Best Labor Day Sales on Large Appliances

Since last week, the price for this fridge has dropped $150 to a new low at Best Buy, beating the best price we’ve seen this year by $50. Equipped with an external water/ice dispenser, touchpad controls, and gallon-sized storage bins on the doors, the low-priced 33-inch Whirlpool WRS321SDHZ hits our thermostat control test out of the park. This side-by-side fridge also earns a solid rating for temperature uniformity, midlevel ratings for noise output and ease of use, and a substandard rating for energy efficiency. In our member surveys, Whirlpool’s side-by-side models earned a passable rating for predicted reliability and a rock-bottom rating for owner satisfaction.

The 33-inch GE GSE23GGPWW earns stellar ratings for temperature uniformity and thermostat performance. This side-by-side model also receives a strong score for ease of use, and it’s equipped with some nice bells and whistles, including digital controls, a built-in water filter, and a through-the-door water/ice dispenser. In our latest member survey, GE side-by-side refrigerators received a very good rating for predicted reliability but a lousy score for owner satisfaction.

The 36-inch, budget-friendly GE GSS25GYPFS is a strong performer in our tests, with a top score for thermostat performance and strong scores for temperature uniformity and ease of use. It also receives satisfactory scores for energy efficiency and noise output. This GE has a stainless steel finish and features an icemaker, a through-the-door water and ice dispenser, a built-in water filter, and digital temperature controls. In our latest member survey, GE side-by-sides received a very good rating for predicted reliability but a poor rating for owner satisfaction.

The GE GZS22IYNFS is a 36-inch-wide side-by-side stainless steel refrigerator that performs well in most of our tests. It receives a top-level score for thermostat performance and very good scores for ease of use and temperature uniformity. However, it receives just satisfactory ratings in our energy efficiency and noise tests. As for features, it includes a built-in water filter, a through-the-door ice and water dispenser, and digital temperature controls. It also has edge-to-edge shelves and full-coverage LED lighting.

The price for this model has dropped $130 since last week, making it the best price I’ve seen all year and beating its July Fourth price by $50. At just 24 inches wide, the Whirlpool WRT112CZJZ is one of the smallest top-freezers available, yet it delivers strong performance all around. This refrigerator garners stellar ratings for temperature uniformity and noise output, making it one of the quietest top-freezers we’ve tested, and it receives a strong rating for energy efficiency. But it gets our lowest rating for ease of use. In surveys of our members, Whirlpool top-freezers got a top-notch rating for predicted reliability but a poor rating for owner satisfaction, a common combination with top-freezer brands.

The 28-inch Samsung RT16A6195SR has fallen $50 since last week. It’s still $50 more than its July Fourth price, so it may get a little cheaper over Labor Day weekend, but odds are this is as good as it gets. This model turns in solid, above-average performance among top-freezers, notching our highest possible scores for thermostat control, temperature uniformity, and energy efficiency, while earning a middling rating for noise. (Ease of use gets a less-than-satisfactory rating, but that’s typical for top-freezers.) Features are scarce here, per the norm, but it does come with gallon storage on the door and spillproof shelves. In our member surveys, Samsung top-freezers received an exemplary score for predicted reliability but just a passable one for owner satisfaction. This model has an optional icemaker.

The LG LT18S2100W delivers strong performance all around, and given its price, it’s also an incredible bargain, especially since Home Depot and Lowe’s still have the same price we saw for July Fourth. This refrigerator, 28 inches wide, garners stellar ratings for energy efficiency and thermostat control, and it’s also a great performer when it comes to temperature uniformity and noise output, making it one of the quieter top-freezers we’ve tested. But this model receives our lowest rating for ease of use. In surveys of our members, LG top-freezers got a top-notch rating for predicted reliability and a middling score for owner satisfaction.

The budget-friendly 28-inch Frigidaire FFHT1425VV is a great top-freezer fridge for performance. Right now, the price is $80 more than it typically has been this year for holiday weekend sales. So while it’s still a good deal, it’s one of the few whose price has not improved. It’s extremely energy-efficient, and it garners solid scores in all other tests except ease of use, where it receives an unsatisfactory rating (although that’s similar to many other top-freezers). According to our latest member survey, Frigidaire top-freezers are reliable but have poor owner satisfaction.

The Frigidaire FFHT2022AW, $50 more than the usual holiday sale price, earns top-level ratings for thermostat control and energy efficiency, and a pleasing one for temperature uniformity. Though it has a poor rating for ease of use, the Frigidaire has features like an optional icemaker and gallon storage on the door that should make it more enjoyable to use. In member surveys, Frigidaire earned a very good predicted reliability rating but an abysmal owner satisfaction score.

