Technology is making its way into every aspect of our everyday lives, making it difficult for us to choose between devices because of the infinite options we have.
When it comes to refrigerators, it is not the same as it was twenty years ago.
Now, we don’t only choose a refrigerator that can freeze our food and water, we want one that matches our kitchen décor and offers the most modern features available within our budget.
With millions of options on the market it’s hard to make the right choice. That’s why we wrote a useful buying guide that presents what we think are the top 10 refrigerators in 2019.
We also include what it is that really makes for a top rated refrigerator and which of the best refrigerator brands may be right for you.
Places to Buy Refrigerators Online
We know these stores locally, but many times they provide special online promotions and discounts, so they are worth checking out for current sales and lower pricing:
Types of Refrigerators
Which One Will Be The Best Fridge For You?
Refrigerators have a variety of models and styles. Here are the standard six types:
Top Freezer:
These are the traditional fridges we all know. They tend to have a lot of storage in the bottom part and offer some decent space at the top for freezing.
They are typically 30-inches wide and can store lots of food products inside, but features and reliability do vary from brand to brand.
Bottom Freezer:
These are often less spacious than the top freezer type; however, it all can vary by model and brand.
Bottom freezers are usually more user friendly because you can access the freezing shelves more easily.
This is because you can reach down into a “bucket” style compartment. Frozen food can be stacked within interior drawers for even more convenience.
French Doors:
This type is similar to a bottom freezer. The only difference is that these types tend to have double doors, with two top refrigeration sections that come with two separate doors.
This type is similar to a bottom freezer. The only difference is that these types tend to have double doors, with two top refrigeration sections that come with two separate doors.
The advantage is you only open part of your fridge when you access it. The smaller door needs less space to swing open as well so it gets an extra point for convenience.
These refrigerators usually offer more space than top- or bottom-freezer models and often have water and ice dispensers in their doors.
Side-By-Side:
This kind of refrigerator also has two doors, with the fridge on one side and the freezer on the other. It is typical that the freezer side is a bit smaller than the refrigeration side.
Larger families tend to use this type because they offer more cubic feet overall while still fitting in most kitchens. They are usually in need of storing larger quantities of food in the freezer, but a big complaint here is that the freezer space fills up quickly and doesn’t offer enough room.
It’s important to note that these options are also not as energy efficient. This can definitely make a difference with your electric bill over time.
Built-In:
Often very large and spacious, these types come with lots of cabinets, shelves and different features that can vary among models and brands.
You’ll find this with French doors or some styles offering up to four doors.
They are typically good-sized appliances with up to 25 cubic feet capacity and offer a variety of freezer styles.
Mini or Compact:
This is the perfect option for small houses, apartments or dorm rooms. You see them work well in offices and of course, in nicer hotel rooms. They work best as secondary fridges more than everyday ones.
One issue is they can sometimes have temperature regulation problems, which can lead to bacteria or mold issues inside. They are usually less than half the price of a basic, regular sized refrigerator.
Only some models have a freezer but it tends to be really small.
Best Refrigerator Brands
Report this ad
When you’re looking for a refrigerator to fit with your necessities and desires, it is always a good idea to compare refrigerator brands.
This will help you in understanding better models, the one which offers the best features from storage capacity, temperature control and efficiency.
However, it is not an easy task to choose the perfect refrigerator, that’s why we have taken our time to research and what about the best brands make them great.
We’ve compiled much information from basic specs to user input so we can present what the best feature of every refrigerator is by its type and it’s reliability record.
It’s always important to know that everything depends on the model – some brands have great top-freezers and others produce amazing French door type models.
It’s what makes choosing a fridge so hard…yet so awesome, because it means there’s truly a perfect unit out there for you.
Best French-Door Refrigerator Brands
This is one of the most common and popular refrigerator types. Among the best brands from this type of refrigerators are KitchenAid, Whirlpool and Maytag, Kenmore and even Samsung.
However, the brand that steals the show is the GE, with its GE Profile GFE26GSKSS, which is one of the best fridges to buy for its price and features.
Best Side-by-Sides Refrigerator Brands
Around 15% of people who buy refrigerators will choose this type thanks to the greater storage space and the really ample vertical freezer.
In this category we would recommend the Kenmore 51335, which has great features and comes at a decent price.
Best Top-Freezers Refrigerator Brands
This setup is selected by customers with a very simple and traditional style. They usually only provide just the basic features so you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank. This is just fine for many folks.
