@Marie_Ciolfi) Updated 04/11/21 at 11:00 a.m. Share:
Combined, American, single door or even multi-door… There are several types of refrigerators depending on the needs and desires of the consumer and it is not always easy to choose the right model within such a diversified offer.
If there is one essential household appliance in the kitchen, it is the refrigerator! Abusively called "fridge", 98% of households have one according to GIFAM. And according to GFK this time around 2,757 million devices are sold every year.
Choosing the right refrigerator: an average price ranging from 150€ to 3000€
There are different types of refrigerators, at all prices, from 150 € for the entry level, up to 3000 € for the most sophisticated appliances. Single-door models are the least expensive. As their names suggest, they are equipped with a single door; there is sometimes a small extra freezer that does not exceed 15 liters. The combi refrigerator is the best-selling in Spain (46% market share), it has two doors with a compartment for storing fresh food at the top and a freezer section at the bottom, or vice versa. The American (or side-by-side) is composed of two compartments placed side by side, closed by hinged doors. It sometimes accommodates a water or ice cube dispenser on the front (the models generally measure between 70 cm and 90 cm wide). The multi-door has a minimum of three doors or drawers (with a width often exceeding 90 cm) and it too can sometimes be equipped with an ice cube or fresh water dispenser. These last two models are the ones that offer the most space.
Stirred, Static, No Frost... make the right choice
Remember also that there are three different cold systems: brewed cold, static cold and No Frost. The most sophisticated devices sometimes have two circuits, using (or not) the same cooling technology.
Our Testing Procedures at TechnologiesTips
Before starting our tests, we stabilize the laboratory temperature at 23°C. We set the device to reach 5°C in the refrigerator compartment and -18°C in the freezer. If these settings do not exist, we take the lower temperature closest to that requested. To know the exact temperature of the compartments, we place about thirty loads integrating probes: these loads, we created them by assembling 3 cold accumulators representing a total weight of 1,3 kg per unit. In all, we fill the refrigerator with 24 loads and the freezer with 12 loads. The temperature probes collect the data every 2 s and send them to a receiver (by infrared), itself linked to a computer.
Note that we are evaluating cold performance for two load levels: the large load simulates weekly shopping and weighs 13 kg for the two compartments. As for the small load, which represents a daily filling, it weighs 6,5 kg in the refrigerator section and 2,6 kg in the freezer section.
We also measure the stability and homogeneity of the temperature thanks to probes placed in each compartment, apart from the cold accumulators this time. This allows us to observe temperature variations.
Combined, American, single door or even multi-door… There are several types of refrigerators depending on the needs and desires of the consumer and it is not always easy to choose the right model within such a diversified offer.
If there is one essential household appliance in the kitchen, it is the refrigerator! Abusively called "fridge", 98% of households have one according to GIFAM. And according to GFK this time around 2,757 million devices are sold every year.
Choosing the right refrigerator: an average price ranging from 150€ to 3000€
There are different types of refrigerators, at all prices, from 150 € for the entry level, up to 3000 € for the most sophisticated appliances. Single-door models are the least expensive. As their names suggest, they are equipped with a single door; there is sometimes a small extra freezer that does not exceed 15 liters. The combi refrigerator is the best-selling in Spain (46% market share), it has two doors with a compartment for storing fresh food at the top and a freezer section at the bottom, or vice versa. The American (or side-by-side) is composed of two compartments placed side by side, closed by hinged doors. It sometimes accommodates a water or ice cube dispenser on the front (the models generally measure between 70 cm and 90 cm wide). The multi-door has a minimum of three doors or drawers (with a width often exceeding 90 cm) and it too can sometimes be equipped with an ice cube or fresh water dispenser. These last two models are the ones that offer the most space.
Stirred, Static, No Frost... make the right choice
Remember also that there are three different cold systems: brewed cold, static cold and No Frost. The most sophisticated devices sometimes have two circuits, using (or not) the same cooling technology.
Our Testing Procedures at TechnologiesTips
Before starting our tests, we stabilize the laboratory temperature at 23°C. We set the device to reach 5°C in the refrigerator compartment and -18°C in the freezer. If these settings do not exist, we take the lower temperature closest to that requested. To know the exact temperature of the compartments, we place about thirty loads integrating probes: these loads, we created them by assembling 3 cold accumulators representing a total weight of 1,3 kg per unit. In all, we fill the refrigerator with 24 loads and the freezer with 12 loads. The temperature probes collect the data every 2 s and send them to a receiver (by infrared), itself linked to a computer.
Note that we are evaluating cold performance for two load levels: the large load simulates weekly shopping and weighs 13 kg for the two compartments. As for the small load, which represents a daily filling, it weighs 6,5 kg in the refrigerator section and 2,6 kg in the freezer section.
We also measure the stability and homogeneity of the temperature thanks to probes placed in each compartment, apart from the cold accumulators this time. This allows us to observe temperature variations.
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Editorial buying guide
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Let yourself be guided by our experts
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What are the first points to watch out for when choosing your refrigerator?
Before looking at the technical sheet, a simple glance already allows you to make a first selection. The size of the fireplace (and the space available) will of course determine the volume (in litres) required and the type of appliance: single door, combined, American, multi-door... In all cases, the refrigerator must have enough shelves to store all foods. Capacity, design, type of refrigeration or even door opening system, energy class… All these elements are taken into account to choose a few models before refining the selection.
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Static, Ventilated, No Frost... Which refrigeration technology to choose?
Today, there are three refrigeration technologies.
Static cold tends to disappear but still equips entry-level models. No system comes to mix the air in the compartment. Since cold air is heavier than hot air, temperature uniformity is not guaranteed.
The ventilated cold avoids this pitfall. But this technology does not protect against humidity, which forms a layer of ice in the freezer.
The No Frost cold is a ventilated cold that is totally devoid of humidity. The devices that are equipped with it are more expensive to buy but have many advantages. -
What are the benefits of No Frost cold?
Paradoxically, ice is an enemy of freezers. Indeed, it forms an insulating layer on the pipes which conducts the refrigerant: to maintain a stable temperature, the cold circuit must provide more effort. And these affect the life of the freezer, in addition to consuming more energy.
By ridding the indoor air of humidity, No Frost cold prevents this phenomenon and frees the user from having to deal with the drudgery of defrosting. -
Cold and electricity consumption: what to watch?
We measure power consumption in kilowatt hours (kW/h) throughout the testing process. We raise it for the big load, the small load, then when the temperature has stabilized. These measurements make it possible to calculate the consumption over a week, then to make the ratio to the year. Our measurements often differ from the energy class indicated by the manufacturers because we wanted to detach ourselves from European tests.
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What storage for your refrigerator?
Apart from the shelves, the other storage units in the refrigerator consist of drawers. These allow vegetables and fruits to be stored in a humidity-controlled environment. There are also areas in which the cold is kept just above 0°C to extend the preservation of very fragile products (meat, fish, etc.) without freezing them and damaging them.
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Is a refrigerator silent?
The noise emitted by the motor of refrigerators can be annoying: if it is placed in an open kitchen or in a small apartment, it must be as quiet as possible. Precision, it is during the cooling phase that the refrigerator is the most noisy.
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What is a modular zone?
The “fridges” (another abuse of language) sometimes accommodate so-called modular compartments: they can be used as a freezer or a refrigerator as needed. Thus, it is possible to switch from negative cold to positive cold if a large quantity of fresh food must be stored, and vice versa if the weekly shopping contains a lot of frozen food. We adapt the volume of each storage space, the capacity of each compartment with a simple press of a button.
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Full of additional functions?
To attract buyers, manufacturers are enhancing their products with functions designed to simplify the user's life, including holiday mode to limit energy consumption. Let's also mention the possibility of quickly lowering the temperature of the freezer or the refrigerator in order to accommodate a large quantity of food. Some manufacturers have worked on interior light to improve the preservation of fresh foods, fruits and vegetables in particular. Some models are even connected. But beware, all these additions increase the price. After reading our buying guide, and when it comes to choosing your new American fridge, this can tip the scales.
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How do we measure freezing performance?
In the same way as in the refrigeration area, we measure the cooling time of the freezer compartment, but down to -18°C. Then, we measure the homogeneity of the temperatures thanks to probes placed in the compartment, but outside the cooling bars.
