JWVideo, I just have to say that I LOVE reading your posts!

I have a tip for you regardless of the brand/model you buy. All modern refrigerators use electronic control panels just like the ovens and dishwashers. Those are prone to fail because of line surges from your power company. For $6.95 you can get a simple line surge protector from Lowes that will eliminate that source of failure. It will also make sure you have adequate space behind your refrigerator, which also helps. I have one for my Samsung front loader for that reason. Haven't yet got one on the refrigerator because at 83 I'm not strong enough to pull it out from the wall by myself. When I can get some help I plan to put one in because my unit failed from that cause. Luckely, when the service man came to fix it he first pulled the plug out of the wall and replugged it. Whoa, it started back up and has been going since. He warned us that it could fail the next time.

I think there are plenty of reliable one around. The trouble is, time is the ultimate test of reliability. The Kennmore I bought in 2004 is plenty reliable, but the trouble is you can't buy them new any more so that may not matter any more.

All you can do is go with something reputable.

Thanks for all that information, JWVideo. I thought I had done some research, but you've clearly taken it to the next level.

You really inspired me to take a longer look back at CR's past reports, and not the just the one year I was looking at in 2013 where Whirlpool had the fewest repairs for every category.

Although, if you couldn't find any more detailed data about longevity for fridges, then I doubt I'll have any more luck. finding anything

Are bottom freezers/french doors inherently less prone to problems compared to a side by side fridge? If that's true, I might reconsider getting a french door fridge instead of a side by side.

I was looking over CR's reports from 2005-2014, and I thought I spotted a pattern that the repairs for bottom freezers with icemakers seemed to be less of an issue compared to side by sides with icemakers. But, of course, there had to be exceptions with the SS fridges where they had less problems in a few years.

I don't know if I'm really spotting a pattern or its just randomness like flipping heads 7 out of 10 times.

Looking at CR's data, Whirlpool never topped every different type of fridge for reliability like they did in 2013.

But, for SS fridges, Whirlpool had the least repairs most of those years and the second least in other years. Whirlpool was remarkably consistent where they were getting 14% repairs most of those years.

CR says that differences of less than 5 points isn't meaningful, but I do think it means something if one brand has the least repairs year after year.

Unfortunately, for the bottom/french, I couldn't spot any similar consistency.

For bottoms, Kenmore had the least repairs a fair amount but Kenmore outsources their products to all these different companies to make it for them. Their repair rates swung widely where it was 8% one year and 17% in another year.

I would take CR with a grain of salt. I know many people in the past would live by their reports but to me they seem to be slipping a bit.

For example I needed a SXS counter depth and the one topping the CR list was by Bosch. Over all a nice looking unit, the drawers pulled out all the way and IMO it looked quite sharp. Well in two years I went through 3 of them due to multiple issues. It just didnt work. Now I really wish I could say I had a Bum few fridges but SO many people I know have had the same issues with this fridge.

They purchased the defective item back and I replaced it with a Kitchenaid. Its nice enough but for the price honestly its very cheaply made. It runs pretty quiet its not as sleek as the Bosch model. Though the point of a fridge is to work right? Its drawers are very junky and they dont pull out al the way. The lighting in it is awesome though. Over all I am highly disappointed in the quality of KA. When we were looking to replace the bosch we spoke with the main service tech at the appliance store. They reported KA had least repairs and the best warranty etc. They really push KA. They did say they had big issues with the compressor in the past and leaking but they found the problem and corrected it. We will see. Fingers crossed this unit lasts.

All that being said, I think these average appliances are all kind of run of the mill and after everything I have been through I would just get a cheaper unit on sale knowing I will will have to replace it sooner then a more expensive unit that muddles along with headaches.

Maybe we need to be clearer for shaking. People sometimes forget that CR's product testing is only what the product looks like and what it does in a lab test and does not predict long term reliability (except with cars). The performance ratings are where preferences/biases/etc. come into play and which is what (I think) shaking says to take with a grain of salt.

The appliance reliability data does not come from CR's lab tests but, rather from surveys of its hundreds of thousands of members who have actually bought and used the products. That survey data is what we've been talking about here.

