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A smart refrigerator isn’t an essential appliance, but it can substantially modernize your kitchen by introducing cool features like being able to look at what’s inside the fridge without opening its door. Most of these smart features boil down to connecting your refrigerator to your home’s Wi-Fi network and monitoring statistics—like how cool it is inside, for example—from your phone. Some have very advanced features, like touchscreens powered by its own mobile operating system so that you can stream music or videos from its front door. The best smart refrigerators—like our best overall pick, the Hisense HRM260N6TSE—won’t introduce too much technical complexity to your life while offering features that enhance it.
- Best overall: Hisense HRM260N6TSE
- Best splurge: LG Signature URNTC2306N
- Best with screen: Samsung Bespoke RF23DB9900QDAA
- Best large: Samsung Bespoke RF30BB69006MAA
- Best mini-fridge: Rocco Super Smart Fridge
- Best budget: Samsung RS22T5561SR
How we chose the best smart refrigerators
Our smart refrigerator recommendations are based on research, with specific emphasis being placed on their size, breadth of smart features, and the presence of a built-in water dispenser. The result is a collection of smart fridges that’ll fit in any-sized kitchen and run the gamut from Wi-Fi-enabled to full-on futuristic. Be mindful of the fact that the smarter the fridge is, the more complex it will be to use for less tech-savvy members of your home (and the harder it will be to fix if something goes wrong). The most advanced models will allow you to stream videos and send messages from your fridge door, which certainly wasn’t possible a few years ago.
The best smart refrigerators: Reviews & Recommendations
A smart fridge will become the network-connected hub of your kitchen, and if you’re ready to take the leap and add one to your smart home, there’s no turning back. Scroll down to read our recommendations and get ready to ask your smart speaker how that craft ice is going while you prep for your next party.
Best overall: Hisense HRM260N6TSE
Brandt Ranj / Popular Science
Specs
- Size: 36 X 70.3 X 33.7 Inches
- Capacity: 25.6 Cubic Feet
- Screen: No
- Water dispenser: Yes
Pros
- Consistent smart features
- Tasteful look
- Three-section design
Cons
- Odd angle for water dispenser
Hisense’s HRM260N6TSE is a smart fridge designed for those who want a kitchen full of connected appliances but don’t need a lot of bells and whistles. There’s no touchscreen here, but you will be able to monitor and change the fridge’s temperature through the ConnectLife app on iOS and Android. The app also allows you to control the fridge’s functions—turning its ice maker on and off, for example—with just a tap. If you allow the app to send you notifications, you’ll get pinged each time the fridge’s ice maker is full or it’s encountered any sort of issue.
These smart features are invisible (nobody who entered the kitchen had any idea that the HRM260N6TSE had Wi-Fi-enabled capabilities), which is great if you prize timeless aesthetics over flashiness. We’re big fans of this fridge’s overall design, which consists of two French-style doors on top, a pull-out “VersaTemp” drawer in the middle, and a sizable freezer on the bottom. Each section has ample space for produce and has enough shelves and drawers to thoroughly organize the fridge. We never found ourselves wasting time trying to figure out which area a particular type of food was.
After testing this fridge for several months, we’ve been pleased with its overall performance. None of our food has ever spoiled quickly, the ice maker hasn’t jammed, and all of the buttons on the HRM260N6TSE’s control panel have remained incredibly responsive. Similarly, the doors continue to open and close smoothly after hundreds of uses, as do the drawers, which get pulled out and pushed back in regularly. Our only nitpick is that the spout from the HRM260N6TSE’s water dispenser shoots liquid at an angle rather than straight down. This isn’t an issue when filling up glasses, but can be tricky when refilling bottles used with sparkling water makers.
The “VersaTemp Zone” is one of the HRM260N6TSE’s key features, as it can be set anywhere from 27 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit. This means you can use it as extra fridge or freezer space, depending on your needs. The ConnectLife App even includes a handy temperature guide, showing the appropriate temperature for various types of food. Meat and seafood, for example, need to be kept at 27 degrees Fahrenheit, while deli and snack foods can be safely stored at 37 degrees Fahrenheit. The flexibility of the VersaTemp Zone allows you to dynamically change how you use the HRM260N6TSE in a little time and a handful of taps.
If you’re redoing your kitchen and need a smart fridge with helpful features that won’t stand out, Hisense’s HRM260N6TSE is our top choice.
