Refrigerator
Free refrigerator buying and tips - ensuring functionality and aesthetics of your dream kitchen
If you're shopping for a new refrigerator, you're probably considering models that are fancier than your current fridge. The trend is toward spacious models with flexible, more-efficiently-used storage space. Useful features such as spillproof, slide-out glass shelves and temperature-controlled compartments, once found only in expensive refrigerators, are now practically standard in midpriced models. Stainless-steel doors are stylish, but they add to the cost. Bottom freezer, French-door models offer the convenience of a full-width refrigerator at eye level with the style and narrow door swing of a side-by-side. Built-in refrigerators appeal to people who want to customize their kitchens and are willing to pay thousands of dollars for the custom look. Some mainstream cabinet-depth models offer a built-in-style look for less.
Replacing an aging refrigerator may save you in electric bills, since refrigerators are more energy efficient now than they were a decade ago. The Department of Energy toughened its rules in the early 1990s and imposed even stricter requirements in July 2001 for this appliance, which is among the top electricity users in the house.
How To Choose A Refrigerator
Size is likely to be more important than style or price, since most new refrigerators must fit in the same space as the old one. So begin by measuring the available space, including the space you'll need to open the door wide enough to pull out bins and drawers if there's a wall on the hinge side of the door. Also measure doorways and halls through which the refrigerator must pass when delivered. Then choose a type that fits your space, needs, and budget.Look for space-stretching features. A fridge's claimed capacity lists raw volume, including space taken up by lights, hardware, and unreachable nooks. Top- and bottom-freezers give you more storage for their size than side-by-sides. Some 30-inch-wide, 18-cubic-foot top-freezers we tested have about 15 cubic feet of usable space--nearly as much as some 36-inch-wide, 25-cubic-foot side-by-sides. With any fridge, look for features that maximize space, such as split shelves and cranks for adjusting shelf height. Pull-out shelves provide access to the back of the fridge and freezer. In bottom-freezers, full-extension drawers help you find items in the rear.
Consider costs and reliability. Most new refrigerators cost about $40 to $70 a year to run, based on average energy rates, but up to twice as much in the priciest markets. Top- and bottom-freezers are typically more efficient than side-by-sides. To get the most bang for the buck, pick a model that scored well for energy efficiency in our tests.
Noise Level. Any new refrigerator is likely to be quieter than an older one. If your kitchen is a gathering spot, look for a model with low noise level
Keep styles coordinated. If you want the fridge to blend in with cabinetry, consider a built-in or cabinet-depth model that accepts custom panels. If you're mixing stainless-steel and metallic look-alikes, make sure any difference in the finishes doesn't bother you.
Weigh the likelihood of repairs as well. Some brands have been more reliable than others, and an icemaker and ice-and-water dispenser increase the chance that a fridge will need repair. As a group, built-ins appear to have had higher repair rates than freestanding models.
When choosing a modern refrigerator it is also easy to be wooed by extra, such as ice water and crushed ice dispenser. But consider just how much you will use them before you commit yourself.
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