BTW, nobody should take the foregoing as an attack on shaking or a fanboy defense of CR. I've had my own rants about CR's reporting. If anybody cares, have a look at the long-running thread linked below.

Simply put, for purposes of the present discussion, the product testing data can say one thing --- such as, the Bosch fridge performed spectacularly in the lab tests --- but the reliability surveys may say something else again. The problem for buyers, of course, is that the survey data always lags the performance testing. Manufacturers constantly change model numbers to try to make it hard to comparison shop and to make it harder to evaluate anything but bloviated product claims.

Here is a link that might be useful: Need a new refrigerator, any recommendations on which one?

JWVideo writes:

"9. One would think that somebody has seriously studied refrigerator longevity."
_____________________________________________________________

I have... : )

...but only anecdotally.

In our kitchen sits the 60+ year old Hotpoint refrigerator my parents bought when I was born. I've repainted it a couple of times and keep replacing door gaskets when they wear out... but it still works just fine and I'm never going to replace it.

Jwvideo thanks for the clarification. Even with that It does not change my opinion on CR nor am I ranting. Jut stating a fact how their reccomendations can be far different than actual consumer usage. With that being said its one thing to purchase an item and have it perform in a lab test and another to have it put to use in an actual home. I'm more interested in the later when it comes to appliances. That's just my opinion though.

They don't make appliances like they used to that is a simple fact. Plus many are always changing who they are manufactured by so that adds to the confusion as well. My point was to take cr with a grain of salt and not the bible like some do. Much more research is needed before purchasing your appliance or avoid the headaches, buy a cheaper model knowing you will replace it sooner and call it a day. With so many being made in the same plants many are the same basics.

One can research for many months and still have issues with their appliance. Higher end does not always equal better. For every person who says they like a certain fridge you will find several who don't. That's what makes appliance shopping so delightful. Hear the sarcasm? We all have our opinions here and at the end of the day that's just what they are ... Opinions not facts. What can be factual is how a certain appliance is working or not working for someone. Hence why I gave my experience on the two brands I have personal knowledge of in my home in the last 21/2 years .

"All modern refrigerators use electronic control panels just like the ovens and dishwashers"

NOT true. If you stay with the basic models, there are no electronics. I just bought a Frigidaire for a rental property that just had a simple mechanical thermostat. Not much to go wrong there. We'll see how well the rest of it holds up.

This post was edited by hvtech42 on Fri, Jul 4, 14 at 15:14

My Amana bottom freezer has been good except for the ice maker. One was replaced while under warranty and the new one is leaking clean water into the basket. If I had not opted for an ice maker, the refrigerator would have been fine for these last 8 years.

Ask an electrician about surge protectors, a surge protector is not going to stop an electrical surge. I use them simply because I believed in them at first and was trying to do the best I could. My home owner's policy has insurance section to protect your electronics from being burned up by a surge, but the surge or whatever..... has to happen on our property. Even though 13 parts of my TV were burned, the insurance would not pay for it, couldn't prove where it happened.

marvelousmarvin

You are taking the right approach as far as finding the right fridge~~~~but~~~~~YOU GOTTA READ THE "fine print" about the warranty.

I have been googling a lot of warranty info lately, mainly was looking into a Thermador Fridge a poster was interested in, (In another thread).

The thing that will cost the most, should you ever need a compressor replacement, is NOT the compressor, itself, but the labor required to replace it!!!!

The "Sealed System" has to be cut into, (and the Freon saved)~~~~not let into the atmosphere, then it has to be evacuated, (Usually with a vacuum pump), and then recharged with new Freon~~~~~this can be expensive!!

So the manufacturers will, (sometimes only after one year), include the price of the compressor in the warranty after one year, but exclude the labor for installing it.

In my searches, I did find some Bosch/Thermador/BSH fridges, that cover the labor to replace the compressor in years 3-6, (as well as the price for the compressor).

To me, this is much better than a "12 year warranty" that just includes the compressor, but not the labor to replace it.

