How to Choose the Best Refrigerator [Buyer’s Guide]

Overview

There seems to be an unlimited amount of options available to you when choosing which refrigerator is best for you and your lifestyle. Long gone are the days of thinking of a refrigerator as an inefficient boring white box in the corner of your kitchen. While available space is generally the number one factor on most shoppers’ minds when selecting a refrigerator, style, innovative design, and special features are becoming higher on the wish list.

Today, the shopper has an ever expanding array of thoughtfully designed refrigerators available for them to choose from. Everything from a brightly colored, retro style SMEG refrigerator that doubles as a design focal point, to a modern sleek stainless steel built-in model. Consumers are looking for efficiency and energy cost savings. We will show you what to look for in selecting an energy efficient refrigerator and how to understand the EnergyGuide.

If storing a selection of beer, wine or a variety of beverages is your intended purpose, be sure to check our selection of beverage refrigerators that are sure to impress any guest. Midsize refrigerators offer enough space to store drinks, groceries, and even leftovers in a small space like a dorm room or office. Apartment size refrigerators are great for 2-3 people where expansive size and high-tech features of full size refrigerators are not priority.

With the ever expanding list of features and styles of refrigerators, we have designed our refrigerator buying guide to help you make the best refrigerator purchase for your budget and needs.

What To Consider When Buying A Refrigerator

The first thing to consider when choosing a refrigerator is will this refrigerator fit in my space?

Once you have the dimensions of the area don’t forget to add on two to three inches behind the unit for air to circulate for built-in models and up to five inches surrounding the unit and behind for freestanding models. Take into account extra space for the door to swing against walls, cabinets, and surrounding appliances. Many refrigerators come with a reversible door which offers a flexible option to have the door hinged on either the right or left side. Many compact refrigerators do not have a flush back design; keep this in mind when buying a unit for a tight fit space.

The second thing to figure out is how much storage space you need, take some time to answer the following questions:

• Will this refrigerator be the primary refrigerator featured in your kitchen or will this be a supplemental mini refrigerator just used for storing cold drinks?
• What are your eating habits? Do you like to prepare most of your meals at home and need space to accommodate fresh produce and abundant containers of prepared meals? Do you tend to eat out and occasionally bring home leftovers?
• What are your buying habits? Do you like to purchase beverages and food in bulk or prefer to just have what you need for the next day or two on hand?
• How much freezer space do you need? If microwavable meals are your mainstay then freezer- space will be a priority.

Size Matters:

It can be confusing to determine the amount of space you will need when deciding on the perfect refrigerator. Big is not always better when it comes to refrigerator buying. A full refrigerator is far more energy efficient than an empty one.

A great rule of thumb to follow when purchasing a refrigerator is:

• Excluding freezer space, an apartment sized refrigerator offering 8-10 cubic feet will work well for a household of 2, going up 1.5 Cu. Ft. per additional person if used as your primary refrigerator

Style, Finish, and Design:

Choosing the style and finish is not just a conversation for furniture; it also now applies to buying appliances. In the world of refrigeration, your color options are no longer limited to the boring beige, white or black. The palette has expanded beyond the basics to eye popping colors that allow a bright blue apartment refrigerator to take on the role of design focal point in a sleek modern loft. You might be looking for a built-in unit that seamlessly blends into the surrounding décor and aesthetics or simply a basic freestanding midsize refrigerator that will be hidden away in the garage.

Price:

Great modest budget options all the way up to luxury models are available in all sizes of refrigerators. In general you are going to be paying less for wire shelves, turn dial thermostats, and reversible door options than you will for built-in icemakers, glass shelves, and sensor based temperature and humidity regulation. You will see a big price jump in midsize refrigerators going from budget friendly freestanding models to more stylish built-in models. Be sure that more expensive units offer features that justify the asking price. When shopping for a small mini refrigerator watch out for small freezers and storage compartments, these can be wasted space if they are not used.

Warranty:

Most refrigerators offer a manufacturer’s warranty for 1 to 2 years. It is worth your time to investigate purchasing an extended warranty. Here at Compact Appliance, we offer warranties that extend the manufacturer’s warranty up to 5 years.

