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Hey Searchers! Are you searching for the best refrigerator to buy for your home? If Yes, then you should definitely read this article along with Buyer’s Guide.
As we all know, that a refrigerator is an inseparable part of any kitchen in this world. If you are in a mess, how to choose a refrigerator, which looks attractive, feature-packed, and price-worthy.
So, we have come here to guide you to get the best refrigerator for your beautiful home or kitchen with our extensive refrigerator buying guide.
The basic function of a refrigerator is to keep our fruits and vegetables fresh for a longer time. It simply decreases the temperature inside the closed container, which helps in decreasing bacteria formation onto the food.
For example: Suppose, If you have mistakenly left any food, let say, Cheese outside at room temperature, you will find that it will get spoiled in a short time. But, in the refrigerator, it will be fresh for a longer time, until 2-3 days.
Before moving towards the key factors, which you have to considered while buying a new refrigerator. Let’s take a look at How does a Refrigerator Work?
How does a Refrigerator Work?
A refrigerator is a very common and useful electronic appliance. The main work of a refrigerator is to keep our food fresh & healthy by lowering the temperature inside the enclosed path.
Decreasing the temperature slows down the effect of bacteria formation on the food, resulting in long-lasting freshness. A refrigerator normally maintains the temperature around (0° to 5°C) in the fridge and (-18° to -23°C) in the freezer compartment.
Four main components are responsible for refrigeration, namely (Compressor, Condenser, Expansion, and Evaporator, etc.) They control the whole process and maintain a cold environment inside the refrigerator.
A liquid-type fluid called refrigerant moves through these four components again and again, and this cycle continues. A Compressor plays a most important part in this process, which is like the heart of the Refrigerator.
So, let’s start the journey of the refrigeration cycle. It starts with the compression process, in which the compressor enhances the pressure and converts refrigerant into gas form. In the next step, it reaches the condenser, which converts it into hot fluid or liquid with the help of a cool air blower.
In the next step, it passes through the capillary tube or an expansion valve, wherein due to a decrease in temperature inside, makes the refrigerant fluid or liquid colder again.
And, in the last step, the cold refrigerant passes through an evaporator which it converts again into the gas form.
Before exiting the evaporator, the cool gas absorbs all the heat from the refrigerator content and then goes to the compressor again. This cycle of heating and cooling up of refrigerant fluid continues and maintains the coolness inside the refrigerator.
As you now got a full knowledge about how does a refrigerator work? So, let’s just dive into the Key factors to be considered while buying the best refrigerator in India.
Considerable factors while buying a refrigerator in India in 2024
To choose the best out of a lot of options available out there in the online market is a very tough task. To select one from a lot of brands present there and hundreds of their fridges are a very time-consuming process.
So, let’s discuss the most important factors that you must keep in mind before buying the best refrigerator in 2024.
- Important Measurement
- Types of Refrigerator
- Energy Efficiency
- Compressor Technology
- Design & Color
- Key Features
- Price
Important Measurements
Just directly go and buying a refrigerator is a wrong practice because you don’t know that the fridge you buy will fit inside your kitchen’s vacant space or not. So, to conquer this you need to measure the vacant space first, where you want to place your new refrigerator.
This will give you an idea of which refrigerator size can cover the vacant space of your kitchen, perfectly.
It’s necessary to do DIY because buying an inappropriate refrigerator size can disorganize your kitchen and trouble you afterwards.
So, to avoid it you need a measuring tape. Take proper measurements of the vacant space, like (LxWxH), and take necessary actions accordingly.
Types of Refrigerator
- Single Door
- Double Door
- Triple Door
- Side by Side or French Door
| Refrigerator Type | Capacity |
|---|---|
| Single Door | 150L – 250L |
| Double Door | 230L – 500L |
| Triple Door | 240L – 700L |
| Side by Side or French Door | 500L – 900L |
Suitable Capacity or Required Fridge Sizes
It is important that you always consider the refrigerator according to your family size. Why it is important because buying an inappropriate size may lead to big trouble for you in the long run.
For Example: Suppose if a couple bought a double door refrigerator for themselves, which is an inappropriate size for them.
What will happened is the large space in the fridge remain unused. And, on the other hand it will consume more energy than a single door refrigerator. Hence, it will cost you high in the long run.
