Today, consumers are offered the largest selection of refrigerators for the entire time of their release, every day there are many new models. The basic cooling technology over the past decades has not changed, but there has been significant progress in the efficiency and functionality of these indispensable devices.
They can be classified in different ways. Mini-refrigerators and standard size models are available. According to the type of defrosting, there are drip and No Frost systems. By the principle of placement, refrigerators are built-in and free-standing. By design, they are divided into types with upper, lower or side placement of the freezer, as well as with a French door. Each option has its pros and cons.
Types of Refrigerators
Top freezer models are the most affordable. But which brand of refrigerator is better? The choice, according to expert advice, depends on the net volume and annual energy consumption of a particular model. Refrigerators of this type break less often than others. Their biggest drawback is the low location of the main camera. Since most people use it more often than a freezer, you often have to bend over to get to the lower sections. In addition, most models of this type have limited product storage capabilities. This is especially true of the freezer, which often has only one shelf. In professional tests, they tend to work louder than other types and do not quite well maintain a constant temperature.
Choosing a refrigerator with a lower freezer will cost more. Models of this type, as a rule, are more convenient to use, because the most popular sections are on top. In modern refrigerators, the freezer is often a drawer, which makes it easier to view the contents, although some are accessed through the door, as well as the main compartment. Regardless, you have to bend over to get to the food. Containers allow you to conveniently place products, and the best models have retractable containers.
The biggest advantage of side-mounted refrigerators is narrow doors, which can be a plus in narrow kitchens. They are also convenient for children, as they allow easy access to groceries. Such refrigerators do not use space and energy as efficiently as other models. Narrow compartments make it difficult to place wide pies and boxes of pizza.
Models with a French door are equipped with a full-width refrigerator compartment, but have two doors instead of one large one. This design allows you to open only one half, so the cold air comes out less, saving space for wide objects. This is the most expensive type in general, but it justifies its price. Such refrigerators are often equipped with ice and water dispensers. The lower freezer is often made in the form of drawers over the entire width, but some models have 4 doors that divide it into 2 independent compartments. In addition, an extra drawer above the freezer is sometimes offered for commonly used products, such as deli meats.
Built-in refrigerators are designed so as not to protrude beyond the edges of cabinets and countertops. Can be all of the above types. Some models allow you to install front panels that match the design of kitchen cabinets, which ensures compliance with the overall style. They provide the perfect look, but are usually expensive. Another serious drawback is that models of this type provide the smallest usable area and low energy efficiency.
What to look for when choosing a refrigerator?
Experts advise that the acquired model, regardless of type, have the following functionality:
- Configuration flexibility. The refrigerator should allow to store wide and tall objects in easily accessible and not hidden places.
- Convenient features. Additional features that customers value are ice and water dispensers, adjustable shelves and controlled humidity of vegetable compartments.
- Well lit interior. Most models have at least one light source inside the refrigerator compartment. Some are equipped with additional lighting in the freezer or in each container.
- Temperature control. All refrigerators cool food, but models with a French door or with a side-mounted freezer usually control the temperature better.
- Robust construction. Doors should be well balanced and strong. Racks or bins - hold securely.
- High energy efficiency. Thanks to updated and more stringent standards, Energy Star compliance guarantees the lowest energy consumption, which is important when choosing a refrigerator. What to look for in this case? Some older models do not have such certification, but the test results may indicate that they correspond to them.
- Simple controls. They should be easily accessible (in front, and not on the back wall, for access to which you may need to clean the shelf) and intuitive to use.
- Easy to clean surfaces. Tips for choosing a refrigerator do not recommend wire, but glass shelves that hold spilled liquid. Modern finishes offer a stainless steel outer coating that is less polluted.
- Stylish appearance. Some refrigerators are produced in different colors: from basic white to steel. In cases where a choice is offered, the latter option can greatly increase the cost.
Wizard Tips
Before choosing a refrigerator, measurements should be made. Be sure to take a tape measure and check the height, width, depth and clearance in the doors. It is necessary to determine the direction of opening in order to have access to the refrigerator from the right side (or it could be outweighed). You should also measure all the way to the kitchen to make sure that the selected model can go through all the doorways.
