Refrigerator Glossary

A List of Refrigerator Terms to Better Understand the Buying Process

Here's our Refrigerator Glossary to help out with any terminology questions you might have:

Alarm – The alarm is a visual or audible notification or warning feature to notify an open door or power failure.

Bins – Bins are storage areas designed primarily to keep meats, fruits and vegetables at optimum temperature levels.

Bottom Mount Freezer - Also known as a bottom freezer refrigerator, these models have the freezer section located on the bottom of the unit while the refrigerator is on top. In another Refrigerator Glossary this type of refrigerator was also referred to as Bottom MOUNTED.

Built-In – Built ins are great to have and mean what they say – they are refrigerators that are designed to be installed flush or “to blend in” with the rest of the existing cabinetry

Capacity – This refers to how much space you have available to you and is a measurement of the interior of the refrigerator, usually expressed in cubic feet.

Can Rack – These space-saving racks are designed to stack canned beverages for automatic dispensing. They can usually hold up to 12 cans.

Crushed Ice – This is an in-door feature that allows a user to select crushed ice from the dispenser rather than ice cubes

Custom panels – These are custom made panels that can be fitted to an existing refrigerator to help match your kitchen decor.

Dairy Storage – A separated compartment for storing cheese, butter or dairy products.

EnergyGuide Label – This is your estimated energy consumption. It’s expressed on a scale that shows a range for similar models. It’s essentially your estimated yearly operating cost, based on the national average cost of electricity.

Freezer basket – This is a storage basket in the freezer compartment that can be pulled open on rollers or gliders.

French Door Refrigerator – a refrigerator that has a double door refrigerator on the top with a bottom mount freezer. Many French Door fridges have the same features as the Side by Side models.

Humidity Control – This feature on some models allows you to control moisture levels in some vegetable and fruit bins

Insulation – Just like what’s found in your attic and walls, this is the material such as foam or fiberglass that is installed between the interior walls and the exterior of the refrigerator and freezer to keep cold air from escaping and improve the efficiency of the refrigerator.

Lock-out Feature – This feature is often found on most Water/Ice Dispensers and it prevents children from dispensing water or ice without supervision

Manufacturer Warranty - Manufacturer’s specified time period after purchase covering product defects. Coverage may be for parts and labor or parts only, so be sure to check.

Refrigerator Glossary - A place you come to find the definitions to words related to owning and buying a refrigerator.

Reversible Door – A reversible door allows you to mount the door on either side opening from right or left.

Shelves – Shelving for food storage which in most models can be customized for large and small items.

Spill-proof shelves – These are shelves that have edges that prevent spills from dripping onto shelves below.

Side-by-Side - Refrigerator type where the refrigerator and freezer compartments are adjacent to one another and allow easy access to both compartments.

Top-Mount Freezer - Refrigerator type where the freezer compartment is on the top and the refrigerator on bottom.

Water Dispenser - A feature that dispenser water/ice usually through the door. This feature often requires connection to a water source and needs the filters changed out periodically to get the best quality water and ice.