Key Takeaway: The most reliable counter-depth refrigerators do not have an ice and water dispenser.
Why It Matters: Ice makers in a refrigerator will leak.
The most reliable counter-depth French door refrigerators for 2023 are Fisher & Paykel, LG, Café Appliances, and Bosch based on real service calls logged over 12 months - shocking.
How can a small specialty company known for drawer dishwashers be number one in refrigerators?
Hint: What feature does Fisher & Paykel not have as well as any others on this list?
In this article, you will learn all about the most reliable counter-depth refrigerators.
More importantly, you will understand how the numbers are derived and incorporate the information into your buying decision.
Read to the end, or at least read the end, because, in many instances, you should not buy the most reliable brands.
Let’s get started.
[inlineCTA]
The Most Reliable Counter-Depth Refrigerators for 2023
The following service rates are based on a minimum of 100 refrigerators sold and a total sample of over 3000:
|
Service Rate |
Fisher & Paykel |
5.0% |
LG |
6.9% |
Café Appliances |
9.9% |
Bosch |
10.7% |
Thermador |
15.6% |
GE Profile |
16.5% |
GE Appliances |
19.6% |
KitchenAid |
25.5% |
Beko |
25.9% |
Grand Total |
14.7% |
The average service rate is 14.7% for counter-depth refrigerators versus 9.7% for appliances in general.
Fisher & Paykel - 5%

Now, why is Fisher & Paykel number one? Look at their most popular models.
What don't you see?
Their most popular models do not have an external icemaker. In a French door, that icemaker is in the refrigerator. Over time the ice maker will leak.
Most Popular Fisher & Paykel Counter-Depth Refrigerators

Below is a list of the most popular Fisher & Paykel counter-depth refrigerators to consider:
- RF201ADUSX5 - French door refrigerator with a 20.1 cubic feet capacity and an external water dispenser but does not have an ice maker.
- RF170ADUSX4 - French door refrigerator with a 17 cubic feet capacity. It has an internal ice maker and water dispenser.
- RF135BDLX4 - Bottom freezer refrigerator with a 13.5 cubic feet capacity. It does not have an ice maker or water dispenser.
- RS36A72U1 N - This is a side-by-side refrigerator with a 16.8 cubic feet capacity. It has an internal ice maker and water dispenser.
LG - 6.9% Service Rate

Yes, LG is number one for a reliable refrigerator. In 2019, they settled a class-action lawsuit based on their new linear compressor not cooling.
Theoretically, the linear compressor should be more reliable because of fewer working parts and strike points.
Give them credit for improving the design and not starting over.
They also have a decent lineup of interesting refrigerators to consider.
Once again, if you look at the most popular refrigerators at Yale, they don't have dispensers.
Most Popular LG Counter-Depth Refrigerators

Below is a list of the most popular LG counter-depth refrigerators to consider:
- LRFLC2706S - 27 Cu. Ft. Stainless Steel Smart Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator, No External Ice or Water Dispensers
- LFXC22526S - 22.1 Cu. Ft. Stainless Steel Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator, With an External Ice and Water Dispenser
- LRSOC2306S - 23 Cu. Ft. Stainless Steel Side-by-Side Refrigerator, With an External Ice and Water Dispenser
Café Appliances - 9.9% Service Rate
.jpg?width=799&name=Cafe-Appliances-in-Stainless-Steel%20(1).jpg)
Café Appliances counter-depth refrigeration has ice and water dispensers, smart functionality, and the most features. You even have a Keurig coffee dispenser.
However, the more popular model doesn't have any of those features.
The best part is all of GE's brands have a service department. It's a good consideration if your retailer does not offer in-house service.
Most Popular Café Appliances Counter-Depth Refrigerators

Below is a list of the most popular Café Appliances counter-depth refrigerators to consider:
- CWE23SP2MS1 - 23.1 Cu. Ft. Stainless Steel Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator, No External Ice and Water Dispenser
- CYE22TP2MS1 - 22.2 Cu. Ft. Stainless Steel Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator, With an External Water and Ice Dispenser
Read More: Café Appliances vs. Samsung Family Hub Smart Refrigerators
Bosch - 14.9% Service Rate

Bosch’s service rate was surprising at number four on this list.
Their counter-depth refrigerator line is only four years old. Bosch's counter-depth refrigerators have many features, including a unique two-compressor system.
Their most popular refrigerators do not have an ice dispenser. Go figure.
Most Popular Bosch Counter-Depth Refrigerators

