, GE top-freezers receive a very good score for predicted reliability, but a poor score for owner satisfaction.
How CR Tests Refrigerators
During testing, we outfit each refrigerator with thermocouples in a climate-controlled chamber and monitor it for more than a month, collecting more than 5.4 million temperature readings that identify warm and cold spots, to determine which models will keep your food fresh longest.
Our process includes tests for icemaker performance based on how much ice a refrigerator produces per day and how much it can hold in its reservoirs. We also evaluate crisper performance to judge how well the crisper drawers retain moisture to keep food fresh for longer periods of time.
Then we factor in survey data from thousands of CR members to judge brand reliability and satisfaction. All of that—and then some—informs CR’s refrigerator ratings and each model’s Overall Score.
Get more information on CR’s refrigerator tests.
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