When it comes to major appliances, we found two types of reviewers those who simply list dozens of "recommended" models, unsupported by side-by-side testing, and publications like Good Housekeeping, Choice and Consumer Reports that actually test how cold models get and how much energy they use. We downgraded reviews like Consumer Guide that offer no critical analysis and offer only large lists of refrigerators.

Fortunately, performance of most mainstream models falls into a narrow range of good to excellent. Experts say that models have become more efficient, spacious and quiet, and the comments we read from owners posting comments to Epinions and ThatHomeSite.com's appliance forums bear that out. We found fewer complaints about refrigerators than about other large appliances, such as washing machines. Experts at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) test new refrigerator models for efficiency, summarizing findings in an annual list of most efficient products. Across the board, refrigerators do well, and the difference in yearly running costs between the most efficient and least efficient models is generally only about $30 per year.

Given that most refrigerators do well in terms of performance, your primary concern may be overall reliability. If you're interested in a model with a through-the-door icemaker and water dispenser, be aware that this component is responsible for the great majority of repair issues. On average, 20 percent of these refrigerators end up needing repair. Refrigerators with interior icemakers can also be problematic, but not as much as side-by-side models with a through-the-door icemaker/dispenser.