Refrigerators

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7 Best Refrigerators, According to Food Network Kitchen

Refrigerators are essential, and these are the best for every kitchen!

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January 05, 2022

 

Our Top Refrigerator Picks:

By Sharon Franke for Food Network Kitchen

Nothing is more essential than a refrigerator, and while just about all fridges will do their job of keeping your food cold, they all also vary in design and features. The refrigerator is pretty much command central in every household. Whether you’re carrying a load of groceries, need a quick snack or want to get dinner started right away, it’s probably the first place you head to when you walk in the door. Fridges come in a myriad of sizes and configurations and have lots of special features designed to help you organize your food. Which one is best for you depends on the size of your kitchen and family and your cooking and eating habits. Regardless of whether you live on frozen dinners or feed a hungry horde several times a day, there’s a perfect one for you.

Things to Consider When Buying a Refrigerator

What Style Do You Need?

Freezer on the top models have a small freezer above the fresh food compartment. Smallest in size and overall capacity, these are the least expensive and have the fewest special features. Although they don’t have ice and water dispensers in the door, many have icemakers in the freezer and a few have internal water dispensers. Since the freezer is on top, it’s easy to grab ice cubes and frozen items. However, it means the crisper bins are on the very bottom, so you have to bend to access fresh fruits and vegetables. Refrigerators with freezers on the top are best for apartments, small families and people who depend heavily on frozen foods.

Side by side fridges have full length refrigerator and freezer compartments right next to each other, each with its own long door. Many have ice and water dispensers in the door. On both sides, there is a lot of shelving which makes it easy to organize food. In other styles, it can be especially challenging to keep frozen foods orderly. Sides by sides also offer great access to both sections, which makes them a good choice if there’s a person in the household in a wheelchair or you want your kids to be able to help themselves to all kinds of snacks. However, the produce compartments are on the bottom, so you have to bend to gather up salad ingredients or grab an apple. Also, unless it is a very large model, the shelves can be narrow, making it difficult to stash a large sheet cake, party tray or pizza box. As neither door is very wide, side by sides are a good choice in tight spaces where there isn’t room for a full-size door to swing open.

French door models have a refrigerator compartment with two French doors on top and a freezer drawer that pulls out on the bottom. It’s easy to find one that dispenses ice and water through the door. They have wide shelving but narrow doors, so you have plenty of room for platters but don’t need a lot of space for the doors to open. In these models, it’s easy to reach fresh fruits and vegetables as the crispers are in the middle. The biggest problem with this style is that you have to bend to reach the freezer, and it can be hard to keep it organized; while they usually have at least one shelf on top of the freezer, the bottom is big and deep and it can be hard to find things.

Freezer on the bottom refrigerators are similar to French door models in that the freezer is below the fresh-food compartment. However, they have only one wide refrigerator door, so you need room for it to open fully. Rather than a drawer that pulls out, some bottom freezers have a door that swings open, which can make it difficult to see and reach what’s in there. People love these models because the crispers are at waist level where they’re easy to get to.

Will Your Refrigerator Fit?

Before buying a refrigerator, measure the space in which you plan to install it. Make sure the fridge will fit and that there’s plenty of room for the doors to fully open. Also, check that it will be able to fit through every door and entranceway that it will have to go through when it’s delivered.

Standard or Counter Depth?

Refrigerators are available in standard- and counter-depth sizes. As they are aligned with countertop and kitchen cabinets, counter depth models give a kitchen a stylish custom or built-in look. However, because they’re not as deep, you don’t get as much shelf space. Counter depth models are also more expensive.

What’s the Energy Efficiency?

Refrigerators are one of the biggest energy hogs in a home. All refrigerators have an Energy Guide label which you can find on the unit itself as well as on the manufacturer’s website. They give you an idea of the average annual operating cost and how it compares to similar models. Fridges with the EnergyStar label are the most efficient and least expensive to run. Keep in mind that by choosing an EnergyStar model, you’re not only saving on your electric bill but helping to save energy on a national level.

Useful Refrigerator Features to Look For

Humidity-controlled bins are designed to store fruits and vegetable. These drawers will significantly extend the life of produce. On most, you can adjust the humidity level so that you can keep leafy greens in a moister environment than your apples.

Some temperature-controlled drawers are simple bins with slides to adjust the temperature, while others are full-width drawers that you can set to a range of specific temperatures. If you keep meat, poultry or fish in these compartments at the coldest setting, it’ll stay fresh a lot longer than on a shelf.

In-the-door water and ice dispensers make it easy to fill a glass or a pitcher without opening the door; some even dispense water to a precise amount. Ice dispensers can produce cubed, crushed or shaved ice. Virtually all have water filters.

The ability to connect your fridge to your smart phone lets you control the temperature of your refrigerator remotely. It allows you to receive an alert if the door is left open and when it’s time to change the water filter. Some manufacturers can connect to your appliances remotely and trouble shoot a problem. If money’s no object, look for connected fridges with interactive screens in the door and cameras inside so you can see if you need milk while you’re in the supermarket.



Best Refrigerators 2022

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