Avoid This Common Pitfall When Buying A New Fridge (It's An Easy Mistake To Make)

American families are updating their kitchens in higher numbers each year and spending more money to do it. Almost half of American homes are more than 40 years old, which is contributing to the uptick in kitchen remodels, according to a National Association of Realtors report. For homeowners in this boat looking to bring their kitchens into modern times, we're here to save you from the most common mistake people make when shopping for their new fridge: Don't get distracted by bells and whistles, sleek design, and modern technology.

We've seen that AI set its sights on taking over restaurant kitchens, so it's no surprise to see household fridge makers following suit. Smart fridges like Samsung models with Family Hub allow for people to use apps and communicate commands. With these advancements, it's easy to be pulled toward the largest, sleekest, most futuristic fridges in the showroom, but evidence shows that's not always the best match for shoppers.

The National Institute of Health published a study of regretted appliance purchases in 2017 and found that 53% of adults regretted purchasing an electrical device. The most common complaints from homeowners were frustration at the pace technology advances and resentment at how quickly the latest and greatest appliances become outdated and obsolete. In other words, shoppers discovered that keeping up didn't quite lead to the reward they'd hoped. Being aware of this pitfall can help to reduce buyer's remorse and lead to more satisfied purchases.

Every family's needs in the kitchen are unique. A single adult, married couple, or family with one child might not need the highest width dimensions — they might just need to pay attention to optimizing their usage of the freezer and storing eggs the right way. And when it comes to technology, how much does each family member make use of smart features across other devices already in the home? Outside of the family, advice can also be gleaned through friends, neighbors, and trusted reviews. We've started the legwork by reporting what reviewers think are the most overpriced kitchen appliance brands.

Another place for honest feedback is Reddit. One person took to the site to warn other users at r/Appliances to beware of fluff marketing. They referred to purchasing an LG Studio fridge (middle-grade between standard LG and LG Premium) and said, "the LG [Studio] feels like the epitome of lipstick on a pig in that it seems to be the exact same dumb LG fridge, just styled more nicely." In another thread at r/homeowners, a poster asked for opinions on whether smart fridges are worth the money. Many commenters told the poster not to bother, with one referring to the smart fridge they purchased as garbage and claiming that the screen broke and most apps stopped working within the first two years.