The LG LS27T3230S is a standard-depth 36" side-by-side fridge. It features an inverter-controlled compressor, a through-door water dispenser, an ice maker on the freezer side, and Wi-Fi integration, so you can adjust your fridge and freezer temperatures via a smartphone app.
We've tested over 35 refrigerators. We purchase ourselves each unit independently from major retailers, just like you, to keep our reviews free of brand influence. Each refrigerator undergoes the same tests to measure objective metrics such as temperature uniformity, ice making, produce preservation, parts availability, and actual storage capacity, so you can easily compare results.
Our Verdict
The LG LS27T3230S is decent for everyday use. There's ample storage in its fridge and freezer, so you won't have trouble finding space for your groceries, even if you're shopping for a larger family. Aside from warmer spots in the lower sections of the fridge and freezer, temperatures are pretty uniform, so you don't need to be too diligent about placement when unpacking groceries. That said, this fridge doesn't do the best job of keeping produce crisp and fresh.
Excellent fridge capacity.
Remarkably spacious freezer.
Good temperature consistency across fridge shelves.
Lower and middle door bins are warmer than the rest of the fridge cabinet.
Lower sections of the freezer are warmer than baseline.
Dry fridge environment wilts fresh produce quickly.
The LG LS27T3230S's produce preservation performance is sub-par. Its single-evaporator design results in cold, dry air being shared across the freezer and fridge compartments. This low-moisture environment wilts produce with a high water content, such as spinach or celery, within a relatively short span of time.
Dry fridge environment wilts fresh produce quickly.
The LG LS27T3230S's fridge capacity is excellent. The cabinet is deep and tall, so you can stack meal prep containers or bottles inside without having to move things around too much. That said, like any side-by-side model, you might find it hard to fit especially wide items, like oven trays, inside, or reach items tucked away at the back of the cabinet. The cabinet also features spacious door bins and a pair of produce drawers that can accommodate large amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Excellent fridge capacity.
The LG LS27T3230S has superb freezer capacity. The freezer compartment is deep enough to accommodate large boxed items, though you might need to flip wider items upright or on their sides to fit inside. The in-door ice maker is a significant asset here, as this design frees up a lot of space along the upper section of the compartment.
Remarkably spacious freezer.
The LG LS27T3230S does a good job of keeping temperatures in both its cabinets uniform. Temperatures along its fridge shelves are pretty consistent, though its lower door bins trend a little warmer than the baseline and are best used for chilling drinks or condiments. The freezer follows a similar trend, with the downward-facing cooling vent at the top of the cabinet causing the upper section to be much colder than the lower shelves.
Good temperature consistency across fridge shelves.
Lower and middle door bins are warmer than the rest of the fridge cabinet.
Lower sections of the freezer are warmer than baseline.
The LG LS27T3230S's ice-making performance is decent. From empty, it can produce enough ice in 24 hours for a small family get-together, but it'll quickly run dry when serving iced drinks to a bigger crowd. At full capacity, the ice bucket can hold enough ice for mid-sized gatherings of five to six people, but that's about it. With larger gatherings, you're better off putting the large freezer to work and filling a separate container with ice, or simply buying a bag of ice instead.
Ice bucket has enough room for medium-sized gatherings.
Somewhat slow ice production rate.
Performance Usages
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
This fridge is only available in a stainless steel finish. For those interested, here's the product label for the model we bought and tested.
Let us know in the comments if you come across another variant of this refrigerator so that we can update our review.
Popular Refrigerator Comparisons
The LG LS27T3230S is a mid-range 36" side-by-side fridge. It's a good option for bigger families who want a side-by-side model, with even more space in its fridge cabinet than segment standouts like the Whirlpool WRS588FIHZ. Beyond that, its inverter-controlled compressor results in pretty consistent temperatures across both cabinets, though the Frigidaire FRSS2623AS does even better in this regard. The LG's one glaring weakness is its middling produce-preservation performance: while less spacious, the GE GSS25GYPFS will do a better job of keeping items like spinach and celery crisp.
If you're shopping for alternatives, see our recommendations for the best side-by-side refrigerators, the best refrigerators with an ice maker, and the best refrigerator brands.
The Whirlpool WRS588FIHZ and LG LS27T3230S are pretty evenly-matched 36" standard-depth side-by-side units. The LG has a larger fridge compartment, while the Whirlpool has a larger freezer. In terms of overall refrigerator performance, they're in a near dead heat, with both models maintaining similarly consistent temperatures in their fridge compartments and both experiencing warmer lower sections in their freezer compartments. That said, the Whirlpool does have a faster-producing ice maker, though its ice bucket has virtually the same capacity as the LG's. Conversely, the LG is notably quieter.
