Which refrigerators last the longest?

Whirlpool Stainless Steel Bottom Freezer Refrigerator

One of the cheapest refrigerator for sale, the Whirlpool refrigerator (model: WRB322DMBM) has a capacity of 22 cu. ft. and is a bottom freezer refrigerator, suitable for most families.

Features

It comes with smart features that keep groceries chilled to just the right temperature, this refrigerator is great for organizing and storing fresh and frozen foods.

The refrigerator is spacious and contains big racks to hold big bottles. It features Smart sensors to maintain optimal temperature for food storage. The Accu-Chill temperature management system quickly gauges and adjusts the internal temperature to keep food chilled.

It also has two humidity-controlled crisper drawers with a fresh flow produce preserver to filter out the excess gas that causes fresh fruit and vegetables to spoil, keeping them fresher, and longer.

It has spill-proof shelves and humidity sliders on the crisper bins and is quite spacious and flexible to rearrange the in-door shelves which provide a lot of flexibility over what you put in the refrigerator. We observed that the drawers were wobbly and made of plastic, and they are weak. This model is the best refrigerator to buy right now.

Key Specs:

• Capacity: 22 cu. ft.
• Product Dimensions: 32.7 x 33.5 x 70.1 inches

What we liked

• It has plenty of space to organize frozen meats, treats, and meals
• Help extend the shelf life of produce
• Organize contents with ease

What we didn’t

• The interior of the refrigerator is less solid
• It does not contain an ice and water dispenser

Bottom line

Overall, Whirlpool Stainless Steel Refrigerator (bottom freezer) is one of the good choices. It is reasonably priced with outer shelves and the body appears to be of durable quality. With easy controls and functions, it can be easily operated and features like jumbo racks, and extra space for dairy products make it user-friendly.

GE Energy Star Top-Freezer Refrigerator

The GE refrigerator (model: GTS21FGKCWW) has a beautiful metal finish on the front with great performance making it value for money. The design of the fridge is premium and durable as well with the glass shelves resistant and safer to keep heavier dishes with a lot of ease.

Features

This refrigerator has bright LED lights which illuminate the refrigerator compartments, but not the freezers. Deep bins on the refrigerator doors handle gallon-sized containers, freeing up space in the main compartments. The glass shelves capture spills and are easy to move around and rearrange.

At 21.2 cubic feet and just 32.8 inches wide, holds enough stuff for a big family and should fit into almost any kitchen. The only special features to speak of are the spill-proof glass shelves, which are an improvement over wire shelves. We noticed that the freezer temperature was too warm.

Luckily, it’s easy to use the temperature control knobs to make adjustments. Also, the crispers slide well, though they are a bit noisy to open. The bigger issue is that they don’t retain moisture well.

Interiors

The interior of the refrigerator is pretty minor. The bottom in-door shelf doesn’t stick out as far as the shelf above it, which makes getting things in and out of it a bit awkward.

The spill-proof shelving works well except for the glass that sits above the crisper bins. It isn’t sealed at the edges, meaning that any liquid spilled on it tends to dribble over the sides and get trapped underneath.

Key Specs:

• Capacity: 21.2 cu. ft.
• Product Dimensions: 34 x 32.8 x 66.25 inches

Pros

• Provides cooling uniformly
• It is energy-efficient

Cons

• No ice-makers are included with this refrigerator

Conclusion:

The GE Top-Freezer Refrigerator is a standout among bargain-priced refrigerators, and not just for its attractive slate exterior. Inside, the cooling performance is steady and consistent. A good refrigerator at a reasonable price.

Whirlpool Double Drawer French Door Refrigerator

The Whirlpool Double Drawer French door Refrigerator is an ideal fridge for people who love keeping their food organized. This fridge features a five-door French door with spacious storage throughout. In addition to this, it comes with all the tools need to organize the fruits and vegetables.

This refrigerator is quite spacious with a capacity of 26 cu. ft. of room on the interior, and provides a generous amount of space for food storage. It has a temperature-controlled drawer with five custom settings for different kinds of foods, though the “thaw” setting is unique and allows the thawing of frozen food at its proper temperature, without affecting other food in the fridge.

The Cooling Features

We liked the dual cooling system, which detects the internal temperature of the fridge and adjusts humidity levels automatically giving fresher food as a result. It also has Dual Ice Makers which can hold up to a lot of ice, ensuring that you’ll always have ice ready to go for unplanned parties.

Our tests revealed that this fridge focuses more on form than function. Both the fridge and freezer run a bit warm. Simply turn down the thermostat a bit for both sections to get optimal performance.

Freezing times, moisture retention in the crisper, and energy efficiency were also good but somewhat underwhelming when compared to other conventional French door models.