Before choosing a type of refrigerator, you need to think about its operation. For many, the most convenient option is the bottom location of the freezer, because it eliminates the need to bend down to take fresh food. However, if it is used frequently, an overhead arrangement is preferred. Lateral placement is suitable for families with small children so that they can get groceries without standing on a chair.
One of the most common causes of complaints is high noise levels. If the kitchen is located next to the sleeping areas, the output will be the acquisition of a quiet refrigerator. On the other hand, if you need a model for a garage or will be located away from the main living quarters, then the noise level will not be decisive.
When choosing a refrigerator, according to the advice of masters, you should carefully weigh the need to have additional functions. The presence of a dispenser for ice and water is the most requested feature, but refrigerators break with them more often. Dispensers also increase energy consumption and reduce usable volume.
Price expectations
The price includes not only the purchase price, but also the price of electricity that the device consumes. Before choosing a refrigerator, according to the advice of the masters, you need to compare the costs of different models, check the yellow label EnergyGuide. You should not buy just because of the availability of Energy Star certification, since this energy efficiency standard varies depending on the type and size of the device. A large side-mounted refrigerator with an Energy Star rated freezer can consume more energy than a smaller model without it. A more reliable EnergyGuide rating estimates annual energy consumption in kilowatt hours.
Purchase tactics
What does it consist of?
- Sales. Sometimes buying a new refrigerator is an emergency case when the old one is completely out of order. However, if there is no rush, you should follow the calendar. For example, in Moscow a large selection of refrigerators at a discount happens on holidays.
- Join the club. Many large retailers offer loyalty programs to get discounts and earn points for future purchases. It is almost always free and will save a large amount. As with loyalty programs, using a credit card with a seller’s branded brand often gives a discount as well as free shipping. Of course, this is a good deal, only if it is possible to pay for the purchase when the first bill arrives, otherwise the interest will exceed the savings. If there is not enough cash, using a branded card will eliminate the need to pay interest for a certain period of time - up to a year or 18 months.
- Disclaimer of extended warranty. Many sellers invite and even urge you to purchase an extended warranty on a new refrigerator. But most experts agree that it almost never pays off.
- Preliminary choice of the refrigerator on the Internet. Large household appliances are mainly bought in retail stores, not online stores. Shopping in the showroom allows you to closely check dimensions, features and finishes. But even in this case, you can first find the price in online stores, be sure to visit several sites, and ask the retailer to reduce the cost of goods to this level.
Upper Freezer Refrigerators
Although such models are very popular among consumers, they tend to attract less experts and professional reviewers than other types. Mainly because they are less convenient to use, as they force you to bend down to get to the main compartment, and offer fewer configuration options for food storage space. However, they are more reliable and less expensive.
LG LTCS24223S (about 70 thousand rubles) is the best choice in the ranking of refrigerators with the top location of the freezer, despite fierce competition. This is the only model that experts recommend, and which owners speak well of.
Its biggest advantage is size. The volume of 674 liters gives the LG LTCS24223S the right to be called one of the largest refrigerators with an upper freezer. And this is good, because it costs less than the cheapest models with French doors.
The large volume results in large sizes - 85 x 174 x 83 cm. If large families are very happy with this space, some say that it looks strange in their kitchen, because it protrudes significantly into the living area. The refrigerator is available in 4 colors - stainless steel, white (W), black (B) and black stainless steel (D).
Of the total volume, 500 liters are allocated for the main storage area and 174 liters for the freezer. The storage facilities are excellent. Not many configurations are available, but most of them indicate that there is enough space for the organization. There are 2 shelves, 2 containers for vegetables (with a full shelf on top) and 2 containers in the refrigerator door, which can accommodate, for example, three-liter plastic milk cans. There is also a container for oil, but according to users, it is too small to accommodate a pack of margarine. An ice container is provided.
The freezer has LED lighting, which, according to the owners, illuminates well and looks attractive. However, experts say that the contents of the refrigerator can block the light, making it difficult to find the right products.
In terms of performance, the LG LTCS24223S, like all models with an upper freezer, gets lower expert ratings for accuracy and temperature stability than other types of refrigerators. Users praise the device for maintaining the temperature well and evenly distributing it, but the freezer is of average quality. There are very few user complaints. Users for whom the temperature seemed not low enough simply corrected it on the control panel.
