Among the household appliances that cannot be missing in any home, whether you live alone or with your family, a good refrigerator certainly belongs. Unlike the majority of electrical devices normally used in kitchens, the latter does not have a real cycle of use, having to be available for the duration of the day: from this first consideration, we understand the importance of knowing how to choose the refrigerator, in compliance with modern ecological standards and with an eye to its specific energy consumption, all compatible with our budget.
When you find yourself needing to buy a new fridge that would seem a quiet shopping practice, it could become a daunting experience, because there are so many models, with different styles and features on the market, that it becomes problematic to choose between one or the other.
However, by analyzing some of the most important features, we can make our task easier. In this article, we will take a look at the aspects that must be considered to make the purchase of a new refrigerator satisfactory.
Types of refrigerator based on use
Of course, there are more types of refrigerators on the market, which can perform different functions: it starts from the very simple minibar, which can also be used at the table level to have drinks, cocktails and fresh aperitifs available at any time of the day, to arrive at classic single-door refrigerators for storing ingredients for their daily consumption or for a maximum of 2-3 days.
If you are a small family, up to the sector of double-door models and to the so-called “combined” refrigerators where more space is accumulated for additional freezing functions suitable for those who do not want to give up having a wide variety of ready-made food.
Refrigerators and cooling: How do they work?
In understanding how to choose the refrigerator, the first thing you need to ensure is an excellent efficiency with regard to the basic function of a refrigerator, namely that it is capable of a low temperature also, and above all, during the hot summer months.
This is essential to make sure that the vegetables stay fresh, and that foods like fish are kept at the right temperature. It is also necessary to check that the freezer section has enough space to store food for the whole family for at least a week.
So we have to ask ourselves: how does it cool our ideal refrigerator and, in the choice, opt for the frosting methods most suited to the energy consumption range that our appliance will belong to.
Currently, there are two techniques used
Static Cooling
This is the standard type in vogue on old refrigerators, but also in some modern models. In this case, at the center of the refrigerator’s mechanics, there is the cooling of the inner wall thanks to an internal refrigerant circuit, forming a small sheet of ice that can subsequently be transformed into water collected on a small tank from which it will evaporate.
Frost-free cooling
This technique allows instead to avoid the formation of ice inside the appliance, innovating the technology of lowering the internal temperature by re-circulating the cold air produced through internal channels, avoiding the need to defrost manually the device every few months. A definitely more attractive solution for singles and busy families, since the appliance will be able to solve the problem automatically.
How to choose the refrigerator based on capacity?
In addition to the traditional mono-door, widespread in most households and equipped with a small internal freezer compartment to bring food that requires it to freezer temperatures, we can concentrate on purchasing a combined refrigerator, which combines the qualities of the refrigerator classic to a 4-star freezer, allowing our foods to be preserved even more permanently and at lower temperatures (up to -4°F).
In addition, those with special dietary needs or even very large families may resort to a side-by-side, a refrigerator with an actually high capacity (up to 20 cu. ft.) with additional drawers able to function as a freezer and an ice dispenser and water.
Refrigerators and Consumption: How to choose?
The consumption ranges of refrigerators of any type can be divided into different categories, listed in the appropriate Energy Label attached to the appliance. On it, we will find the brand and model of the refrigerator, energy consumption (in kilowatt/hour per year of activation), capacity in cu. ft., noise in dB, and obviously the energy-efficiency class.
We consider the following classification: A for refrigerators with lower consumption, down to the letters B and C which progressively indicate lower energy efficiency. The letters ranging from D to G, once listed in older refrigerators for environmental protection and global energy savings, are no longer used in modern appliances, after the purging of environmentally harmful refrigerants, including the controversial CFC, helping us to direct our choice towards more innovative and renowned models for their efficiency.
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