This Refrigerator Gets Consumer Reports’ Lowest Quality Score
Budget appliances are always a gamble, but some bets are worse than others. One such poor choice might be the Danby DPF074B2WDB-6, a 7.4-cubic-foot apartment-sized fridge that earned Consumer Reports’ lowest quality score in its latest round of testing. In fact, it was bad enough to earn a place among the worst home appliances Consumer Reports tested in 2025.
So what went wrong? Well, pretty much everything that Consumer Reports tests for this particular category, actually. The organization gave it rock-bottom marks in ease of use, which is not exactly what you want from something you open multiple times a day. Moreover, the crisper drawer — the bin at the bottom where your vegetables are supposed to stay fresh — basically fails at retaining moisture. On top of all that, it performed poorly in energy efficiency tests, too. Considering how much electricity a refrigerator uses over its lifetime, you’d end up paying noticeably more on your electricity bill for the privilege of owning the Danby. Oh, and there’s no icemaker.
The good news is that Danby tends to price its products lower than most competitors. This particular model has an MSRP of $599.99, which is relatively affordable for a full-size-ish fridge. The model is also marketed as a mid-size option that works well in apartments, cottages, and offices. Other positives include the fact that the fridge comes with adjustable glass shelves, a reversible door hinge, and a transparent crisper bin. But whether these extras make up for the downsides is another story.
What actual buyers have to say
If you’re willing to give the Danby DPF074B2WDB-6 the benefit of the doubt, it’s worth noting that the fridge has a fairly positive average rating from about 25 reviewers on the Danby website. It’s a stark contrast to what Consumer Reports found. But then there’s also Consumer Affairs, a separate review platform not affiliated with Consumer Reports. On it, the brand itself sits at a noticeably more middling score based on over 40 reviews.
A lot of the negative feedback on that platform focuses less on individual fridge performance and more on what happens after something goes wrong. Multiple reviewers mention warranty and customer service issues, with some claiming that Danby flat-out refused repairs because replacement parts had been discontinued. Perhaps the most sobering review came from a buyer who described buying three defective units from Costco before getting one that actually worked. Unfortunately, even that only lasted a few years before breaking down. Now, the company does offer a 12-month warranty covering parts and labor, but several customers felt that wasn’t nearly enough.
Danby has been around since 1947 and positions itself as a family-run North American company focused on compact, affordable appliances. That’s a decent enough pitch for many people. But the Consumer Reports testing, combined with recurring complaints about durability and post-sale support, paint a less flattering picture. If you’re shopping on a budget and are a fan of Danby products, then this particular model, at least, is probably one to skip. That said, there are a few cheap refrigerators that are actually high quality if you know where to look.
