Refrigerator: We Cannot Leave Them Alone

Refrigerator is the hub of the kitchen. Everything in the kitchen is centre around the refrigerator. Your children would come by every 10 minutes to check for snacks. If you can’t sleep at night, the first thing you would visit is the refrigerator for a bottle of milk. Dad is storing up beverages for the football nights on TV and mum is planning a Christmas dinner with the family and she needs to stock up the meat and the poultry.

Refrigerators have become a staple need in our everyday life, so much so we don’t give a second thought about the huge white box sitting in the corner of our kitchen. That is until the day the refrigerator died.

Breakdown Signs

However, before your fridge is calling it a day, it does give you a few indications that its time is nigh and you may need to repair or purchase a new one very soon:

• Your old refrigerator is incurring a lot of repair bills
• Older fridges are not energy-efficient and that’s the reason why your electricity bill is so high
• You need to defrost more often
• You noticed that your food start to smell or spoil before it normally would
• The water you have kept is not cold as it should
• The whole fridge is running hot and feverish
• Ice is not forming in its tray
• You don’t feel the cold blast when you opened the door
• The door couldn’t close with a thud and the rubber sealing around the door has hardened and has lost its magnetism, though this can be easily replaced
• The fridge’s motor kept humming away

Why You Need A Counter-Depth Refrigerator?

Probably, you have walked inside a showroom featuring their fancy kitchens together with their even fancier eye-catching refrigerator. It seems to be integrated so well as part of the furniture. The refrigerator looks so streamlined and it completely blends with the kitchen counter.

You may wonder where they got those refrigerators? Are they made-to-measures? Certainly, they are not. Those are Counter-depth refrigerator. So, what is a counter-depth fridge, exactly?

Smooth Line

You will notice that kitchen countertops almost run parallel to the counter-depth refrigerator. That’s it matches so well! The standard depth of the kitchen counter is 25½ inches, and most counter-depth refrigerator is 23 inches to 27 inches deep, together with their doors and handles is about 30 inches.

With a depth of 25½ inches, a countertops refrigerator, therefore, has a much shallower depth as compared to the standard-depth refrigerator of 30 – 34 inches (35 – 36 inches with doors and handles).

To compensate for its lacking in-depth storage capacity, a typically counter-depth refrigerator is wider and taller than a traditional fridge. Though the overall capacity may be the same as the regular full-sized refrigerator, it only sticks out an inch or two past the kitchen countertop, whereas the regular full-sized fridge may stick out half a foot or more from the edge of the kitchen counters. That would not be so aesthetically appealing.

Sleek, Seamless Design

That’s what a modern kitchen should be. Neat lines are pleasant to the eyes and the counter-depth refrigerator provides a seamless, unbroken design. This does not create extra floor space, but nevertheless, you would enjoy its sleek look.

Have You Considered a French Door counter-depth refrigerator?

The French door style refrigerator has two doors on top which open in the middle and a freezer below. The top drawers are opened at eye level with most food shelves and retrieving those items at the back is easy because of its shallower racks.

You may find that opening and closing those doors generally required less clearance as compared with those of a single door on a traditional top freezer refrigerator. GE Appliances GYE22HSKSS 36 Inch Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator  Shop at Walmart

Product Dimensions: 31.25 x 35.75 x 69.88 inches. 36 Inch Freestanding Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator with 22.2 cu. ft. Total Capacity, 4 Glass Shelves, 7.2 cu. ft. Freezer Capacity, External Water Dispenser, Crisper Drawer, Automatic Defrost, Energy Star Certified, ADA Compliant, Ice Maker, ADA Compliant, TwinChill Evaporators, Quick Space

Free-Standing

Counter-depth like its standard-depth refrigerator are free-standing units, meaning it can stand alone and don’t require any cabinets to build around them to keep them steady or secured. The good news is that when you have to add a counter-depth to your kitchen, you don’t have to rip apart your existing counter. If you have space, you just have to slide the fridge in place.

A Counter-depth side-by-side refrigerator having two doors extending the full height of the fridge might fit in nicely. One side is the refrigerator and the other side is the freezer. GE Appliances PZS22MSKSS 36 Inch Freestanding Counter Depth Side by Side Shop at Walmart

Product Dimension: 30.75 x 35.75 x 69.25 inches. 36 Inch Freestanding Counter Depth Side by Side Refrigerator with 22.1 cu. ft. Capacity, 3 Glass Shelves, External Water Dispenser, with Door Lock, Crisper Drawer, Ice Maker, Frost Free Defrost, in Stainless Steel

Do You Have Sufficient Freezer Storage Space?

If you have a large family to feed, a refrigerator-freezer may not have sufficient storage space to store all your frozen food requirements. With the addition of a standalone freezer, it will prevent overloading in your old refrigerator freezer. When you have to push and squeeze every inch into the fridge, that means you’re overloading. When food is packed tightly, cold air does not circulate well enough, resulting in food going bad even before its expiry date.

With that extra storage available from a freezer, you would able to take advantage of bulk purchase specials, seasonal fruit promotions, and large fish and meat orders. Large orders would save you money and you don’t have to shop for it every day or weeks.

The type of freezer you would choose will depend on what you want it for. The Upright freezer will be suitable for those who want to access their daily frozen foods frequently, while others would prefer the lying-down chest freezer to keep their meat or other frozen food for which they don’t have immediate use. Meaning, they can be stored for a longer period.

A Chest Freezer Could Be Suitable

The advantage of a chest freezer over an upright freezer is you can place any shape and size items because it is accessible from the top. This may be difficult for an upright freezer because it is only accessible from the front. But the chest freezer has a downside. You are required quite a lot of bending and searching for items that are kept at the bottom.

Need Defrosting?

Most chest freezers are manual defrost but there are models that automatically defrost. But manual defrosting requires a longer time to accomplish. The good thing about manual defrosts is that they need not need maintenance because they have fewer parts. Also, manual defrosting is energy-efficient.

A chest freezer has built-in sidewall insulation, that’ll able to contain the cold even during a power outage or when you have to move it to a different place. The freezer will be able to hold the cold as long as the freezer lid is not open or unplugged. Choose a freezer that is Energy Star qualified to save energy. Arctic King 7 cu ft Chest Freezer, Black Shop at Walmart

The convenient size and recessed handle of the Arctic King 7 cu ft Chest Freezer, Black makes it an excellent fit for your garage, shop or basement. 

Upright Freezer Has Its Advantages

An Upright freezer has many convenience features over the chest freezer. The freezer opens at eye-level so there’s no need to bend over to look for your food items except the bottom racks.

You have the luxury of better organizing your frozen foods according to the expiry date and those that are current. Like the normal refrigerator, it has an adjustable shelf, removable door storage bins and assortments of pull-out baskets and bins to store your meat and packages to your heart’s content. But there are constraints, meat that are long and big might not able to fit in. All these useful features help in the storing and ease of sorting contents.

They Self-Defrost

You don’t have to worry about excessive ice and snow building up in the freezer because they automatically defrost when the time comes. It’s frequent on and off-cycle makes it noisier than a manual defrosting chest freezer. Most upright freezers are self-defrosting, unlike chest freezers. Atosa USA MBF8001 Series Stainless Steel 29-Inch One-Door Upright Freezer Shop at Walmart

T-Series Reach-In Freezer, one-section, self-contained refrigeration, 22.6 cu. ft. capacity, -8° to -0°F temperature range, (1) locking hinged self-closing door, (3) adjustable shelves, ventilated refrigeration, interior lighting, automatic evaporation, digital temperature control, electric defrost, stainless steel interior & exterior, galvanized steel back, top-mounted refrigeration, 650 watts, 115v/60/1-ph, 7.5 amps, 1/2 HP, cETLus, ETL, CE, ENERGY STAR®

Fridges with Ice and Water Dispensers

It’s very expensive and bothersome to buy lots of bottled water to be kept in the refrigerator. If you and your family are always drinking water with lots of ice, you may want to consider a refrigerator that dispenses water and a built-in ice maker.

It will bring a big difference in the kitchen where the fridge offered such convenience. You don’t have to manually pour in water to make ice. It is automatically done for you. Great for your kids who now have instant ice and cold water on demand. Also, it’s perfect for entertaining.

Where Does It Get its Water Supply?

You have fridges that require connection to water taps from your kitchen’s water supply, and you have a fridge that required no plumbing at all. Though it relied on a water tank, and water needs to fill in manually.

With water and ice dispenser, it is important to use filters to clean and purify the water before use. The general rule of thumb would be to replace your water filter every six months so that you can continue to enjoy clean ice and water all the time.

Today, most dispensers are seemingly made taller in height allowing you to dispense on taller glass or even to fill a pitcher without a problem. Frigidaire Fg4h2272u Gallery 36″ Wide 21.8 Cu. Ft. Energy Star Rated French Door Shop at Walmart

Easily fill tall pitchers and bottles with a 10″ tall exterior ice and water dispenser, Counter-depth design gives you the built-in look without the need for a remodel, PureSource Ultra®II Ice & Water Filtration: Remove 99.3% of lead and 99.9% of cysts from your household water with a genuine water filter.

Looking For a French Door or a Side-By-Side Refrigerator?

In all simplicity, a Side-by-Side refrigerator has two doors that open from the middle, and a French Door refrigerator has more than 2 doors, some even have four doors – the chilling portion forms the upper ⅔ of the fridge, and the bottom ⅓ includes either one or two freezer compartments. The Side-by-Side refrigerator, also opens in the middle, having the freezer on the left and the chilling section on the right.

A Side-by-Side fridge when open, you’ll notice that the freezer portion and the chilling portion are separated and independent of each other. Thus, you have the freezer and the chilling space reduced by half in comparison to a traditional refrigerator.

Less Lateral Space

Thus, a Side-by-Side fridge has less lateral space. But, due to its compact design, the ice dispenser usually takes up less space. Store-More™ glass shelves with metallic trim, two Store-More™ humidity-controlled crisper bins, Store-More™ gallon door storage and a chill drawer Shop at Walmart

If you would compare a Side-by-Side refrigerator with a French Door type refrigerator, there is no division between the chilling space and the freezer therefore it has more lateral space. It typically has a larger useable volume compared with a Side-by-Side of similar dimensions.

Eye-Level Racks

Of course, adults would like a French Door Fridge because the majority of the chilled contents are at eye level, while little kids may have a little harder reaching the top panels. Children would love the Side-by-Side fridge because they can store all their candies and drinks in the bottom unit.

A compromise has to be made if you choose a French Door refrigerator because the freezer is located at the bottom of the fridge. All your frozen foods must be stacked on top of one another, and you’ll have to bend a bit, or squat to get down to the freezer compartment in order to get anything. It will be bad news for those elderly who has arthritis and people in a wheelchair; and people who have a knee problem.

French Door Has Wider Access

But the biggest advantage of a French Door refrigerator is the lateral width of the chilling space. It occupies the entire width of the fridge, thus allowing it to store items that are wider. A Side-by-Side door refrigerator can only store food as limited by its width. GE Appliances GFE28GGKBB 36 Inch French Door Refrigerator Black Shop at Walmart

36 Inch Freestanding French Door Refrigerator with 27.8 cu. ft. Total Capacity, 4 Glass Shelves, 9.2 cu. ft. Freezer Capacity, External Water Dispenser, Crisper Drawer, Adaptive Defrost, Energy Star Certified, ADA Compliant, Ice Maker, ADA Compliant, TwinChill Evaporators in Black

Don’t Have To Rummage

In terms of overall accessibility, the Side-by-Side refrigerator’s storage area can be easily organised that the French door fridge cannot. It’s hard to keep things organized in the freezer of a French Door, you have to rummage to look for things at the bottom. You may have forgotten some frozen foods that you kept at the bottom of the pile for some time. You can find your frozen food easily in a Side-by-side as they are not buried too deep.

Whether you would choose either the French Door Or the Side-by-Side type of refrigerator is your own preference and convenience. You may refer to the French Door to Side-by-Side because most of the chilled items are at eye level while the freezer at the bottom unit is accessed less frequently. You may prefer a Side-by-Side for its overall accessibility. If you keep your frozen food current it is best to keep it in racks up front rather than buried in a deep pile.

Why Do You Need a Wine Fridge?

Wine is not for everyone, is for those only who have the acquired taste and can enjoy the sparkling liquid. A fine, delicate, natural fruit product, it needs to be properly stored to be enjoyed. A wine expert would tell you that in order to keep your wine well, keep it from extreme temperatures, ultraviolet rays, and vibrations.

If your wine is chilled at the proper temperature it can make a huge difference and impact the actual taste of your wine. Whether it is champagne or sweet wines it is best served at 42 to 46 degrees if not, they’ll gonna taste like syrup. Red wine is best consumed at 58 to 60 degrees. So it’s important in choosing a wine fridge to have multiple zones for different wines.

Don’t Need a Wine Cellar

You don’t need to build a wine cellar in your home to create the ideal environment to store your wines. Today, we have a dedicated home wine refrigerator that can equally do the job of keeping your wine in pristine condition.

A standard home refrigerator is not suitable and never substitutes for wine cooling. The reasons are that a typical home refrigerator is designed for mostly to store and look after food products, and definitely not to hold and store wines. It has a temperature of around 38℉ or 3℃ which is far too cold and dry for wines. This temperature works well for meat, poultry and vegetables.

The ideal temperature for storing wine is between 55℉ and 58℉ (13℃ and 15℃), and the humidity should be around 70%.

A Standard Compressor vs Thermal Electric Wine Fridge

The standard compressor-style fridge is just like the fridge in your kitchen and is more powerful than the thermal electric-style wine fridge. So powerful that your wine will chill right away and the thermal one would take three times as long. One disadvantage of a compressor type is the constant kick on and off which is quite annoying if it is kept in a room.

Though a thermal electric might be more appropriate when it is compared with that a compressor type it consumes more electricity at 140 watts (Compressor – only 90 watts). The Compressor type has an air vent in front whereas the Thermal type has theirs behind and this makes them not suitable if you want it to lie up with your kitchen countertop. It needs more back sand side space for air filler. NewAir Silent Wine Cooler 28 Bottle Digital Control Freestanding Fridge, Shop at Walmart

Quiet 25 dB operation, high humidity retention, and low vibration for minimizing sediment agitation make this wine cooler the perfect choice for storing your collection. It also has a roomy 28-bottle storage capacity,

Features to Look For In Your Wine Fridge

• Able to set your preferred temperatures
• It provides flexibility in dual or single-temperature zones
• Well-insulation doors to keep the cool air in
• LED lighting to keep out UV rays
• Low vibration. Wines have a small amount of sediment in each bottle and if there are frequent moving and vibration it may cause chemical reactions that can cause changes in the wine’s flavour.
• Able to keep a constant temperature
• Enough bottle capacity to meet your needs
• Stylish design to blend with your decor

How To Serve Wine

Opening up that special bottle of wine required that special occasion. Knowing how to open and serve will make the experience more memorable, especially the temperature of the wine, allowing the wine time to breathe, the choice of glasses, and how it is poured, will make a difference.

The temperature of the wine when served is crucial. White wines should be chilled to 50 and 60 degrees so that you can distinguish the fine delicate flavour of the fruit. For Champagne, it is best served when cold, preferably at 40 degrees. Red wines are best served at room temperature between 60 and 65 degrees.?

Why Do You Need A Mini Refrigerator?

A mini-fridge is smaller and lighter than a compact fridge and many portable fridges. A mini-fridge needs to be small and small enough to be carried around, Normally weighs about 20 – 30 lbs with a capacity of 1.5 to 3.0 cu ft and should be able to hold 12 can drinks.

Of course, it needs to be able to keep things nice and cool. Some models come with a freezer section which has a compartment to store one or two frozen food for lunch or dinner. Best suited for use in dorm rooms or places that give you the convenience of being within reach. You can reach out for a can of soda and you don’t have to go downstairs to the kitchen. RCA 3.2 Cu Ft Single Door Mini Fridge RFR320, White Shop at Walmart

Fridge dimensions: 17-1/2” W x 18.5/8” D x 31.5/8” H | 84 L – 3.2 cu. Ft. inner space | Product weight: 50.7 lbs. | Freezer capacity: 0.2 cu. Ft. | Refrigerant type: R134a, 1.77 Oz/50g. Compressor Cooling for ultimate performance even in hot weather

Compact Refrigerator

A compact refrigerator is generally larger than a mini-refrigerator from 3 to 7 or more cu. ft. They are more energy-efficient and are easily placed anywhere because of their small footprint.

Most come with an adjustable thermostat to keep your food or drinks at the optimum temperature, and auto-defrosting. With a bigger capacity, it can even hold multiple meat packages and several trays of ice.

The compact refrigerator comes in two types – the freestanding and the built-in. The freestanding can stand alone with air vents at the back. The built-in compact fridge is much shorter and usually is placed around cabinetry for convenience and aesthetic appeal. Danby Designer 4.4 cu ft Compact All Refrigerator, Spotless Silver Shop at Walmart

Dimensions: 21.06″L x 20.71″W x 33.07″H

Portable Compressor Refrigerator

A true portable refrigerator is a type which has a compressor that drives the unit, if it does not have the compressor it is cooler. A portable refrigerator is suitable for your camping use. You might plug it into your car batteries but that will wear them out. Your car may end up with a dead battery. For extended use of the portable refrigerator use an external power source. Learn how suitable and convenient is it on your camping trip here.

