10 Best Refrigerators Under 15000 with Buying Guide 

Finding the right refrigerator can get tedious at times. That is why we have properly curated this buying guide offering you the right assistance you need. You need to look for all these criteria while getting the best refrigerator for your home.

Capacity

If you live alone, then you can go for refrigerators whose capacity is less than 200 liters. For medium-sized families, 350 to 500 liters would be suitable and for large families, go for refrigerators with more than 500 liters capacity.

Types of Refrigerators

Now, let’s look at the different types of refrigerators available in the current market. There are six major types of refrigerators.

1) Single Door Refrigerators: Single door refrigerators are ideal for people who live alone or have a small family. Their capacity won’t go beyond 300 liters. You need to defrost the freezer manually as this type of refrigerator uses direct cool defrosting technology. Single door refrigerators are less expensive than other types of refrigerators and consume comparatively less power. You can’t store many items in the freezer because of its size.

2) Double Door Refrigerators:  Double door refrigerators come with a capacity of around 200- 700 liters. They are expensive and consume more power than single-door refrigerators. The good thing about these refrigerators is that you don’t have to defrost it manually because it uses frost-free technology. Double door refrigerators fall on the expensive side. It is ideal for medium-sized families. Double door refrigerators are categorized into two types based on the location of the freezer.

• Top Mounted: The freezer is mounted on the top. Top-mounted refrigerators are common amongst the Indian population.
• Bottom Mounted: The freezer is mounted on the bottom of the refrigerator. These types of refrigerators aren’t common amongst Indian customers because it would be annoying to bend all over down there to get the stored items from the freezer. As bottom-mounted refrigerators are not trendy, you won’t see many models in the market.

3) Triple Door Refrigerators: Triple door refrigerators have three doors: one is for the freezer, another one is for the cooling section, and the last one is for the vegetable basket. Triple door refrigerators need more power to function but it is one of the most versatile refrigerators that you’ll find in the market as there are three separate compartments, so you don’t need to worry about the mixing of the odor. In high ends triple door refrigerators, you would find an ice dispenser as well.

French Door

French door refrigerators have two separate doors and a freezer compartment at the bottom. They have wider selves so you can easily put all the food items accordingly. They are easy to use and maintain. But unfortunately, you would find fewer French door refrigerators in the Indian market.

Side by Side Refrigerators

Side by side, refrigerators come in large capacity, around 500 liters to 900 liters, which makes it an ideal option for large families. It has a large freezer space, so if you don’t want a large freezer, then we would not recommend this refrigerator. As side by side refrigerators come in a large capacity, they consume a lot of electricity.

Mini Fridge

Mini fridges are compact and small. It is ideal for storing drinks and snacks. You can use this fridge if you live alone and only wants the freezer compartment. They are an affordable option for people who lives alone.

Defrosting

Refrigerators are classified into two types looking at their defrosting type. They are direct cool and frost cool.

• Direct Cool Defrosting Technology: Refrigerators with this technology use natural convection process. So, you won’t be able to control the inside temperature. That leads to uneven cooling, and over time, frost would accumulate. So, you need to defrost it from time to time. The refrigerators which use this technology have single doors and need low maintenance. If you’re under a tight budget, then you can go for this one.
• Frost Free Refrigerators: This technology is found in high-end refrigerators. It has a defrost cycle that works on its own to check the accumulation of ice. Nowadays, you would see that most modern refrigerators use this frost-free technology. It uses an electric fan to maintain even cooling inside the refrigerator. Frost-free refrigerators use more electricity than compared to direct cool defrosting refrigerators, but they have a longer life. You can find this technology on almost all types of refrigerators: side by side, double door, French door.

Noise

The ideal noise level of refrigerators should be around 30 to 40 dB. Above 40, dB is considered noisy. So, check the product description before the purchase.

Built Quality

Check the built quality of the appliance. Stainless steel refrigerators are common these days because of their durability and reliability. But they are expensive.