SOOOOOOO, read that "fine print" carefully, marvelousmarvin, It could save you a lotta money later.

I also think that any company that includes the labor to replace the compressor has more faith in their compressors than a company that will only cover the labor to replace it for one year~~~I mean they buy the compressors in huge quantities, and the price is "Dirt Cheap-" for the compressors~~~~~However, such is NOT THE CASE, for the labor required to replace a bad compressor!!!

Gary

Yep, and they can offer that warranty while being very confident that nobody will take them up on the "free" compressor. 10 years later, most people with major sealed system problems will just go ahead and replace the fridge.

Of course, junking a fridge isn't so easy when you've spent over $10k on a Sub-Zero or similar. Assume the worst. Don't buy anything you can't afford to scrap and replace shortly after the warranty expires.

marvelousmarvin: "I thought I spotted a pattern that the repairs for bottom freezers with icemakers seemed to be less of an issue compared to side by sides with icemakers."

Icemakers have been around in refrigerators for years. Icemakers can be very reliable, and many of them are very reliable. But "icemakers" (as you are using the) is not a single category.

There are two enhancement options for icemakers; the first to appear was icemakers that never have to be refilled with water because they had a water line plumbed right into the reefer. That added a complication because, like all plumbing, things can happen inside the pipe, and connections can get loose when the appliance is moved or gaskets around connections can deteriorate over time. All of that in addition to the fact that plumbed icemakers take up a lot of space inside the refrigerator cabinet, so you need to get a larger refrigerator to have the same amount of space inside that you have with one where you fill your own ice cube trays at the kitchen sink.

The second enhancement is "ice and water through the door." and that has proven (as JWVideo notes) to be a major problem. The first thing to go out in most modern refrigerators is the through the door icemaker. (An analogy: if you purchase an automobile that has a supercharger, the first thing that will break down on the car is the supercharger, almost guaranteed. Superchargers provide almost "free" boosts in power, at the cost or reliability and longevity,) Bottom freezer refrigerators, as you use the term, show up in reliability surveys as having more durability than side-by-side refrigerators, as you use that term, because most bottom freezer refrigerators do not have ice through the door; the skew in statistics may be as simple as that.

Bottom line: if you are looking for a reliable refrigerator, you can get a big head start in your search by limiting the category to refrigerators where the user (you) fill the ice cube trays by yourself.

"Bottom line: if you are looking for a reliable refrigerator, you can get a big head start in your search by limiting the category to refrigerators where the user (you) fill the ice cube trays by yourself."

We did that for a while, (Whatta PITA), until I ordered and replaced the ice maker in my Jenn-air Fridge, (Ice maker failed after about 5 years. I replaced it myself, (was easy) and it cost around $125.
Replacement icemaker has been running great for 3 years now.

So at least, "To Me", I don't mind spending $125 (over a 5 year period) for the convenience of just reaching into the freezer to grab ice, rather than messing with ice cube trays!

Gary

I'd prefer not to get a fridge without ice and water through the door, but those are really hard to find for side by sides. So, it seems like I'll be stuck with one and have to pay for that feature even if I don't want it.

And, with the popularity of french door fridges, we're seeing more and more fridges with bottom freezers that have that external ice and water feature too.

But, what if I simply never plug in the water for the fridge and thus never use the icemaker and water feature? If I do that, doesn't that make the fridge more reliable and less prone to breakage?

Also, even though Whirlpool gets a lot of publicity for making their appliances in America, but the model I'm interested in, the WRS321CDBM, is made in their Mexican plant.

Has there been any problems with appliances from that plant vs their American plant?

"But, what if I simply never plug in the water for the fridge and thus never use the icemaker and water feature? If I do that, doesn't that make the fridge more reliable and less prone to breakage?"

Yes. However I find it's mainly the ice part that gives problems, not the filtered water dispenser. What I usually do is hook up the water, but leave the ice maker off. The other issue I've always had with ice makers is that I can never keep up with them. My family just never goes through that much ice, so it ends up sitting the bin for a long time and getting stale. Then when it's finally dispensed it tastes nasty. I would love if there were a way to adjust how much ice it makes in each batch. Maybe some fridges can do that, but not mine.

