What is the Best Refrigerator?
Do you want to buy a refrigerator, but you don’t know which one is best for you?
Then, you have no reason to worry!
Table of Contents
Things to consider when buying a refrigerator
1. Type
Top freezer
The fridges with the freezer positioned at the top are the more traditional ones, they have a lot of space at the tip, but they are still quite narrow.
These tend to offer maximum space for their size. Manufacturers claim up to 22 cubic feet, but our tests found around 20% less. You have to leave a wide opening of the doors and get used to crouching to reach shelves and lower drawers.
Bottom freezer
These refrigerators range from 70 to 90 centimeters in width. The declared capacities are close to 10 cubic meters, even if the usable space is less than comparable top freezers (which cost less than these).
Instead of the freezer (which is used much less) located at eye level, your fridge shelves are easily scanned. Just get used to bending and rummaging through frozen products.
French door
It has two narrow doors and a freezer at the bottom. Sometimes there is a drawer (or more) in the middle. The widths vary from 70 to 90 centimeters.
The declared capacities go up to 10 cubic meters, although the usable space does not correspond to the models’ models with the freezer in the upper part. Space-saving overhead doors have the bonus of opening only half of the refrigerator when storing smaller items. Also, the newer ones have a trendy water/ice dispenser.
Side by side
With the refrigerator on one side and the freezer, they usually have temperature-controlled ice and water dispensers. With widths typically from 75 to 90 centimeters, they declare about 10 cubic meters (but only 70 percent usable).
Narrow doors are advantageous for small kitchens, but they don’t open wide enough for, say, a pizza box, tall, narrow compartments. Overall, they are not energy or space-efficient.
Recessed
Built-in refrigerators are more expensive than other brands and made to fit almost flush with cabinets and counters in your kitchens. These elegant beauties are typical with the freezer at the bottom, side-by-side, and French or four doors.
Built-in refrigerators are generally wide (90 centimeters or more), with a capacity of 7.5 cubic meters (of which only about 70 percent is usable). Can combine the optional front panels with your kitchen furniture. Another integrated option is a pedestal refrigerator, as narrow as 18 inches, to make the most of every kitchen corner.
Compact or mini
There are various brands perfect for a hobby room, office, kitchenette, or second home. Keep in mind that some models only have a quarter of a normal refrigerator’s capacity, but they cost the same to operate. In addition, thermal performance may be uncertain in some models, so keep these mini-fridges for drinks and other drinks or temporarily store snacks (rather than milk, mayonnaise, or other short-term products).
2. Capacity
Less than 200 liters
A small two-member family or a bachelor has less storage space than enough to hold small foods, condiments, and drinks. Therefore, it requires less space and is reasonably priced.
200-400 liters
Four Ample space families store cooked food has a large freezer and a vegetable basket for storing fresh produce.
More than 400 liters
For a large family of 6-8 people, more space to store fresh and cooked food and boxes such as pizza cartons, but on the other hand, it requires more space.
3. Energy rating
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) evaluated the refrigerators based on their energy efficiency. Almost all brand refrigerators on the market and the main manufacturers have refrigerators that show this energy efficiency with the scores.
The most energy-efficient refrigerator is accompanied by multiple signs and stars, while the least gets the letter D. So, the highest-rated fridges are more energy-efficient. They will provide lighter electricity bills than those with lower stars. All major manufacturers in 2020 show the rating on refrigerators, and a consumer should make sure to choose an energy-efficient one.
4. Noise
User reviews and opinions in 2020 are the best sources to understand if a refrigerator is noisy or not. Therefore, we have only recommended models with excellent noise scores, which have not been regularly criticized in user reviews and tests.
With that said, it’s difficult for anyone to guarantee that you will feel comfortable with a particular refrigerator. The compressors are buzzing, and it is difficult to say which combinations, and you cannot learn much in a showroom because the environment is too noisy, and the compressors are rarely turned on.
5. Temperature control
Don’t worry too much about this. Is lettuce faster in some refrigerators than others? Or do blueberries shape faster? According to the review, it certainly happened to everyone! Sure.
According to many opinions, the vast majority of refrigerators do their job well. The small variation in performance makes so little practical difference that it’s not worth obsessing over or paying for extras. However, it isn’t easy to trust the claims that certain refrigerators are better suited to maintaining food freshness than others.
We had hours and hours of reports on the subject, talking to salespeople, repair technicians, editors at test houses, food scientists, and refrigerator engineers.
Everyone agreed that the only details were that a refrigerator needs to keep temperatures low to slow the growth of harmful bacteria and mold without damaging the products. In addition, the freezer must be at 0°C or less, where it is safe to store food indefinitely.
An excellent refrigerator of 2020 maybe what they are probably not defective. It isn’t easy to trust the claims that certain refrigerators are better suited to maintaining food freshness than others. Maybe it’s true, but under what conditions? Lower temperatures slow the growth of bacteria and mold but can adjust the thermostat in any refrigerator.
Main features
1. The dispenser of water and ice
According to the opinions, they are very comfortable not storing water bottles and ice containers in the refrigerator to help us save space. Still, Consumer Reports have found that refrigerators with automatic ice makers are more likely to be serviced than a refrigerator without.
Based on user opinions, the most common problems include cracked water lines and hangers that get stuck. We have reviewed user ratings for refrigerators with a good rating. However, if you use a ton of ice (when entertaining guests, for example), even in combined rooms, some refrigerators trigger the ice much faster than others. The datasheet should tell you how many kilos it can churn out per day.
2. Antibacterial protection
All modern refrigerators have an antibacterial seal. The most expensive also have special antibacterial seals, which blocks bacteria’s formation by protecting the foods contained. Different for those without a freezer.
3. Air exchange
Many modern refrigerators are also not too expensive. Some appliances neutralize by eliminating unpleasant odors with fresh air inside the refrigerator, neutralizing odors naturally without cover-up perfume or perfume. It is ideal for use in the refrigerator to keep food fresh for longer. It reduces the deterioration of food caused by bacteria and mold, extending many foods’ freshness and life.
4. Shelves
It really depends on personal taste. The thing we paid more attention to is the smoothness and opening of the drawers. In our experience reading customer opinions, some brands are more sticky than others, and that’s the kind of thing that can make you go crazy if you have to face it every day for a decade or more.
Other features to watch out for: Splash-proof shelves are useful. A folding or hidden shelf is useful because it allows you to occasionally mount a tall bottle or a cake tray in the refrigerator without all the pouches that actually adjust the shelf’s height.
Gallon storage of the refrigerator can free up a lot of shelf space, allowing no frost to keep juice or milk in the door. Also, a good butter tray can keep the butter a little warmer than the rest of the refrigerator, so it’s easier to cut (make sure it’s not near the ice maker).
Refrigerators have no more secrets for you!
Now that you have finished reading our guide on the best refrigerators, these have no more secrets for you. With our complete guide, you can now buy the refrigerator of your dreams without problems!
Don’t waste any more time, go and take the refrigerator that’s right for you… and you will see that you won’t be wrong.
Product prices and availability are subject to change. Any price and availablility information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of any products.