Best splurge: LG Signature URNTC2306N
LG
Specs
- Size: 29.75 X 35.85 X 70.25 Inches
- Capacity: 22.8 Cubic Feet
- Screen: No
- Water dispenser: Yes
Pros
- Automatic opening door
- Touch-sensitive InstaView window
- Voice control
Cons
- Price
If cost isn’t factoring into your kitchen renovations, LG’s URNTC2306N checks off boxes you didn’t even know were there when fridge shopping. If you’d like to know what’s inside your fridge without opening its door, you can tap on the large InstaView window to illuminate what’s behind the sleek, mirrored glass panel. Stepping onto a “door open” sign projected onto your floor from the base of this premium pick activates its Auto Open Door, so you can grab or insert groceries more easily. You can also open the URNTC2306N’s doors using your voice once the fridge is connected to LG’s ThinQ Smart Home Platform.
You’ll also use the ThinQ mobile app on your smartphone to monitor and change the fridge’s temperature, and receive alerts if something unexpected happens. Over time, the fridge will begin to learn your habits and make adjustments to its ice production and temperature based on your schedule. You will need to connect the URNTC2306N to your home’s Wi-Fi network to make use of these features, but that’s a requirement of all smart fridges.
This smart fridge is full of small conveniences, like freezer drawers that automatically pull out when you’ve opened the door, and retract as you close it, that will save you time on a daily basis. Its FRESHShield Cooling mechanism feeds cold air through ducts at the top end of the fridge, which LG says will keep foods cool more effectively.
LG’s URNTC2306N is undoubtedly what many people think of when they hear the term “smart fridge,” and this counter-depth textured steel statement piece will become the understated central hub of your kitchen should you make the sizeable ($7,999) investment.
Best with screen: Samsung RF23DB9900QDAA
Samsung
Specs
- Size: 28.75 X 35.8 X 73 Inches
- Capacity: 23 Cubic Feet
- Screen: Yes
- Water dispenser: Yes
Pros
- Touchscreen
- Double freezer
- Two water dispensers
Cons
- Price
Samsung’s RF23DB9900QDAA is the quintessential smart appliance, offering features that would have been impossible only a handful of years ago. As a fridge, the RF23DB9900QDAA is a dream for the organizationally minded. It has four doors, so you can separate your perishable and frozen foods into several segments to make them easier to find. The freezer on the lower right-hand side of the refrigerator can be adjusted to temperatures above freezing and act like extra fridge space instead. A water dispenser is built into an inside compartment of the left fridge door, so it doesn’t mar the fridge’s aesthetics. This is a nice design touch for a totally stainless steel appliance.
This fridge’s big smart feature is the tall touchscreen, which Samsung calls the Family Hub, built into its right door. This display allows those with a Samsung account to control smart-home accessories, watch live video feeds from a Ring doorbell, stream audio and video from services like Spotify and YouTube, and browse social media feeds on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and more. The Family Hub is essentially a giant tablet built into the front of your fridge, which is convenient as it’s a large area in a central part of your home.
There’s even an app that allows you to search for recipes based on the contents of your fridge, which can help make dinner decisions a little easier. These futuristic features certainly set the RF23DB9900QDAA apart, but they may make it a little more difficult to operate if most of the folks in your home aren’t as tech savvy. It also inflates the price of an already expensive appliance. Still, this is it if you want the smartest of the smart fridges.
Best large: Samsung BESPOKE RF30BB69006MAA
Specs
- Size: 25.7 X 34.25 X 70 Inches
- Capacity: 29.8 Cubic Feet
- Screen: Yes
- Water dispenser: Yes
Pros
- Touchscreen
- In-door water dispenser and beverage storage
- Large, segmented icebox.
Cons
- Price
Samsung’s RF30BB69006MAA is essentially a pared-down version of the ultra-luxe RF29A9771SR we mentioned earlier. It retains the “Family Hub,” which means it has the same smart features, but the display is smaller, which means you won’t be able to see as much information on it at once. This is a three-door fridge with a single larger freezer below. The freezer has several compartments, including two for storing different-sized ice cubes: full-sized and pebble. Samsung even includes a scoop. A water dispenser is built into the inside of the left refrigerator door alongside several shelves for storing shorter bottles and cans. While the RF30BB69006MAA is technically impressive, it comes with the same core issue as its larger sibling: smart features, especially a touchscreen, add a lot of complexity and cost to this appliance.
Best small: Rocco Super Smart Fridge
Specs
- Size: 16 X 24 X 34 Inches
- Capacity: N/A
- Screen: No
- Water dispenser: No
Pros
- Convenient size
- Designed to accommodate all bottles and cans
- Multi-year warranty
Cons
- Limited to beverage storage.
