Refrigerator Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Fridge in India? (2022)
Whether you’re a nuclear family, a joint family, a couple living together, or a bunch of friends sharing a home, a refrigerator is a must-have appliance for all!
Now, choosing the right refrigerator is very important, and one may find the process overwhelming since many factors exist. Gone are the days when refrigerators had a mundane single-door design with no bells and whistles. But today, you’ll find myriads of fancy and innovative features built into these appliances.
Some crucial factors to think about are energy efficiency, brand, capacity, door style, size, price and so much more.
In this detailed post, we are going to dive deeper into the refrigerator buying guide to help you make an informed decision:
Single door vs Double door vs Triple door vs Side by side refrigerator
| Type | Features | Capacity | Perfect for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Door |
|
120L – 250L | 1 to 2 people |
| Double Door |
|
200L – 700L | 3 to 4 people |
| Triple Door |
|
250L- 400L | 3 to 5 people |
| Side by Side Refrigerator |
|
500L – 850L | Large Family (6+ people) |
Cost
Since a refrigerator can be a long-term investment for many of us, considering the price is crucial. The single-door models can cost anywhere from Rs. 10,000 to Rs.20,000. The luxurious side-by-side refrigerators can cost you Rs.50,000 and above, as per the features.
You can check the best refrigerator models under 15000 in India here.
Capacity
A refrigerator’s capacity is measured in Litres. Gone are the days when refrigerators had limited capacity options. Today, you will find a wide range of options along with innovative technologies. Now, selecting a refrigerator’s capacity depends upon the number of members present in a household, as that decides how much food you’ll store in the fridge.
- If you live alone, a refrigerator with 40L to 50L capacity would be ideal.
- For a family of 2 to 3 people, 150L-250L would suffice.
- If there are 4 to 5 people, a 250L to 450L refrigerator would be optimal.
- For larger families with 6 or more people, a large capacity refrigerator with 500L and above capacity is better.
Defrosting: Frost Free and Direct Cool
All refrigerators circulate cool air inside all of their compartments. Some refrigerators use Direct Cool Technology wherein cool air is circulated via natural convection. Such fridge models are cost-saving as they consume less electricity. However, one of the biggest downsides of this type is uneven circulation which leads to the accumulation of ice. Users have to manually defrost the ice on a regular basis, which can be irksome. Plus, your food may get “Freezer burns”, meaning it loses all the moisture and its quality degrades.
Most models today feature a Frost Free design where cool air is circulated with the help of electric fans. With such a design, there’s no need to worry about ice or frost accumulation. However, comparatively, these consume more electricity and are expensive.
Door Style
The most important factor to consider when choosing the fridge is the type of design or door style. Mainly, there are four types of door styles available in refrigerators today:
This is the most basic type of refrigerator with a single-door design, best suited for 1 to 2 people. As the name suggests, these types have single-door access to both- fridge as well as the freezer. These models are compact in size and have around 150L to 250L capacity, perfect for a couple or those who live alone.
Given its compact size, the shelves inside are quite limited. Also, most of them require you to manually defrost the ice at regular intervals. Such models can cost anywhere from Rs.10,000 to 20,000, depending upon the features.
Double-door models, as the name suggests, have separate access to the freezer compartment. This freezer may be either at the top or bottom. These are the most widely used refrigerators, as they strike a perfect balance between capacity, size, and innovation. Ideal for 3-4 people, these models have a fair capacity of 250L to 450L.
Most double-door refrigerators have a freezer at the top, while a few offer a bottom freezer compartment. The biggest advantage of having a bottom freezer is its comparatively deeper and bigger size. Plus, this design is most convenient as the fridge section is used often and it’s on your eye level, so you don’t have to bend too much.
You can check the best refrigerators below 25000 here.
French door refrigerators have two half-width doors for the fridge section and a drawer-style freezer compartment. Such design is innovative, convenient, and adds modern jazz to your kitchen’s aesthetic.
It aims to reduce the spilling of cool air as you’ll only open one door that’s needed while the other one remains closed. Core benefits of french door refrigerators are spacious design, wider shelves, deeper and bigger freezer space, and large doors.
