There is no point in arguing that finding the right refrigerator can get tedious at times. Neither less to say, with all the different brands out there in the market, it just makes the task a ton more complicated. Here are the things you should look for when buying the best refrigerator for your home as per your budget.
Budget
How much are you willing to invest in a quality product? It is obvious that you would like variants, but that depends on how much do you want to invest. You would get a single door refrigerator at INR 10000 to INR 20000. On the other hand, side by side refrigerators would cost around INR 20000 to 65000. Finalize your budget, then do some research on what type of refrigerator you would get at that budget.
Size
How many members are there in your family, and which refrigerator would perfectly fit in your kitchen space. If you’re living alone, then a 30 to 50 liters capacity refrigerator would be suitable for you. For medium-sized families, a 250 to 350 liters capacity refrigerator would be perfect. For large families, go for 350 to 500 liters refrigerators.
Door Styles
You would find six types of refrigerators in the market. They are single door, double door, triple door, French door, side by side, and mini-fridge.
- Single Door Refrigerators: These are the most common refrigerators used by people. It is ideal for people who live alone or have a small family. Their capacity is less, around 165 to 300 liters. You would easily get them in the market at around INR 10000 to INR 20000. When we talk about its cooling technology, then in single door refrigerators manually defrost the ice. Single door refrigerators are compact and can be an affordable option if you’re living alone.
- Double Door Refrigerators (Top Freezer/ Bottom Freezer): Double door refrigerators are one of the most commonly used refrigerators. Its freezer is situated right above the food storage compartment. It consumes more energy than single door refrigerators, but before the purchase, you can check its energy rating. That way you can save the electricity bill as well. These refrigerators are frost-free, unlike single door refrigerators. Their capacity is more than that of single door refrigerators, so it is ideal for medium-sized families. You would get them at the market around INR 20000 to INR 40000.
- Top Freezer: These are the most common design used in India. As the name suggests, refrigerators have a freezer mounted at the top, and the food storage compartment would be below that. They have wide doors and interior storage areas as we all know that these top-mounted unit refrigerators are most common, so you can get them in lots of color variants and finishes.
- Bottom Freezer: The freezer is mounted at the bottom of the refrigerator. These types of refrigerators aren’t much common in India. If you have stored anything in the freezer, then you have to bend down to get that. It is obvious that you would get a large freezer, but if it’s not convenient, then what’s the use as these types of refrigerators are not much in trend so you would get fewer models in the market.
French Door
French door refrigerators have an elegant design and provide larger space than compared to other types. There are two doors, and the freezer is mounted at the bottom. You can easily keep all the things accordingly as it provides a larger space. But the disappointing thing is that very few brands in India offer French door refrigerators.
Side by Side Refrigerators
Side by side refrigerators are segregated into two halves: the left side is for the freezer, and the right side is the food storage compartment. The good thing about this refrigerator is that you don’t have to bend down to get your food items. Side by side refrigerators come with a capacity of 500 to 700 liters, making it ideal for larger families. The only problem with this refrigerator is its size. If your kitchen isn’t spacious, then we won’t recommend this refrigerator. The price range of these refrigerators falls around INR 60000 to INR 200000.
Mini Fridge
The mini-fridge is ideal for people who live alone. You can store drinks and snacks in it. They are compact and small, so they would perfectly fit in your small kitchen space. These fridges have a capacity of 50 to 90 liters.
Smart Fridge
A smart fridge has all the features that you won’t see in standard refrigerators. You can connect them through the internet. A smart fridge can identify the type of food you’ve stored inside the refrigerator and set the ideal temperature for that food. You would get these fridges at around 2 to 3 lakhs.
Energy-Efficient
All refrigerators have an energy star level, which would tell you how much energy does it consumes. If the refrigerator has a five-star energy rating, then it consumes comparatively less energy. Don’t go for refrigerators which less than three stars.
Finish
As per your investment, you do need a refrigerator that would compliment the look of your kitchen. Stainless steel finishes are most common amongst the customers. Nowadays, it is seen that some brands use black stainless steel finish which is easy to maintain and clean. Go as per your requirement.
Extra Warranty
You can ask for an extra warranty from the retailer, but for that, you need to pay some money as well. LG and Samsung do provide an extended warranty on their products.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) What are the best brands for refrigerators in India?
LG, Haier, Samsung, Whirpool are the best brands for refrigerators in India. We buy refrigerators once in eight to ten years. So, you should go for brands which would last for a longer period of time. Customer care support, quality of the brand matters when you’re buying the best refrigerator for your home.
2) How should I get rid of the foul odor from the refrigerator?
You can follow these steps to get rid of the odor from the refrigerator.
- Remove all the food and drinks from the refrigerator.
- Now, get rid of all the stale food.
- Take out the shelves and scrub them with hot soapy water. Dry it before you put them back.
- For cleaning the interiors, take three to four liters of water and mix it with a tablespoon of chlorine bleach. This would help you get rid of stains and odors.
You can also use lemon and baking soda for cleaning the interiors of the refrigerators.
3) How long should refrigerators last?
A normal refrigerator can last for around seven to eight years. If you go for branded products, then it can last up to 10 years. It also depends on how do you maintain the refrigerator.
4) How do I care for my refrigerator?
- Inspect your refrigerator from time to time.
- You need to keep the coils clean.
- Keep food items inside the refrigerator even when you’re not using it.
- If the power cuts off, then don’t open the refrigerator. A freezer would maintain its humidity for 48 hours if it’s full, and if it’s half full, then the freezer can maintain temperature for 24 hours.
5) What are the newest features of refrigerators?
- Seasonal mode: This mode would be helpful when you haven’t kept anything in the freezer. You can use the refrigerator part while shutting off the freezer.
- Vacation Mode: If you’re away from home and not using the refrigerator, then you can switch on the vacation mode. Only the freezer would be on while the refrigerator would be off.
- Home Alone Mode: This mode makes sure that you don’t get much electricity bill. You can shut down the food storage compartment and simply move all the items to the top compartment. Then it would act as a mini-fridge.
- Extra Fridge Mode: This mode lets you convert the freezer into a normal food storage compartment.
Samsung and LG offer dual fridge more. With this mode, you can convert the freezer into a normal refrigerator.
The Bottom Line
There are a few new brands that can be trusted, but LG, Samsung, Haier are still worth our trust. Their service is excellent. In addition, they are convenient to use as well. The above list is completely based on the products, which are feature-filled. So, finding the right one for your kitchen doesn’t seem to a problem.
Neither less to say, all the refrigerators mentioned within the list are some of the best you can find out there in the market. So, what are you waiting for? Grab the greatest opportunity of all time, and make your purchase likewise. We hope this article was helpful.
