What to Really Consider When Buying a Refrigerator

Before you shuffle off to that home store to look at refrigerators, you need to know a few things. Like, there’s more to a refrigerator than the color and door style. A lot more. You may be surprised to know that refrigerators come in a wide variety of sizes, styles and finishes. More than just the standard ones you see at those home stores, too. So, let’s review some things you should consider before you even think about shopping.

Cabinet opening for refrigerators with arrows indicating measurements

Size Is Important

When it comes down to it, the size may be the most important aspect of a refrigerator that many people don’t think too deeply about. If you’re building out a new kitchen, think about what you need to store. Are you a single person who rarely cooks, or do you have a family or roommates and need more food storage space?

Whether you have a small urban galley kitchen or a larger kitchen space, most kitchens have a dedicated space for a refrigerator. Have you measured it? Are there cabinets above that might impede upon a taller refrigerator’s design? Make sure you take down those measurements carefully—width and height. Buying a refrigerator that doesn’t fit your space is not a fun mistake to make.

Once you know the exterior size of the refrigerator for your kitchen, consider the interior space, which you will see listed as “cubic feet” or “cu. ft.” This tells you how much space inside the refrigerator and freezer is available for holding food, and it’s an important number when you consider that the larger the number, the more energy it takes to keep it cool. Buy a refrigerator with the amount of space you need, but don’t go too far over or you’ll be paying more just to keep unused space chilled.

Freezer on bottom refrigerator and freezer on top refrigerator

Do You Prefer Top or Bottom?

Unfortunately, we don’t mean bunk beds or any other crazy ideas that popped into your head (frankly, we’re not surprised, though). We’re talking about freezer space. For some people, this is a deal-breaking consideration in the refrigerator world. If you have a bad back (or just hate bending over), having your most-used foods within easy reach means the freezer-on-the-bottom option makes more sense. Some people are old school and just prefer having their freezer on the top like the refrigerator they grew up with. There’s no wrong answer. It’s mostly a personal preference—but a very important one.

Swing Left or Right?

The doors, silly. Or maybe you prefer the French-style doors that open to the left and right? This isn’t really a personal preference. Consider the flow of traffic and the placement of the cabinets in your kitchen. The way the refrigerator door opens shouldn’t interfere too much with the traffic flow and it shouldn’t rub against your cabinets or other appliances when opened. For a kitchen with a narrow space between the front of the fridge and anything across from it, a French-door refrigerator makes good sense, as does Haier’s quad-door style refrigerator, which features double French-doors on top and bottom.

Black french-door refrigerator in a kitchen

Don’t Forget the Finish

Some may start with this consideration, but we feel that a lot of other factors come into play before you can even consider the color or finish of your refrigerator. One of the hottest finishes in kitchens is, of course, stainless steel. Some, though, aren’t as partial to this kitchen favorite and may prefer a more standard black or white refrigerator. You might be interested in our latest finish addition – black stainless – that offers a modern take on stainless steel. Or you may have other appliances and want to match your refrigerator to those. Whatever your reason, choose the finish that makes sense for your kitchen.

What About the Bells and Whistles?

Any features over and above what we’ve listed are nice to have, but may not be the most important thing to consider. Once you’ve made your list of the important considerations, let your mind wander thinking about fun features. For example, you may like LED interior lighting because it uses less energy and provides a crisp, clear light. Tempered glass shelves are nice to have, too. They can help capture small spills and are easy to clean. Some refrigerators offer Quick Cool and Quick Freeze functions to quickly chill newly stored foods while protecting foods already refrigerated or frozen.