I have a 9 year old Kenmore made by Whirlpool and it is a side by side with water and ice on the freezer door. The collection tub for the ice maker is easy to lift out of the door and dump in the sink from time to time. If we don't use our ice we just dump it before the cubes stick together. It make more pretty fast. We had to have it serviced a couple years ago but the repair was pretty cheap and I bought the part myself off ebay really cheap. I hope you have as good luck as we did because the purified cold water tastes as good as any bottled water. Ours has an internal loop of poly tube that cools water as you use it unless you run a lot out at one time.

How strange to read about all these problems with ice/water dispensers in the door. We have had that feature in 7 refrigerators in several homes since at least '83 and have never had an issue. Ours are always heavily used too. I can't imagine having to open the freezer door a dozen times a day for ice.

I would suggest you research the service availability carefully. We had a Samsung refrigerator that we loved and a Samsung washer & dryer. When we needed service on the washer we found there was no local authorized service for an appliance still under warranty. . Someone had to come from 100 miles away, that is ridiculous IMO. When it came time to remodel we chose another brand. I understand LG is hard to get service on also.

scpalmetto has pointed to something that often seems to get lost or misunderstood in these kinds of discussions. The result is great deal of angst in shoppers.

As I tried to say above, if 1 in 7 buyers have problems, then 6 out of 7 do not. We're talking about comfort levels with risk assessments.

For every complaint you read about that crappy %$#@*()! company from whom nobody should ever buy anything ever again, there are six other people who don't have any such problems with that company's products. So, if odds of 1 in 7 are too high for you, how about improving the odds to 1 in 10 by avoiding external dispenses? Or, if that bothers you , how about lowering it to 1 in 12 by going for a top-freezer model without any enhancements? Better odds, but still not perfect.

A warranty is not a guarantee that your fridge will be perfect --- it is only a promise to fix it if something goes wrong within a certain time after you buy it. Again, scpalmetto's comment also illustrates that this factor should go into the mix of a buying decision, too. This sometimes gets mixed up with product quality and durability discussions, but (as Gary has pointed out in several recent threads) there is nothing like inept and atrocious service to turn a disappointed consumer into a furiously angry campaigner with truly irate posts.

Therefore, as has been said above, a buyer is well advised to read the warranty terms and check who the servicers would be just in case you have a problem.

When the icemaker inevitably breaks down, is it only the icemaker that breaks down or does it set off a cascade effect where it affects the rest of the fridge?

If I got an fridge with an icemaker, I was thinking of using that icemaker till it broke but then not fixing it after that.

Along those lines, has anybody ever removed the icemaker that's inside the fridge? Any problems or issues with doing that?

Once the icemaker breaks down, its taking up a significant amount of space in the freezer for something that doesn't work anymore.

Ice makers typically do not have any crucial bearing on the rest of the refrigerator's functioning.

Think about this: Some refrigerators don't include a factory-installed ice maker ... it's an add-on option if the customer wants one. The refrigerator certainly works without it if the customer opts to not add the ice maker.

My 1997 KitchenAid topfreezer was relegated as a garage unit in 2005. There's no water connection for it so the ice maker simply was no longer used. A couple years ago the ice maker was removed to my parents' refrigerator and the KA is still working perfectly fine.

An exception of which I'm aware is a particular Whirlpool ice maker design from some years ago called the Flex Tray that incorporated the defrost timer into the ice maker. The refrigerator in that case would not function properly without the ice maker. Whirlpool no longer uses that ice maker far as I know.

I've only known of one ice maker to fail and that was in my grandmothers fridge that I acquired a year or so out of school and it was after a move. Got it repaired and it failed after I moved again. Stopped using it, but the fridge lasted a long time after (we traded it with another family member to switch sizes or something).. Keep in mind that this was a fridge that was used 20-25 years ago and I think back then the ice maker was added after you bought the fridge -- probably more prone to problems. I really don't see them as problem children and I wouldn't have a fridge without one. But I'm in Texas -- we use that ice. A lot. Very few fridges seem to be sold without them.

