Our data: where the figures on FridgeBase come from

The DOE Compliance Certification Database is published by the U.S. Department of Energy. It is the U.S. register where makers certify that each model they sell in the United States meets the federal energy-conservation standard, with the figures measured under the federal procedure. It is the first source we trust.

It covers 158 of the 465 models in our catalog. From it we take:

• height, width, depth and volume;
• annual energy consumption (kWh per year) and the FTC EnergyGuide label figures;
• product class;
• ENERGY STAR certification, ENERGY STAR Most Efficient and the percentage below the federal standard;
• the guarantee declared by the maker.

These figures feed the running-cost calculation, the fit check and the efficiency badge, and they replace any figure from a lower-ranked source.

A model is matched when one of the model numbers on its Amazon listing fits a certified model number and the brand agrees. The register's wildcard characters stand for one colour or region character. We download the full database again every month and match the catalog again.

Limits: a model the maker has not certified, for example some portable or imported units, is not matched. A listing without a usable model number is not matched either. These models keep figures from other sources.

ENERGY STAR certified products is the official list of certified models, published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (ENERGY STAR program). It is available in the ENERGY STAR Product Finder and as open data in the ENERGY STAR certified products dataset, with each model's measured figures.

It covers 83 of the 465 models in our catalog. We take three fields from it: ENERGY STAR certification, the percentage below the federal standard, and ENERGY STAR Most Efficient. We use them to show the certification on a model and to describe how far its energy use is below the federal standard.

The match is the same as for the DOE database: one of the model numbers on the Amazon listing must fit a listed model number, and the brand must agree.

We download the dataset again every month and match the catalog again, so a model certified or removed from the list is updated at that point.

Limits: only certified models are listed. A model that is not certified simply has no ENERGY STAR data, and this says nothing else about the model.

The CPSC recalls page is published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. It lists the official U.S. recall notices for consumer products, with the products, the model numbers and the remedy offered.

We checked all 465 models in our catalog against it and found 1 recalled model. On that model we show the recall notice and its official link, so you can read the remedy from the source.

A recall is a candidate when it names the model's brand and one of the listing's model codes. An AI model then reads the recall's own text and keeps it only when it concerns the same product and the same model, not a neighbouring one, a battery or an accessory.

We check the recall list again every month.

Limits: a recall that does not give the model number cannot be matched with certainty, so it is not shown. The absence of a notice on a model page therefore means we found no matching recall, not that none exists.

Each model's manufacturer publishes product pages, datasheets, user manuals and declarations of conformity on its own website, or its group's. Examples are Upstreman and VEVOR. This source ranks just below the official registers.

It covers 2 of the 465 models in our catalog. We take depth, height, width, total volume and noise level (dB) from it.

For each model, we search for its exact model number on the maker's own website. We keep a figure only when our server opens the page again and finds both the model number and that figure on it. Retailers, marketplaces, comparison or review sites and manual-collection sites are never used as a source here.

Every model is researched once, and new models are researched as they join the catalog.

Limits: many brands sold mainly on Amazon publish no specification page. Their models keep only what their Amazon listing states. A figure from a register always replaces the maker's figure.

When the maker publishes no page for a model, we use the product pages of established national retailers, with their own specification tables. Examples are Lowe's product documents, Staples and AJ Madison.

This source covers 8 of the 465 models in our catalog. The fields we take are:

• height, width, depth and total volume;
• annual energy use (kWh per year);
• noise level (dB);
• warranty in years;
• whether the door is reversible.

For each model, we search for its exact model number. We keep a figure only when our server opens the retailer's page again and finds the model number and that figure on it. Only retailers on our list of established national retailers count. A marketplace seller, a comparison, review or deals site, or an unknown shop is never used.

Every model is researched once, and new models are researched as they join the catalog.

Limits: a retailer copies the maker's figures and can make mistakes. A figure from a register or from the maker's own page always replaces it.

Each product's own Amazon.com listing is written by the seller under Amazon's catalog rules. It includes technical details, a description and customer reviews. All 465 models in our catalog have a listing, so this source covers every model, and it ranks last in our order of trust.

From the listing we take type, capacity, freezer capacity, width, height, power source and defrost. An AI model reads the listing and fills a field only when it can quote the listing's own words for it. Our code then checks that the quote is in the listing and that the figure is in the quote.

For 291 models we also show an owner summary. It is the listing's customer reviews, summarised by an AI model, with the number of reviews read.

Listings are read when a model joins the catalog. Prices are refreshed separately and shown with the date they were collected.

Limits: a listing can be incomplete or approximate. A figure from a register or from the maker's page always replaces the listing's figure.

The comparison covers 465 fridges. A model enters it when it reaches a rating of 3.5/5 and at least 5 customer reviews on Amazon.com. Stock is not a criterion.

Prices come from the product pages on Amazon.com and are updated every 7 days. The date each price was collected is shown next to it. A model without a price is out of stock.

The cost over 10 years is today's purchase price plus annual energy use, multiplied by the price per kWh and by 10 years, at a constant rate. Annual energy use is the certified figure, or the one from the EnergyGuide label on the listing. The price per kWh is $0.1816, the U.S. average residential price for August 2026 (18.16 cents/kWh) from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A.

For the fit check, you enter the height, width and depth available, in inches. We keep the models whose dimensions fit inside and show the margin left. The dimensions are the official height and width for ENERGY STAR models and the ones on the Amazon.com listing otherwise. The clearance needed for ventilation and for opening the door is given in each model's manual.

A model carries at most one badge, computed within its category, and the rule shows on hover:

• Most popular: the most customer reviews;
• Top rated: the best rating among the models with at least 100 customer reviews;
• Best price per cubic foot;
• Most efficient: energy use for its size.

In the AI search you describe what you need in one sentence. An AI model turns it into the comparison's filters, which you see and can remove. It writes no answer and only handles searches about fridges. The quiz has 5 questions: models that match at least half of your answers are kept and ranked from best to least match.

You can compare up to 4 models side by side, with the best figure in each row highlighted, and share the comparison with a link. Every filter has a "?" that explains it, and the filters and the sort are written into the page address, which can be shared. A heart on each product card adds it to your favorites. That list stays in your browser and we never receive it.

Links to Amazon are affiliate links: we earn a commission on a purchase, at no extra cost to you. No manufacturer pays to be listed or ranked higher.

If you see a figure that looks wrong, tell us through the contact page.