Whether you’re planning to replace an old fridge, or you’re entirely renovating an existing kitchen space, you’re going to want to find the perfect one!
To help make the process much simpler, we’ve put together this handy guide to the most important features to consider when buying your next fridge. So you can find the perfect one amongst all of the millions of options!
What Should You Look Out For When Buying A Fridge?
Size
Your new fridge is going to play an important role in your kitchen, so you’re going to want to make sure to grab one that’s just the right size. This doesn’t just mean that you should go for the largest one available. You need to ensure that it doesn’t take up too much space!
Make sure to carefully consider the existing space that you plan to put the fridge in. If you’re working with a smaller kitchen space, you’ll have to choose a smaller fridge to suit it! Wrestling your way past a fridge that’s taking up vital floor space can make traversing a kitchen a total hassle.
Only have a small kitchen space to work with? You should opt for a fridge with a smaller size. There’s nothing worse than fighting to get past a cumbersome space-stealing fridge.
Fridges come in all shapes and sizes, so luckily finding one of the perfect size for your kitchen is not too difficult. If you have very little floor space, you could still grab a taller fridge that has a much more narrow profile.
Capacity
You’ll also need to consider exactly what you plan to use your new fridge for. What kinds of food are you planning to store in it? And how many people will need to make use of it? These questions will help you to decide on the perfect internal storage capacity.
Total storage capacity tends to go hand in hand with the size of the fridge unit itself. If you want more storage space, you may often need to opt for a much larger fridge.
Capacity is also a crucial consideration because it can affect the efficiency of the fridge itself. While it’s important to make the most of your fridge’s storage space, you want to avoid ever overstuffing it. Overstuffing your fridge makes it much more difficult for all of that cool air to reach all of your food. How much do you tend to store away in your fridge at any given time? It may be worth opting for a fridge with a slightly larger capacity to ensure maximum efficiency!
Energy Usage
If you want to cut down on energy usage in your kitchen, then you’ll want to carefully consider the energy usage of your new fridge. Whether you’re shopping for your new fridge online or in-store, you’ll want to look out for the handy “Energy Usage” label. You’ll recognise it by its colour-coded ranking system that helps you to determine the efficiency of a given fridge at a quick glance.
The more efficient the fridge is, the less energy it will use. This will also help to rank it closer to an “A” rating. The less efficient a fridge is, the closer it will rank to “G”. If you’re energy-conscious, you’ll benefit from looking out for the best ranking possible!
Temperature Control
You’re going to be depending on your fridge to keep all of your perishable foods from spoiling. As such, you will want to look out for one that makes temperature control as simple and efficient as possible.
We’d actually recommend paying a little more for a more advanced fridge with intuitive controls. Whether you’re using a simple temperature dial within the unit itself or a full touch-screen on the front door, control is of the utmost importance. It helps you to set a specific temperature for your fridge to keep, which is incredibly useful for keeping specific products in your fridge!
You’ll want to find a fridge that is always easy to control. You need your fridge to be able to maintain a consistent internal temperature, so being able to control the temperature is a great bonus!
Once you’ve chosen the perfect temperature for your fridge, you’ll want to ensure that it’s able to maintain it! Even minor fluctuations in temperature can cause food to spoil. To help maintain temperature, the best fridges will actively detect the internal temperature of the central storage space and then pump out enough cold air to keep everything cool. The quicker your fridge is able to do this, the better it is able to keep your food fresh!
Extra Features
Depending on how much you’re willing to spend, you may want to also look out for a fridge that boasts some extra features. Much like the phones in our pockets, and the TVs in our living rooms, fridges are getting smarter year on year! If you want a fridge that will truly work alongside you, then a smart fridge may be right up your alley!
Smart fridges are able to connect directly to your local wifi, to allow you to then interface with them entirely from a smartphone. This means that you can easily change the temperature of your fridge, even while out of the house. Smartphone connectivity also helps you to stay on top of the health of your fridge. If a smart fridge detects an issue within its components, it will be able to send a notification to warn you. These features help smart fridges to last longer than even the best non-smart fridges!
If you also want to cut down on time spent opening and closing your fridge door, you might want to look for one that offers easy access to water and ice. Many modern fridges come with dispensers built into the doors, to allow you to instantly pour out water and ice whenever you need it.
Keeping your fridge door closed is also great for temperature maintenance. You may benefit from a fridge with a window built into the door. This makes it easy to see what you may be running low on, without letting any cold air out!
