10 Refrigerator Brands To Avoid + Reliable Brands In 2024

If you are planning to buy a refrigerator, there are certain brands you need to avoid because refrigerators are a one-time investment, and you would never want to throw your money down the drain by investing in low-quality brands.

We often get suggestions from people about what to buy, but no one ever tells us what not to buy, and that is precisely where it gets tricky.

Based on our research, the refrigerator brands to avoid are Bosch, SMEG, Kenmore, KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Maytag, Viking, Frigidaire, GE, and Electrolux.

Now, you might be surprised to see some of the names on the list. Let’s uncover the bitter truth about them.

What Red Flags Help You to Identify the Worst Refrigerator Brand?

All refrigerators have certain features that make them unique. For example, they all have doors, drawers, compartments, shelves, and so on.

But not all refrigerators are equal. Some are made with high-quality materials and have more useful features. Others are cheaply made and have few or no useful features at all.

This is why it’s important to know what to look for when buying a refrigerator. Here are some of the things you should pay close attention to:

• Overall construction and material quality
• Check the after-sale service and read online reviews given by users
• Check the Warranty terms and conditions, whether there are any hidden costs, and how long the warranty period is.
• Are there any recalls? If so, how long have they been issued?
• How easy is it to open and close the doors? Do they lock automatically?
• How sturdy are the hinges? How well does the door seal against the weather?
• Look at the exterior. Are there any signs of rust? Does the exterior of the refrigerator seem solidly built?

Refrigerator Brands To Avoid

Worst might be a powerful word, but yeah, these brands don’t really impress the consumers, and they are not worth your money.

There is nothing that unique or innovative in these brands, and they just cannot seem to impress the consumers, so let’s see why exactly they are worst one by one.

1. Bosch

Bosch is considered a pretty high-end brand in the world of fridges, and it has made some amazing and innovative refrigerators with an interesting outlook.

But to most people’s surprise, it does not deliver anything as expected. There are so many complaints from consumers all over the internet who have bought this brand and had a nightmarish experience with it.

The customer service of Bosch is not good either. Some people even claim that despite constant visits from their team, their refrigerator was not fixed.

Moreover, the refrigerator fixes were covered in the warranty, still, Bosch did not bother to take their customers seriously which is another horrible aspect of Bosch.

Since Bosch launched its refrigerators, there have been all types of problems with them. These problems range from leakage to water dispensers and from machine defects to technical issues.

Also, people cannot keep up with all these problems because just look at the price tag of these fridges.

However, not all Bosch refrigerators are bad, and some of them are even reliable to some extent. But, considering the price you are paying for these refrigerators, not even one of the models is worth it.

2. SMEG

SMEG is yet another popular and pricey refrigerator company that just does not deliver what it promises. The biggest flaw in SMEG is their customer service, and most consumers online gave one star to their customer service, and it was even rated poor.

Their refrigerators cost from $4000 to all the way up, which makes them one of the most expensive brands. In this situation, you would ideally expect it to at least be stable with temperatures, right? But lab tests of SMEG’s refrigerators discovered that their temperature efficiency is very unstable.

The consumers also took to the internet and complained that specific models of SMEG use a lot of energy, and they are not even immune to the outside temperature.

Though SMEG makes some refrigerators that are pretty compact yet energy efficient with a very innovative exterior but what is in the looks when your refrigerator cannot really perform?

3. Kenmore

Kenmore is one of the leading electric appliance brands, and it has even won dozens of awards, but when it comes to refrigerators, its performance game of Kenmore is not strong at all. The subpar performance of most of its refrigerators is what makes this brand the worst one in 2023.

Moreover, the energy efficiency of Kenmore refrigerators is not great either, and even though they are cheaper than SMEG, they are still not worth it. The freezer technology is not impressive in almost all the refrigerators of Kenmore.

The worst refrigerators from this brand are Kenmore 9338 and 95683 because their customer satisfaction ratings are even less than 40.

The crisper performance of Kenmore refrigerators is not impressive either, which makes them the worst despite the fact that their noise management technology is pretty good. And, Kenmore overall is an innovative brand.

4. KitchenAid

Let’s be honest, KitchenAid has been the “reliable” appliance in our kitchen for years. This brand has also managed to keep its prices lower so people can easily afford it.

But, their refrigerators literally have all kinds of problems in them from faulty lights to doors and from faulty ice makers to temperature balancers.

Some models of KitchenAid are even more expensive than many high-end brands out there, like the “French door” models, but they still are not worth it.

Many people also struggle with temperatures and the cheap quality of internal parts of this refrigerator, which brings it to our list of worst refrigerator brands.

The customer service of this brand is not great either. The consumers claim that they had to wait for days and sometimes weeks to get their refrigerators fixed under warranty.

5. Whirlpool

Whirlpool has remained an absolute fan favorite for several years. It has always delivered excellent quality in its refrigerators in the past.

Still, recently, the decrease in this brand’s quality is very apparent, and even a lawsuit was filed against the brand because of its subpar quality, which shows all the red flags you need to stay away from a brand.