Therefore, I have compiled information in the table below which will give you an idea like which size of refrigerator would be best suited for your family size.
| Family Size | Capacity | Refrigerator Type |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor | Less Than 200L | Single Door |
| Couple | Up to 250L | Single Door |
| Small Family (Couple + Kid) | 250L – 300L | Single or Double Door |
| Medium Family (Up to 5 Members) | 300L – 400L | Double Door |
| Large Family (5 to 7 Members) | 400L – 500L | Double/Triple or Side by Side Door |
| Xtra Large Family (More Than 7 Members) | More Than 500L | Side by Side or French Door |
Energy Efficiency
Everybody wants to save money, hence it becomes necessary that we choose a refrigerator that saves more energy for us.
To choose an energy-efficient refrigerator, we must check the BEE strap on the refrigerator while buying. It provides us with some vital information about the energy consumption of that particular refrigerator.
BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) is an organization set up by the Indian Government, which sets the energy efficiency standards for electronic appliances by giving star ratings ranging from (1 star to 5 stars).
The star rating of BEE represents the energy efficiency of the appliance, with a higher star rating means a more energy-efficient appliance.
It means a higher star-rated refrigerator will cost you less on electricity bills, than the less rated refrigerator. Although, a refrigerator with a more star rating may cost higher than the lesser one.
Here in this table below, I will give you a detailed overview of the BEE star rating standards for refrigerators and their respective energy consumption and savings throughout a year.
| BEE Star Ratings | Annual Energy Consumption | Annual Savings (Rs.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Star | 900 – 1000 | Up to Rs. 400 |
| 2 Star | 750 – 800 | Up to Rs. 750 |
| 3 Star | 600 – 700 | Up to Rs. 1200 |
| 4 Star | 500 – 600 | Up to Rs. 1500 |
| 5 Star | 350 – 450 | Up to Rs. 1800 |
Note – The above figures shown in the table are estimated figures, they can be varied as per the considered ratings given by BEE.
In India, the BEE star rating standards are given only for Single Door and Double Door Refrigerators. It is not available for Triple/Multi/Side-by-Side/French Door refrigerators.
These like big refrigerators which normally has ice or water dispenser will increase the annual usage of the power of the fridge by 100 to 200 kWh. In comparison, top or bottom-mounted refrigerators are a better option than side-by-side or French doors in terms of power consumption.
Compressor Technology
A compressor is considered to be the heart of the refrigerator. It helps in increasing the efficiency of the refrigerator so that it works properly for a longer time period. There are mainly two types of compressors used in the refrigerator, which I mentioned below.
- Inverter Compressor, and
- Non-Inverter Compressor
Nowadays, most of the new refrigerator comes with Inverter Compressor technology. In this new technology, the compressor works at variable speed instead of fixed speed like it change the speed automatically as per the refrigerator load or cooling demand. Due to working at variable speed, it also helps in reducing expenses on your monthly electricity bills. While, on the other hand, a Non-Inverter compressor works at a fixed speed right just from initializing the refrigerator. Due to its working at a fixed speed, it consumes more energy and cost you more on your monthly electricity bills.
Let’s see the quick difference between Inverter Compressor and Non-Inverter Compressor.
| Basis | Inverter Compressor | Non-Inverter Compressor |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | High | Low |
| Temperature Variations | No | Yes |
| Compressor Speed | Variable | Fixed |
| Cool Air Flow | Good | Average |
| Noise Production | Less | More |
| Cost on Refrigerator | High | Low |
| Cost on Monthly Bills | Low | High (as compared to Inverter Compressor) |
| Life Span | More | Less |
Design & Color
Choose a color that perfectly molds with your kitchen or home decor. Choose some aesthetic color combination that suits best with your kitchen design. The most common and beautiful shade is a metallic or steel finish, which used in a wide range and fits perfectly in all types of kitchen color and designs.
There are a lot of options available for you guys such as,
- Plane Color Designs
- Graphical Designs
- Heavy Door Designs
- Bold Color Designs
- Gradient Color Designs, etc.
Look, this is the factor that can ruin or enhance the beauty of your kitchen and home. So, don’t be hesitate to think twice about it. And, choose those refrigerator shade or color that blends superbly with the design and color combination of your kitchen or home.
Key Features
- Ever Cool Zone – In India, long power cuts are a very common problem that makes your food spoiled. In the ever-chilled refrigerator zone, all the food items will stay fresh for a longer period of time even without power. It means no need to worry about long power cuts now, the food will stay fresh.
- Crisper – It is a space where fruits and vegetables are stored. As its name suggest that it helps to keep food crisp and fresh for a longer time due to present moisture control.
- Quick Chill Compartment – The compartment is located near the cool air outlet, which makes the drinks cold more quickly. It can even freeze the drinks if you left them for a longer time.
