Choosing the right fridge for your kitchen
Whether you are designing your dream kitchen in your new home or renovating your cooking area, selecting a new refrigerator is a big decision. A choice that you will have to live with for some time. As choosing a new fridge is something you don't do every day, there may be numerous new features or styles you are unfamiliar with. Here we will help you to clarify some of your questions and choose the best refrigerator to fit your home kitchen and lifestyle.
Things to consider before choosing
Before you set your heart on one specific refrigerator style or type, there are a few practical aspects to consider, such as:
Adequate Ventilation
Keep in mind that refrigerators need space to breathe; without proper ventilation, your fridge will consume more energy and can be damaged over time. At least a quarter-inch gap on the sides and one inch on the back and top is needed for ventilation. In addition, ensure that there is sufficient room to accommodate electrical connections, especially for models with ice and water dispensers.
Room for Installation
Another important and sometimes overlooked measurement is the pathway your fridge will need to travel to get to your kitchen, starting with your front door. Make sure that your fridge also fits through the hallway or other doorways it may need to go through until it reaches the kitchen. Consider the height if it needs to go up and down, together with corners and turns. Furthermore, if you have a kitchen island, check if there is enough space to get your refrigerator around and enough room to install it.
Sufficient Food Capacity
When choosing the best refrigerator for you and your family, your shopping and eating habits count. Do you shop weekly or biweekly? Do you prepare meals ahead of time and need to freeze them? How often do you have a large group of people over for meals? All these and more are good questions to ask yourself before picking a refrigerator.
Energy Consumption
Nowadays, fridges are more energy efficient than those manufactured a decade ago. However, it is still crucial for you to get familiar with energy-efficient labels. For starters, if the refrigerator you are considering has an energy-efficient tag, it means they are in the top group in the market in terms of efficiency. But you need to look closely, as efficiency can vary according to the fridge style. Gather the cost per kilowatt-hour of the fridges you would like to buy and compare them.
Refrigerator Types
The most commonly used refrigerator types at home are:
Standard-depth refrigerators
While standard-depth refrigerators vary in height and width sizes, their depth is about six inches over your cabinetry or counter space. They are bulkier, but that means you have more storage space which can be what you are looking for.
Built-in Refrigerators
Costly because of its personalization to fit your kitchen perfectly. Built-in fridges have less storage space compared to free-standing models, but they are usually taller and broader. They can also come with optional front panels to match your kitchen style.
Counter-depth Refrigerator
They can give your kitchen a built-in look without the high cost. Although they come with the flush fit, they tend to be shallower than freestanding models, meaning less storage. But, if what you are aiming for is to have a more stylish kitchen, they are your go-to choice. Also, they take up less space than a standard fridge. Food in the back is easier to reach as it is not deep, and they can usually accommodate wider trays.
Mini Fridges
Perfect for small spaces such as studios, dorm rooms, offices or garages. They can be built-in under a kitchen counter or freestanding. They come in all sizes, small as 1.7 cubic feet or big with a capacity of 5.6 cubic feet or larger.
Fridge Styles
There are four styles of refrigerators that may suit your home. They come with pros and cons. Thus it is valuable that you get to know more of each. Get to know them and choose the right one for you.
Top Freezers
The top freezer fridge style is a more traditional option. Generally, they have one door to access the freezer and another for the fridge part. They are budget-friendly; hence they are commonly used in condos, apartments or houses. However, if you have your heart set on a built-in ice maker or any other extra feature, this is not the refrigerator for you as they come with little extras to none. They also have a smaller freezer capacity than other refrigerator styles and may be difficult to reach for shorter people or kids.
Bottom Freezers
They can give your kitchen a built-in look without the high cost. Although they come with the flush fit, they tend to be shallower than freestanding models, meaning less storage. But, if what you are aiming for is to have a more stylish kitchen, they are your go-to choice. Also, they take up less space than a standard fridge. Food in the back is easier to reach as it is not deep, and they can usually accommodate wider trays.
French Doors
The top-of-the-fridge styles with a price point that confirms it. Most of the time, a french door fridge comes with a pull-out bottom freezer feature. They tend to be larger and broader than other styles, offering more storage space. Therefore, if you are looking for more space to store your groceries or homemade meals, this refrigerator style suits you best. Additionally, if you want to upgrade the style of your kitchen or want a fridge that will easily blend in with your chic kitchen design cabinetry, a french door fridge is your best bet.
Side By Side
One of the most popular choices of fridges in the last decades, the side-by-side refrigerator offers lots of door storage space, increasing the capacity of their freezer and fridge areas. They are split lengthwise by the middle, which helps them to fit better in small kitchen spaces. In most side-by-side fridges, you can find extra features such as ice and water dispensers, multi-drawer storage and stainless steel doors. Newer high-end models can have voice command, Wi-Fi, built-in touch screens and more. Great choice if you like a modern kitchen keeping up with the times.
Extra features
Before shopping for the newest refrigerator features in the market, be aware of your and your family's specific needs. While some modern options can make your life easier, others can prove complicated.
WiFi Connectivity
While WiFi capabilities can vary across brands and models, possibilities can be endless with a smart refrigerator. Some intelligent features include remotely monitoring your fridge's contents. Also, keeping track of expiration dates, efficiently compiling a shopping list, and controlling other home automation devices. The best part is that all of this can be done from your smart device.
Unique Ice-makers
These days you can find impressive refrigerator ice makers built for speed, volume, or craft. Some can produce 12 pounds of ice every day; others make spherical ice cubes. Thus if you love to develop your cocktail crafting technique at home, this is something for you.
Dual Evaporators
This feature helps to maintain better air quality throughout your fridge. Commonly, the same evaporator cools both the freezer and refrigerator compartments in your fridge. Consequently, low-humidity air from your freezer gets pumped into your fridge, drying up the atmosphere. This is obvious when you store food not correctly sealed; it quickly goes bad. Also, as the air in your fridge returns to the freezer, it can carry unpleasant smells. No one wants their ice cream to smell like leftover fish. Using separate evaporators for the fridge and freezer can avoid all these problems. Plus, your fresh veggies will last longer, and you will stop ross-contamination by unwanted odours.
Easy Access Features
You may think a door-in-door feature is not all that until you start using it. It works by splitting the one or two fridge doors (French-doors fridge) into two parts. This way, you get easy access to items stored at the door without opening the whole door. Now you may wonder why this is useful. Well, you don't need to open the entire door just to grab milk, letting lots of cool air out. This simple action can save you money on your electrical bill, go in line with your aim to become an eco-friendly consumer and save you time.