In this modern age where refrigerators are a necessity in every household, refrigerator manufacturers have come up with variations that would appeal to the different consumers’ needs, preferences, and tastes. The variations would cover size, look, capacity of its individual compartments, features, and add-ons that make the refrigerator unit sleeker or more luxurious.
As a refrigerator is a long-term investment of a household, a restaurant or a hotel, it is important to identify the features that are essential to the user (which may be the family or the kitchen staff) and acquire a unit that will comply with these essential features. Primary consideration is the capacity or size required by the user. Refrigerator sizes range from 6 cubic feet to 23 cubic feet. If the user would have a bigger need for meat and fish storage for a relatively long period of time, then the freezer compartment should be big. However, if food to be stored are fast moving and is small in volume, then a smaller refrigerator would do.
Another consideration in deciding on the size and other features is the area where the refrigerator would be installed. The floor space where the refrigerator will be located will determine the depth and width of the refrigerator; the open space above will determine the height; and the immediate space around will dictate the type of door swing. Plumbing and electrical outlets will have to be accessible if one is buying a refrigerator with ice and water dispenser. Refrigerator color and exterior finishes such as white, colored or stainless are chosen to be consistent with the general look of the kitchen. The best feature though is the unit having a frost-free operation which is available only in the newer models.
The most common refrigerator has both the regular food storage compartment and the freezer. But there are units that do not have a freezer compartment to cater to those users who have separate freezer units. A top mount model has an upper freezer, with or without a separate door. A bottom freezer model has a drawer or bin or a shelf style freezer at the bottom. A side-by-side model has a freezer on one side and a refrigerator on the other side. A French door model has two refrigerated top sections with a freezer on the bottom.
More about the top mount
Top mount refrigerators with the freezer on the top part of the appliance and the refrigerator compartment below are the more common refrigerator style. They are also the traditional type and are less expensive than the bottom freezer, side-by-side, and French door models. Top mounts tend to be more energy efficient and allow larger size storage. Top mounts have the freezer compartment at eye level and the fresh food compartment below it. Because of this, the major disadvantage of a top mount model is the accessibility of the fresh foods section as one has to bend low to retrieve from the section.
Another drawback of a top mount is the space that the door takes up when the fresh food compartment is being accessed, thereby possibly impeding traffic near the refrigerator unit.
All refrigerator brands definitely carry the top mount refrigerator line. The most common brands are Whirlpool, LG, General Electric, Electrolux, Frigidaire, Hotpoint-Ariston, Maytag, Fisher and Paykel, Kitchen Aid, Sunbeam, Westinghouse, and Kenmore.
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