What is the ideal refrigerator? It should be neither too small, nor too big, it should be energy-saving, ergonomic, efficient and quiet … It’s not an easy selection.
It is evident that a refrigerator is one of the most useful appliances at home. When choosing, you have to decide these questions: do you want a freestanding refrigerator, a built-in refrigerator or an “American” refrigerator? Should the refrigerator have one or two compressors? What size and what energy efficiency?
Refrigerators
A classic refrigerator may still stand in some kitchens, but it is no longer manufactured. It is an electrical appliance which maintains the set temperature at a minimum tolerance, but the essential factor is, that it does not defrost continuously.
However, new refrigerators have a substantially greater thermal tolerance because they use the function of automatic defrost.
Freestanding Refrigerator
You can simply place this refrigerator on a location of your choice. The advantage is that it can be moved easily and it also has an easier access in case of a breakdown and a necessary repair. Today´s products are often highly aesthetical so they become a tasteful supplement of your kitchen. Moreover, the selection of freestanding appliances is generally much larger than the selection of built-in appliances.
Built-In Refrigerators
If the look of appliances disrupts your overall feel of the interior, there are built-in appliances available for you. They are designed to be built into our kitchen cabinets, so their doors will be made of the same material and in the same colour as the other cabinet doors. Do not forget, a freestanding appliance should never be used as a built-in one!
American Refrigerators
The American two-door refrigerators “side-by-side” are slowly getting to the market in the CR. They offer great comfort and a lot of storage, as well as features for cooling drinks or for making ice. They often include a glass wine cooler.
refrigerator “side-by-side” with wine cooler
One Or Two Compressors?
One compressor refrigerators tend to be cheaper and their energy consumption is lower. Two compressors will provide you with temperature control both for the freezing part and for the cooling part of your appliance. You can even shut down one part completely without disturbing the operation of the second part.
Refrigerator Size
When choosing the size of the refrigerator, consider the number of members of your family, in particular. There should be 50 to 90 l of cooling compartment and at least 25 l of freezer compartment for each person. The way of your shopping plays an important role, too. If you are accustomed to do shopping less frequently but in larger quantities, a large refrigerator will be suitable.
Energy Saving
When choosing energy efficiency, you do not need to hesitate, if it is a refrigerator that runs continuously throughout its lifetime: the cheaper the refrigerator, the higher the class of energy consumption. Some old refrigerators could even be included in Class G, but most today’s refrigerators are in classes between Class A ++ and Class B. You can affect the consumption yourselves e.g. by placing the appliance away from heat sources (radiators, oven etc.).