Dispensers are another issue. I've known of people having more issues with them, but many of them being they don't work ideally (i.e., they spit, dump clumps of ice or get stuck at times, etc.).

I splurged on a built-iin in my kitchen, but have a basic LG bottom freezer, single fridge door in my utility room and I am really happy with it. Happier than my old SxS or top freezer -- Whirlpool or Kenmore. Not that the earlier ones were problematic, but the LG is quieter, easy to use, like the bottom freezer, I know it's more energy efficient and has newer features like the door alarm and adjustments on the ice cube size -- even a fast freeze option on the ice if you need to fill it up faster than normal. It just looks cleaner and fits better in our really just a little too small to be functional laundry room.

In my experience, electronic failures often let themselves be known early -- when they can be repaired under the warranty. If the nightmare of a major repair just outside the warranty will keep you up at night or bust your budget, figure the cost of an extended warranty into your purchase. Then you tailor your risk to exclude the bad parts, sloppy work and shipping problems that should be discovered early.

About those surge suppressors:

They do work. Once, like a fuse. The actual device inside the plastic enclosure is called an MOV [metal oxide varistor]. They are rated with a clamping voltage. Below it they act as an open and above it they short. Place one across line and neutral and a surge with enough power to damage your appliance will short it and it will sacrifice itself absorbing that energy. Now you are left with a plastic box that does nothing. Like I said, it works once like a fuse. Unlike a fuse you still have power once it fails, though you no longer have protection. For this reason these products are basically useless. A better solution is a whole house surge suppressor installed at your main panel by an electrician or well versed home owner. While still an MOV, these are industrial strength. They will take multiple hits, absorb more energy per hit, and offer indicator lamps to let you know when they are no longer active. As a bonus they protect your entire home; and yes they are expensive. All this said, none will prevent damage from a catastrophic surge such as a near-by lightning strike. Hope this helped.

(Already mentioned by hvtech.)

Best to budget for appliances with the assumption that you'll be OK if you have to replace it once it is out of warranty. Reliability is a thing of past. Each year that you get out of warranty is a bonus!

I've had GE SxS fridges w/ice and water in the door since they were invented. Never a problem with the fridges or the ice makers.

I just replaced one GE SxS with the same model SxS in our Maui vacation rental condo, where all appliances were new GE in 2001. I did this only because it can take two months to get an appliance delivered, and I couldn't risk that the fridge would not fail while we had a guest in the condo. Also, GE parts are more readily available there. I replaced the GE dishwasher with a similar low-end GE -- worked fine, but the interior racks and seals were trashed; new was equal to repairs.

The new GE fridge was *lighter* than the old one, as noted by the appliance delivery/removal guys. I suppose there are more plastic parts. This brings me to the point made above, that the reliability of *yesterday's* Whatsis Brand tells you little about the reliability of *today's* Whatsis Brand, even comparing same/same models.

I plan to keep repairing my Maytag washer/dryer combo at the condo. It says "Made In Iowa". The timer and a latch switch are the sole repairs I've encountered with this.

Just have to comment that we purchased the whirlpool WRS325FDAM side by side fridge about 16 months ago and it just died. I am unhappy and would NOT recommend this product.

I have had good luck with my Bosch fridge. About 13 years so far vs 5 for the Frigidaire. All the others are either $10K, or appear to be made in the same factory in Mexico (not that there is anything wrong with Mexico per se, but cheap is cheap and not only labour).

Some say CR only tests products without and long term reliability info, I fill out a yearly survey from CR and they always ask questions about the reliability and if you've had service since you've owned this product. Of course its Impossible to predict service issues on a new model but CR gives overall brand reliability of the appliance. No one can look into the future but sadly appliances do NOT last like we've come to expect so we do our best to choose a brand that has a better track record.

Indeed. I think France passed a law that required manufacturers to state how long the product is expected to last and how long parts will be available.

Years ago when I subscribed to CR magazine, the yearly survey asked for repair data on appliances 5 years old or less ... which means "OLD" appliances were disqualified from inclusion in the statistics.