Key Specs:

Capacity 26 cu. ft.;  Product Dimensions 35 3/4″x 36″x 70 1/8″

What we liked

• It is fashionable and loaded with features
• Provides dual-cooling
• It is space-efficient

What we didn’t

• It is less energy-efficient

Summary

Overall, the Whirlpool Double Drawer French door Refrigerator is an expensive fridge but provides a lot of utility. From its exterior design to the spacious interiors, it leaves a great first impression.

It also has features like the Dual Ice Makers, Small Items Bin, Micro Edge Glass Shelves, and more along with the Whirlpool brand making it a great value purchase for a family with a sleek French door style.

Check out our latest on The best ice cream maker in your kitchen.

Explore

Best time to buy a refrigerator and which type?

Capacity and Family size

Type: Single or double door, three doors, side-by-side or bottom mounted… explained!

Planning to buy a refrigerator but am confused about which one to purchase among the many options available in the market. Some useful information before choosing a refrigerator of your kind.

Pick a Style

What type of refrigerator do you want? A single-door refrigerator, double-door, bottom-mounted, three doors, or side-by-side refrigerator?

Single-Door Refrigerators: These are the most basic kinds of refrigerators. These refrigerators have a single door up front, which keeps the cold ambiance sealed. They are suitable for individuals, couples, and small families. It contains a freezer and vegetable box and usually comes with a capacity of fewer than 300 Liters.

Double-Door Refrigerator: Double-door refrigerators are bigger than single-door refrigerators. They have double doors up front. One door covers the fridge compartment while another door covers the freezer compartment. Because of the presence of two separate doors, the chances of heat escape reduces, regardless of how many times the refrigerators are opened.

These types of refrigerators are suitable for larger family sizes of 4-5 members. It comes with a capacity ranging anywhere from 230 to 700 Liters. They also consist of frost-free technology and come with superior cooling features and the ability to retain the freshness of fruits and vegetables for a longer duration.

Triple Door Refrigerator: The triple door refrigerators have three doors- one door for the refrigerator compartment, one for the vegetable compartment, and another for the freezer compartment. These refrigerators have a capacity of 240 to 400 Liters and are suitable for a family size of 4-5 members. The freezer is on top and they are generally taller in size.

They also consist of frost-free technology; have toughened glass shelves and large vegetable storage at the bottom. The mixing of odor is avoided completely as the three compartments are separate. Some triple-door refrigerators come with automatic ice dispensers.

Side-by-Side Door Refrigerators: It resembles a cupboard with two doors opening side by side. These refrigerators have very large capacities and may also contain ice and water dispenser. The capacity of these refrigerators ranges from 500 to 900 Liters. It is best suitable for large joint families. 

The refrigerators with water dispensers help in filing the glass without the need to open any door. While their cupboard-like design gives enough space for storage, the opening of each door contains heat to escape from only half the refrigerator, thus saving on energy consumption.

Bottom Mounted Refrigerator: The bottom-mounted refrigerator has a reverse design than normal refrigerators. In these refrigerators, the fridge section is on the upper side and the freezer section is on the bottom. This means that the users don’t have to bend every time they want to take out fruits and vegetables and other fresh food items.

Capacity and Family size

The family size is a good aspect to find the capacity of the refrigerator you will need. The below info will help you to determine the capacity you need.

• Less than 200 litres – Bachelors/couples
• 200-300 litres – Small families (2-3 members)
• 250-350 litres – Family of four
• 300 litres or more – Large families/ joint families

Defrosting type

A refrigerator can be categorized as fully automatic, semi-automatic or frost-free. The frost-free technology helps to prevent ice buildup. Refrigerators can be broadly divided into two types based on their defrosting type.

Direct Cool Refrigerators: They produce chill using the natural convection process. These refrigerators come with a single-door option and need to be defrosted periodically. As these refrigerators require less electricity, they are more affordable.

Frost-Free Refrigerators: This one comes with frost-free technology that removes frost at regular intervals automatically. These refrigerators use electric fans to evenly circulate cool air inside the fridge. They consume more power than direct cool refrigerators. Frost-free refrigerators usually have a longer life.

Energy efficiency

EER (Energy Efficiency Rating) indicates the energy efficiency of the refrigerator. Stars varying from 1 to 5 tell you how much electricity units will the refrigerator consume, with 1 being the most and 5 being the least.

Always make sure that the refrigerator you buy must be energy efficient with at least a 3-star rating as the higher the number of energy ratings, the less you have to spend on electricity bills and energy consumption.

Budget

A refrigerator is a lifelong investment, so it is always advisable to buy a fridge that is superior in quality and builds. An inferior refrigerator may cause a lot of trouble in the long run. Avoid spending too much. Many brands offer good refrigerators at affordable rates.