October 29, 2021 / RefrigeratorPro Team
There are plenty of refrigerators in the market. Deciding on buying a good refrigerator that suits your needs under your budget is not easy. We understand this and therefore we have created this Buyers’ Guide for Refrigerators.
Your choice of refrigerator will depend on a variety of factors, essentially capacity of the refrigerator, energy efficiency, inclinations of family members and most importantly, budget.
However, 3 most important factors that you need to consider when buying a refrigerator are – 1. Type 2. Capacity and 3. Energy Rating
All three criteria are extremely important, dive in to know more.
Buyers’ Guide for Refrigerators in India
1) Type & Capacity : Refrigerators can be of various types. Single door, double door, triple door and side-by-side door. Each of them has its own pros and cons
Single door refrigerators are usually smaller in size. A single door refrigerator usually holds around 200-250 litres and is most suitable for a single person or couple without children. They can cost anywhere between 10,000 to 20,000
The double door refrigerator has a capacity of 250-300 litres. They are ideal for an average nuclear family (3-5 members). They are priced around 20,000 INR – 25,000 INR
Triple door refrigerator a big sized double door refrigerator is ideal for a with 6-8 members. It is priced at 25,000 to 35,000 and has a capacity of 280- 500 Litres.
Individuals having even a larger number of users can opt for a French four-door or side by side door refrigerator which will cost anywhere between 45,000 to 1 Lac. For more information click here
2) Energy Star Rating : BEE star rating is a mandatory rating system by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency. A high energy rating means the appliance uses power efficiently.
With 5 being the maximum rating and 1 being the lowest. 5-star rating means power consumption will lowest in its category.
Our in-house research team conducted thorough testing and we found that on an average 5 and 4 star rated refrigerators saves 1500 / year in electricity bills
Buyers’ guide for Refrigerator covered the 3 most important factors to consider before making a buying decision.
Few More Key Features
3) Inverter Compressor Technology
Do you remember hearing the ‘on’ and ‘off’ sound of the fridge? That’s a compressor in action.
A compressor slows down cooling when it senses that temperature reduces to a certain level and similarly increases cooling speed when temperature increases to a certain level. In simple words it regulates cooling.
Regular compressors are not very efficient in maintaining cooling. Inverter compressors are an improvement on regular compressors and it regulates the temperature in much more efficient way.
What are the benefits of Inverter Technology?
- You can save electricity by upto 20-40%
- These refrigerators product less noise
- Longer cooling even during power outages
4) Defrosting Technology
There are primarily two types of freezer defrosting types- Manual defrosting and Auto defrosting.
Manual defrosting:
- It relies on the user of the refrigerator to defrost the freezer and remove excess frost from it.
- It is time-intensive but uses less energy and is more energy-efficient.
- Refrigerators consisting of direct cool technology that requires manual defrosting costs lesser than frost-free refrigerators that have automatic defrosting.
Automatic defrosting:
- It involves automatic periodic on and off of the heating elements of the freezer to prevent the build-up of ice.
- Automatic defrosting is fast and does not need physical interference.
- However, it is not as energy-efficient as manual defrosting and makes comparatively a bit more noise than it.
Other Features to be kept in mind
6) Finishing
Stainless steel finish refrigerators are the most popular ones. Besides being sturdy and powerful, it goes with most types of home decor.
Another popular color is white. Therefore most fridges are either stainless steel finish or classic white finish.
Many up and coming households, prefer buying stainless steel with matte finish. They are fingerprint-resistant and goes well with modern home decor.
If you don’t want to go with customary grey or white stainless steel, you can try black stainless steel with a dim polymer covering. It is easier to clean as well.
7) Handle Style
The handle of a fridge can be one of the deciding factors for some. On the off chance that you are among them realize that there are regularly two kinds of cooler handles.
One is the European style, smooth, and ergonomically planned, and the other is a star handle, straight and finished.
While a few fridges may have both handle style choices, others will be accessible just one of them.
7) Noise Level
Each fridge makes some degree of noise. Notwithstanding, some are calmer and quiet while others produce more sound. As mentioned above, refrigerators with Inverter Technology produce less sound.