The LG WM3400CW is already quite inexpensive even when it’s not discounted, but Lowe’s just dropped the price by over $100. Especially given the quality of its performance, it’s a smart buy as well as an environmentally friendly choice. You still get exceptional washing performance along with water and energy efficiency. But this model isn’t particularly gentle on fabric, so you might want to try the delicate cycle for your best threads. This washer’s claimed capacity is 4.5 cubic feet, and its cycle time is 105 minutes.

Overall, the Electrolux ELFW4222AW, which is now $100 more than the best price we’ve seen and $50 more than it was for July Fourth, does very well across CR’s tests. Its washing performance and water efficiency are excellent, and its energy efficiency, gentleness on clothes, and vibration levels during its 65-minute operation earn very good ratings. Based on CR members’ responses from our most recent surveys, Electrolux got an excellent score for predicted reliability. (Electrolux and LG are the only companies with a compact washing machine that achieves this rating.) But its owner satisfaction score was only adequate.

One of the most budget-friendly top-load agitators in our tests, the LG WT7005CW is the same price at Home Depot as we saw during July Fourth sales. This eco-friendly Green Choice washer isn’t the gentlest on clothes, but it conserves energy and water. It’s among the quietest models in our tests and causes little to no vibration, meaning it won’t disturb you with rumbling. The cycle time is 70 minutes using the normal-wash, heavy-soil setting. Shorten it by using the normal-soil setting when you can.

The top-rated LG DLE3400W is just $40 more than its best price. We expect it to perform similarly to the CR-tested LG DLEX3700W (now discontinued). The tested model delivers solid performance across the board, nabbing an ace rating for noise and ratings near the top in our drying and convenience tests. This stackable Energy Star certified machine, with a claimed capacity of 7.4 cubic feet, is equipped with a moisture sensor, an extended tumble, custom programs, and an end-of-cycle signal—offering all these features at a fairly low price.

The LG DLGX5501W offers great performance and some nice extras at a moderate price. It was recently $50 less, but this is still $50 below the July Fourth price. There’s a small chance the price will drop back down to $950 over Labor Day weekend. It scores admirably in our tests for drying performance, convenience, and noise, and offers a steam option, extended tumble, and WiFi capability—and it’s our top-rated dryer. Its stainless steel drum has a 7.4-cubic-foot capacity. In our surveys, CR members ranked LG gas dryers at the top for both reliability and owner satisfaction.

Best Buy’s compact Insignia NS-CZ70WH0 is back down to its best price, making it a great low-cost option for adding freezer storage so you can stock up. It’s a champ at keeping a set temperature, and its thermostat is spot-on. Your food will survive a typical power outage, and this small chest freezer runs quietly. Energy efficiency is near the top, but some larger chest freezers are even more efficient.

Another Best Buy exclusive, the midsized Insignia NS-CZ10WH6 gets high scores in most of our tests. It’s back to the same low price retailers offered on Memorial Day, following a $50 increase for July Fourth. It’s an energy-efficient freezer with an accurate thermostat that does a great job of remaining at a constant temperature. And your food will be safe during a power outage; this model aced that test, too. On the downside, it lacks tiered bins, compartment dividers, and an interior light, leading to a failing score for ease of use.

The self-defrosting GE FUF14DLRWW offers top performance at a good value, even if the price is $50 higher than it was for July Fourth. This small upright freezer aces both the thermostat control and temperature uniformity tests, and it’s very good (though not the best) at keeping food frozen during a power outage. It earns a middling score for noise. It’s impressive in energy efficiency and has a bonus quick-freeze feature, which is a welcome addition at this price.

The budget-friendly LG LDFC2423V is now $50 less than its July Fourth price. It got dinged in our member surveys for its middling reliability and satisfaction scores, but it has a lot going for it, starting with its stellar washing performance. It’s also considerably less expensive than the Bosch models that dominate this category. This model is also fairly quiet when running and has some of the design perks that make life a lot easier, like a soil sensor, an adjustable upper rack, adjustable tines, and a time-remaining display. That said, its drying performance is just okay.

The Whirlpool WDTA50SAKZ dishwasher is already one of the best options under $1,000, and it’s back down to the best price I’ve seen all year. It’s a strong performer, with a third rack and an upscale look for the price, including integrated controls. Whirlpool also earned a very good rating for predicted reliability and a midlevel score for owner satisfaction based on data from our reader surveys. It’s similar to lower-end models from KitchenAid, which is also owned by Whirlpool.

