The modern market offers a huge selection of refrigerators for every taste and budget. But how to settle on the one that is right for you? Let's take a look at the main criteria to consider before buying.
Refrigerator type
If you are of average height, your family is small, and for the winter you do not need a huge freezer space for mushrooms and berries - an option with a small freezer on top will do. Yes, you have to bend over or sit down to reach the shelves, and the freezer will only hold a few kilograms of meat, fish and a couple of packs of dumplings, but the cost of such a model will be low and affordable for everyone.
The fridge-freezer underneath provides easy access to the shelves. We'll have to bend over to get frozen food, but we use this part of the refrigerator much less often, so there is no particular inconvenience. Refrigerators with a bottom freezer usually have a separate door on it.
A narrow model is suitable for a small kitchen. But this option is convenient for a family of up to two people. If there are more people, then even in a narrow kitchen it is better to put a larger refrigerator.
Built-in refrigerators give the interior a special chic and elegance. Their doors can be of absolutely any configuration, depending on the facades of the furniture. Expensive models completely merge with the interior, it is impossible to guess where the refrigerator is hidden. But when making a custom-made kitchen, you can build in an ordinary refrigerator there, which will be much cheaper, and it will also look very organic.
If you have a large family and you are not averse to drinking soft drinks in the morning, then you will like large modern models with various additional functions.
The need to install a water supply system
Decide in advance if you want an ice maker or a water dispenser in your refrigerator. These systems require a water supply (although there are models with built-in ice-making tanks). When purchasing such a refrigerator, remember that you will have to connect special hoses to the system. If you have already made repairs and a place for the refrigerator away from the sink is ready, it will not be very convenient to do this. Some devices also offer built-in water filtration. If the model you have chosen has such a function, then find out in advance how much it will cost you to replace the filters so as not to be unpleasantly surprised.
Useful space
Think in advance which storage system will be convenient for you, what size you would like to see shelves and how much storage units will be placed on them. Inside the refrigerators there are information stickers, which indicate the capacity of shelves, compartments and boxes. But it should be understood that we do not put the products in the form of a puzzle, so somewhere from 20 to 35 percent of the space will be unused. Top freezer models generally have less storage space than bottom freezer versions.
Availability of additional functions
Choose what functions you want your refrigerator to have. If you prefer to adjust the number of shelves, their volume and height yourself, then choose models with many internal grooves and the possibility of rearrangement.
Please note that some models have wine racks. Good refrigerators have drawers with separate temperature and humidity controls for storing meat, fruits and vegetables. It is best to choose just such.
Consider how important it is for you to have an external electronic control board. As a rule, it makes the product more expensive. Among the additional functions, the most popular are: supercooling, automatic defrosting, superfreezing, humidity control.
Studying reviews
Find online reviews of selected models online.Sometimes expectation and reality do not coincide, and what was considered a virtue of a product, in fact, turns out to be its disadvantage. Read reviews from real buyers that can be found on independent sites.
This item is required if you do not want to be trapped.
Shop selection
Having chosen a refrigerator model on the Internet, do not be too lazy to go to the store and see it live. And, conversely, after looking at an option in a store, check the price with the offers of online sites. As a rule, it is slightly lower. If you want to save money, look for options with an external defect. In every large hardware store there are products that were damaged during transportation, which does not affect the quality of work. Be sure to check the energy efficiency rating of each device, as this will affect your utility bills.
