Beginner’s Guide to the Best Refrigerators
Refrigerators play a huge role in maintaining the quality of food that we have and use in the kitchen. While the most basic purpose of refrigerators is to keep our food cold, it is the most important kitchen appliance that will ensure that your food, whether cooked or not, is safe to eat. Considering this, it is important for anyone thinking about buying a refrigerator to choose the best one for their needs. To give you a better idea, here is our quick guide and introduction to the best refrigerator brands in the USA, as well as the factors to consider when choosing a refrigerator.
Thing to Consider when Buying a Refrigerator:
Choosing the best refrigerator for you can be a bit of a challenge especially if you have little idea what exactly you are looking for. Unlike basic and simple kitchen tools such as the best cooling rack, knives, or kitchen scale, choosing the best refrigerator goes deeper than simple looks and price. Here are some of the things that you should consider when you are choosing a refrigerator for your home:
Know the brands.
While some people would say that the brand is not important, choosing a well-known brand can help you ensure that your chosen product is of quality, especially in terms of durability and longevity. Aside from that, larger brands also offer a variety of features that can make your refrigerator ten times better than the others. Some of the most popular refrigerator brands in the USA include:
GE (General Electric)
The General Electric brand has been well known in the industry and business of kitchen tools and appliances. Primarily known for their durability, GE appliances are sure to perform well and last as long as it should. Even better, GE has a wide selection of refrigerator models that you can choose from the most basic model to their double-door refrigerators with built-in coffee machines.
Whirlpool
Whirlpool is another established name in the industry of kitchen appliances. While Whirlpool also offers a wide selection of refrigerator models, what makes Whirlpool stand out is its competitive prices that makes it the perfect choice for those looking for the best value refrigerator that they can find. While priced competitively, Whirlpool is also known for its quality and durability that would require little to no repairs for their products throughout its use.
Samsung
Samsung has taken their knowledge in top-tier electronic devices from their phones and applied it to their line of kitchen appliances. When it comes to Smart refrigerators, there is no question that Samsung has the technology to make your refrigerators always work to its best capacity.
Frigidaire
Undoubtedly one of the best brands when it comes to refrigerators, Frigidaire has always been a quality brand for decades. Suitable for those looking for an affordable yet trusted refrigerator model, you can never go wrong with choosing a Frigidaire fridge that is built to be energy-efficient, low maintenance, durable, and sturdy for years.
LG
While LG originally made its name as a brand that makes quality televisions, speakers, and other electronic entertainment devices, LG has made its way to make amazing home appliances as well. Today, LG is known to feature the newest and most popular technological innovations to make their product high-end and suitable for those looking for a trouble-free experience. What makes it better is that LG still sells at a relatively lower and reasonable price with a performance worthy of what you pay.
Cafe
The brand Café has slowly made its way as one of the most popular and considerably best refrigerator brands in the USA today. Primarily known for their stylish and modern designs, Café refrigerators also feature a wide range of high-end features that goes well along with their notably steep price.
Consider the type that you should get.
Aside from the brand, another factor that you should consider when choosing the best refrigerator for your home is the type of fridge that would best suit your house’s space and accommodate your use. There are generally 5 types of refrigerators depending on the design – top freezer, bottom freezer, French-door, side-by-side, built-ins, and mini-refrigerators.
Top Freezer Refrigerators
Considerably the most common refrigerator type, this type of refrigerator has a traditional design and features the freezer at the eye level of the fridge. Top freezer refrigerators can come in a one-door design with a built-in inner door for the freezer or a two-door design that separates the refrigerator from the freezer itself. Top freezer refrigerators are typically high and slim while still providing ample space and storage. This design makes it ideal for those with relatively limited space.
Bottom Freezer Refrigerators
Bottom freezer refrigerators feature a two-door design with the freezer located at the end and are typically built as a pull-out drawer for easy access. This design puts the fridge space at eye level, making it easier to use, unlike top-freezer refrigerators that require you to crouch and bend to see what is inside.
French-door Refrigerators
French-door refrigerators feature two slim doors for their storage space and a pull-out drawer at the bottom for the freezer. This design offers a wide storage area at eye level for easy access and also allows users to simply open one side of the door to save energy if possible.
Side-by-side Refrigerators
This type of refrigerator also features two doors for their separate fridge and freezer space, but instead of being a top to bottom design, it’s side by side. This offers more expansive storage space for both sides but is not entirely energy or space-efficient.
Built-in Refrigerators
Built-in refrigerators are high-end models that are basically built to fit flush and seamlessly with your kitchen cabinets and counters. This type of refrigerator will create a coherent look for your kitchen while also providing all the storage space and high-end features that you can find in top-of-the-line refrigerator models.
Look into the energy efficiency and price.
Considering that refrigerators work 24/7 for 365 days, it is important to consider energy efficiency as a top consideration when choosing the best refrigerator. Think about investing in a refrigerator that is slightly more expensive but energy efficient instead of opting for a cheap one that blows through your electricity bill every month.
Establishing a set budget when you’re shopping for a refrigerator can also help in limiting the choices that you have. Whether you have a budget of less than $300, $500, or $1000, your budget can help you dictate which refrigerator models fall within your budget and which product has the best value for money.
Consider the size, storage space, and organization.
Contrary to the common belief, you don’t need the biggest refrigerator available in the market. Instead, you need a refrigerator that can accommodate your usual pantry size and feature enough shelves to keep your items as clean and neat as possible. Also, always measure the size of your allocated fridge space and the models you like to make sure that your fridge would fit seamlessly in your kitchen.
Aside from the physical aspects of refrigerators in terms of size and shelves, another important factor to consider is the refrigerator’s storage capacity. Different refrigerator types and models offer various storage space capacities. However, the most common storage capacity for refrigerators ranges from 19 to 33 cubic feet. To give you a better idea, a 19 cubic feet refrigerator is enough to fit and accommodate the needs of a family with four members. Anything more than that would most likely need a larger refrigerator for more space.
Check its special feature.
With the advent of technology, there is no wonder that even refrigerators feature unique and modern features that allows it to be as efficient and convenient as it could be. Some of the special features that you could look for when choosing the best refrigerator are the built-in ice makers, water dispensers, air filters, dual evaporators, as well as other Smart technology features. Watching out for these factors can help personalize your refrigerator’s performance according to your needs.
Conclusion
Choosing a refrigerator can become a bit confusing and overwhelming. Aside from the aesthetics of the device, it is important that you know the best brands that you can trust and the notable features that you should look for when choosing a fridge for your home. Considering that a refrigerator is a long-term purchase, you should take careful consideration when buying one and to prioritize durability and longevity above everything else. Hopefully, this article was able to provide you with enough information as to why, how, and what you should look for when choosing the best refrigerator for you.