Below is a list of the most popular Bosch counter-depth refrigerators to consider:
- B36CT81ENS - 800 Series 20.8 Cu. Ft. Easy Clean Stainless Steel Counter Depth Bottom Freezer Refrigerator, Without an External Water and Ice Dispenser
- B36CL80ENS - 800 Series 20.5 Cu. Ft. Stainless Steel Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator, Without an External Water and Ice Dispenser
- B36CD50SNS - 500 Series 21.6 Cu. Ft. Stainless Steel Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator, With an External Ice and Water Dispenser
Read More: Is the Bosch B36CT80SNS a Good French Door Refrigerator?
What About Beko With a 25.9% Service Rate?
Beko is on our list of best counter-depth refrigerators. Beko is an interesting brand. It has the most features to keep food fresh for longer.
Their BlueLighting and EverPure+ technology extend photosynthesis in fruit and vegetables.
Beko was second only to Sub-Zero in our four-week "Project Produce" tests, of which refrigerators kept fruit and vegetables fresh.
Beko is the most sustainability-oriented appliance company as well.
However, their reliability number is over 25%. At that rate, should you consider a Beko counter-depth refrigerator?
Most of the issues were a problem with the ice maker, not the refrigerator cooling.
The instruction manual was written wrong, so our delivery guys shut the icemaker off - dumb.
The repair was simple, and the problems have been resolved going forward.
So yes, consider a Beko counter-depth refrigerator.
Most Popular Beko Counter-Depth Refrigerators

Below is a list of the most popular Beko counter-depth refrigerators to consider:
- BFFD3624XSS - 19.9 Cu. Ft. Fingerprint-Free Stainless Steel Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator, Without an External Water and Ice Dispenser
- BFFD3626SS - 19.8 Cu. Ft. Fingerprint Free Stainless Steel French 4 Door Refrigerator, Without an External Water and Ice Dispenser
Read More: Should You Buy The Beko BFFD3624SS Counter Depth Refrigerator?
How We Calculate Reliability
Let's discuss how we calculate reliability.
We have logged over 100,00 service calls in less than three years. We now have 35 service technicians averaging 8-10 calls daily, Monday through Friday, plus another 110 calls on Saturday.
We calculate appliance reliability by dividing the products we serviced by the products we sold. In this article, we looked at the number of counter-depth refrigerators sold and serviced over 12 months.
Many have asked for three, five, and ten-year reliability articles. More years is harder to calculate because we provide warranty service for free.
After the first year, the service rates are harder to determine.
Why Trust Us?
The eternal question. Why not pick up Consumer Reports or the Wirecutter instead?
These ratings are based on real service calls, not surveys and lab testing.
You won't find many reliability studies because 95% of appliance stores do not have any service.
Don't trust these ratings because you think I am a nice guy (I am).
Trust them because we do the work.
It is in my best interest to sell reliable products because fixing chronically unreliable brands is too expensive.
It should also be yours because getting a repair on any product is incredibly aggravating, even before the ongoing parts shortage.
3 Most Common Counter-Depth French Door Refrigerator Problems
Counter-Depth French Door Refrigerators at Yale Appliance in Hanover
These numbers may be statistically bad, but most of their issues are not. The problems are more related to ice maker issues than compressor failures. It isn't all terrible.
Below are the three most common counter-depth refrigerator problems we found.
- Freezer Not Working
- Icemakers Not Making or Dispensing Ice: Sending a frozen cube through a warmer refrigerator has been an issue. Icemakers in general have problems because you should clean them regularly.
- Reports of Noise: Modern refrigerators are way more efficient but are noisier as well.
Should You Buy a Warranty for Your Refrigerator?
Until 16 years ago, we did not sell warranties.
You should consider a warranty for a French door refrigerator just from looking at the first-year service rates above.
You can read nightmare comments written about nightmare service experiences.
Just do not buy a warranty from a store without a service department.
You certainly won't buy a car warranty from a dealer without service. Follow the same thinking with appliances.
Third-party warranties are a joke (only you will not be laughing). They will sell you the warranty without employing service technicians.
Read More: Are Appliance Extended Warranties Worth It?
Key Takeaways
Your key takeaway: Buy a refrigerator without an external water and ice dispenser.
I know what you are thinking: They are so convenient to place your glass and fill it with water and ice.
However, a frozen cube in a warmer refrigerator is not the best design.
Then again, a small leak could be more tolerable than bending down to reach into the freezer for ice.
You wouldn't notice the other part of what we consider reliable. Bosch and Café Appliances are better at turning around parts and services than the others.
In addition to researching prices and features, you should know your service agent before making any appliance purchase.
Should You Buy an LG or Samsung Counter-Depth Refrigerator?
In terms of product design, LG and Samsung are the best. They also have the best features with cool-sounding refrigerator styles like the Samsung FamilyHub or the LG Instaview.
However, do not buy either brand without understanding who will be fixing it first. In this case, LG is much better than Samsung.
LG has made a recent commitment to service, and it takes time. Samsung has the twin problems of being the most popular brand and no support.
In other words, you may love the product but trust and verify the service aspect first.

Related Articles:
Most Reliable Appliances Series: