How to choose a refrigerator for a house: the review of the important characteristics and tips on the choice from the experts

Buying new home appliances is always difficult for the average buyer, because the consumer market presents too huge a range of brands.

And it is especially difficult to choose a refrigerator, because it is not always possible to understand what characteristics you should pay attention to in the first place.

Practice shows that most buyers are guided only by appearance, as well as size. But this is not the most important criteria.

What to pay attention to

When choosing a refrigerator, experts recommend to focus on the following characteristics:

1. Volume. Choose on the basis of available space in the kitchen, as well as the number of family members.
2. Type of defrosting.
3. Energy efficiency.
4. Noise level.
5. Completion of the refrigerator, freezer (the provided number of shelves and drawers).
6. The type of control.
7. Presence of additional functions.
8. Design.
9. The brand.

Volume

Here everything is very clear: the more members of the family, the bigger the refrigerator will be needed.

However, it should be taken into account that the size of the refrigerator directly depends on its output and the amount of power consumption. And the largest fridges have several compressors.

Experts recommend to be guided by the following parameters:

1. For a family of up to 2 people. You can choose the smallest refrigerators, with a volume of about 200 - 250 liters. Their only disadvantage is a small volume of the freezer (on average, 2/3 of the space is allocated just for the refrigerator department).
2. For a family of 3 persons. The majority of standard models with a volume up to 350 liters will be suitable.
3. For a family of 4-5 persons. We recommend giving preference to models of 350+ liters.
4. For a family of 5 or more persons. Fridges with 2 doors placed vertically would be suitable. As a rule, their volume is about 500 liters or more.

Type of defrosting

There is also nothing complicated here.

Today there are 3 variants of defrosting, which can be found in refrigerators:

1. Manual. The oldest and most primitive option. These are those refrigerators, which periodically have to defrost, drain water, remove frozen ice in the freezer. How often do you have to do it? It depends on how much food is stored, in what condition (open or in airtight boxes). There is only one advantage to these refrigerators - they are cheap. As a rule, they are bought only for the country house, where they are used only periodically, for a small amount of food.
2. Drip. The most common option for today. You also have to defrost them manually, but you do not have to drain the water. And you only need to defrost it once or twice a year, not more often. These refrigerators are also some of the most reliable and durable. For example, the Samsung company provides a 3-year warranty on a number of models with a drip defrosting system. The rest, including the more "advanced" ones, have no more than 12 months warranty.
3. NoFrost. In essence, this is the same drip defrost system. But it is supplemented with a special system of blowing the contents of the fridge chamber with the cold air. What is it for? To prevent the condensation of moisture. That is, it does not collect on the walls. There is no need to defrost the fridge at all. The only disadvantage of this system is that it "wears out" the stored food. Some of them because of this lose their taste, flavor can be mixed. And many manufacturers have already introduced an upgraded NoFrost system. For example, LG has Door Cooling (blowing cold air from several angles at once).

To sum up, if a buyer wants to save money on purchasing a high-quality refrigerator, he should definitely give preference to those models that have a drip defrosting system. NoFrost is for those who have an unlimited budget.

But it is not worth buying appliances with manual defrosting at all. Only for country houses, but not for daily use. Such refrigerators have a lot of shortcomings, and the reliability leaves much to be desired.

The energy efficiency .

Given that electricity prices regularly increase, it is foolish not to pay attention to this characteristic.

The old refrigerators consumed on average about 800 to 900 kWh of electricity per year. That is now about 3 - 4 thousand rubles. More modern appliances are many times more energy efficient.

The simplest models with a drip defrosting system use only 300-350 kWh. This means that a buyer of such appliances will save about 2 to 3 thousand rubles annually.

Does the amount of electricity consumed affect the internal volume of the refrigerator? Naturally, but it is not a geometric progression. That is, a fridge with 300 liters consumes about 300 kWh per year. And a 600 liter refrigerator is only 400-450 kWh.

Noise level

Here, everything is also clear: the lower the noise is, the better. It is specified in decibels.

The average value is 45 dB. Everything that is lower than this value is very quiet refrigerators. Anything higher are "noisy" (as a rule, because of the voluminous freezer, which requires a massive drip system filled with freon to remove the heat from it).

Completeness of the refrigerator and freezer chambers

The more shelves in the refrigerating chamber - the better.

Every fridge has the possibility to take them out and distribute them in another way (there are ledges on the side walls for this purpose). Even if all of them are not planned to be used at the same time, they will be as a spare.

Since the shelves are damaged quite easily, and it is not always easy to get a replacement for them. For this, as a rule, you have to either contact the manufacturer directly, or cut them out of fiberglass or similar material yourself.

But the number of drawers in the freezer is a secondary criterion. Many people prefer not to use them at all, but simply lockable shelves. In this case, you get a little more volume, and it's easier to clean up dirt and stains inside.

And what you should really pay attention to is the presence of "freshness zone". This is a small department (usually a couple of drawers in the refrigerating chamber), where the temperature is always kept at 0 degrees. And such conditions - ideal for storage of vegetables, fruits, as they do not wither, their freshness is preserved for more than 10 days.

The average volume of "freshness zone" in those refrigerators where it is provided is 20 liters.

For those who lead a healthy lifestyle and the main diet consists of fruits and vegetables, it is better to give preference to appliances where its volume is 30 liters and more (in some models, the "fresh zone" is a separate chamber).

Type of control

According to the type of control refrigerators are conditionally classified into:

1. Mechanical. That is, there is a special mechanical regulator with which the temperature sensor is regulated.
2. Electronic. In this case, buttons are used.
3. Sensor. Instead of buttons, there is a touch panel.

Which control option is convenient? Most people prefer the electronic one. Buttons are convenient and reliable.

But in addition you need to pay attention to the presence of indication. It can be light (LED indicators), as well as with the output of information on the display.

So the main thing is how convenient the display is. And the type of control can be chosen based on personal preferences. Somebody likes more buttons, and somebody likes touch pad.

Presence of additional functions

As for additional functions, you should pay attention to the presence of the following functionality:

1. Mode "on vacation". In this case, the temperature inside the refrigerated chamber rises to about 10 - 15 degrees. Naturally, it is not an option for storing ordinary food. But for non-perishable products it is just right. And at the same time the refrigerator consumes almost 70-80% less electric power.
2. Supercooling and superfreezing. Allow to quickly cool the food or freeze meat products and vegetables, and after that - automatically switch to the standard mode. Useful function for those situations where the house often have power outages for 5 - 10 hours. With supercooling, you can quickly reach the desired temperature, which will prevent food spoilage.
3. Childproofing. This is important to consider when buying a refrigerator, in which the controls are not placed on top, but directly on the door. And at the same time there are children at home. After all, they can inadvertently turn on, for example, the mode "Vacation". And most of the food will spoil in the next couple of days if parents do not notice it.
4. Sound or light indication of an unclosed door, increased temperature in the refrigerator compartment. A very useful function for forgetful people. As practice shows, it is in great demand.
5. Infinitely adjustable temperature. In standard free-standing or built-in refrigerators, as a rule, it is impossible to specify the exact value. Instead, you can only specify the mode (of 3 to 4 preset settings). But there are also those models where you can specify the temperature exactly by degrees. It will be useful for those who prefer, for example, seafood. For storage of some of them, the optimal temperature mode is from 2 to 4 degrees. The default temperature in the refrigerating chamber of most manufacturers is 5 degrees.
6. An ice generator and drinking water supply system. It can be found only in large refrigerators. It allows you to always have a small amount of ice on hand to make cold drinks. And the drinking water system allows you to replace the cooler, thereby saving space in the kitchen.

Design

It is the last thing you should pay attention to. Choose, of course, on the basis of what color in the interior of the kitchen is the main color.

And buyers recommend giving preference to those models that have a "matte" surface, rather than glossy. Firstly, it does not leave fingerprints, and secondly, visually the appliances look "not flashy". It is not necessary to accentuate the fridge in the interior.

As for the color, now many people like "non-standard" shades: beige, green, yellow.

What company would be better to choose a refrigerator?

And here the opinions of experts differ significantly.

Well, if you believe user reviews, as well as sales statistics published by online stores, the best-selling refrigerators in 2021-2022 are the following brands:

• LG;
• Haier;
• Candy;
• Beko;
• Bosch.

They are the best combination of price/functionality/reliability. What models are recommended to buy most often?

The following can be highlighted:

• Bosch KGN39UW22R;
• LG GA-B419SDJL;
• Haier C2F636CWRG;
• Candy CCRN 6200 W;
• Beko RCNK 270K20 W.

Bosch KGN39UW22R.

One of the most affordable two-compartment refrigerators of this manufacturer with the NoFrost defrost system.

One of the key advantages of Bosch technique is the use of one of the most reliable compressors.

Most often - inverter, but in this model - simple. In Europe they are guaranteed for 36 months.

The provided additional functionality:

• Dedicated VitaFresh "freshness" zone, sealed, which guarantees the observance of optimal humidity;
• energy consumption class - A+, on average consumes up to 345 kWh per year (at the selected average temperature mode, which is used by default);
• freezer capacity - up to 15 kg per day;
• Even has thickened thermal insulation, so that even after power failure, it retains the cold inside the refrigerating chamber up to 17 hours, since a cold accumulator is also provided in the set
• Volume - 388 liters;
• noise - only up to 38 dB (all refrigerators from Bosch are considered the quietest).

The key advantages of the model are:

• low cost;
• reliability;
• dedicated VitaFresh chamber;
• long-term preservation of cold in the absence of power supply.

Of the disadvantages of the buyers themselves note only the dull housing (have to wipe often), as well as the inability to set the temperature accurately (only 5 preset modes).

LG GA-B419SDJL

LG GA-B419SDJL is one of the best selling refrigerators of this manufacturer in Europe. Its key feature is its diminutive size.

Capacity is only 224 liters, but due to the convenient layout this is enough for a family of even 3 people.

Key features:

1. There is supercooling and superfreezing.
2. Defrosting is NoFrost, but the cold air is supplied in several streams at once, so there is never icing of the walls, and the optimal humidity is maintained inside.
3. Volume is only 302 liters.
4. Energy consumption - up to 293 kWh per year (one of the most economical models from LG).
5. There is a freshness zone, control - electronic.
6. Number of shelves - 3.

Key advantages:

1. Energy efficiency class.
2. Small size (fits even in the smallest kitchen).
3. Reaches the working temperature quickly after switching on.
4. The fresh zone is hermetically sealed (box), so the optimal humidity is maintained there.
5. No noise (noise level during operation is up to 39 dB).

The only disadvantage mentioned is that the refrigerator is available only in one color variant - metallic. And many give preference to the classic white or black.

Haier C2F636CWRG

The Haier company is also famous as a manufacturer of reliable refrigerators.

Not surprisingly, because it provides a warranty of 12 years for the compressor! And it is regardless of the mode in which the equipment will be operated (even if it is installed in the restaurant). In the rest - the basic functionality.

Manufacturer's declared technical characteristics:

1. Volume - 364 liters, optimal for a family of 3 - 4 people.
2. Electricity consumption - up to 342 kWh per year.
3. The number of shelves in the refrigerator compartment - 5 (one of them is originally supplied as a spare).
4. Defrosting system is NoFrost.
5. There is a freshness zone (located directly in the refrigerating chamber).
6. There is a "vacation" mode.
7. Superfreezing and supercooling are provided, which automatically activate by default if there has been a power failure for more than 10 hours.
8. Shockproof shelves and drawers of the freezer compartment (really do not break even with a strong impact).

Advantages:

• very reliable appliances;
• good freezer capacity (about 12 kilograms per day, if you believe the reviews);
• convenient display (shows not only the data on the current temperature, but also the selected mode, as well as the included additional functions, you can also set the clock).

And from the disadvantages of buyers mention only the overpriced, if we compare the refrigerator with other models, but with the same functionality.

Candy CCRN 6200 W.

One of the most popular models of this manufacturer.

Here is a simple functionality, only one compressor, but the refrigerator is reliable and productive.

It also uses a motor that is resistant to voltage fluctuations. And for the Russian Federation this is a weighty argument in favor of the purchase, since in many regions there are difficulties with this.

The manufacturer's declared technical characteristics:

1. Electricity consumption - up to 395 kWh per year.
2. Volume - 370 liters (100 of which is a freezer).
3. Control - electronic.
4. There is a zone of freshness (reduced, only the drawers in the refrigerating chamber).
5. There is an audible indication of an open door (can be turned off if you do not need it).
6. The number of shelves - 4, the drawers in the freezer - 3 (extendable, removable).

If you focus on the buyers' reviews, the following advantages of the model can be highlighted:

1. Low cost.
2. Reliability.
3. Low noise during operation (only up to 40 dB).
4. Provides for the possibility of re-hanging the door (this can be done without having to go to the service center, as with other manufacturers, the package also includes detailed instructions).

Of the disadvantages - it is rather fast wear and tear sealing rubber (door seal). But it is easy to replace it, you can also do it yourself.

Beko RCNK 270K20 W

Beko previously considered as a manufacturer of not the most reliable equipment. And the refrigerator Beko RCNK 270K20 W, in all likelihood, was released in order to convince the potential consumer in the opposite.

For example, this model has an official international warranty of 24 months. And for the compressor - 5 years.

The refrigerator is not the most productive, but it has a thickened layer of thermal insulation, so even with power off, it is able to keep the temperature in the refrigerating chamber up to 18 hours.

Technical specifications:

1. The total volume - 239 liters, which is the best option for a family of 2 - 3 people.
2. Electricity consumption - up to 267 kWh per year.
3. Number of shelves in the refrigerator compartment
4. Number of drawers in the freezing chamber - 3.
5. Defrosting system - NoFrost (herewith it is possible to regulate the blowing power of the refrigerating chamber).
6. There is a "Vacation" mode.
7. The refrigerating and freezer compartments are covered from the inside with a special antibacterial layer, which prevents the spread of bacteria and, therefore, guarantees the longest possible storage of the foods.
8. The door can be re-hung (you can do it yourself without the need to call the service center).
9. The noise during operation is up to 40 dB.

Advantages of the refrigerator Beko RCNK 270K20 W:

1. Inexpensive.
2. Lightweight (slightly more than 50 kg, which is about 20% lighter than that of other manufacturers).
3. Not noisy.
4. Keeps cold for a long time in case of power outage.
5. Official 24-month warranty.

Disadvantages:

• Low freezer capacity - up to 5 kilograms per day.

Conclusion

To sum up, when choosing a fridge, you should not be guided only by the price or dimensions and design.

It is necessary to estimate the technique comprehensively and to focus on your needs. Somebody cares about the presence of a fresh zone, otherbody cares about the productivity of the freezing chamber, somebody wants to save electricity and so on.

But it is possible to find a really good, durable and convenient refrigerator in any price category.

Useful video

In this video you can find tips on how to choose a good refrigerator for your home: