This article is about the refrigerator types that are common on in Nairobi Homes and Businesses. These are the types of refrigerators that our technicians encounter most during their fridge repair services undertakings.
With regular technological developments, many different types of refrigerators have come into the market, offering you numerous options to choose from. Here we are going to discuss the different types of refrigerators that you must look into before buying the perfect one for you.
Following are the different types of refrigerators, a factor that plays a major role in deciding which refrigerator is best suited for you and your home.
A top-freezer refrigerator is the classic refrigerator design that has been in the market for a long time. These have the freezer on their upper part and since the freezer is far from the compressor, located on the bottom side of the refrigerator, it keeps the heat out and helps in keeping the unit cool without much effort. It also makes the top freezer refrigerator more energy-efficient.
Advantages
Disadvantages
As opposed to the top freezer refrigerator, the bottom freezer refrigerator has its freezer located on the bottom side. These refrigerators come in various designs. The bottom freezer refrigerator is best for those who store a greater amount of frozen food compared to fresh food. The freezer door even comes in a drawer design and also has many built-in organizers offering more space for food. These refrigerators are a bit expensive than the top freezer refrigerators and are not a good fit for those who don’t like to bend down every time they need something from the freezer.
Advantages
d)Bigger freezer space
Disadvantages
The side-by-side refrigerators are best for those who use fresh and frozen food equally and need ample space for both types of food. These refrigerators have vertical refrigerators and freezers located right next to each other. The side-by-side refrigerators are slim-styled and don’t need much space to open wide doors. The shelves are narrow and thus don’t have enough space to store large portions of food. Most models of these refrigerators have external water and ice dispenser features. Though the side-by-side refrigerators are budget-friendly, they are not much energy-efficient.
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Disadvantages
With the freezer on the bottom and two refrigerator doors opening outward, the french door refrigerators are the latest in trend with modern designs. Most models have one or two freezer drawers with organized shelves located on the bottom. Opening both refrigerator doors together makes everything inside clearly visible, and opening one door at a time prevents the cold air from escaping. The french door refrigerator comes with large storage space for both fresh food and frozen food. The movable bins and trays of the refrigerator help in rearranging the layout of the refrigerator. These are expensive but energy-efficient with a variety of designs, colors, and finish.
Advantages
Disadvantages
The counter-depth refrigerators come in designs and depths that fit perfectly in your kitchen. They usually have the same storage space as any other type of refrigerator but they generally don’t stick out more than 1 or 2 inches past the cabinets and counters in the kitchen. These compact refrigerators give a look of built-in refrigerators and are best for tight kitchen spaces. The counter-depth refrigerators come in four main styles namely top freezer, bottom freezer, side-by-side, and french door. These refrigerators have less storage space for frozen and fresh foods compared to standard-depth refrigerators. Also, counter-depth refrigerators are expensive than other refrigerators.
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Disadvantages
Mini refrigerators or compact refrigerators are small in size compared to the standard refrigerators and are best suited for small kitchens, rec rooms, offices, etc. These refrigerators come in different configurations and sizes with different designs like double doors, separate freezer compartments, glass front doors, etc. Some models of the mini refrigerator are designed to be set up within cabinets while some are freestanding. These also have shelves to help you organize your food items.
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Disadvantages
Smart refrigerators or internet refrigerators are the latest models of refrigerators available in the market. These can be connected to the internet and controlled with smart devices like phones, tablets, etc. You can see the contents inside the refrigerator on smart devices, send and receive notes, make calendar entries that appear on the refrigerator screen, get alarm notifications when the door is left open for a long time. Smart refrigerators are more energy efficient but expensive than the other refrigerator types. Currently, only a few companies manufacture smart refrigerators with varying features.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Built-in Refrigerators are unique in a couple of different ways. First, they need to be built into a fitted cabinet space and secured on all sides. They weigh as much as a Fiat 500 (mid 2000 pounds) and are as tall as Shaquille O’Neal (7’1”) but they give the kitchen a more professional feel and typically a cleaner aesthetic with its integration into a kitchen’s cabinetry. Secondly, most built-in refrigerators will have their compressors on the top of the machine, rather than on the bottom as-is typical for traditional refrigerators. Also worth noting, generally, built-in refrigerators are going to be only be counter depth and won’t extend deep into the kitchen floor plan.
In contrast to the large, commercial style stature of the built-in refrigerators above, freestanding fridges are going to be slid into a cavity that can be surrounded by cabinetry but will not be secured to it.
Freestanding refrigerators historically have been described “in the industry” by where the freezer is built on the refrigerator. There are four basic types of freestanding refrigerators, as illustrated above:
The Bottom Mount, with the freezer at the base of the unit
The Top Mount, which is the most traditional and well known
The Side by Side with the freezer portion on one side and the refrigerator on the other
The French Door refrigerator, with two doors on the top followed by some configuration of drawers on the bottom. These drawers can be all freezer or part freezer and part refrigerator
Under counter refrigeration is going to be more compact and useful for space saving opportunities. Refrigerator units in this category can be installed underneath a countertop and can be as compact as 15” wide for those extremely tight galley kitchens who want to utilize as much space as they can in their kitchen. Compact refrigeration comes with various internal configurations, which can be great to add to an already amazing kitchen design. These configurations range from a beverage center to a wine reserve or even a beer dispenser. Some brands, like Perlick, specialize in making the highest quality under counter refrigerator and utilize the highest quality of components to ensure that no matter where it is installed, the temperature will remain consistent. Some manufacturers of under counter refrigerators offer units that can be installed outside which are frequently integrated into larger outdoor kitchen designs which are becoming more and more popular in today’s world.