The Best Counter-Depth Refrigerator We Found After Shopping Every Major Brand

If you had told me a few weeks ago that I would have this many opinions about refrigerators, I probably would not have believed you.

But after taking three kids to Costco, Best Buy, Home Depot and Lowe’s and opening what felt like every counter-depth refrigerator on the market, I have thoughts.

A lot of thoughts. I wish I could have spared myself the time and trouble by reading an article from a mom and not a tech bro. So I decided to just write one myself in hopes of saving the next person.

If you want to skip the details and just know which one we went with…After comparing Café, KitchenAid, Samsung and LG refrigerators in person, we ultimately chose the LG STUDIO 27 cu. ft. Smart Counter-Depth MAX French Door Refrigerator.

Spoiler: I think it was absolutely the right decision for our family.

CURRENT LABOR DAY DEAL

At the time I'm publishing this, LG has our stainless-steel LG STUDIO 27 cu. ft. Counter-Depth MAX French Door Refrigerator, model SRFB27S3, marked down to $2,799 from $4,199.

LG is also currently including a free 6 cu. ft. single-door refrigerator with the purchase of this eligible French-door refrigerator — up to a $515 value. Promotions and availability can change, so definitely check the current offer before purchasing.

Our ten-year-old KitchenAid refrigerator had finally reached the point where replacing it made more sense than continuing to deal with it. The ice maker had been giving us problems for years, eventually freezing over and going out altogether, so Labor Day weekend felt like the perfect time to finally replace it.

I went into the process thinking I cared mostly about how the refrigerator looked. It turns out I cared just as much about what happened when I opened the doors.

What We Were Looking For in a Counter-Depth Refrigerator

I had a surprisingly specific wish list.

First and foremost, design mattered to me.

We're slowly making changes throughout our home to make it feel warmer, more collected and more intentional, and the refrigerator is such a large visual element in the kitchen.

I didn't want a giant water and ice dispenser breaking up the front of the refrigerator.

I wanted:

• French doors

• A clean, streamlined exterior

• Traditional-looking handles

• A water dispenser hidden inside the refrigerator

• Counter depth

• A really spacious interior

• Good refrigerator and freezer organization

• An interior that actually looked nice

• Enough food storage for a family of five

• Something that felt high-end without jumping into fully integrated refrigerator pricing

That combination was actually harder to find than I expected.

Counter Depth — Without Feeling Tiny

The biggest struggle I had with counter-depth refrigerators was interior space.

They're beautiful because they sit much more flush with your cabinetry, but that streamlined look usually means giving up some refrigerator capacity.

And with three kids, I was not interested in having a beautiful refrigerator that couldn't actually hold our groceries.

The LG STUDIO has 27 cubic feet of capacity, and it felt noticeably more spacious than most of the counter-depth refrigerators we compared in person.

It was one of the first refrigerators I opened where I didn't immediately think:

Okay, but where are we putting all of our food?

That mattered to me.

The Hidden Interior Water Dispenser

This was one of my non-negotiables. I wanted filtered water, but I didn't want to see a water dispenser on the exterior of the refrigerator. The LG STUDIO gives you an internal water dispenser, so you still have easy access to filtered water while keeping the outside of the refrigerator clean and minimal.

It's such a small detail, but aesthetically it makes a huge difference to me.

Shopping for a Refrigerator With Three Kids Was Absolute Chaos

For full transparency, taking three kids refrigerator shopping was every bit as peaceful and relaxing as you're imagining. Trey and I were opening drawers, comparing shelf configurations, discussing cubic feet and trying to figure out warranties. Our children had entirely different priorities.

They became absolutely convinced that we needed the Samsung refrigerator with the screen on the front — the one where you can draw pictures and basically turn your refrigerator into another piece of technology. They thought this was incredible.

Trey and I were standing beside them thinking:

We absolutely do not need another screen in this house.

If anything, I want our kitchen to be one of those places where everyone gathers without another screen constantly competing for our attention.

So while they mounted a very passionate campaign for the smart refrigerator, Trey and I were a hard no.

They were deeply disappointed by our decision.

The Other Refrigerators We Considered

We narrowed our search down to three other strong contenders: Café, KitchenAid and Samsung.

The Café refrigerator was probably the prettiest from the outside, and I originally thought we were going to splurge on it. But once we opened it, the interior just didn’t feel as spacious or practical for our family of five, especially for the higher price.

The KitchenAid was a very close second because I loved both the exterior and interior design. What held us back were the ice-maker complaints we kept seeing, especially since our ten-year-old KitchenAid had already given us years of ice-maker issues.

The Samsung was probably the best value option we saw. It had a similar French-door look, an interior water dispenser and a much lower price point. Trey really liked it. I just didn’t think the interior looked quite as elevated as the LG.

Ultimately, the LG STUDIO felt like the best combination of design, space, functionality and price for us.

Why We Bought Directly From LG

Once we knew which refrigerator we wanted, we compared prices at Costco, Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe’s and LG directly.

We looked at more than just the sticker price — we also compared warranties, delivery, setup and any additional promotions.

For the Labor Day sale, buying directly from LG made the most sense for us. The sale price was already great, our order included delivery and setup at no additional charge, and LG was also including a free 6 cu. ft. refrigerator with the purchase.

We’re putting the extra refrigerator in our garage and using it as a beverage fridge, which honestly makes the deal even better for our family.

What I Love So Far

We haven’t had the refrigerator long enough for a full long-term review yet, but my first impressions are really good.

The biggest wins so far are the interior space, the clean exterior without a water dispenser on the front, the hidden interior water dispenser, and how nice the inside actually looks.

It feels like we got the streamlined counter-depth look I wanted without giving up nearly as much storage as I expected.

And at the Labor Day sale price — especially with the free second refrigerator — I feel really good about what we got for the money.

Is the LG STUDIO Counter-Depth MAX Worth It?

For us, yes.

If your biggest priority is price, I would seriously consider the Samsung. If exterior design is everything, the Café is beautiful. But for the best balance of looks, interior space, functionality and price, the LG STUDIO was the clear winner for our family.

I’m also really glad we saw everything in person before ordering. The refrigerator I thought I wanted online was not the one that made the most sense once we opened the doors and pictured how our family would actually use it.

And thankfully, the kids have mostly recovered from the fact that our refrigerator does not have a screen.

Mostly. ;)

Shop the LG STUDIO Counter-Depth MAX Refrigerator HERE.