Energy Guide:

The yellow EnergyGuide label is required on all refrigerators and freezers by the manufacturer. You can think of this guide as a cheat sheet that provides the estimated annual cost of operating the appliance. Refrigerators typically last an average of 12 years which is good to keep in mind when comparing the yearly operating costs of similar units as the difference in cost can add up.

If the unit is Energy Star rated, you will usually find the logo on the bottom right of the EnergyGuide label. Many consumers don’t look any further once they see the Energy Star logo, but just because a unit is Energy Star rated doesn’t mean that it will be the most cost effective when compared to similar units. There can still be a substantial difference in energy use and cost of operation between two Energy Star rated refrigerators.

For additional resources on Energy Star rated products, check out the Energy Star website.

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Which Size Refrigerator Is Right For You?

Compact & Mini Fridges:

Mini fridges, commonly referred to as small cube or simply compact refrigerators, are typically used to keep drinks cold or store your lunch and snacks at the office. These mini refrigerators are going to be compact in size, but still range from 1.1 Cu. Ft- 2.5 Cu. Ft.

Compact refrigerators are very budget friendly and are going to come with basic features like wire shelves, reversible door hinge, and Energy Star label. Look for in-door storage solutions that will be useful to you as most units come with some kind of in-door storage made to hold soda cans or 2 liter bottles. Be aware that some units are not going to have a flush back design due to the compressor partially protruding from the back of the unit.

While many small cube refrigerators include a small freezer space, make sure you will really use this otherwise it is wasted space. Compact mini refrigerators are great for the office, college dorm rooms, or garage to keep your drinks cold.

Midsize Refrigerators:

Midsize Refrigerators are compact refrigerators that are bigger than compact cube refrigerators but smaller than apartment or full size refrigerators. These refrigerators are usually between 2-3 Ft. tall and range in size from 2.7 Cu. Ft. – 5.5 Cu. Ft.

Midsize refrigerators are priced across the spectrum from budget-friendly freestanding models with paired down features like wire shelves to built-in models with glass shelves. Be sure to check out which in-door storage solutions will best suit your needs whether that is storage made to hold soda cans or small racks for condiments. One common feature of midsize compact refrigerators is a flush back design, but be aware not all models will have this.

There are many midsize compact refrigerators that offer dedicated freezer space of varying sizes and others that forgo the freezer space. Compact midsize refrigerators are typically used in game rooms, college dorm rooms, bar, garages, and offices.

Apartment Refrigerators:

Apartment refrigerators are more compact than their full size counterparts offering the basic proportions of a full size refrigerator with a slimmer and slightly shorter profile. Apartment sized refrigerators are designed to fit a smaller living space, typically ranging from 10-12 Cu. Ft. of space and 4-5 Ft tall.

There is a large disparity in price of apartment refrigerators between the stripped-down budget-friendly options with wire shelves to high-end models with glass shelves and dedicated wine storage. Most apartment refrigerators offer many of the same features available in larger fridges, including in-door storage options, dedicated freezer space and a crisper drawer. However, these features will likely vary from model to model.

If you don’t have the floor space for a full-sized refrigerator and if you have a small household, an apartment refrigerator is going to be an ideal solution for you. They won’t take up too much space, but they have a large enough capacity to meet the needs of smaller families or anyone living alone. Apartment sized refrigerators are a plus for urbanites with narrow space restrictions, as well as to use as a secondary refrigerator in the garage, game room, or in an office.

Full Size Refrigerators:

Full-size refrigerators offer larger amounts of food storage with no limitations made for space savings. Full size refrigerators will be 17-26 Cu. Ft.

For households of 2-4 people a refrigerator that is 18-20 cubic feet is more than adequate while larger families should look for full size refrigerators on the larger end of the spectrum. The widest price range and full spectrum of features is available when choosing a full size refrigerator. Not only will you find budget friendly base models with no special features, like a built-in icemaker, but you will find highly technical units with flat screen touch control panels that allow you browse online recipes or listen to music.

When choosing a full sized refrigerator, the basics we used in selecting a smaller refrigerator still apply. Start with how much available space you have then pay attention to if a bottom-freezer or side-by-side freezer space would be more efficient for your needs, the layout of the in-door storage, and the special features available.

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Installation Tips

Consult your product manual for specific installation instructions from the manufacturer.