Though a compressor refrigerator may be a little more costly, in the end, it’s all worth it. Your camping experience will be enhanced by preventing your food from getting ruined by those inferior types of cooling systems.

With the compressor-type of the refrigerator, you are able to adjust the temperature to your exact temperature, but this, however, is hampered by the temperature outside. The hotter your area, the fridge has to work harder.

This Whynter FM-45G 45-Quart Portable Refrigerator/Freezer offers premium quality and innovative design for your frozen food needs. It is wonderful for RVs, boats, campsites, and fishing trips and is truly portable so you can take your fridge/freezer anywhere!

All you need is either a standard household 110 Volt outlet or a 12 Volt power source, like an automotive battery. Whether on a day trip or a major expedition, you can easily keep your food and beverages chilled or frozen with this platinum refrigerator.

Cost-effective

Whynter portable freezers should not be confused with less effective 12-volt novelty and beverage-type “coolers.” This Whynter refrigerator is a true dual unit, which cools to between -8 degrees F to 50 degrees F. A cost-effective and mobile solution for your recreational and critical freezing requirements.45 Quarts or 60 Cans (12FL oz) capacity;

Adjustable temperature range: -8°F to 50°F; LED temperature display; “Fast Freeze” mode rapidly cools to -8°F

Compressor Cooling System

A compressor portable works exactly like a full-size refrigerator in that it can regulate the temperature inside automatically. When the temperature inside drops, it will trigger the compressor and when it gets too cold, it’ll stop the cycle. Whynter FM-45G 45-Quart Portable Refrigerator/Freezer, Platinum Shop at Walmart

Portable Thermoelectric Refrigerators

Thermoelectric refrigerator and compressor refrigerator are different even though they both have standard wall outlets and 12V cigarette lighters in your car. Keep in mind if you were to plug it into your car for too long, it will drain out your car’s battery. Remember to let your car’s engine on.

Thermoelectric used a different technology than the compressor fridge. The compressor fridge is temperature-controlled, whereas the thermoelectric fridge uses the air surrounding it to determine the temperature inside.

SWITCH FROM HEATING TO COOLING: Easily choose to chill up to 32°F (0°C) below ambient temperature, or keep warm up to 150°F (66°C)， from 86°F (30°C) -64°F (18°C) within an hour, 86°F (30°C) -50°F (10°C) within 2 hours, 86°F (30°C)-37°F( 3°C) within 3 hours

Unlike the compressor fridge, it cannot keep the cold inside for long periods of time. These coolers are fine if you’re only taking a short trip and all the food is consumed in a short while. AstroAI Mini Fridge Portable AC/DC Powered Cooler and Warmer 4 Liter /6 Can for Cars, Homes, Offices, and Dorms Shop at Walmart

Portable Absorption Refrigerator 

The free-standing refrigerator can be used in any place. Suitable for nurseries, bedrooms, libraries, hospitals, offices and any other quiet environment. 

It runs totally silent and doesn’t use compressors or fans. It is compactly designed for use everywhere including your kitchen countertop. Never requires additional refrigerant throughout its service life.

They can run off three types of power sources like AC or DC but are most efficient when using gas. Temperature can be adjusted by an electronic formula controller from 37-53℉ (3~12℃).

An absorption fridge looks similar to a mini-fridge, but it consumes more power than a portable electric fridge. VEVOR 30L 110V Portable Absorption Fridge Refrigerator Mini Cooler Black Shop at Walmart

Bottom Line

The first thing, before you make the choice of whatever type of refrigerator you want to purchase, is to make sure the fridge will fit in the area where you intended to place it.

Also, it is essential that your new fridge looks good and matches the overall aesthetics of the home or kitchen. If you’re looking for the same brand you’re familiar with because it is trusted. Also, if It is compatible visually with the rest of your appliances in the kitchen, half the problem is solved. Your search for a refrigerator ends here.

Funnies:

“I followed my heart and it led me into the fridge.”

Kushandwizdom,tumblr

WAS THIS ARTICLE HELPFUL? PASS IT ON

• Electric Turkey Roasters Oven: Effortlessly Easy and Practical
• Kitchen Gadgets: Reheat Your Food Without Degrading It
• Wine Preservation Systems: Keep Every Bottle Fresh Longer
• Game Consoles: Exciting Entertainment at Your Fingertips
• Nailer: A Great Partner In Your Project