Buying home appliances is no longer as simple as going to the store and picking up a random product you like. Nowadays, there are a lot of ways to make your shopping cycle much simpler.
Most people now fairly compare and buy products through e-commerce websites. Still, while comparing different products together, you only get to see the available features and might miss some features that don't occur in those specific items.
To make sure you don't miss anything, this blog can be your reference for information.
So let's know all about REFRIGERATORS!
Refrigerator Characteristics
Because of the technological growth that we have been experiencing over the past decade, refrigerators are not just single-door appliances anymore. Different types, styles, sizes, capacities…etc. of refrigerators have arisen to suit all houses, tastes, and needs.
Refrigerator types
We all know the three traditional figures: the top-freezer refrigerator, the bottom-freezer refrigerator, and the side-by-side refrigerator. Still, there is also a new type introduced lately to the market, the French door refrigerator, which comes in different designs. Find details and images below.
Top-Freezer Refrigerators:
Top-Freezer models can be the perfect choice in a limited space as it gives you the most capacity compared to their size, not to mention the affordable price. Their sizes vary between 24-33 inches, and the claimed capacity range between 150 Liters - 250 Liters.
Bottom-Freezer Refrigerators:
The bottom-Freezer model looks the same as the Top-Freezer model but with the freezer beneath the refrigerator. They are almost the same size and capacity (24-33 inches and 150 Liters - 250 Liters); yet if you visit the freezer frequently, the Bottom-model freezer would be a better choice for you as it's more accessible concerning the price difference between both models.
Side-By-Side Refrigerators:
A fridge on one side and a freezer on the other. Side-By-Side refrigerators usually have through-the-door ice, and water features; needless to say, extra features, sizes, and capacity comes with a higher price. Its sizes differ between 33-36 inches, with a claimed capacity of range between 350 Liters - 490 Liters.
French-Door Refrigerators: French-Door models come in different designs; the two top doors and the bottom freezer are the most common. You can also find it in a quad shape with 2 top doors for refrigerators and 2 bottom doors for the freezer or with one or more drawers separating the fridge and the freezer. Its size varies between 28-37 inches, and the claimed capacity can range between 250 Liters - 490 Liters.
Refrigerator Styles:
Refrigerators have two styles, the one that we are used to, aka Freestanding, and the newest style, built-in refrigerators. Choosing the type mainly depends on your budget, kitchen design, and the features and capacity you need. Before buying any of them, you have to determine your kitchen design, the space you have for the refrigerator, and the working space to ensure it's not obstructing your motion. Built-in refrigerators are usually 85 tall inches, 30-49 inches wide, and of 250 Liters - 490 Liters capacity.
Refrigerators' Latest Features And Technology
Lately, we have seen a lot of features that we never expected, and they keep surprising us with more and more.
The door-in-door feature now eases your access to frequently used items as you don't have to open the whole door of the fridge anymore so that you can put the most used items in that space. (image)
Through-the-door/Outdoor ice and water dispensers, the favorite feature of most people, no longer need to open the fridge every 5 mins to have a cup of water or bring ice for your drink.
Temperature control allows you to control the temperature in some regions of your fridge. (image)
Knock on, you don't have to open the fridge to scan what you can eat, just knock on, and you'll be able to see everything from outside. (image)
Flexible shelves lot of fridges now have that feature of making the shelves and drawers space flexible; you can easily change, replace or remove shelves and drawers following the lengths and widths of the items you're storing.
After we learned about refrigerators, let's move to the next step: choosing your ideal refrigerator.
Choose Your Ideal Option
Many people fall under the salesperson's magic when they visit the store to buy a home appliance without enough knowledge; the salesperson would start asking you about all the features you want and recommend some extra features and refrigerators.
But they mostly forget about a crucial part: would that recommendation fit your place, and does it match your kitchen design?
Usual speech, first, prioritize the features you need from the most important to less important features and set your budget. Hence, you stay focused on what you need instead of getting drifted by options and technologies.
How to size up your refrigerator?
First things first, you need to decide on the capacity required for your family based on your kitchen size and design.
Family size, two adults need around 100-150 liters capacity, so if you have a small family of 3 to 4 people or you're newlywed, a 150 to 250 liters fridge is more than enough for you; that means you may need to consider the top-freezer or the bottom-freezer refrigerators.
For larger families, you'd want to compare side-by-side or the French-door options with more than 250 liters.
How to install your refrigerator?
Before considering the installation process, you must choose whether you're going with the freestanding or the built-in refrigerators.
Freestanding measures
Step 1: Measuring the refrigerator’s width.
Measure from the wall to the counter, cabinet to
cabinet, or anything on either side of your refrigerator space.
Don't forget to leave 2½ inches between the wall and the hinge side of the door so it can swing open.
Step 2: Measuring the refrigerator’s height.
If you have cabinets above your refrigerator cutout, measure from the floor to the bottom of the cabinets.
Step 3: Measuring the refrigerator's depth.
Measure from the wall to the edge of your countertop. These dimensions should be roughly 24 to 25 inches deep.
More measures that will help you,
Depth including fridge doors
Depth excluding fridge doors
Depth with fridge closed (including handles)
Depth with fridge closed (excluding handles)
Depth with the fridge door open at 90 degrees
Depth with fridge door and drawers open
Measure the space in front of the refrigerator so doors and drawers can open without struggling.
Step 4: Determining the ventilation space.
To ensure the fridge can cool without overheating, you need to allow ½ inch from all sides of the appliance.
Allow for ½ inch of space on either side of the fridge.
Allow for ½ inch of space above the refrigerator.
Allow for ½ inch of space between the back of the fridge and the wall.
Built-in measures
Measuring the cabinetry for the built-in fridge can be almost the same, yet built-in comes with more options, and the good thing is that you can customize the door.
Electricity Guide
Before choosing your refrigerator, it's imperative to know about each fridge's energy consumption and electricity guide. Take a look at the electricity guide below.
Modern fridges are now more energy efficient. The electricity consumption range between 100 to 400 watts depending on size; a large fridge will use about 180 watts or 1575 kWh annually.
DC inverter technology now helps as it can automatically adapt to sudden changes in the refrigerator power if you keep the fridge door open for so long or work with a saving mode in normal circumstances.
The inverter also is a way to measure the power of your refrigerator.
And to figure out which inverter is the best for your fridge, you can measure it based on three main factors, the surge power in watts and the continuous power in watts.
Find below a figure to help you choose the best inverter.
Refrigerator type | Refrigerator Size | Power Usage (Watts) | Inverter size (Cont.) | Inverter size (Surge) |
Mini-fridge | 100 liters | 75W | 400W | 800W |
RV fridge | 280 liters | 150W | 750W | 1500W |
Full-size fridge 1 | 450 liters | 200W | 1000W | 2000W |
Full-size fridge 2 | More than 500 liters | 300W | 1500W | 3000W |
Refrigerator's Material
Different fridge materials and colors might seem less important, yet you want to ensure you get it and then struggle to clean it. If you're going for a stainless steel one, make sure you get a dark one that doesn't leave fingerprints or stains on it; as for the internal body, glass shelves are much easier to clean than white plastic ones.
For more shopping tips and products, follow eXtra's how-to-buy series of blogs.