Cult brand Smeg has scored the dubious honour of the 'worst fridge ever' in CHOICE’S independent lab testing.

The Smeg FAB38RCRAU scored just 22 per cent overall and 0 per cent for temperature stability.

"This Smeg fridge received a truly chilling score of 22 per cent – the worst fridge ever tested in CHOICE's independent lab," says Ashley Iredale, CHOICE fridge expert.

"This is even more appalling when you consider that it costs a whopping $3990. You might get a '50s style aesthetic from this fridge, but you'll also get the '50s levels of performance."

Fridges in CHOICE's lab are tested on: Temperature stability (30 per cent), temperature range (25 per cent), response to outside temperature change (20 per cent), temperature evenness (20 per cent) and default setting (5 per cent).

CHOICE also calculates a 'keeping food fresher longer' score based on temperature stability (40 per cent), temperature evenness (30 per cent), and response to outside temperature (30 per cent). CHOICE doesn't recommend any fridge with a 'keeping food fresher longer' score under 55 per cent.

CHOICE's experts discovered a number of problems with the Smeg FAB38RCRAU. One of the most concerning issues was its stability score – 0 per cent. This means that the temperature inside varies wildly, particularly in the freezer, which is really bad for food storage.

"This fridge also scored 22 per cent for its response to the outside temperature, meaning the temperature inside will change a lot depending on the temperature outside. If you buy this Smeg fridge, you'll need to constantly adjust the settings as the seasons change, or even if there's significant day to day temperature changes in the area you live in," says Mr Iredale.

"Another downside of the Smeg fridge is that it’s incredibly expensive to run, costing $1707 over the 10 year life of the fridge. Plus, there’s the cost of replacing all the food in the fridge that is likely going to go off far more quickly than it should."

"Don’t buy this fridge. It might look pretty, but when your food goes off all you'll have is a smelly Smeg in your kitchen," says Mr Iredale.

Are you in the market for a new fridge? Do you know what to look for in a fridge?