As the name suggests, these refrigerators have the fridge section divided into two parts from the middle. You can store fresh food in one part, and frozen food in the other. Some models have equally split sections, while a few others may have a large width for the fridge and a narrower one for the freezer section.
Side-by-side refrigerators have a vertically split design and don’t require as much door clearance, so they’re ideal for narrow spaces. The spacious room inside these models is perfect for large families with 6 to 8 people. These refrigerators have a large capacity of 500L to 700L and can cost you anywhere from Rs. 60,000 and above.
You can check the best side-by-side refrigerator below 50000 here.
Energy Efficiency
When choosing a refrigerator, look for the “Energy Stars” Label that denotes energy efficiency. It is one of the core deciding factors and the biggest selling point today. On this label, you will see the electricity that the model consumes per unit.
The thumb rule is- the more the stars, more the energy efficiency and the lesser the energy it consumes.
Let’s take an example of a standard 250-L, a frost-free refrigerator that eats up 1100 units of energy per year at Rs.2.5 average unit cost.
- 1 star: 977 units (saves Rs. 308 per year)
- 2 stars: 782 units (saves Rs. 795 per year)
- 3 stars: 626 units (saves Rs. 1185 per year)
- 4 stars: 501 units (saves Rs. 1497 per year)
- 5 stars: 400 units (saves Rs. 1750 per year)
Inverter Compressor vs Normal Compressor
Inverter Technology cuts down costs whilst increasing the lifespan of the compressor. Other benefits of an inverter compressor are its comparatively lesser noise and better energy efficiency.
Refrigerators with inverter compressors are best for heavy-duty use when you open the fridge frequently in a day and load it heavily with food items. If you go for a refrigerator with high capacity, power consumption will be greater. So, when getting a high-capacity model, it is better to choose an inverter compressor.
Size
Refrigerators come in a wide range of size options. Before buying one, always decide where you’re planning to place the refrigerator and check the width and height of the area. Also see if there’s enough clearance in the doorways, passages, or stairways for when you install it.
Pro Tips:
Smart refrigerators today offer innovative features such as large touch screens, Wi-Fi connectivity along with a smartphone app, water/ice dispensers, and more. With these apps, you can get alerts, order food, find recipes, watch TV and remotely control fridge settings. A few hi-tech models may even include a coffee maker, or a craft ice maker to make beverages. Here are some of the innovative features in refrigerators that may allure you: Today many refrigerator models feature door-in-door storage access, where you can quickly grab frequently-used food items, without opening the entire door. That saves energy and costs. If you feel like the given capacity is never enough, you can opt for convertible models. These refrigerators have adjustable cooling zones wherein you can convert the freezer section into a fridge section to store fresh food items. Built-in water dispensers allow direct access to the cold water without you having to open the fridge door. For this, you simply need to provide a continuous supply of your filtered water to it. A cool pack is meant to keep your freezer section cool for up to 12 hours, even if the power is cut off. This feature is ideal for situations like power cuts, as it prevents your ice-creams and other frozen foods from melting. As the name suggests, a deodorizer in your refrigerator will keep the air fresh and discard bad odours with the help of powerful filters. Most of the modern-day refrigerators above 220L capacity are designed with toughened glass shelves that can endure heavy weight, even heavy vessels. If your area is known to have fluctuating voltages, go for a model with a built-in voltage stabilizer. This will protect your compressor from damages caused due to high shaky voltages. Smart fridges come with inbuilt food-recognition technology that detects what kind of food is stored inside and allows you to control internal temperature. Some models may even support voice recognition and smart apps that allow you to remotely control smart home devices. Such models can cost you over Rs.2,50,000 and can be a perfect addition to upscale households. With this, we wrap up our comprehensive ‘Refrigerator Buying Guide’. A refrigerator is a piece of equipment we tend to use every single day. And for most of us, it is seen as a long-term investment. Hence, it is always smart to consider all the important factors before making the final decision. Scrutinize all the features you desire in a refrigerator and also compare different brands and their price ranges. Another key point is to look at the warranty provided. And, you’re good to go!
Extra features to look for in a refrigerator
Conclusion: Refrigerator Buying Guide
