As French-door refrigerators have become more popular, their price range has also widened. You can now spend less than $1,500 for a three-door French-door refrigerator with basic features and limited capacity, or more than $5,000 for a luxury four-door version that’s huge on storage and innovation.
Those are two ends of the extreme. But even among mid-range French-door refrigerators, you might find two similar models with a price differential of $1,000 or more—nothing to sneeze at, especially if you’re redoing the kitchen on a tight budget. So is it worth spending more? A pair of GE French-door refrigerators newly tested by Consumer Reports offers some insights.
The GE GFE26GSHSS, $1,900, and the GE Profile PFH28PSHSS, $2,900, both make our recommended list, so it’s clear that you can find top performance in a less expensive French-door refrigerator. In fact, the $1,900 model scores a couple points higher in its overall score, thanks to slightly better temperature control. That helped it earn a CR Best Buy distinction.
How They Compare
Both French-door models offer excellent energy efficiency and quietness. In terms of storage capacity, the pricier GE Profile PFH28PSHSS has a slight edge, offering 19.8 cubic feet of usable capacity, compared with its brandmate’s 17.1 cubic feet.
Now let’s look at the features. While both French-door refrigerators have an external ice and water dispenser, the GE Profile comes with an LCD display and hands-free precise autofill, which lets you walk away while the machine automatically fills any container. The GE Profile is also unique in that it has a temperature-controlled drawer with settings for meat, deli, and beverages. And it features a drop-down shelf in the fresh-food compartment that helps with the storage of two-liter bottles and other tall containers.
These convenience features are nice, as is the extra capacity inside the GE Profile PFH28PSHSS. The upgrades might even be worth the splurge. But it’s good to know that if you don't have an extra $1,000 in the budget, you can still get a superb French-door refrigerator that will look good in the kitchen while keeping your food fresh.
See our refrigerator Ratings for the complete list of recommended French-door refrigerators, including other CR Best Buys from LG and Samsung.
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