Refrigerators are an essential appliance for every kitchen. Today, a fridge is more than just a kitchen appliance. It has become more of a style statement that gives an aesthetic touch to a kitchen. As such, there has been a rise in demand for refrigerators in India in terms of volume and size. To cater to this high demand, refrigerator companies have come up with a variety of fridges that include features like energy efficiency, door style, size, etc. If you are considering upgrading your existing fridge or want to buy a new fridge, you will need to consider the various features, price, brand and so on while buying a new fridge. It is a daunting task to select a fridge with so many options and sizes available. Refrigerator buying tips can help pick the right fridge for a home.
This refrigerator buying guide for 2022 can help you while buying a new fridge to get the best deal.
Here is a brief about the basics of a refrigerator
The first thing any refrigerator buying guide would talk about is understanding the basic features of a refrigerator. Here is an overview that a buyer should evaluate when looking for a new refrigerator:
Type of Refrigerator
Capacity (Litres)
Suited for
Features
Single Door
100-250 Litres
Family of 1-2 people
Small fridge Direct cooling technology Energy efficient Large sized freezer No direct access to the freezer
Double Door
231-500 Litres
Family of 3-5 people
High storage capacity compared to a single-door refrigerator Separate freezer Frost-free Direct access to the freezer Toughened glass shelves
Triple Door
240-350 Litres
Family of 3-5 people
Ice and water dispenser on top Convertible cooling Spacious and adjustable shelves made of toughened glass Temperature managed bins Separate vegetable drawers Frost-free Freezer on top
Side-by-side Fridge
500 – 700 Litres
Large family
Side baskets Large shelves made of toughened glass Huge capacity Separate sections of fridge and freezer Separate vegetable basket
Mini
50 -100 Litres
Family of 1-2 people
Very small fridge Convenient for storing and cooling beverages Preserve the freshness of food and vegetables May or may not have a Freezer option Energy and cost-efficient
French door
550 – 650 Litres
Very large capacity Bottom Freezer with two swinging doors Extra fridge storage with more toughened glass storage shelves Twin inverter technology focussing on energy efficiency
After understanding the basic features of different refrigerator types, this fridge buying guide has listed a few questions to consider when buying a new fridge.
What Is Your Budget?
One refrigerator buying tip that every fridge selection guide will talk about is the price tag of the refrigerator and the buyer’s budget. The price of a fridge is a key factor when buying a new fridge. So, a buyer should first have a budget in mind. This is an estimate of how much they are willing to spend based on their need for a fridge. For example, theestimated cost of a single-door fridge can cost anywhere between Rs. 10.000 – Rs. 20,000. Likewise, a side-by-side refrigerator would be in the higher price range say anything above Rs. 65,000. So, a side-by-side option is a good option for those who want to buy a fridge for the long term or have a large family.
Required Capacity
The fridge capacity is measured in litres. Today, owing to technological advancements, there are various fridge capacity ranges available in the market. A guide to buying a new refrigerator says that the fridge capacity required depends on the buyer’s requirement to store food items in the fridge. According to the fridge capacity guide, for a family of 2-5 people, the ideal capacity would be around 250 – 350 litres. Similarly, for a family of 1-2 members, a 150 – 250 litre capacity fridge should be sufficient. Large joint families which have more than 5 members may require a big refrigerator with a capacity range between 550 – 850 litres. Additionally, there are mini refrigerators available with a small capacity of 40 – 100 litres. These are ideal for people who live alone or for room service in hotels. The fridge capacity guide insists on adding 50 litres of fridge capacity for every additional family member. So, it is advisable to evaluate your family's requirements before deciding on the fridge capacity to buy.
Defrosting: Direct Cool Vs Frost-Free
Another refrigerator buying tip is to check for the defrosting technique. In other words, direct cool vs frost-free technique.
Under the direct cool option, the cool air circulation takes place via natural convection. There is no external support for carryng out this function. However, the refrigerator selection guide states that this results in ice formation in the fridge which is a major drawback of this type of cool air circulation. So, it means a buyer must manually try and defrost the fridge regularly. Still, refrigerators using direct cool technology are budget friendly and use less electricity, making them energy efficient.
The other defrosting technology available is frost-free technology. This means you don't need to worry about the development of frost or ice in the fridge. With the frost-free feature, there is even circulation of cool air owing to electric fans. This also means the food will not be subject to freezer burn or getting frozen. However, frost-free technology means there is more consumption of electricity compared to the direct cool technique. A refrigerator shopping guide, however, tells the buyer that refrigerators with frost-free technology are more expensive than direct cool fridges. Buyers can weigh the pros and cons of both defrosting technologies before selecting a fridge of their choice.
Required Door Style
The next factor that a buyer needs to evaluate while selecting the right fridge is the required door style. There are mainly six refrigerator types: single door, double door, triple door, side-by-side, mini and French door.
This guide to buying a fridge provides an explanation of these refrigerator types below.
Single Door
It is one of the commonly available refrigerator door styles, best suited for a family of 1-2 members. As the name suggests, the fridge come with a single door for both refrigerator and the freezer. The single-door fridge has a compact structure with an average capacity of 100 – 250 litres. As it comes in a compact size, these fridges have few shelves. The refrigerator selection guides will show that most of these fridges come with a direct cool defrosting technique implying manual defrosting freezer to defrost the ice. However, they are economical as they are within a budget of Rs. 10,000 – Rs. 20,000 based on the features offered.
Double Door
According to the fridge buying guide, a double door fridge is widely used in India. It comes with a freezer built above the main refrigerator storage compartment. It has a lot of space compared to a single-door fridge and suits the family requirement of 3-5 members. The refrigerator selection guide puts the average capacity of double door fridges between 230 – 500 litres. This fridge comes with frost-free technology, which allows even distribution of cool air. However, they consume more energy compared to single door fridge and are priced at an average of Rs. 20,000 – Rs. 45,000.
Side-By-Side Refrigerator
In a side-by-side refrigerator, frozen foods can be stored on the left side and fresh food items on the right. Some models may provide equal space for both of them. It has more features compared to other fridge types including a greater number of shelves. As they do not need much clearance while opening doors, such fridges are suitable even for narrow kitchen set up. The fridge type is apt for a large family, featuring an average capacity between 500 -700 litres. Owing to their greater features, they are a bit more expensive, ranging between Rs. 65,000 – Rs. 2,70,000.
French Door
The refrigerator buying guide shows how a French door refrigerator comes with a bottom freezer and opens like a drawer having two half width doors (30-26 inches in width). It minimised cool air from escaping with a drawer style freezer. Some models come with French doors for the freezer also. The refrigerator buying guide states that a French door fridge is expensive owing to its modern features and look. They cost anywhere between Rs. 70,000 – Rs. 1,50,000.
Mini
The refrigerator buying guide suggests that the mini fridge is popular among small office spaces and for individuals living alone. It has a capacity between 50-90 litres. Its compact space is ideal to keep snacks, drinks and other small food items. They are very budget friendly, costing between Rs. 9,000 – Rs. 11,000
Conclusion
Refrigerator buying guides in 2022 emphasise on the family’s requirement and budget as two main criteria when selecting a new fridge. If your budget is a constraint while buying a fridge of your choice, check out Tata Capital personal loans. Tata Capital offers customised personal loans with attractive features. For more details, visit the Tata Capital website.
12 January 2023
8 mins read
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