Not LG, Not GE: Consumer Reports Says This French-Door Refrigerator Brand Is Best

Searching for and buying a new appliance can be frustrating and stressful, especially when you're looking through a pricier category like French-door refrigerators. With essential machines like these that work non-stop, you'll definitely want to weigh the best refrigerator brands to consider for an appliance you can rely on for years to come. Thankfully, Consumer Reports (CR) has tested many refrigerators and discussed the top options for French-door fridges this year in their Best Refrigerator Brands of 2026 ranking. Though LG and GE are some of the most sought-after names for these appliances, CR highlighted Bosch as a top option by selecting the Bosch B36CD52SNS, part of the brand's 500 Series, as one of the better French-door fridges this year.

The Bosch B36CD52SNS, which retails for $3,700, is an Energy Star-certified stainless steel appliance. This fridge measures about 36 inches wide and 29 inches deep, making it a fairly spacious refrigerator, and has an ice and water dispenser on the door. Though this Bosch model was ranked as the top French-door fridge in CR's ranking, LG and GE were not far behind in CR's brand rankings. Both the GE and LG models rated just one point below Bosch in overall score, making it a close competition among arguably three of the best home appliance brands. Meanwhile, another model, the lower-priced B36FD31ENS (retailing at $2,300), earned the highest overall score in the "34-inch and wider" category, edging out names like Whirlpool and GE to cement Bosch's status as one of CR's most highly rated French-door fridge brands.

To rank their top fridges of the year, Consumer Reports considered factors like temperature uniformity, energy efficiency, thermostat performance, ease of use, crisper performance, noise, and ice maker performance. Reliability and owner satisfaction also affected the appliances overall scores. In the thermostat performance and temperature uniformity categories, the Bosch B36CD52SNS had perfect scores. Ease of use and crisper performance were also rated highly, though noise and energy efficiency were middling. The appliance also did fairly well with owner satisfaction and reliability. Generally, CR notes that Bosch (along with Fisher & Paykel and Thermador) was one of the few French-door refrigerator brands with an above-average reliability score in its CR member survey.

The functionality of the crisper and the great temperature uniformity and thermostat were praised by Consumer Reports. The options for half or split shelves and WiFi abilities were listed as pros for the B36CD52SNS refrigerator. Unfortunately, the Bosch tested poorly in the ice maker performance category, receiving a low score. These factors are likely why the Bosch earned the top spot by such a small margin. Reviews on the Bosch website also mention problems with the ice maker not working correctly. Some reviews discussed issues with getting help from Bosch when things went wrong as well. This may not be a pervasive issue across the brand's fridges, though, as the lower-priced B36FD31ENS earned a high rating for its ice maker in CR's ratings. Nevertheless, it's crucial that you consider the potential problems with French-door refrigerators like this, weighing the pros and cons of any brand's offerings to ensure they'll fit your needs.