The Frigidaire FRSS2623AS and LG LS27T3230S are evenly matched 36" side-by-side refrigerators with different strengths. The LG simply offers more space overall, with a higher capacity fridge compartment and an ice maker built into its freezer door, which yields more space than the Frigidaire's in-cabinet setup. While the LG also has more consistent temperatures throughout its fridge, the Frigidaire's freezer temperatures are more uniform. The Frigidaire also does a better job of keeping fresh produce crisp, and has an ice maker with a faster production rate and a bigger ice bucket.
The GE GSS25GYPFS performs slightly better than the LG LS27T3230S and is the better option if you don't need the extra space the LG provides. The GE has more consistent temperatures inside its freezer and does a notably better job of keeping fresh fruit and vegetables crisp. That said, as mentioned earlier, the LG is the one to get if you need more space; not only is its fridge cabinet significantly larger, its in-door ice maker frees up a lot more space in the freezer compared to the GE.
The LG LS27T3230S is a more versatile fridge than the Samsung RS27T5200SR. The LG and Samsung have similar total space, with the LG having marginally more freezer space and the Samsung slightly more fridge space. That said, the LG does maintain more consistent freezer temperatures, and its in-door ice maker produces ice faster and can hold more ice.
Test Results
The LG LS27T3230S's fridge cabinet is amazingly spacious. It's slightly narrower than that of the Whirlpool WRS588FIHZ, another side-by-side unit with impressive capacity, but it's also deeper and taller, making it a little easier to fit taller bottles and longer casserole dishes. Of course, given that this is a deep but narrow space, you might have some trouble pulling out items at the back of the cabinet.
The two pull-out trays at the bottom of the cabinet also have sufficient capacity for larger produce, such as melons or bags of apples, while the door bins are deep enough to accommodate cartons of juice or milk.
This unit has an amazingly large freezer compartment. Its in-door ice maker frees up a lot of space compared to side-by-side models with more conventional in-freezer setups, such as the Frigidaire FRSS2623AS. Moreover, the cabinet itself is deep and quite tall, so you can easily fit boxed items inside.
Like any side-by-side model, however, you'll likely have to set wider boxed items, like frozen pizzas, on their side to fit them in the cabinet.
This refrigerator uses a cooling system design similar to that of other LG units in a similar price range, namely the LG LF29H8330S. There's a single evaporator in the freezer and an inverter-controlled compressor. In real-world terms, a single-evaporator fridge has fewer failure points than a dual-evaporator model but also offers inferior produce preservation performance, since cold, dry air is shared between both cabinets.
The inverter-controlled compressor, meanwhile, produces more consistent temperatures and superior power efficiency compared to simpler fixed-speed units, which would need to cycle on and off to maintain your desired temperature. That said, the inverter control board does represent a potential point of failure versus a simpler fixed-speed component.
This fridge has an iteration of the low-profile in-door ice maker system also found in the LG LF29H8330S. Unlike that model, which has an in-fridge ice maker, the LS27T3230S's twist-tray-style ice maker is built entirely into the freezer door, freeing up space in the cabinet. As a result, this design requires no additional insulation and ducts, reducing potential failure points compared to an in-fridge system.
While twist-tray ice makers have a simple, space-efficient design, their flexible plastic molds can be rendered brittle from repeated mechanical and thermal stress and eventually crack.
There's a water and ice dispenser in the freezer door, along with an ice crushing function. Pressing the button with your glass turns on the integrated light to help you see how full your glass is in the dark.
Generally speaking, due to the additional water lines and added complexity of through-door assemblies, these designs tend to have more potential failure points than water dispensers built entirely into the fridge.
Authorized service coverage is very robust in major U.S. metropolitan areas, though it becomes more limited in rural states.
Refrigerator temperature consistency is great. There's very little temperature difference across the refrigerator shelves, so there's no need to be too particular about how you unpack your groceries in the main cabinet. That said, the lower and middle door bins in the fridge are notably warmer than the upper bin and should be used for chilling drinks or condiments rather than temperature-sensitive items like cream.
The LG LS27T3230S's freezer temperature uniformity is decent. The main cooling vent in the freezer is at the top of the cabinet, resulting in the upper and middle sections of the freezer being significantly colder than the bottom. As a result, we'd recommend keeping items like ice cream off the lower shelves, so they don't become too soft.
The LG LS27T3230S's produce preservation performance is sub-par. As is typical for a single-evaporator fridge, humidity inside the fridge compartment is quite low, and produce will lose moisture quickly if stored there. The crisper drawers also don't seal in that much moisture, and produce like spinach or lettuce won't last that much longer in there.
This unit's ice maker has a reasonable production rate. Within a 24-hour period, it can produce enough ice for drinks at a small family dinner, but you'll want to try to fill its ice bucket earlier if you're expecting company.
