Common Misconceptions When Buying Refrigerator

Today, homeowners like you are spoilt for choices when it comes to buying refrigerators as manufacturers are increasingly pushing the boundaries and redefining what the modern refrigerator should be capable of.

However, the incredibly vast range of color, style and smart feature of these ingeniously designed refrigerators poses yet another problem; it has indeed become a daunting task to find the right model that matches your needs!

Nonetheless, fret not!

To address this challenge, I have came up with a simple buying guide for refrigerators in my Buying Guide for Refrigerator. In addition, I will also cover some of the common misconceptions when it comes to buying a refrigerator in this post.

Misconception # 1: Physical Dimension Equals Storage Capacity

Even though 2 refrigerators are of similar physical built (i.e. think width, height and depth), they do not necessary mean that their storage capacity is similar. Storage capacity refers to the amount of space available inside the refrigerator, measured in litres. Hence, if one of the refrigerator has thicker walls compared to the other, it's storage capacity will be smaller.

Misconception # 2: More Doors Translate to More Storage Capacity

Similarly, a 2 door refrigerator will have a larger storage capacity when compared to a 6 door refrigerator even though they share similar physical built and wall thickness. This is because storage capacity is wasted when more walls are constructed in between to create the 4 additional compartments! In other words, due to the more complex built, a 500 litres 6 door refrigerator will usually cost more than a 500 litres 2 door refrigerator.

Misconception # 3: Only Height, Width & Depth of the Refrigerator matters when determining the fit Measuring height, depth and width is just the beginning when you are finding out whether if the refrigerator fits a certain corner. Aside from these measurements, always measure how far the refrigerator doors will open and take up the kitchen space without hitting the walls or other cabinets. Some refrigerators doors need to be opened more than 90 degrees in order to allow full access to the pull-out drawers.

The thickness of the refrigerator and the protruding refrigerator handle will also take up more space than expected. Furthermore, always make sure that there is sufficient ventilation space too. If space is a concern and the refrigerator might block the kitchen walkway, French doors or side-by-side refrigerator might be more suitable.

 Misconception # 4: The only Challenge for Refrigerator with Bottom Freezer is finding food

Indeed, one of the main disadvantage of bottom freezer that pulls out like a drawer is exposing the food at a glance. This is because due to the design, food have to be stacked on top of another. However, the other main and very significant disadvantage that most people overlooked is since all the food is being placed in the drawer, it becomes exceptionally heavy and poses great difficulty when you need to pull out the drawer. In fact due to the weight, the  drawer hinges have to be extremely solid and study to be able to withstand the weight and the constant wear and tear.

Case in point?

Frozen meat, (which usually comes packaged in kilograms), ice creams (1 or 2 litres) and frozen processed food (in kilograms too) can easily add up to 10 kg for a small family. This could be even more if you tend to hoard food like me. Hence, I will recommend that you stick to the conventional top freezer configuration for durability.

Misconception # 5: A Refrigerator with a Door Water Dispenser  is more Convenient

Lastly, while It is true that having the door water dispenser feature is very convenient for the family....it also mean that it is more convenient for the household pests too!

Why?

If you dispense beverages that contain sugar...lizards, cockroaches and ants will most certainly swing by to take a dip. Since they usually do that when you left your food or drinks lying around the house, it certainly makes sense they will do the same for water dispenser too.

However, even if you replace sugared beverages with plain water, the water hose and tank still need to be clean regularly to ensure that they do not turn mouldy. Ugh...sounds a lot of unnecessary maintenance work doesn't it?

I hope you find this post useful when you are searching for your ideal fridge and share it with your friends! Nonetheless, if you have other tips to share, please feel free to share with us too!

To end off, here is a list of refrigerator manufacturers in the Singapore market.

Do have a great week ahead! :)

Refrigerator Brands Brands listed below can be easily found in Gain City, Best Denki, Courts and Harvey Norman

Fisher Paykel Electrolux Sharp Mitsubishi Electric Philips Samsung LG - Life's Good

Looking for something with more designer look...or something different? Here are some alternatives! I bet you are new to most of these brands! ;)

Bosch De Dietrich Gaggenau Liebherr from Rina Electrical Miele Smeg Sub-zero from Rina Electrical Whirlpool