In the last decade or so, these have become less and less popular. Even so, that doesn’t mean they don’t offer top-notch quality and great dependability.
That’s why we have chosen the best of its kind, and the Kenmore brand holds our brand of choice again.
The top refrigerator of this type would be the Kenmore 60509.
This is a solid basic model that is built around convenience with the reliability of a trusted brand.
It comes with over-sized door bins for easier storage of bottles and jugs, strategic lighting placement to see inside better, and adjustable shelves for your preferred custom configuration.
We also really like the Danby DFF100C1WDB, which is a slightly smaller model in this style.
It offers the best top-freezer features on the market such as frost-free operation and a separate electrical control. In case anything does go wrong,
the fridge will continue to function.
the fridge will continue to function.
This model is also very energy efficient, making it a good choice as an extra fridge in the garage or basement.
Best Bottom-Freezers Refrigerator Brands
These kinds of refrigerators are one of the most popular around the world. They do tend to be really simple and sometimes can have smaller storage capacity compared to the other styles.
Among the best brands and models we reviewed was the Fisher Paykel RF135BDLX4.
This model offers great features such as a really sleek look, super quiet while operating and smooth gliding of drawers and bins.
This particular model is a little more narrow at 26″, so it’s great for smaller kitchens. Fisher Paykel makes a larger version of this fridge as well.
Best Compact and Mini Refrigerator Brands
When we talk about compact and mini refrigerators, we mean the kind of refrigerator that is specially made for small spaces.
There are hundreds of models, and the best kinds come from two brands.
The first one is the DANBY DCR032C1BSLD, which offers great features like 3.2 cubic feet storage space and a small freezer.
The other one is the Midea WHS-65LB1.
This is your true mini-fridge. But it does the job really well. It’s small size of 1.6 cubic feet is a little smaller than the Danby and also doesn’t come with a freezer.
For a small or single office, game room basement or man cave in the garage, this will fit in conveniently and keep your favorite drinks, leftovers, snacks or lunch chilled.
Best Built-In Refrigerator Brands
These refrigerators are often used in big kitchens or other areas where space is available. They are specially made to store a large amount of food and other items.
They have little energy efficient technology but offer great temperature measures and at the same time, keep all food fresh and stored efficiently.
Top brands for built-ins include Fisher-Paykel, Electrolux, Frigidaire and GE with their Profile line.
Among the best brands we find the Electrolux IQ Touch. It offers great temperature features and ample storage space with multiple compartments.
Factors to Consider When Buying a Fridge
If you want to buy a new fridge for your home or your workplace, you’ll want to follow and analyze the following features on every refrigerator.
Size:
The size of a fridge will not only tell you if it fits where you want to use it, it also tells you what kind of door mechanics it has and how much storage space it can have.
It is recommended to choose the most complete and spacious appliance, with cubic feet ranging from 30 to 33.
Freezing Capabilities:
This refers to the amount of time a refrigerator takes to decrease to -0 degrees Celsius or 32 Degrees Fahrenheit.
The faster the fridge does that, the better chance that it will maintain all your food fresh and in great condition overall.
Temperature Range, Value, and Capabilities:
It’s an important factor that a refrigerator has a good temperature range. The temperature must be consistent the whole day without any interruption in order to maintain all the food inside the fridge keeping it fresh and consistent.
This is one of the most important features because a refrigerator needs to be capable of maintaining a temperature between 37 and 0 Degrees Fahrenheit in order to always keep food properly fresh.
It is Important to take into account that a refrigerator shouldn’t have temperature swings unless it loses its power for a long period of time.
A helpful feature some modern refrigerators have is to selectively alter the temperature in different compartments based on the type of food being stored there.
These types can even have sensors to automatically detect food and adjust temperatures accordingly.
Humidity While Working:
This factor refers to the amount of freshness and consistency the appliance has while freezing and maintaining the temperature of the whole device.
The more humid the refrigerator can stay without exceeding the limits of normal humidity, the better your food will preserve its taste, nutrients and freshness.
Usability:
Report this ad
Also, another important thing to take a look into is, if the shelves and drawers are customizable and can be adjusted when it comes to their position, length, and width.
Energy Efficiency:
this refers to the amount of power the appliance uses over time. It is really important to choose a refrigerator that uses little energy because they are always on, so the less energy they consume, the better.
Storage Space:
The storage space of a refrigerator means the amount of space and features it has to store more and more stuff. A lot of these products have drawers, shelves, deep storage to save different food, and water storage.
