This guide outlines the things you should look at carefully when you want to buy a fridge.
Refrigerators (pronounced ”frij” for short) are used to store food and drinks cold to preserve them for longer. By keeping the items cold, a fridge helps preserve freshness while helping preserve produce like milk or cheese.
The word “fridge” derives from an abbreviation of refrigerator, first coined during the 1920s. This spelling may have been influenced by Frigidaire fridges; however, the term had already become widely used prior to this introduction of Frigidaire brand refrigerators; Merriam-Webster dictionary even lists fridge as a common abbreviation for fridge in its most recent edition.
Refrigerators first appeared on the market in 1913 and self-contained mechanical fridges began appearing ten years later. By 1940s, demand for fridges skyrocketed due to packaged frozen foods becoming popular with consumers and advances in refrigeration technology making more types of food preserveable. Today, fridges come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, finishes, and are an integral part of most kitchens as well as living rooms and bedrooms where they help cool drinks or store food conveniently close at hand.
Refrigerators help keep things tidy and organized, according to research on domestic culinary objects like whisks. Over time, refrigerators have changed kitchen practices and perceptions of taste over time.
Keep in mind that some fridges have special requirements in terms of maintenance, like the Kenmore, as you can see here: https://www.cinchhomeservices.com/faq-library/-/faq/kenmore-refrigerator-ice-maker-not-working
Key factors to buy a fridge
Storage
Refrigerators serve a primary function: keeping perishable foods at a cool temperature to reduce bacteria reproduction rates and help preserve freshness for longer. Fridges are indispensable in both commercial and home kitchens alike, keeping dairy products, meats, fruits, vegetables and beverages cool to prevent spoilage – with some models including separate freezer sections to store frozen treats.
Refrigerated food not only reduces food poisoning risks, but it makes it easier for households to enjoy culinary traditions from various countries or regions. While most types of foods can be kept in one fridge, raw meat should always be stored separately for maximum cross-contamination prevention.
Modern fridges use both mechanical and electronic mechanisms to keep food cold. They include an thermally insulated compartment equipped with a heat pump (mechanical, chemical or electronic), which transfers heat from inside to the exterior air; thus cooling down and eventually freezing over. Refrigerators have always been an integral component of most homes but recent advances in refrigeration technology have only further expanded their usefulness over time.
When you look to buy a fridge, it is important to carefully consider both how much storage space and frequency of use are necessary for you. If you have a large family, larger models might be beneficial.
Most manufacturers advertise fridge capacity using cubic feet or litres – this measures the total volume inside that can be used to store food – including any areas in which hardwired fixtures might fit (this includes any space where hardwiring bulbs might go as part of its total storage area).
Energy efficiency
Energy efficiency should be a primary consideration when shopping to buy a fridge. Older refrigerator models tend to consume a great deal of electricity; fortunately, modern appliances have come a long way in reducing energy costs, leading to much lower bills than with older models.
Refrigerators use heat pumps to transfer the excess heat inside them to outside air. A fan circulates this cold air, keeping food fresher for longer without frequent refrigerating and saving energy in the process.
Energy Star ratings provide one measure of fridge efficiency; however, other indicators also give insight into power usage. The energy label displays how many kilowatt-hours an appliance consumes each year to facilitate comparison. A higher energy-efficiency ratio signifies better fridge performance.
Refrigerators consume a lot of energy, with larger refrigerators using even more than smaller models. Side-by-side refrigerators and French door models in particular use significantly more energy than top-freezer units. Larger models will consume more kWh per cubic foot compared to their smaller counterparts, but you can find models that offer ample storage while keeping energy costs under control.
Reduced electricity use won’t be enough to improve your refrigerator’s efficiency; to maximize it further, try keeping its temperature as close to 35-38 degrees as possible and cleaning its condenser coils at least once annually. Furthermore, turn off anti-sweat features which use 5 to 10% more electricity.
If your teenagers like staring into the fridge for long, hoping they might spot something they like and making it difficult for the fridge to keep its cool temperatures, it would be worthwhile considering an energy efficient model when you buy a fridge. When the fridge needs to work harder to fill back up with cold air it will take even longer before it can chill the food again.
Design
Refrigerators work by chilling air inside its compartment, which reduces bacteria growth and keeps foods fresher for longer. Many refrigerators also include freezer compartments to store frozen items – they’re now widely used both at homes and businesses to keep food and drinks cool.
Fridges come in various styles and sizes, but most refrigerators typically consist of three distinct compartments: refrigerator compartment, ice box and freezer. The fridge compartment tends to be much larger than its counterparts and can be tailored according to storage needs and aesthetic preferences when you buy a fridge. Fridges come in an assortment of colors with white being most commonly featured as its primary hue.
Some fridges come equipped with special features that make life simpler, such as shelves that slide in or fold up for easier storing of tall items and can reduce how often the door has to be open. Furthermore, built-in cameras allow you to check what’s inside from anywhere using your smartphone, while others offer countdown timers so you know when things will expire.
An efficient fridge with a pantry drawer is also an invaluable addition for busy households, providing extra storage for items not often required – wine, deli meats and soft beverages should all benefit from being placed there for better preservation.
Selecting the ideal fridge size for your home is crucial to making sure there is sufficient space to store all of your groceries when you buy a fridge. Fridges that are too small could leave you feeling overwhelmed while those that are too large will take up valuable floor space and cost more to operate.
Refrigerators located close to benches will make grocery loading and preparation much simpler, cutting the time that the door remains open and helping minimise temperature fluctuations inside both fridge and freezer. Fridges featuring doors that hinge only one side offer greater convenience as they can be opened from either direction without interfering with access to the bench.
Convenience
Refrigerators serve a vital purpose: keeping food cold. This prevents bacteria from multiplying quickly and spoiling food quickly, so that it may last longer and avoid food waste which is an enormous problem.
Furthermore, methane emissions produced from decomposing food produce 28 times more greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide and so cutting greenhouse emissions by keeping foods cold is also key to cutting greenhouse emissions and cutting down on wasteful greenhouse gas production.
Modern refrigerators come in an assortment of sizes and styles, offering numerous features to meet individual needs. You could select a refrigerator equipped with a wine rack to store bottles of red or white wine; or maybe one featuring a separate freezer compartment so frozen foods can be stored safely away from chilled items.
A smart fridge connects directly to your Wi-Fi network, giving you remote control via apps or voice assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Home; these sophisticated appliances may cost more but they offer many extra functions, including monitoring energy usage data on smartphones.
Another useful refrigerator feature is a butter heater, which helps your butter from hardening too soon. It works by cooling air that flows into the cabinet of your fridge and can be activated via smartphone to save you money by not purchasing as often and maintain softness longer.
Final words
There are various ways that you can customize your fridge to make it simpler for use. You could, for example, adjust its temperature according to season – this way your food remains at an appropriate temperature all year round! You could also personalize its layout so it is easy to locate what you need quickly; adding magnetic notepads allows for shopping lists on-board!
Photo by Joshua Roberts
