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Finding the Best Refrigerator for You

How to Choose the Best Refrigerator for Your Needs

Choosing the best refrigerator for your needs can be extremely difficult. Shopping for refrigerators can be scary enough without knowing in advance about what you're looking for.



The most common models are the side by side refrigerators and Top Freezer refrigerators.

French Door Refrigerators are quickly gaining in overall popularity because of the fact that you have the convenience of wide refrigerator and freezer storage areas and the split front doors of the side by side models which allow for great in-door features like an ice maker or water dispenser.

Freezerless refrigerators are generally used for commercial purposes and compact refrigerators are used for more defined specific needs such as a dorm room, game room or simply because you need a refrigerator that is counter height.


Factors to Keep in Mind

But if you’re trying to find the best refrigerator for your needs, there are a few things to think about:

  1. Budget: Be careful not to purchase a unit you simply can not afford. With refrigerators ranging in price between $50 and $10,000 and beyond, there is a lot of room for error.

    That said, you should consider how long you plan to have your refrigerator. Buy one that is big enough to service your entire family, one that will stand the test of time and one that will be durable enough to withstand whatever your family throws at it.

    • TIP: Consider buying a refrigerator with a great warranty. Refrigerator repairs can be quite costly as well as a huge inconvenience.

    If your refrigerator doesn't have a good warranty, consider purchasing an after-purchase service contract.


  2. Brand: There are a number of great trustworthy and reliable refrigerator brands on the market nowadays.

    Keep in mind what “after sales services” each brand offers to make sure you find the best refrigerator for your needs. For some help on this, be sure to review our Popular Refrigerator Brands page.

    Also be sure that the brand you choose has high reliability and customer satisfaction ratings. This will help avoid any anxiety or regret you might feel after you make your purchase.


  3. Usage: Think about how much space you might need right now, but since refrigerators tend to last longer than 5-10 years on average, take into consideration how fast your family might be growing.

    Or for that matter, whether your family will be retracting – do you have older teens who will soon be off to college? Well, you might not need the 29 cubic foot Subzero if it’s just going to be the two of you. All things to take into consideration.





  4. 4. References: Nothing speaks better about the attributes of a brand than those people who own one already. Ask your friends and business associates about what they have and whether or not they’re happy with their purchase. You might find that what they have to say will be quite useful.



  5. Survey: Visiting this website has been a good part of research, but take it beyond the web if need be. Look around and get a feel for what’s out there. You will want to see your refrigerator first hand to make sure that it suits your needs, your tastes and your satisfaction before you make your purchase. You also might find that after a bit of hands on investigation, you find the best refrigerator right here on the web!


What’s the Best Category of Refrigerator?

Although top freezer refrigerators are the most popular model, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re the right choice for you. Often they are limited in their capacity as well as in the variation of styles you can choose from.

Side by Side Refrigerators are also a great choice for many families, but you may need a bit wider interior capacity, so keep this in mind as this particular model is the most limiting in this realm. However, side by side refrigerators have a great variety of different built in exterior door features that you may not be able to get from other models of refrigerators.

  • TIP: Be aware that many of the in door features like a water dispenser or ice maker, although convenient to have, often take up quite a bit of space in the freezer compartment. So, weigh how much storage space you need against what types of features you desire.

Be aware that bottom freezer refrigerators as well as most top freezer units have rather wide doors and you’ll need to take these measurements into consideration when purchasing your unit.


Other Factors to Consider to make sure you get the Best Refrigerator you can


Refrigerators are available in such a wide variety of colors and models, how do you know which is the best refrigerator for your needs?

Most refrigerators need a limited amount of annual servicing and it really comes down to your space needs and budget requirements when making your final decision. But there are a few brands that offer a wider variety of features and model styles as well as reliability.

Kenmore and Whirlpool are consistently high in consumer satisfaction surveys. Subzero does quite well, but is often out of most peoples price range as the “Sub Z” is the Rolls Royce of refrigerators. Frigidaire, GE and KitchenAid also get high marks, but the LG brand is rising up the ratings rapidly and may be a brand to consider as well. LG has been adding a wide variety of highly desirable features to its products over the years and its reliability ratings have consistently been steering upwards.

If you're looking for a refrigerator for an RV or boat or other transportation unit, the only brand to consider really is the Norcold brand. They have truly mastered the Gas Absorption Refrigerator and portability.

Be sure that whichever unit you choose that it is energy efficient and preferably has the Energy Star symbol which means that it will run 15% more efficiently than government standards require.

When looking at potential features like a built in water dispenser and ice maker, be sure that they have high quality Refrigerator Water Filters to get the best tasting water and ice available.

As well, be sure that whatever replacement filters might be necessary are reasonably priced and easily accessible either via the internet or in a retail store.

Lastly, be sure to check the warranty that is offered by the manufacturer. Find a fridge with the best warranty you can.


Best Refrigerator Related Articles

Best Refrigerator Brands: If you're wondering what the Best Refrigerator Brands are, take a look at what we found after reviewing thousands of online consumer reviews and refrigerator ratings. You'll be surprised to see which refrigerator brands come out on top. We were!

Best LG Refrigerators: This South Korean company has taken the refrigerator market by storm. We've managed to identify a number of extremely popular well regarded refrigerator models from LG.

Best General Electric Refrigerators: are some of the most highly regarded refrigerators on the market today. We've chosen a few models that tickled our fancy. Find out why.

Best Whirlpool Gold Refrigerators: Not surprisingly, the Whirlpool Gold refrigerators performed extremely well in our tests. Here are the models that really stood out.

Refrigerator Buying Guide: If you're unsure what to look for when shopping for a fridge, try out our buying guide to help you narrow down your choices.

Top 10 Refrigerators: After scouring through thousands of online reviews and through the results of our own internal testing, we've managed to narrow down the top ten refrigerators. See what made the list!




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