November 18, 2021 / RefrigeratorPro Team
If you are looking for a refrigerator for your home, then chances are, you would have come across these terms- direct cool and frost free. If you are trying to understand the differences between the two then you are at the right place. We will help you understand the differences between the two so that you can make an informed buying decision.
If you are short on time, here is a summary of the difference between direct cool and frost free technology:
Main difference between direct cool and frost free refrigerator is that direct cool technology allows the formation of frost (ice) in the freezer, while frost free technology prevents any ice formation. All single door refrigerators and mini fridges work on direct cool technology, while all double door, side by side and french door refrigerators work on frost free refrigeration technology.
Frost free refrigerator does not require you to manually defrost or de-ice the freezer like direct cool refrigerator. It uses natural convection for faster cooling. On top of this, frost free models are better at keeping food fresh for a longer period of time because they maintain consistent temperature better than direct cool models.
Table of Contents
Direct Cool Refrigerator
Direct cool refrigerators are comparatively simpler refrigerators where the cooling process takes place through natural convection process. Due to this, the water vapour present inside the freezer’ surface freeze to form ice. This ice has to be manually defrosted from time to time (once in three days is recommended). Otherwise the cooling towards the lower portion of the fridge is not optimum.
Direct cool technology comes in most single door refrigerators and it is an inexpensive technology.
Frost Free Refrigerator
As the name suggests, frost free refrigerators do not need any manual defrosting and as there is no frost-deposit in these refrigerators. This makes them very convenient
Frost free refrigerators are not very different from direct cool refrigerators in terms of basic cooling technology, however they are equipped with separate fans for freezer and fridge portion and they have an additional auto-defrost technology that constantly defrosts even minute ice formation. Thus, they are quite convenient as compared to direct cool refrigerators.
All refrigerators that have multiple doors come with frost free technology- such as double door refrigerators, triple door refrigerators and side-by-side refrigerators. These refrigerators come in higher capacity, therefore they are ideal even for large families.
Below is the comparison of direct cool and frost free refrigerators.
Direct Cool vs Frost Free Refrigerator
| Direct Cool | Frost Free |
|---|---|
| Inexpensive technology | Costlier than direct cool technology |
| Requires constant manual defrosting | No need to defrost manually |
| Consumes less energy | Consumes more energy due to additional mechanism to enable auto defrost |
| Gives basic cooling, optimum for keeping food fresh for few days only | Enhanced cooling keeps food fresh for longer duration |
| Present in single door refrigerators | Present in almost all multi-door refrigerators |
| Not ideal for large families because single door refrigerators have usually less than 250 litre capacity | Ideal for all family sizes |
| Failure to defrost may lead to bad odour and rotting of food | Auto-defrost means no need to regularly defrost |
| Some direct cool models have coils that are exposed and can accumulate dirt | Coils are housed inside the refrigerator |
| Slightly shorter lifespan | Longer lifespan |
| Popularity and usage decreasing over time | Have become more popular |
| Produce more noise | Inverter compressor frost free refrigerators have silent operation |
1. One of the biggest benefits of frost free refrigerators is that they give better cooling as compared to direct cool refrigerators. This is because the cooling takes place with the help of fans and auto-defrost technology prevents the formation of ice. In direct cool refrigerators, formation of ice reduces the efficiency of the cooling.
2. Since frost free refrigerators come in multi-door refrigerators, they have larger capacities. On top of this, the freezer to fridge ratio in multidoor refrigerators is better at around 30:70. Which means significantly higher freezer capacity. This means that it is ideal for storing meat products and frozen food.
3. Also, single door refrigerators don’t usually exceed 250-260 litre capacity. This means that they are not ideal for large families. Frost free refrigerators can even come in 700 litre capacity, which is almost three times the capacity of single door refrigerators.
4. Another big benefit of frost free refrigerators is that there is not hassle for constant defrosting from time to time unlike direct cool refrigerators.
5. Many frost free refrigerators come with inverter compressors. These compressors not only give better cooling, they also give almost noise-free operation. Direct cool refrigerators usually have regular compressors. These compressors produce more noise, which can be inconvenient at times.
6. The food inside direct cool refrigerators remain fresh for shorter time because the cooling is uneven. Also, many food items such as tomato, chillies can experience wrinkly skin because of loss of moisture. On the other hand, lifespan of food items inside frost free refrigerators is greater and the food can remain fresh for many days.
7. Since frost free refrigeration is newer modern technology, they usually come with more additional technology to enhance cooling and freshness of produce. Features such as deodorizer, humidity controller, 360 cooling etc. are some of the technologies usually found in modern double door refrigerators.
8. Look and feel of frost free refrigerators is more modern as compared to direct cool refrigerators. They come in designs that are more appealing to modern India households and they usually go well with contemporary kitchen décor.
9. The coils of most of the direct cool refrigerators is exposed and they tend to accumulate dust over a period of time. This accumulation can cause inefficient cooling. Thus, the coils have to cleaned from time to time to prevent energy wastage. In frost free refrigerators, the coils are housed inside the refrigeration unit and there is no need for the users to maintain them.
10. Frost free refrigerators have slightly longer lifespan as compared to direct cool refrigerators. This is because of auto defrosting and because the coils are protected inside the refrigerator unit.
11. Some frost free refrigerators come with convertibility feature, wherein you can convert the freezer space to regular fridge. This gives more space for regular refrigeration. Also, some double door refrigerators come with bottom mount freezer where the freezer is placed at the bottom instead of at the top. Such features are not possible in direct cool refrigerators
12. Even though the price of direct cool refrigerators is less than frost free refrigerators, overall cost in the long run is not that high because frost free refrigerators are more durable.
13. Direct cool technology is increasingly becoming more common for industrial usage, while frost free technology is being adopted more for residential purposes.
Conclusion:
Frost free refrigerators are have evident advantages over direct cool refrigerators. There was a time when most of the households preferred direct cool refrigerators, but over time, their preference has declined. Customer are preferring more modern and advanced technologies. This has led to increase in popularity of frost free refrigerators.
Frost free refrigerators are not only convenient and durable, but they are also equipped with several additional features to enhance user experience. For example, some frost free refrigerators even come with a water dispenser to dispense water without opening the door. Frost free refrigerators are ideal for large families as they come even in 700 litre capacity.
Refrigerators do not come cheap and they are one time investment. Frost free refrigerators are promoted more and are more sleek in design. This is another, reason why consumers are more interested in frost free refrigerators. Many consumers who previously owned direct cool refrigerators opt for frost free refrigerators as an upgrade.
However, if you have budget constraint and have a small family, you can go with direct cool refrigerators. It is decent if you are a bachelor or just starting a family and want to go for a larger frost free refrigerator in future. Even though the popularity of direct cool refrigerators have decreased, still number of Indian households use direct cool refrigerators.
Hope we have helped you in understanding the differences between both types of refrigerators.
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