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Products :
Appliances : Cooling Appliances :
Refrigerators
Refrigerators
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There are three basic types:
- Top freezer with bottom refrigerator
- Bottom freezer with top refrigerator
- Side-by-side freezer and refrigerator
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How they compare
The top-freezer model is the least expensive and tends to be the most roomy. The bottom-freezer unit allows easier access to the refrigerator but you can’t put a built-in ice-and-water dispenser in it. The side-by-side offers easier access to both compartments. It’s not as energy efficient, though, as the other two and its compartments can feel annoyingly narrow.
Special features
- Adjustable shelves
- Spillproof shelves
- Sliding shelves
- Shelves with cranks that will move them up or down
- Interior wine racks
- Chillers in the doors
- Ice-and-water dispensers
- Refreshment centers that allow you to access drinks and snacks without opening the main door
- Sealed storage areas
- Separate temperature and humidity controls for different compartments
- Built-in water filters
- Humidistats
- Spillproof shelves
- Child lock-out systems
- Beepers that let you know when the door is left ajar
- Water filtration systems
- Humidity-controlled crispers
- Electronic controls for the temperature and ice-and-water dispenser
- Lights to let you know when to change the water filter
- Night lights
- Custom panels
- Deodorizers
- Climate-controlled drawers
- Separate compressors for the refrigerator and freezer
Expect to pay
About $600 to $900 for a top-freezer model; $900 to $1,500 for a bottom-freezer; $1,100 to $2,000 for a freestanding side-by-side; and $3,800 to $5,000 for a built-in.
Specialty
Specialty cold storage units once considered luxuries are becoming more commonplace. Consider the convenience of appliances such as:
- Wine chillers
- Undercounter refrigerators
- Drawer refrigerators
- Icemakers
A wine chiller can hold dozens of bottles or as few as 15. They’ve been around for awhile but have become more popular in the past few years. Some newer models can even be hooked up to your home’s security system. Others can precisely control the temperature so that reds, whites, and champagnes are kept at the appropriate degree. Look for ones that hold the bottles at certain angles to keep the corks moist, that defrost, and that have special lighting or cigar storage compartments. These can form the centerpiece for a bar area.
Undercounter refrigerators and refrigerators in drawers can be built-in to match the cabinets and give you a place to put wine, produce, and condiments within easy reach. They can also offer a place out of the main preparation area for kids to keep their favorite snacks.
For entertainers, an icemaker could mean you never have to lug around—or leave the party for—another bag of crushed ice again.
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