- What are the different types of refrigerators?
- What is the difference between single and double door?
- We are a family of four what capacity would be ideal?
- Which refrigerator should you buy based on your cusine preference?
- What is basic refrigerator terminology?
Refrigerator buying guide
Selecting a refrigerator that's right for your lifestyle and home requires a great deal of thought – and a measuring tape.
There are different kinds of refrigerators in our store -- side-by-side, top-freezer, bottom-freezer, built-in and compact refrigerators, each comes in different sizes, brands and various features.
There are six different types of refrigerators– single-door, double-door, three-door, two-door side-by-side with / without ice and water dispenser, and four-door side-by-side refrigerator.
Single-door refrigerator – Direct Cool
These are one of the oldest and conventional refrigerators. As the name suggests, they come with a single door. The upper portion here is a freezer, the middle portion is a refrigerator and the bottom portion has a vegetable bin. Single-door refrigerators start from 50 ltrs and go up to 300 ltrs. These are entry-level refrigerators and are in the low-price range.
Pros
- Is available in smaller sizes for smaller usage
- Fits in a small space
- Freezer section is more efficient
- Ideal for small offices/clinics and grocery stores
Cons
- Manual defrosting required twice in a week. If defrosting is not done in time, the defrosting water tray might spill, causing a mess
- Not available above 300 ltrs
- Since all three sections (freezer, refrigerator and vegetable bin) are together, odour mixture in the food is common
- Heat-exchanging pipes/coils are visible (not concealed) in most of the single-door refrigerators
Double-door refrigerator
As the name suggests, a double-door refrigerator comes with two doors. One door is for the freezer section and the other is for the refrigerator and vegetable sections. They either have a freezer section on top and refrigerator and vegetable sections at the bottom or vice versa. They start from 200 ltrs and go up to 660 ltrs. These are the highest-selling refrigerators and are in mid-price range.
Pros
- Bigger vessels/ beverage bottles can be accommodated, depending upon the capacity of the refrigerator
- Available in wired shelves (weight-holding capacity: 90 kg), acrylic shelves (weight-holding capacity: 40 kg) and toughened glass (weight-holding capacity: 90 kg)
- Refrigerators with acrylic/ toughened glass will have a unique temperature in each compartment
Cons
- Deodorizer feature not available in smaller sizes
- Not available in smaller sizes
- The vegetable section is smaller compared to a three-door refrigerator
- If the refrigerator section located in the lower part, you have to bend down to get the vegetables
Three-door refrigerator
A three-door refrigerator has one door for the refrigerator section, one for the vegetable section and another for the freezer section. In this type of refrigerator, the refrigerator section is on top, the vegetable section is in the middle and the freezer section is at the bottom. These refrigerators start at 300 ltrs and go up to 450 ltrs. This type of refrigerator is preferred by vegetarian families as the vegetable section is quite convenient to open. It is in the mid-price range.
Pros
- Since the refrigerator and vegetable sections are at the top, you don’t have to bend down too much
- Odour mixing is avoided completely as the three sections are separate
- Some three-door refrigerators come with automatic ice dispensers
- These refrigerators have a thin outer body so they take up less space
- The vegetable section is bigger compared to other refrigerators and is generally divided into two parts
Cons
- Limited space to keep bigger beverage bottles
- Bigger vessels cannot be accommodated
- Generally comes with acrylic shelves that can take only 40 kg
Four-door side-by-side refrigerator
A four-door side-by-side refrigerator is similar to a two-door side-by-side refrigerator, more like a cupboard with left and right halves, except that both these halves also have two doors. The entire top half is the refrigerator and vegetable section and the entire bottom half is the freezer section. It comes only in 660 ltrs. Like the two-door side-by-side refrigerators, these also are high-end models. Since these are high-end refrigerators, the price range also is quite high.
Pros
- All shelves are made of toughened glass that can hold a weight of 90 kg
- Bigger vessels/ beverage bottles can be accommodated easily
- Comes with a water dispenser, but does not need to be connected to a permanent water connection, so no permanent plumbing is required
- You don’t need to open the entire section to take out a particular item
Cons
- Not available in smaller sizes
- Very bulky and hence difficult to move around
- Does not come with an ice cube dispenser
Comparison of different refrigerators
Feature |
Single Door |
Double Door |
Three Door |
Two Door Side-by-side |
Four Door Side by side |
Capacity |
50 ltrs to 300 ltrs |
200 ltrs to 660 ltrs |
300 ltrs to 450 ltrs |
550 ltrs to 810 ltrs |
660 ltrs |
Freezer Section |
Small |
Medium |
Medium |
Big |
Very Big |
Vegetable section |
Small |
Medium |
Big |
Big |
Very Big |
Defrosting |
Manual |
Automatic |
Automatic |
Automatic |
Automatic |
Vessels |
Small / Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Big |
Very Big |
Beverage bottles |
Small / Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Big |
Very Big |
Ice / Water dispenser |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Only water dispenser |
Permanent Plumbing |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
Shelves |
Wired / Acrylic |
Wired / Acrylic/ Toughened Glass |
Wired / Acrylic/ Toughened Glass |
Toughened Glass |
Toughened Glass |
Deodorizer |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Refrigerator capacity for your family size
| Size of the family | Capacity of the Refrigerator (ltrs) |
1 |
200-230 |
2 |
260 |
3 |
290 |
4 |
300 |
5 |
350 |
6 |
400 |
7 |
450 |
8 |
500 |
9 |
550 |
10 |
600 |
11 |
650 |
12 |
700 |
While you are buying a refrigerator, one of the major things you should consider is whether you are vegetarian or non-vegetarian. A few points that you need to consider are:
If you are a vegetarian family, choose a model that has:
- A bigger vegetable section and a smaller freezer section
- A vegetable section in the middle so that you don’t have to have to bend down frequently
If you are a non-vegetarian family, choose a model that has:
- A bigger freezer section and a smaller vegetable section
- Freezer section at the top
Basic refrigerator terminology
The following terminology will help to understand how you can choose a refrigerator best suited to your needs:
- Adjustable shelves: Shelves that can be removed and relocated to continually maximize the space in your refrigerator
- Beverage rack: A rack designed for the storage and/ or dispensing of canned drinks. This rack is usually found on the door or connected to the bottom of a shelf
- Bin: A drawer that keeps specific foods fresh, such as vegetables, away from the rest of the refrigerator. Many bins have separate temperature or humidity controls and can either be opaque or clear
- Defrosting: A process by which the extra ice accumulated in the freezer section on a refrigerator is melted
- Frost free: A feature by which the refrigerator defrosts automatically
- Ice maker: Many freezers allow for an automatic icemaker as an option, instead of ice trays, which have to be manually filled with water. An icemaker is a standard feature on models with an ice/water dispenser and must be connected to a water bin in the rear
- Ice and water dispenser: This feature allows you to get ice and water through a dispenser in the freezer door without opening the refrigerator. It is typically found in side-by-side models, but can be found in other models as well
- Spill guard: A spill guard is a raised edge on the end of a glass shelf that contains spills and makes them easier to clean up
