Best Refrigerator | Buying Guide : Things to consider while buying a Fridge

When it comes to refrigerators, options nowadays go far beyond simply getting a glass of ice water without having to open the door. With custom panels, you can get a built-in that exactly matches your kitchen cabinets. And forget four doors—some newer models have five or more. You can even pull out a refrigerated drawer and find it full of cold sodas. Our fridge-by-fridge guide helps you choose the right type for your family, demystifies claimed vs. usable storage space, and helps you to find the quietest models—so you, and your groceries, can chill out.

In modern times, a kitchen cannot exist without a refrigerator. The refrigerator was a thing for rich people few years back and now it has become a necessity. Refrigerators help in the storage of fruits and vegetables and keeping their freshness intact. It also provides space for delicious desserts and ice creams. Refrigerators also helps in keeping the level of nutrients in our food intact, which imparts a healthier living. Nowadays, due to the advancement of technology various types of refrigerators have been introduced in the market and thus it is difficult to make a decision on the kind of refrigerator one should buy because one needs to keep in mind the period for which he or she is planning to use the refrigerator. This decision depends on various factors, mainly capacity of storage, coverage of space, technologies introduced, consumption of energy, preferences of family members and also the budget.

Types of Refrigerators

Depending upon their sizes and the way they are built, refrigerators can be classified into five main types:

Single door

As the name suggests, these refrigerators have just one door, and range from a capacity of 150 to 250 litres. These are the most economical options available out there, and apart from fridge space, even offer modest freezer space. Single door refrigerators are mostly direct cool in nature, but even this is changing nowadays with many companies introducing a digital auto defrost option on their models.

Double door

These feature two doors, one on top of the other. While the upper compartment is reserved for the freezer, the lower one is meant for regular use. This way, you get more freezer space to use. A double door fridge usually has a capacity of 250 to 500 litres. Such refrigerators are also built to use less energy, and they are always frost free in nature. Double door models are energy efficient, and they ship with toughened glass shelves too.

Triple door

Triple door refrigerators are taller and slimmer than other models, and are great for homes with less floor space. They come in capacities of 250 to 350 litres. The door at the top is for the freezer, the middle one is for regular use and the lower one is a crisper – aka vegetable drawer. Triple door models come with frost free technology and toughened glass shelves.

Side by side

Side by side refrigerators are the most expensive models out there, and hence are equipped with the latest technologies. With capacities ranging from 550 to 850 litres, these refrigerators offer huge storage space with several different sections. Some even come with water and ice dispensers in the front. They are of course frost free in nature, and come with toughened glass shelves.

Mini

Mini refrigerators are tiny in size and just offer basic cooling for keeping your food fresh. They can be up to 100 litres in capacity. They might have a very small freezer integrated into them, but this is not always the case. They are always direct cool in nature.

Capacity

The capacity of a refrigerator is measured in litres. The range from the lowest capacity to the highest has grown exponentially these days. But for you to be able to decide your requirement, one key factor needs to be considered – the size of your family. This determines the amount of food you will be keeping inside your fridge. For a couple with one child, a 150 to 250-litre refrigerator should suffice. For a larger family of four to five people, you might want to go for a 250 to 500-litre one. But if it’s a family of four comprising of two adults and two children, a 250 to 350-litre fridge is good enough. Large families of six to seven people will of course require a big refrigerator with a capacity of anywhere between 550 to 850 litres. On the other end of the spectrum, you have refrigerators with capacities of 40 to 100 litres. These are the best fit if you live alone. Sometimes, you might require a higher capacity despite not having many family members, so it’s always advisable to consider your requirements in detail before deciding the capacity.

Space

The amount of space available in your house is also a big consideration while choosing your fridge. You can always read the measurements of the refrigerator of your choice and see whether it fits in your available space. While doing this, don’t forget to consider that the fridge doors will also need some space in order to be opened freely, and you’ll need at least an inch of space at the top and back to allow heat to escape easily. Sometimes, bringing the fridge inside your house can also be a hassle due to the shortage of space in a staircase or elevator. This is a major aspect to consider before buying the model of your choice.

Defrosting

All fridges require cool air circulation inside their compartments. When it comes to direct cool options, this circulation is handled through natural convection, without any external help. A major disadvantage of this method is uneven distribution, which leads to the forming of ice in the refrigerator. You hence need to manually defrost the fridge regularly. A few advantages of this technology are the fact they these refrigerators are economical and consume less electricity.

The name frost free itself tells us that there’s no frost or ice to deal with. These refrigerators circulate the cool air evenly with the help of electric fans. This method does not allow ice to form inside the compartments, and hence does not subject your food to freezer burn. But they are more expensive than direct cool refrigerators, and consume more electricity due to their usage of fans.

Appearance

Since you will be using your refrigerator every day, the finish and style can have a huge impact on the decor of your kitchen. Choose a fridge with a clean look that blends with the interiors of your kitchen. Stainless steel is the most popular finish among consumers, though keep in mind that it won’t hold magnets. Some new refrigerators also come with the black stainless steel finish, which is not only easier to maintain but also less messy. You also go with bold colors like red, though such finishes are not available on high-end models.

Energy efficiency

When you buy a new fridge or a used model, always look for the Energy Star label, which tells consumers how much electricity a refrigerator consumes per unit. More the number of stars for a fridge, the lesser energy it uses.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) rates the efficiency of the refrigerators based on the electricity consumption. The ratings are in the form of stars with a 5-star rating being the most efficient.

However, you should note that these ratings are available for the single door and the frost-free refrigerators alone.

Investing in a 5-star refrigerator can be expensive initially but they are economical over a period because of the regular savings in electricity. The inverter models are also very effective.

Space

You may decide to put your new refrigerator in a new spot in your kitchen, or you might just use the same space. Either way, you’ll need to take measurements to deduce whether you have room for a bigger fridge, or if you should take advantage of a compact model.

Measure the height, depth, and width, and take note of the free space available for opening the doors. Additionally, record the door and hallway clearance space so you can plan for delivery.

Usage

Are you single, a couple, or a family of five? Do you eat out a lot or frequently cater to large groups of guests? These are the kinds of factors that play into settling on the refrigerator you need. Think about your history with your current appliance and make a list of pros and cons. If you’ve frequently struggled with an over-stuffed freezer or have difficulty finding what you are looking for, you’ll want your new refrigerator to solve these problems.

Other Features

There are plenty of additional features that modern refrigerators offer to make your lives easier. Let’s have a look at the main ones among them:

Water/ice dispensers

Water and ice dispensers are found mostly on side by side models. They allow you to grab cold water or ice cubes without opening the fridge. You can simply press your glass against an inbuilt lever to dispense cold water or ice.

Toughened glass shelves

If long-term use of your refrigerator is a priority, always look for models with toughened glass shelves. They are more durable than plastic shelves, and can take more weight.

Convertible fridges

Some refrigerators offer convertible technology, and are incredibly useful if you’re constantly running out of space in your fridge. That’s because they allow you to easily convert the freezer compartment into fridge space.

Adjustable shelving

Brought a large cake for a birthday party and have no space to keep it in the fridge? Adjustable shelves come to the rescue at such times, as you can remove a few to allow bigger items to be stored.

Cool pack

Cool pack is a feature that’s capable of keeping the freezer cool for up to 12 hours without any power supply. Such refrigerators are very handy in areas where there are constant power cuts.

Voltage stabiliser

If you live in areas where there are frequent voltage fluctuations, a refrigerator with a built-in voltage stabiliser is the best choice. These models can protect the compressor from high voltage fluctuations.

Deodoriser

Deodorisers remove odour from your fridge with the use of powerful filters. This ensures that there’s no foul smell coming from the fridge each time you open it.