Consumer reviews often break down appliances by brand, but it’s good to realize that only a few companies actually manufacture most of the major brands out there. For example:
- GE manufactured brands include General Electric, Kenmore, and Hotpoint.
- Whirlpool manufactured brands include Maytag, Inglis, Kenmore, Admiral, Roper, Estate, KitchenAid, Crosley, Jenn-Air, Amana, Glenwood, Hardwick, Magic Chef, and Caloric.
- Frigidaire manufactured brands include Tappan, Kelvinator, Gibson, White-Westinghouse, and Westinghouse.
Some of the other well known refrigerator brands include Samsung and LG.
Feature-rich refrigerators have a tendency to be more popular and each manufacturer makes one or more brands that are considered high-end or premium. These include GE, Whirlpool, Maytag, Frigidaire, Thermador and KitchenAid, as well as relative new-comers to the appliance scene, Electrolux, Samsung, and LG. If you’re only looking for something to get the job done, don’t shy away from more value-based brands such as Amana, Hotpoint, Caloric,and Tappan. Having a hard time deciding which to go with? Consider consulting Consumer Reports and/or CNET before buying to browse product reviews and find out which brands are topping the lists that week.
