The 6 best built-in refrigerators: Consumer Reports

A built-in refrigerator sits flush with the cabinets for years, so a poor cooling model turns into a decade-long headache instead of a quick fix. Uneven temperatures can spoil food quietly, long before anyone notices a problem.

Consumer Reports tested bottom-freezer, French-door and side-by-side built-in models for temperature control, crisper performance and noise, so shoppers can find a reliable fit for their kitchen.

Credit: Bosch

The Bosch Benchmark B30IB905SP costs $7,999 and offers 8.2 cubic feet of refrigerator space plus 3.2 cubic feet in the freezer. Consumer Reports rated its thermostat performance as excellent and found temperature uniformity very good throughout, with only minor variation between spots. CR also praised the humidity-adjustable crisper drawers for keeping produce fresh, though the icemaker scored below average and the unit ran loud enough to be occasionally bothersome. Bosch's built-in refrigerators earned excellent marks for predicted reliability and very good marks for owner satisfaction in CR member surveys.

Credit: Thermador

The Thermador Freedom Collection T30IB905SP costs $9,499 and offers 7.9 cubic feet of refrigerator space plus 3.5 cubic feet in the freezer. Consumer Reports rated its thermostat performance as excellent and found temperature uniformity very good, with only minor variation across the interior. CR praised the crisper drawers for retaining moisture well, though the icemaker scored below average and testers noted an acceptable but occasionally noticeable noise level. Thermador's built-in refrigerators earned very good marks for predicted reliability and midrange marks for owner satisfaction in CR member surveys.

Credit: AJ Madison

The SKS SKSFD4826P costs $15,999, priced higher than every other model in this lineup, and offers 14 cubic feet of refrigerator space plus 4.8 cubic feet in the freezer. Consumer Reports rated its thermostat performance and temperature uniformity as excellent, crediting the design for minimizing warm and cold spots throughout. CR found the crisper drawers did little to retain moisture, letting produce dry out faster than in other models tested, though energy efficiency came back very good at an estimated $119 a year to run. CR doesn't have enough data on SKS to rate the brand's predicted reliability or owner satisfaction.

Credit: AJ Madison

The Bosch B36IT100NP costs $9,299 and offers 8.7 cubic feet of refrigerator space plus 4.4 cubic feet in the freezer. Consumer Reports rated its thermostat performance as excellent and found temperature uniformity very good, with little variation between the warmer and cooler spots. CR praised the crisper drawers for retaining moisture well and noted the water dispenser's child lockout feature, though the icemaker scored below average. Bosch's built-in refrigerators earned excellent marks for predicted reliability and very good marks for owner satisfaction in CR member surveys.

Credit: AJ Madison

The JennAir JBSFS48NMX costs $11,549, but Consumer Reports hasn't lab-tested this particular model, so no performance scores for cooling, noise or crisper function are available yet. CR does track JennAir at the brand level, and its built-in refrigerators earned only midrange marks for predicted reliability alongside a notably poor owner satisfaction rating in member surveys. Shoppers considering this model should weigh that brand-level track record carefully, since it stands apart from the other five picks in this lineup, all of which CR tested directly. Anyone drawn to the price and features may want to wait for CR's own lab results or lean on independent owner reviews in the meantime.

Credit: AJ Madison

The Café CSB42WP2NS1 costs $8,480 and offers 12.1 cubic feet of refrigerator space plus 7.4 cubic feet in the freezer. Consumer Reports rated its thermostat performance as excellent and found temperature uniformity very good, with only minor variation across the interior. CR rated the crisper drawers as unimpressive, noting fruits and vegetables can lose freshness earlier than shoppers might expect, and flagged the icemaker as below average as well, though energy efficiency came back very good at an estimated $140 a year to run. Café's built-in refrigerators earned midrange marks for both predicted reliability and owner satisfaction in CR member surveys.