And now CR is only asking for three years or less and excluding any appliances covered by a service plan. Do you suppose that strategy was intended to tell us something about one's odds when dispensing with extended warranties?

My Samsung French door died on me after only 8 years. 3 years past it's warranty. Two repairmen have come out telling me it's cheaper to replace than repair. This makes me so sad. The one repairman says the manufacturers are purposely building them to break after a few years; planned obsolescence, he says. He further commented that the manufacturers are even going so far as to stop making any parts for them once they're past their warranty. How is this fair??? I'm afraid to buy any brand at this point and am living out of my very old and tiny garage fridge at the moment. I don't have another $2k to just throw on a product that's not going to last :( I've read where Whirlpool is supposed to be the good one now. If so good, why only a 1 year warranty on it??

Our 6 year old Samsung French door just went over the weekend. Had the repairman out today and and it cannot be repaired. We also had the icemaker repaired on it about 6 months ago for about $300.

We also have a 29 year old GE side by side that has been in our garage for the last six years-works great, never has had to be repaired.

We have also had to have our 5 year old Samsung washer (front load) and dryer repaired, both within the last year.

I also asked our repairman which one he recommended. He said none are as good as the old ones but does not recommend Samsung. He said that Whirlpool, LG and Fridigidaire seem to have fewer repairs. I was surprised at Fridigidaire but we have a lower-end Fridgidaire in a rental and have not had any problems with it.

I will NEVER BUY ANOTHER SAMSUNG ITEM.

Digital controls are easily damaged by power surges. Most of us use surge protectors on TVs, sound systems and computers. I installed two whole house surge protectors, One on each side/leg of the electric panel for about $200. Now anything plugged in is surge protected and for more powerful surges than a surge protector, even an expensive plug in one can provide. Of course a surge protector with a big battery will power your computer for awhile and charge cell phones.

If you placed a large surge protector in your panel on each leg you're still not fully protected. You will need to place a third one between neutral and ground as well. When it comes to small UPS systems, they are most commonly line interactive types which offer nothing more than MOVs for surge protection; just like surge protected power strips. While these small MOVs work pretty good at suppressing surges, they tend to sacrifice themselves in the process leaving you completely vulnerable thereafter. In fact, even the suppressors you installed in your panel will only take so much. One good lightning strike half a mile away will destroy their ability to protect you. Even small surges add up over time and eventually render them useless. The good ones have an indicator lamp to let you know they are still offering protection. Check them regularly and replace promptly as needed. Otherwise your peace of mind is in vain.

Mine have green lights when working properly. Great points wadaellmand!

As someone else pointed out, LG's 10 year compressor "warranty" is an expensive proposition. Yes, the compressor was covered but the labor and replacement of evaporator etc. set us back $700. The unit cooled for about 24 hours then a thermostat apparently failed. After that, the circuit board. We spent $1,800 7 years ago for this french door model and just wasted another $850 trying to repair it. Nothing else out there looks any better.

Here is my take on LG. JUNK. 2014 we purchased a french door model, about a $2500 unit. Less than a year later, compressor fails. Had a service tech out 6 times, two compressors and it still didn't work, so LG refunded the cost of the refrigerator. We were without a working fridge for over 3 months. We went to Sears and found a Kenmore that was made by LG. Lightning shouldn't strike twice, right? We purchased the 74023 in July 2015, March 24 2019 it is room temperature. Paid Sears service $99 to come out and fix it. Guy walks in, takes one listen, didn't even look and claims needs a compressor, that will cost $600, and no guarantee that it will fix it. So now I have a $3000 paperweight and I am now in the process of replacing yet another refrigerator in less than 3 years time. There is no recourse on these, but it is outrageous that a nearly $3000 refrigerator cannot last more than a few years. BTW never had any issues with the ice maker/water dispenser one any of them.

I have not had any luck with LG appliances either.

Are high end refrigerators more reliable, such as Sub-Zero, Thermador, Gaggenau, and Viking..etc,?