1. Level your refrigerator by adjusting the legs at the front of the appliance.
2. Allow adequate space between the back and sides of the appliance which allows the proper air circulation to cool the compressor.

Freestanding Refrigerators: When installing freestanding refrigerators allow 5 inches of space around the sides of the unit and most importantly the back of the unit.

Built-in Refrigerators: When installing built-in refrigerators, the refrigerator can be flush against cabinetry on the sides and top of the unit, allow 2-3 inches of space between the back of the unit and the wall to allow proper air flow circulation to the compressor.

Cleaning your refrigerator

Turn the temperature dial to “0” and unplug the unit. Remove the food, shelves, and drawers. Wash the inside with a warm water and baking soda solution of 2 tablespoons baking soda to one quart of water. To clean the shelves and drawers hand wash using a mild dish detergent. You may clean the outside of the appliance with mild detergent and warm water.

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Maintenance Recommendations

Consult your product manual for general maintenance recommendations from the manufacturer. Below is a list of routine tasks to help keep your refrigerator running efficiently.

1. Make sure the doors are sealing properly. You can check this by closing a dollar bill in the door (keeping half the bill exposed). If the dollar bill falls easily then you should contact a professional to check the door seals. Keep the door seals clean and free of food residue.
2. Keep the coils clean. The condenser coils of the refrigerator will collect dust causing the refrigerator to work overtime. First, find out where the condenser coils are located on your unit; they will either be located on the back of the unit or underneath behind the grill at the bottom front of the refrigerator. Use your vacuum brush attachment to clear the dust. Repeat this process every six months or more often if you have pets.
3. Maintain the temperature setting of your refrigerator between 35-40 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Keep your refrigerator and freezer full. Each time you open the refrigerator door you are letting cool air out and warm air in. Once you close the door, that warm air that was let in has to cool down. You can keep jugs filled with water in both the freezer and refrigerator. These jugs of water will help absorb the warm air that flows in when the door is opened helping your refrigerator work efficiently.

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Brand Overviews

Avanti
Avanti has been a manufacturer in the consumer appliance industry for over 40 years specializing in quality compact appliances at a great value. They offer a wide array of refrigerators and freezers of various sizes as well as a higher end line of beverage and wine refrigerators.

Danby
Danby is known for their innovative quality designed products and competitive pricing. Danby offers a variety of affordable refrigerators and freezers as well as a luxury line of beverage and wine refrigerators.

EdgeStar
EdgeStar is an industry leader in compact appliances and offers a variety of innovative and quality designed products. EdgeStar backs their product line with an excellently rated customer service team.  They offer a quality line-up of wine refrigerators, beverage refrigerators, as well as compact refrigerators.

Fisher and Paykel
Fisher and Paykel offer innovative kitchen appliances with a stylish European design.

Haier
Haier is known for their affordable wine and beverage refrigerators, compact dorm refrigerators, and compact freezers.

Koolatron
Koolatron is best known for their flagship line of 12V portable thermoelectric coolers and has since expanded their product offering to include affordable compact refrigerators.

Marvel
Marvel excels at making elegant and smart designed appliances and is known for their highly rated wine cellars. They offer a luxury line of under counter refrigerators, freezers, and beverage and wine refrigerators.

MicroFridge
MicroFridge offers a range of specialty appliances with a focus on the needs of those living in small spaces. They have a niche line of compact refrigerators and specialize in compact refrigerators with microwaves.

Smeg
SMEG is an Italian company that offers premium kitchen appliances that combine innovative technology with Italian style. They are best known for their popular line of colored retro 50s style refrigerators.

Summit
Summit offers a wide range of compact, specialty, commercial and medical refrigerators and freezers. They offer customized features like handle bars and finishes on many of their refrigerators.

True
True is an industry leader in commercial refrigeration offering a wide variety of back bar coolers, beer dispensers, reach-in refrigerators, and glass door merchandisers.

U-Line
U-line offers luxury built-in under counter refrigeration with a wide selection of wine and beverage refrigerators.

Learn More:

• Shop for Refrigerators
• Refrigerator FAQs: Top 10 Questions Asked About Fridges
• Refrigerator Glossary: Terms to Know When Buying a Fridge
• Freestanding vs. Built-in Beverage Refrigerators: Utilize Your Space