A method for controlling a refrigerator includes operating, for a set duration, a heating element of a sensor which responds to changes in air flow; sensing the temperature of the heating element in on or off state; and sensing residual frost on an evaporator on the basis of the difference in value of the temperature between a first sensed temperature, which is the lowest value, and a second sensed temperature, which is the highest value, from among the sensed temperatures of the heating element.