Be sure to explore and try out a few features while looking for your perfect fridge. You may end up finding an extra feature that seems totally made for you!
Price
Whether you’re looking at the size of your potential new fridge or the extra features it boasts, you’ll want to keep an eye on your budget at all times. Each of the factors we’ve already discussed above can play a direct role in the total price of a given fridge.
If you want to save money, it’s best to opt for a simple fridge that cuts back on extra features and perhaps has a smaller size. If you’re willing to spend a little more, it’s worth weighing up the benefits of certain features against the price to get true value for your money.
While it’s always important to exercise control over your budget, we would recommend paying a little more for a fridge if it feels right. If there are extra features that you would make frequent use of, then that little bit extra will be more than worth it.
Things To Consider When Buying A Tall Fridge
Fridges can boast some seriously impressive profiles. Tall fridges can be great for those who cherish storage space, but what else should you consider when it comes to these giant appliances?
Available Space
Taller fridges are often much narrower, which makes them great for those with less floor space to take advantage of. However, when choosing a taller fridge, you’ll want to make sure that you have plenty of vertical space available.
Not only will you need to get the fridge into the kitchen, but you’ll need to be able to open the fridge door without bashing the ceiling!
Capacity
If you’re opting for a fridge that takes up plenty of vertical space, you’ll want to make sure that there’s plenty of room inside. What’s the point of having all of that extra size without offering any extra capacity?
Storage Features
To make the most of taller storage space, you’ll want to find a fridge that offers efficient storage options.
We recommend looking for a fridge that offers plenty of shelves, as this allows you to make full use of vertical space. It’s even better if you can find a fridge with moveable and adjustable shelves, so you can create the perfect internal space.
Make sure to also look for storage space built into the fridge door. This helps to really maximise efficiency, and ensure that you can use the entire height of the fridge.
Things To Consider When Buying An Under Counter Fridge
If you already have an existing kitchen set up, and you don’t have much space for a full fridge, then you may benefit from an under-counter fridge. These smaller fridges are great if you need to add a little bit of extra fridge space to supplement an existing larger fridge. Here’s what to look out for in the perfect under-counter fridge.
Specific Size
When choosing an under-counter fridge, you’ll have to be a lot more specific and picky when it comes to size. Make sure to carefully measure the under-counter space where you plan to put your fridge. Compare this existing space with the dimensions of your chosen fridge. You want to ensure it fits snuggly in, without jutting out, while still leaving enough space for proper function.
If you were to shove an under-counter fridge into a space that is too tight, it would have trouble working properly! Don’t forget that fridges will naturally generate heat as they are powered up. If there is not enough space for this heat to be ventilated, the fridge could be damaged incredibly quickly.
Capacity And Storage
If you’re purchasing an under-counter fridge to work alongside an existing fridge, then the total capacity may not be too much of a concern. However, if you are looking for an under-counter fridge to act as your main food storage, then you’ll want to think about the space within the fridge.
Be sure that there is plenty of room for all of the food you need to keep. You want to make the most of its entire space, through shelves and drawers, while also not overstuffing it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Things To Consider When Buying A Fridge?
When looking for the perfect fridge, you’ll want to strike the perfect balance between size and function. You’ll need a fridge that fits seamlessly into your kitchen, while also offering plenty of storage space for all of your favourite foods. Make sure to also look at extra features like ice dispensers while keeping a close eye on your budget!
What Is The First Thing You Should Do When You Buy A Refrigerator?
One of the first things you should do when looking for your perfect refrigerator is to measure the space you want it to occupy. This will help to guide your decision and narrow down your options. Once you have purchased your fridge, you’ll want to place it into position, plug it in, and ensure that there is plenty of space around it for ventilation.
Why Do You Have To Wait 24 Hours To Put Food In The Fridge?
The reason you should wait 24 hours before placing food into your new fridge is so that it can achieve the perfect internal temperature. If you were to place food into your fridge before it has reached the perfect temperature, it would quickly run the risk of spoiling. As well as this, the fridge will not be able to fill the entire space with the right temperature.
Should You Clean A New Fridge Before Use?
It’s strongly recommended to give your new fridge a once-over with some simple cleaning materials before using it. The fridge may have that “New” smell when you first hook it up. Cleaning it with just some warm water and a cloth is enough to get rid of this smell, so your food can always be at its best!