The customer service of Whirlpool is not improving either, and they are not really taking it seriously, and most consumers are complaining about it online.

There are a lot of brands in the market that take their customer service seriously and are responsible enough, so according to us, Whirlpool is just not worth it.

There are quite a lot of refrigerators from Whirlpool that are priced at more than $3000, yet they have such issues that we never really expect from such a reliable and vintage brand. Ice maker issues, poor energy efficiency, and temperature control are just a few of the problems found in whirlpool refrigerators.

6. Maytag

Maytag has always been a conventional refrigerator brand that everyone picks for its affordability and performance. But, in recent years, Maytag has won the title of one of the most unreliable refrigerator brands, which is a red flag in itself.

Maytag is not the worst brand you would ever see, and it is even half-decent. However, when looking for the best refrigerators, you should certainly avoid this brand. The reason is that it does not offer any specialized features and investing in this brand is not the right thing to do.

MSS25N4MKZ is the worst rated refrigerator of this brand, and it not only has all types of issues in it, but also it does not impress the consumers with its design and efficiency.

So, for the greater good, you avoid this brand altogether or go for the high-rated refrigerators from this brand because those are half decent.

7. Viking

Viking is the type of brand we all go for whenever we need some great kitchen appliances, but in the case of refrigerators, Viking does not seem to be at the top of its game, mainly because it is rated 1 out of 5 for its refrigerators.

The brand offers a diverse collection of refrigerators, but all of them have some flaw that makes them just not worth it.

Most consumers complain that just when they think they have found the right Viking fridge for themselves, something comes up and nullifies all the other features of the refrigerator.

So there basically is no model of Vikings that is perfect and flawless, which makes it just an average brand with subpar quality and nothing extraordinarily great.

Even Viking refrigerators’ power efficiency and temperature control are not good, which are the most basic things. All these reasons make it one of the refrigerator brands to avoid.

8. Frigidaire

Frigidaire makes and sells all types of refrigerators literally. It has been a reliable brand for consumers forever, but in the past few years, its models are being rated as the worst ones.

Most recently, almost 17 different refrigerators of this brand were rated below 50 by the consumers, which is not a good sign at all.

The energy efficiency of all these models is really poor, and consumers don’t really want to compromise in this aspect. People are also not satisfied with their customer support service, and the brand is not good enough for sturdy performance either.

It is not a completely evil brand, but if you want a refrigerator that does not have lots of faults then this just is not the right brand. Also, according to the reviews by the buyers, each model by Frigidaire has one fault or the other.

9. GE

GE is a very well-known refrigerator brand but, that does not mean it is good. The refrigerator experts have put a lot of products of GE at the bottom mainly because they are not impressive and don’t deliver great performance.

Although GE is not a brand that does not have any credibility because some of its high-rated refrigerators perform well. However, quite a lot of GE refrigerators are rated less than 50.

This rating makes this brand, not the worst but certainly one of the brands to avoid when shopping for refrigerators.

The refrigerators of GE usually have issues like water leakage, ice maker malfunction, and issues with temperature control. Getting these things fixed is not an easy job as it will cost you around $500-$1000 so, GE is just not the wise choice.

Also, there are a lot better and cheaper brands available in the market that should be your first priority.

10. Electrolux

Even though other electric appliances of Electrolux are highly rated, the brand still failed to impress the consumers with its refrigerators. Ice-making malfunctions are the biggest blunder of these refrigerators, and this drawback is found in almost all their fridges.

Most customers who purchased refrigerators from Electrolux were not satisfied with the performance. Moreover, almost all their refrigerators have less than 50 ratings which tells us a lot of reasons to put Electrolux on the list of worst brands.

Just one model of refrigerators from Electrolux has more than 50 ratings as EI26SS55G has got 58 ratings from the customers, which is not really impressive either.

So, this brand is just not worth your time and money in the case of refrigerators. Even if you go for it, you will be highly disappointed by the quality and performance of refrigerators from Electrolux.

Related:

• Where are Bosch Refrigerators Made?
• Where are Samsung Refrigerators Made?
• Where are LG Refrigerators made?

5 Most Reliable Refrigerator Brands in 2023

If you think there are no refrigerators to buy now that we have canceled all the well-known brands, don’t worry.

We are bringing some of the most reliable refrigerator brands for you for 2023, so let’s dive right into it and do so some fridge shopping.

1. Samsung

Samsung is one of the leading brands of electronic appliances, including refrigerators, because its customer satisfaction is the highest of all the brands, and people never really regret getting a Samsung fridge.

However, some models of this brand have a compressor and leakage problem, but it is not as severe as in other brands, and its maintenance would not cost you an arm and a leg.

Also, only a couple of models have these problems in Samsung, and it still is the 3rd most reliable refrigerator brand according to consumers.

Samsung refrigerators typically last you for a decade, and the advanced technology and innovative design of these fridges make them a piece of art. Samsung has managed to elevate the performance of its refrigerators without affecting their outlook and design.

Some of the best-selling refrigerators also belonged to Samsung this year. Additionally, we cannot ignore the fact that Samsung has always been the most reliable brand, and it does not even cost a lot like other high-end brands.