- Built-in Stabilizer – Nowadays, most refrigerators have come with the feature of a built-in stabilizer. It helps to maintain performance efficiently and prevents the refrigerator from short-circuiting. There is no need to install an external stabilizer to control power fluctuations. It bears the power fluctuations under (90V to 310V) generally.
- Auto Connect to the Home Inverter – This new technology enables the refrigerator to connect with the home inverters automatically during power cuts and gives you uninterrupted cooling. It just consumes energy equal to the 2 CFL bulbs.
- Dairy Compartment – This compartment is specifically for dairy products like cheese and butter. This space has a little warmer temperature than other areas so it keeps food items as soft as they should be.
- Medicine Slot – There are some refrigerators that have separate medicine compartments to keep your life-saving medicines cool and healthy for longer usability and protect them from germs and bacteria as well.
- Toughened Glass Shelves – It is the most durable and popular shelf type today in the market. There are many types of shelves are available in the market such as wire type, tempered glass type, plastic made, etc., but toughened glass shelves are the strongest ones. It can hold a weight of 150 Kg approx.
- Anti Germs/Fungal Gasket – The gasket plays an important role in keeping germs and fungus out from the refrigerator so that all the food items keep free from outside contamination.
- Chiller – If you are a meat lover then you can use this particular space for storing your fleshy items like meat, fish, poultry items, etc. In this area, the temperature is generally close to zero degrees Celsius, which keeps your carnivore food fresh for a longer time and it has a separate temperature controller as well.
Some Extra-Ordinary Features in Refrigerators
- Convertibility – This is the latest technology used in refrigerators nowadays. It helps users to manage the available space of the refrigerator. It means that if your fridge area is fully filled with food items and there is nothing space left to add more items then, you can convert your refrigerator’s freezer section into the fridge by controlling the temperature and using it as a fridge, as simple as that! You can restore your freezer section again by adjusting in temperature again.
- Active Deodorizer – Deodorizer helps to maintain and preserve your food’s natural odor and intact all the flavors of your food. It removes the strong odor from the fridge by using its odor filter.
- Ice and Water Dispenser – It facilitates you to use cold water and ice directly without opening the door of the refrigerator. A dispenser is mounted outside the door of the refrigerator through which you can easily get cold water and ice as per your need, but it requires a continuous water supply. Actually, it is not so popular because it covers almost 30% to 40% part of the freezer.
- Smart Inverter Compressor – Nowadays, almost all the refrigerators brands are providing this facility. It enhances the overall performance and efficiency of the refrigerator, which reduces the electricity bills.
- Temperature Control – This feature gives full freedom to the users to set the temperature according to their usability and need. It will control the temperature settings of your refrigerator. You can adjust the temperature of both units of your refrigerator.
- Open Door Alert – This is a very useful feature in refrigerators nowadays because if you mistakenly left your fridge door open then, it will cause a loss of cooling, which is not good for your inside food. So, this feature comes into effect, like you mistakenly left your refrigerator’s door open then, it will give you an alert by beeping sound so that you be aware of that and close the door properly.
Price
Every buyer seeking the best price of the product in the market by visiting a large number of shops. So, here I listed all type of refrigerators which used in the home with their estimated price range available in the online market.
| Refrigerator Type | Capacity (in Liters) | Prices Available (in Rupees) | Best Prices (in Rupees) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Door | 150L – 250L | 10,000 to 25,000 | 10,000 to 17,000 |
| Double Door | 230L – 500L | 15,000 to 60,000 | 15,000 to 35,000 |
| Triple Door | 240L – 700L | 23000 to 45000 | 23,000 to 33,000 |
| Side by Side or French Door | 500L – 900L | 40000 to 200000 | 40,000 to 1,50,000 |
Note – The above prices of the refrigerators shown in the table are estimated prices. They are not fixed prices, it can vary as per the preferences and usability of the user.
In India, the most preferable and usable refrigerators are Single and Double Door. Although, Triple and Side by Side refrigerators are still using by people, but not as much as Single and Double Door.
Conclusion
Let’s wind it up, I hope you have learned something valuable from our Refrigerator Buying Guide. And, hope you will consider those above shared crucial factors while buying a refrigerator for your home.
It’s important that we should buy a refrigerator after doing proper analysis and research among different available options because a refrigerator is not that appliance which purchased often.
So, whenever you go shopping, whether it is online or offline. Keep the above-mentioned points in your mind, always to get the best option refrigerator as per your requirements.
In my suggestion, simply filter above mentioned factor with your requirements. Cheer!
If you liked this guide, then don’t hesitate to share your thoughts by commenting below. 🙂