I am in fear while reading postings on this thread, as we are ready to junk the Kenmore Elite we got years ago from Sears, we plan to purchase an expensive brand name refrigerator....at least it is before I read this thread. We have spent tons repairing the Kenmore Elite since it was 3 years ago. Regardless how we adjust dials, It keeps ice cream rock solid hard, produces freshness less than 3 days...not to mention the problems of its ice-makers and water dispenser.

I’m at almost 4 years now with my Liebherr CS1200 and have not had any issues.

Here’s my take on Consumer Reports and appliances: NOT good, in fact downright awful. We still use Consumer Reports but not for appliance info, They did fine in helping us find a new television and the items ...just not appliances.

I started a recent thread about wall ovens ( desperately seeking a good double oven) after a dismal experience living with 2 different wall ovens, BOTH top rated by Consumer Reports. We essentially went through 2 sets of wall ovens in less than 6 years. None held a reliable temperature.

I knew the repair people well enough to send them birthday cards and set an extra plate for them at dinner.

Now I only want input from actual users of appliances, preferably those who’ve owned them for over a year.

J Corn - I have had good experience with our Bluestar wall oven. Over two years of use now.

J Corn, I am with you on Consumer Reports

I remember years ago, CR was the Bible of our buying guides. We read it before purchasing anything, automobile, TV, sewing machine, space heater, strollers, camera...etc. The rationales behind each criteria of their evaluation was trustworthy and convincing.

I just subscribed Consumer Reports last week, I found myself disagreed with most of their ratings based on my own experience as a consumer using the products they rated. Also It is quite disappointing that CR does not rate enough higher end appliances.

I too prefer feedback from consumers that have been using the products for at least a couple of years..

The problem with most consumer appliances is that they are all built to poor quality standards. This means Consumer Reports is in a bit of quandary because they have a sea of appliances that all pretty bad but they still need to make money by writing reviews and recommending products (they can't recommend nothing).

High end appliances target maybe the top 1% of population, so that's probably why CR doesn't bother rating them.

Many people are happy buying substandard quality appliances and then extoling the virtues of the extended warranty that they bought with it. The OCD ones like us end up on forums like this and discover that appliance vendors have a business model that is all about adding features that don't work in a mediocre quality appliance and packaging it with world-class marketing.

A few thoughts..

1. OLD FRIDGES.

In my twenties I got a 1953 International Harvestor fridge for free. Yes the freezer was small and you had to fill ice trays. However, It ran flawlessly for 10 years and was still running when I moved on for a "better" fridge. Think of that. It ran maintenance free for over THIRTY YEARS! You simply cannot buy a fridge today that will do that.

(btw, 66YEARS LATER these are still being traded in running condition on Ebay for $500 bucks or so!)

2. ICE MAKERS.

(and thru the door et al.) Talk to ANY repairman and she will tell you that Icemakers and thru door compononets are absolutely the most common repair problem. ESPECIALLY ice makers that are inside the fridge (rather than the freezer) for obvious reasons. (you also give up valuable storage space in the frig) An ice maker in the freezer is best but still subject to failure. However, freezing ice trays is indeed a pain. THE BEST OPTION (compromise). is an icemaker in the freezer that dumps into a tray.

3. ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTER BOARDS.

Again, high failure rates across the board I don't need a computer screen on my frig. I need a frig and a freezer/ice maker with good lighting inside. PERIOD

4. THE BEST FRIG.

Would be a simple good looking Stainless steel frig with a simple icemaker in the freezer.

That's it.

I haven't found it!

If anyone does let me know!

cheers

I have this Fisher-Paykel E522B:

https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/E522BRX.html

No Ice maker, but it's been trouble free since I bought it new 12 years ago.

LG has horrible customer service. Their compressors are defective and they know it. I have been battling with them for nearly a month to install a new compressor, as my refrigerator is still under warranty. They will not honor the warranty because there were mouse droppings in the compressor area. Their supervisors told me they would repair it if I cleaned the area thoroughly and had an exterminator checked to see if it was cleaned adequately. I did all that was requested and they are still giving me the runaround. The aggravation is that the mouse droppings have no effect on their thousands of defective compressors!

Stay away from LG