This smart fridge may be a lot smaller than our other recommendations, but it’s also the most innovative mini fridge we’ve ever seen. Rocco’s Super Smart Fridge is equipped with five pull-out shelves, each of which can be adjusted to accommodate differently-sized bottles and cans. Each shelf can be separated into its own “temperature zone” by pushing buttons on a control panel inside the fridge. This means your white wine and seltzers and best NA beverages can be chilled to their ideal temperature individually.
The capacity of Rocco’s mini fridge isn’t measured in cubic feet. Instead, the company has outlined how many bottles and cans it can hold. In one example, the fridge held five bottles of wine and 22 sodas (a mixture of bottles and cans), but your experience will vary based on which beverages you’d like to keep chilled. You can keep an inventory of what you’ve got inside the mini fridge broken down by rack.
Having a smart mini fridge has its advantages, but it’s limited to being used with bottles and cans, not produce and frozen goods.
Best budget: Samsung RS22T5561SR
Specs
- Size: 70 1/16 X 35 7/8 X 68 5/8 Inches
- Capacity: 21.5 Cubic Feet
- Screen: Yes
- Water dispenser: Yes
Pros
- Touchscreen
- Water dispenser
- Price
Cons
- Lacks some design features when compared to higher-end models
Samsung’s RS22T5561SR is another smart fridge built around the company’s “Family Hub,” but it’s a lot more pared down when compared to its much more luxe siblings. The biggest difference is that this is a smaller, two-door fridge with a standard-looking beverage dispenser built into the left door. It’s definitely the most traditional-looking smart fridge we’re recommending, but also the best value. That’s great as it’ll be more familiar to use for less tech-savvy members of your house who don’t want to learn how much to pull on the door just to reach the beverage dispenser. This streamlined design also comes at a significant cost savings when compared to Samsung’s cutting-edge models. This is true despite the RS22T5561SR having the same smart features. If you’re curious about making your kitchen smarter but have a somewhat constricted budget, this is the one to get.
What to consider when buying the best smart refrigerators
There are many decisions to make when deciding which smart refrigerator is right for you. Below are the factors we deemed most important when doing research for this guide.
Size
A smart refrigerator’s fancy features aren’t going to matter much if it’s too big for the space in your kitchen. We’ve done our best to include options that’ll fit in apartment and home kitchens and included a mini-fridge that would be at home in a living room or den. We’ve also listed each smart refrigerator’s capacity (the amount of usable space inside) for your convenience.
Screen
One of the hallmarks of a smart refrigerator is a screen, which can display details like its internal temperature, the time, and any number of informational widgets. However, this isn’t a necessary feature, as some smart fridges will simply deliver that information to you via an iOS or Android app. Screens add to a smart refrigerator’s price, so think long and hard about whether it’s essential for you.
Water dispenser
A decision you’ll have to make with any type of refrigerator is whether you’d like one with a water dispenser built inside. This will necessitate having a water line that can be fed into the smart fridge, which may not be feasible if you’re not willing to renovate your kitchen or at least the plumbing.
FAQs
A smart refrigerator will be more complicated for folks less familiar with touchscreen technology or internet-connected gadgets.
A smart fridge should last a decade or more if properly maintained. The amount of time their built-in software is supported is entirely up to the manufacturer.
Yes and no. Their connectivity is wireless, but their power still requires a cord. A smart fridge needs to be connected to an outlet for power but will connect to the internet via Wi-Fi.
A smart fridge can be connected to the internet to feed your smartphone a steady stream of information or display information on a digital screen built into the door.
This depends on their size, whether they have a screen, and the extent of their smart features. Our recommendations cost between $1,300 and $2,885.
Final thoughts on the best smart refrigerators
- Best overall: Hisense HRM260N6TSE
- Best splurge: LG Signature URNTC2306N
- Best with screen: Samsung Bespoke RF23DB9900QDAA
- Best large: Samsung Bespoke RF30BB69006MAA
- Best mini-fridge: Rocco Super Smart Fridge
- Best budget: Samsung RS22T5561SR
A smart refrigerator is the latest in a line of connected kitchen appliances, such as smart ovens, that harken back to the ideals of mid-20th century electronics design, wherein futuristic convenience features were constantly touted. The idea that you could see a delivery driver delivering a package in real-time on the door of your fridge proves how far we’ve come from a simple box that keeps produce and dairy cold. While these smart refrigerators are more expensive than their basic brethren, they prove there’ve been great leaps forward in appliance technology lately.
