Best 30-Inch-Wide Refrigerators

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Need a narrow fridge? Here are CR's picks for the best options.

Narrow, 30-inch-wide refrigerators are great for smaller spaces but are often deeper than kitchen cabinets.

By Daniel Wroclawski

In America’s kitchens, refrigerators that are 3 feet wide (or wider) tend to be the most popular. That means if you’re in the market for a new 30-inch-wide refrigerator, you may find your options limited. Just around one-fifth of the more than 250 refrigerators in Consumer Reports’ ratings are that size. To help you zero in on a great but slimmer addition to your kitchen, we’ve assembled our top picks of 30-inch-wide models.

There are a couple of caveats, though. “With the exception of built-in models, you’re unlikely to find a 30-inch-wide fridge that’s counter-depth,” says Larry Ciufo, Consumer Reports’ test engineer for refrigerators. “You’ll need to be okay with a fridge that sticks out from your kitchen cabinets.” Fridges that are 30 inches wide tend to be at least 30 inches deep. What’s more, slim fridges tend to lack many of the features that we track, like a water dispenser or adjustable or spillproof shelves.

To judge performance, we outfit each refrigerator with thermocouples in a climate-controlled chamber and monitor it for 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 longer. We also factor in survey data from thousands of CR members to judge brand reliability and satisfaction. All that data and more informs CR’s refrigerator ratings and each model’s Overall Score.

CR members can read on for our ratings and reviews of the best 30-inch-wide refrigerators from our rankings, with selections from top-freezer, bottom-freezer, French-door, and built-in categories. Amana, Bosch, GE, Ikea, Insignia, LG, Samsung, and Thermador make appearances. Most of the models here have a stainless steel finish.

Best 30-Inch Top-Freezer Refrigerators

Samsung RT18M6215SG

CR’s take: Technically speaking, the Samsung RT18M6215SG is only 29 inches wide, and it offers a bit less usable space than its rivals. But on the plus side, the unit will have more room to breathe in the cabinet. Its high Overall Score is driven by Excellent ratings for thermostat control, temperature uniformity, and noise. And it’s the only narrow top-freezer that earns a Good score, the highest for this category, for ease of use. Along with a few conventional features, this model offers an unconventional but very useful one: a flexible freezer compartment that can be converted to a refrigerator at the touch of a button. CR members gave Samsung an Excellent rating for predicted reliability among top-freezer fridges, and the brand’s Good score for owner satisfaction is still near the top of the pack.

LG LTCS20030S

CR’s take: Our top-rated top-freezer in the 30-inch width, the LG LTCS20030S earns Very Good scores for thermostat control and uniform coolness, and an Excellent rating for energy use. Though it rates poorly for ease of use, in our member surveys LG earned an Excellent rating for predicted reliability and ranked highest among makers for owner satisfaction. Features include touchpad controls and spillproof shelves, but it lacks a freezer light and water dispenser.

Insignia NS-RTM18BK8Q

CR’s take: The Insignia NS-RTM18BK8Q is one of the least expensive top-freezers of any size and an ace performer in our tests. It rates Excellent for thermostat control and energy efficiency and Very Good for temperature uniformity. Its Fair rating for ease of use is actually better than most of its 30-inch rivals. But it’s also among the noisier models in the category and light on features, with just spillproof shelves, a freezer light, and an optional icemaker (Insignia NS-IMK20WH7) for an extra $60.

Best 30-Inch Bottom-Freezer Refrigerators

GE GDE21ESKSS

CR’s take: The GE GDE21ESKSS earns Excellent ratings for thermostat control and temperature uniformity, and a Very Good score for quiet running. Its Good score for ease of use is actually near the top of the pack. On the other hand, this model’s Good score for energy efficiency is subpar compared with others in its category. Still, this 30-inch fridge offers many more features than what’s typical for the category, including an icemaker with a built-in water filter and gallon storage on the door. Our latest member surveys reported mixed results for GE bottom-freezers: a Very Good rating for predicted reliability but only a Fair score for owner satisfaction.

Amana ABB1924BRM

CR’s take: Like the GE GDE21ESKSS, the 30-inch Amana ABB1924BRM performs superbly in our tests, with Excellent ratings for thermostat control and temperature uniformity. This model also offers a wider array of features than most, including spillproof and half shelves, gallon storage bins in the door, and digital controls. But it rates just Fair for ease of use, and its Good score for noise means it’s louder than most of its peers. In our latest member survey, Amana bottom-freezers received a Very Good rating for predicted reliability and a Good rating for owner satisfaction.

Ikea Valgrundad [704.621.58]

CR’s take: The Ikea Valgrundad delivers one of the best Overall Scores among 30-inch bottom-freezers at one of the lowest prices. It notches Very Good scores on most of our lab tests; its only soft spot is ease of use, where it earns a Fair rating. But this model doesn’t offer much in the way of features. You’ll get gallon storage on the door, digital controls, and a freezer light, but no icemaker or water dispenser.

Best 30-Inch French-Door Refrigerators

LG LFC22770ST

CR’s take: Narrow French-door fridges can be difficult to find, making the 30-inch LG LFC22770ST a rare bird. In CR’s tests, this model receives Excellent ratings for everything except ease of use, where it earns a Good score. LG French-door fridges as a group fared decently in our latest member surveys, with a Good rating for predicted reliability and a Very Good rating for owner satisfaction. This model comes with half and spillproof shelving, digital controls, and a freezer light. You won’t get a through-the-door water/ice dispenser, but that omission helps to make this model more budget-friendly.

GE GNE21FSKSS

CR’s take: The GE GNE21FSKSS aces our temperature uniformity and thermostat control tests, and runs quietly, earning a Very Good noise rating. Its Good scores for energy efficiency and ease of use are typical for narrow French-door fridges. This model offers a fairly standard array of features, including an icemaker with a built-in filter, gallon storage bins on the door, and spillproof shelves. In our member surveys, owners gave their GE French-door models Good ratings for both reliability and satisfaction.

LG LFCS22520S

CR’s take: The runner-up LG LFCS22520S is almost identical to the LG LFC22770ST above, offering similar performance and features. The only differences between them are that the LFCS22520S is a bit less energy-efficient (though still earning a Good rating) and offers about 1.5 cubic feet less usable storage space.

Best 30-Inch Built-In Refrigerators

Thermador Freedom Collection T30IB905SP

CR’s take: The 30-inch Thermador T30IB905SP is a real winner. It garners an Excellent rating for thermostat control and a Very Good rating for temperature uniformity in CR’s lab tests. In addition, this model’s ease of use is very good, and it receives Good ratings for energy efficiency and noise. It’s light on features but offers dual evaporators, a freezer light, a built-in water filter, and gallon storage bins on the door.

Bosch Benchmark B30IB905SP

CR’s take: The Bosch Benchmark B30IB905SP, the only other 30-inch built-in we’ve tested, turns in a decent overall performance. It receives an Excellent rating for thermostat control and a Very Good score for temperature uniformity. However, its Fair score in our noise tests means that the model can be quite loud. Its features include an icemaker, a built-in water filter, and gallon and half-gallon storage bins on its door.

Correction: On May 31, 2022, this article was updated to reflect the correct Overall Scores for the products listed. A prior version included Overall Scores that inadvertently drew on older predicted reliability and owner satisfaction data.

Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2022, Consumer Reports, Inc.


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