2. Magic Chef

Though Magic Chef is not a very mainstream brand like the other ones on the list, it still serves its purpose. It is a perfect brand if you are looking for some basic refrigerators that serve their purpose. They have even got 4.2 stars from 5, which tells us a lot about customer satisfaction.

Mini fridges are the specialty of this brand, and its mini-fridges are better than most full-sized ones when it comes to performance and cooling systems. Also, many consumers have commented on how quiet the fridge is, which indeed is a great feature, to begin with.

Though the refrigerators from Magic Chef are not immune to dents because their exterior is not as sturdy yet, they are effortless and affordable to maintain.

Moreover, the compartments of Magic Chef refrigerators are wide enough to fit all your stuff, so you don’t have anything to worry about.

3. LG

LG is considered the best brand if you want quality and design in one refrigerator. The LG refrigerators also come with a warranty of 5 years which is one of the most significant winning points of this brand.

This brand is also considered a very reliable one by means of refrigerator performance, power efficiency, and compressing system, and it has not disappointed the customers yet if we look at the high ratings of LG.

However, some LG refrigerators do have door problems which certainly are not great, to begin with, but overall, if we consider the price and performance of LG, it is just worth it. One of the models of this brand even saves more than 50% of electricity.

4. Café

This refrigerator brand is the solution to all your ice problems, and one of its models even makes 10 pounds of ice daily with the help of its heavy-duty dispensing system. The temperature settings of the brand are also spot-on in all the refrigerators.

Café refrigerators come with a warranty, and you will even get 10 years of warranty in some of the models. The technology that Café refrigerators use is very advanced, and they also have Wi-Fi connectivity.

All praises aside, the brand really is pricey and not reasonably pricey, but the rate of some of the refrigerators really is overwhelming.

However, it still is worth it if you are into good quality and don’t mind spending some extra bucks.

5. Liebherr

Liebherr is one of those brands that you can always count on whenever you decide to buy a new refrigerator. That is because their refrigerators use advanced BioFresh technology to keep all the foods refreshing inside.

Liebherr has a very reputable name in the refrigerator market, and people buy it because of its flawless refrigerators. However, the brand is pretty expensive and not for people looking for an affordable option, so you can always decide whether or not you want to go for it.

Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a Refrigerator Brand

When it comes to buying a fridge, there are so many options available in the market that it can be difficult to decide.

So, I have listed some of the most common mistakes people make while buying a refrigerator brand and how to avoid them.

1. Selecting a Fridge Based On Its Capacity:

This is one of the most common mistakes that people make when they are selecting a new fridge. Usually, people buy a fridge based on its capacity rather than on its need. If you fall into this category, stop reading now and go and buy another fridge.

Believe me, you will not be happy with this choice for a very long time. Firstly, the biggest selling point of a fridge is its space. If you have a small kitchen or a home with a small living area, you really do not need a large-capacity fridge.

2. Selecting a Fridge Based On Its Energy Consumption:

A fridge’s energy consumption can also be a deciding factor in your purchase decision. If you have a high electricity bill, then you really need to consider this fact. A large refrigerator with a lot of power consumption may cost you more in the long run.

So, it is best to choose a smaller and less power-consuming model. You will be surprised to know that some models consume more energy compared to others. So, you can also choose a small fridge that consumes lesser energy.

3. Buying a Fridge Based On Its Price:

Many people go for a cheap brand because they think it will last for a longer time. The fact is that cheap refrigerators are more likely to break down or give problems in the future. So, you should never purchase a fridge based on its price.

Rather, think about the amount of money you are willing to spend on a new refrigerator. This is because, while a cheaper fridge may work fine today, it may become obsolete in a few years. So, if you are buying a fridge, you should consider your budget and also keep in mind its lifespan.

4. Choosing A Fridge Based On Its Size:

If you want to buy a fridge based on its size, then you have to be really careful as it may cost you a lot of money. These fridges come in different models and different sizes.

So, if you don’t know your kitchen size, it is best that you select a model that has a smaller capacity.

5. Selecting A Fridge Based On Its Color:

Most people go for a white or black model for aesthetic reasons. The fact is that these colors fade out fast under the influence of the sun.

So, if you are buying a fridge for the show, then go for a color that will last for a long time. It is also important to remember that some models come in different colors.

Therefore, you should not go by the look; rather, you should go by the actual capacity of the fridge.

6. Not Reading The Reviews:

You should also read the reviews written by other people before you make up your mind. These reviews will give you an idea about the reliability of a certain model.

If most of the people are giving a positive review, then that is a good sign.

Conclusion – Worst Refrigerators to Avoid

Now that it is all sorted and you know everything about the good and bad brands of refrigerators, it is time for some shopping. Make sure to consider your refrigerator needs and ideal size before actually going for a refrigerator.

Moreover, all the worst refrigerator brands to avoid we discussed above do have some pretty impressive models, so if you are going for these brands, always pick the high-rated models.

We hope this article was helpful for you, Adios!