The 33-inch GE GNE25JYKFS is $100 more than it was for the last big sale. It’s still a big discount, but you may want to hold out in case the price drops for Labor Day weekend itself. It’s a strong performer with a ton of useful features. In our tests, it receives excellent scores for thermostat performance and temperature uniformity, great scores for energy efficiency and ease of use, and satisfactory scores for its noise output (it’s not the quietest fridge but also not the loudest), icemaker performance, and crisper drawer performance. Its many features include an internal water dispenser, a built-in water filter, spillproof shelves, uniquely adjustable shelves that you can raise and lower without removing food, split shelves for better organization, and digital temperature controls.

The 33-inch-wide LG LF25H6330S is $100 more than the best price we’ve seen this year, so there’s a small chance the price will drop on Labor Day. It does very well in our lab tests, receiving top scores for thermostat control and temperature uniformity, very good scores for low noise output and ease of use, and a midlevel score for energy efficiency. This WiFi-enabled fridge features a stainless steel finish, an icemaker, a through-the-door water/ice dispenser, a built-in water filter, split shelves for better organization, and digital temperature controls. In our latest member survey, LG French-doors received midrange scores for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction.

The LG LREL6321S single oven is an exceptionally strong performer at a great price, especially since it’s fallen $50 compared to last week. It heats fast and simmers steadily on top of the stove, earning an excellent performance rating in our cooktop high and low tests. It also bakes and broils evenly. There’s no convection mode, but you’ll find a warming element, along with two high-powered burners on the cooktop. LG earned high reliability ratings for its electric ovens based on our member surveys.

The Samsung NE63A6751SS lands just behind the other double-oven ranges we’ve tested in overall performance but still has plenty to offer—and it’s reasonably priced, too. Abt Electronics sold it for $999 during Memorial Day weekend, but the price never dipped lower than this for July Fourth, so I’m willing to bet this is as good as it will get for Labor Day (but it can’t hurt to wait and see). This range scores admirably in just about every test, notably earning top ratings for low heat, baking, and oven capacity. Among other handy features, there’s a convertible oven that can be partitioned to work as either a single- or double-oven model, a convection mode in both ovens, and an air-fry setting.

The GE JGBS86SPSS is the least expensive model of the double-oven gas ranges recommended by CR, and the sale price has dropped $100 compared to last week. But it doesn’t skimp on features. It’s equipped with continuous cast-iron grates, two high-power burners, and convection and air-frying modes. The ovens perform solidly in our baking and broiling tests, and the cooktop simmers very steadily, but its boiling speed is on the slower side of all the gas ranges we’ve tested. Based on our CR member surveys, GE gas ranges are top-notch for reliability and so-so for owner satisfaction.

The sleek slide-in GE Profile PGS930YPFS offers performance on a par with other top competitors. More importantly, GE gas ranges were among the most reliable of any brand in our member surveys. In addition, the top of the stove performance is admirable—heating fast and maintaining steady simmers—as is the oven performance, earning solid scores for both baking and broiling. This range comes with features like an integrated griddle burner, convection, and WiFi connectivity.

The top-rated GE Profile PGB965YPFS is $100 more than its lowest price of the year, which it reached for Presidents Day and July Fourth, but not Memorial Day, so there’s still a small chance the price could drop on Labor Day. In addition to convection and air-frying modes, this range has continuous grates, a griddle, two high-power burners, and WiFi connectivity. It’s also a stellar performer, holding steady simmers and baking beautifully, all while offering exceptional reliability. But broiling is just so-so, and the self-clean cycle isn’t as effective as it could be, so you’ll still need to do some scrubbing. If you want the sleek look of a slide-in, consider the GE Profile PGS960YPFS. It has front-mounted controls; we haven’t tested the PGS960YPFS but expect it to perform almost identically to the tested model.

The stainless steel LG WSEP4727F receives excellent ratings from our baking and broiling tests. It also has adequate capacity and self-cleans well. The model comes with a temperature probe, as well as convection and air-fry modes. You can control the oven from the glass touch panel or from your smartphone. In our member surveys, LG electric wall ovens received solid scores for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction.

We haven’t tested the Café CTD70DP2NS1 yet, but we expect it to perform as well as the previously tested Café CTD70DM2NS5. The top-performer earns stellar marks for baking and broiling. It has two large oven cavities and effective self-clean cycles in each. It comes with many features, including convection and air-fry modes, along with touch controls, a built-in temperature probe, and WiFi connectivity. It’s the model to get if you need two ovens and want top-of-the-line performance with all the key features.