Our testers reviewed more than 100 popular models for temperature stability and evenness, running costs, and more
We often find cheaper fridges that perform similarly or better than pricier products
Exclusively for CHOICE members, we reveal the more affordable fridges that are better buys than their pricier competitors
How much would you pay for the fridge of your dreams? What if we told you that you could pick up a similar product for less that’ll perform just as well – or even better?
Our fridge experts test around 50 fridges every year, putting each product through rigorous testing in our labs, so we see past the marketing hype and judge each model on its merits.
Our reviews show you which fridges deliver champagne performance on a beer budget.
And this is why a CHOICE membership is such a good investment: for less than $100 a year, you can save yourself hundreds because you’ll know which expensive products to avoid, and which cheaper products are a better bet.
Our reviews show you which fridges deliver champagne performance on a beer budget
With the money you save on a new fridge, you could treat yourself to an air fryer, update your dishwasher, or even just pocket the cash for a rainy day (or spend it on something more fun than appliances!).
Here, we reveal two fridges that both disappointed in our testing, despite one costing $800 more than the other – showing that spending more doesn’t always buy you more.
And exclusively for CHOICE members, we’ll show you which cheaper French-door and bottom-mount models are better buys than ones costing hundreds of dollars more.
There’s an $800 price difference between these two fridges. Is it worth it?
According to our test results, no.
Neither fridge is an especially strong performer – they’re the equal second-lowest scoring fridges in the extra-large, French-door category – but comparing these two really highlights why high prices don’t always equal high quality.
They both bombed out on our temperature stability test, which measures how much the temperature fluctuates. They received two of the worst scores: 6% for the Bosch and 0% for the Haier.
Comparing these two really highlights why high prices don’t always equal high quality
For this kind of money, you’d expect that a fridge could at least keep your ice cream from melting and re-freezing – that’s not much to ask of a fridge, right?
With scores like that, it’s not surprising that they also didn’t impress our experts with their ability to keep food fresh, scoring 45% (Bosch) and 50% (Haier).
The Haier does have a water and ice dispenser, but you need to connect the fridge to your plumbing, so it’ll cost you even more if you have to get a plumber in. That doesn’t sound like good value to us.
Researching before rushing out to buy can save you from disappointment, and from wasting your money.
While both the fridges profiled above are best avoided, there are also plenty of high performing cheap fridges that outperformed models costing hundreds, or even $1000 more.
We independently test and review dozens of new fridges each year in our onsite thermal lab, and our experts know exactly what to look for to help you find the best product.
Our detailed fridge testing data is available exclusively for CHOICE members. If you’re not yet a member, join CHOICE to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews, from dryers and dishwashers, toasters and TVs, kettles and cots, and more.
Or log in to unlock this article and find out which cheaper fridges outperformed expensive models in our expert testing.
Alice Richard is a Content creator and marketer. Alice writes on a range of topics, from health insurance to heaters and BBQs to bargain-hunting, always with the aim to help consumers find the best products to buy, and which to avoid.
Alice can take vast amounts of data from CHOICE product tests and turn it into content that is easily digestible and fun for readers.
Alice has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland. LinkedIn
Alice Richard is a Content creator and marketer. Alice writes on a range of topics, from health insurance to heaters and BBQs to bargain-hunting, always with the aim to help consumers find the best products to buy, and which to avoid.
Alice can take vast amounts of data from CHOICE product tests and turn it into content that is easily digestible and fun for readers.
Alice has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland. LinkedIn
For more than 60 years, CHOICE has been fighting the good fight for Australian consumers.
In the past year alone we've uncovered systemic issues with sunscreens, investigated shonky supermarket pricing, fought for stronger scam protections and helped make complex energy pricing fairer and clearer.
CHOICE is here to provide unbiased advice and independent testing in our world-class labs. We buy the products we test, just like you do, and our expert reviews are influence free. We’re here to help you choose smarter. Hopefully you’ll also save some money along the way.
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