Warranty

Reputed brands would give around five to ten years warranty on the product and compressor. Whereas, basic models would give fewer years of warranty on the product and compressor. We would advise you to invest in a quality product which would last longer and comes with advanced features.

Customer Service

Before purchasing a refrigerator, do some research on the brand you’re opting for. Make sure that you’re choosing a brand that provides good customer service. In case your refrigerator is damaged, and you need to call the customer care support team, and if they don’t pick up your call, then that would be frustrating.

Frequently Asked Questions

1) How to improve the efficiency of a refrigerator? 

• Avoid direct exposure to sunlight. Keep the refrigerator away from the dishwashers.
• Don’t keep hot food in the refrigerator. Before storing it, let the food cool down, then cover it properly.
• You don’t need to open the freezer. It would lose its efficiency.
• Adjust the temperature of the refrigerator. Keep it around 36 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit for the refrigerator, and for the freezer, it should be around 0 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
• If you keep the food items accordingly, then you don’t need to open the fridge again and again, which would harm its efficiency.
• Don’t keep bread, cereal boxes inside the refrigerator as it would trap heat inside it. So, if you avoid keeping these things inside the refrigerator, then it would let the compressor run less.

2) How would I disinfect a refrigerator?

Just spray a mixture of vinegar and water on the interiors of the refrigerator. Focus on areas that have stains. Keep it for twenty to thirty minutes; then you can wipe it up with a soft wet cloth.

3) Which compressor is best for refrigerators? 

Multi-stage reciprocating compressors are considered the best for refrigerators. They have a longer life when compared to single-stage compressors. Reciprocating compressors are efficient and last for a longer period of time.

4) Should I buy refrigerators online?

It is your personal preference, whether you want to buy refrigerators online or offline. See, if you buy it online, then you would get a discount as well as a ton of variations. But buying refrigerators offline, it is obvious that returning won’t be an issue. It is just that you won’t get a lot of varieties. It is completely safe to purchase refrigerators online. You can buy refrigerators on Amazon at affordable prices.

5) Does fridge size has any impact on electricity consumption?

Yes, the size of the fridge has an impact on electricity consumption. For that, you need to see the star rating of a particular product. Don’t go for a large capacity fridge if you live alone or have a small family. That would be a wastage of money. In addition, you have to pay high bills every month. So, choose as per your requirement and budget.

6) How to increase the lifespan of refrigerators? 

• It is advisable not to use harsh things on the interior of the refrigerator. Use a soft cloth to clean the refrigerator. Spray a solution of baking soda and lemon if required.
• Don’t cramped the refrigerator. Keep all the food items accordingly so that the fridge would work at its best.
• You need to regularly clean the seals of the refrigerators to get rid of the dirt and mold on the seals of the refrigerator.
• Inspect if the seals work properly or not. For that, just slip a paper when the refrigerator is closed. If the paper falls down, then you need to immediately replace the seals for better.
• Clean the coils of the refrigerator on a regular basis.
• Wipe the interiors and exteriors of the fridge with vinegar. It would help to get rid of stains.

Maintenance Tips for Refrigerators

• Give cleaning to the refrigerator at least once or twice a month.
• Don’t keep the freezers empty so that they can function well.
• Don’t put warm food in the refrigerators.
• You need to keep the condenser coils cool and clean.
• Keep the door gaskets clean.
• Replace the light bulbs.
• Replace the water filter every six months.
• You can keep an open box of baking soda inside the refrigerator to get rid of the foul smell.
• Clean the seals of the refrigerators twice or thrice a year.
• Check the interior temperature of the refrigerator.
• Don’t leave the refrigerators open.
• Don’t keep stale food in the refrigerator.

Concluding Words

There are so many brands like LG, Samsung, Haier, which are providing us with feature-filled products. You can go for any of their products. The article contains all the relevant information you need for finding the best refrigerator for your kitchen.

There’s a buying guide which would explain to you about the different types of refrigerators and would highlight all the factors you should look for in a refrigerator, that would help you to make a smart decision. We hope this article helps.