Refrigerators with a bottom freezer
Experts recommend them due to their convenient layout. The popularity of such devices is less than models with a French door, which are more convenient, since replacing one massive door with two smaller ones allows installation in small kitchens.
The best choice of this type of refrigerator is LG LDC24370ST with a volume of 674 liters (about 100 thousand rubles). This model has a width of 83 cm and is made of stainless steel. White and black options are also available.
The refrigerator leads the quality of the freezer, which provides excellent temperature control and uniformity of cooling. Owners praise the device for its excellent performance and many storage options, noting quiet operation and visual appeal.
The list of LG LDC24370ST features includes such a nice touch as a warning signal about a door accidentally left open. There is an internal ice generator. According to users, glass shelves can be adjusted, they are easy to clean. It is permissible to store objects of various shapes, heights and sizes, from a pack of juice to a can of milk, in the door. There are two compartments for vegetables and a compartment for storing wide low plates. Two drawers in the freezer make access to food easier.
Option for small kitchens
Among the large selection of refrigerators with side placement of the freezer, the best is Samsung RH25H5611SR (about 100 thousand rubles). This is the newest and least expensive model in the popular Food Show series, which features a double door design that provides access to frequently used products without leakage of cold. Parents love this feature, but some experts say they are unsure of its need.
In addition, Samsung RH25H5611SR is highly praised by experts for its amazing performance in achieving and maintaining temperatures. There are no real complaints regarding temperature accuracy or anything else. Some complain that the water dispenser drips or leaks when not in use, or that water continues to flow after the glass is removed. Others argue that the ice maker is noisy, but these flaws do not detract from the quality of the refrigerator itself. There are complaints of longevity, but there are very few.
One of the characteristic problems of all refrigerators of this type is not always intuitive product placement options. However, it affected Samsung RH25H5611SR less than other models simply because it is larger, therefore, offers more space, but even in this case it is difficult to put items such as pizza boxes, or group high seasonings with low ones. Nonetheless, these are problems that owners do very well.
In addition to ice and water dispenser, digital control and a double door, owners especially like LED lighting, which gives an amazing atmosphere. According to experts, the appearance is quite simple, the owners like it. In addition to the stainless steel finish, white and black options are available, as well as black stainless steel.
French Door Refrigerators
Models of this type demonstrate the best results in professional tests, and users like their convenient layout, useful functions and stylish appearance. However, they cost more.
The 787-liter GE Café CFE28TSHSS (177 thousand rubles) is easily ahead of other brands of refrigerators. The choice of model pleases the owners, because it is attractive, multi-functional, provides high energy efficiency and has excellent options for placing products. The only point is noisy work.
A unique feature of the dispenser is the ability to dispense not only cold, but also hot water. Instead of an LED display, the user is dealing with a small touch screen. You can personalize the display by downloading photos from a flash drive and running a slide show. Inside there are 2 containers for vegetables and a box for the entire width of the refrigerator, for which you can set different temperatures for various perishable products. Leakproof glass shelves are adjustable and there is plenty of storage space on the doors. The refrigerator is only available in stainless steel. Its dimensions are 91 cm wide and 92 cm deep.
The performance of the GE CFE28TSHSS is excellent. The refrigerator does not have serious flaws, but there are minor ones. Products stored in the bottom of the freezer are barely cooled to -17 ° C. However, the excellent thermal stability of the chamber minimizes the risk of damage. It is simple to correct the deficiency: it is enough to lower the temperature of the thermostat.
Choosing a recessed refrigerator
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Samsung RF23J9011SR (190 . .) 637 – 4- . – . , , , . 2 – .
Samsung RF23J9011SR surpasses other models in professional tests. Experts are pleased with all aspects of his work, but especially praise containers for vegetables that do an excellent job of retaining moisture. In addition, it is an energy-saving choice. The refrigerator provides accuracy and uniformity of temperature, makes little noise. Users appreciate the beautiful design and LED lighting. Samsung RF23J9011SR is made of stainless steel, but is also available in black.