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A well-stocked and organized refrigerator helps manage your finances, can improve eating habits, and adds a sense of order to life. A brand new refrigerator is a hefty upfront investment, but nothing beats the economy and convenience of having good food at home. To make it easier on the pockets, we’ve pooled the best refrigerator deals at Walmart, Best Buy, and Abt Electronics.
Today’s best refrigerator deals
- Whirlpool Stainless Steel Top-Freezer Refrigerator – WRT311FZDM – $944, was $1,049
- Samsung RT21M6213SR Top Freezer Refrigerator — $989, was $1,100
- LG 26 Cu-Ft Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator with Ice Maker, Stainless Steel – $1,439, was $1,599
- LG Door-in-Door 26.0 Cu. Ft. Side-by-Side Refrigerator – $1,710, was $2,100
- Samsung Family Hub 28 Cubic-Foot 4-Door Flex French Door Refrigerator – $3,898, was $4,332
A walk through of all the different refrigerator styles
When we think of refrigerators, a top freezer is usually what comes to mind. It is a classic budget saver that doesn’t take up a whole lot of space compared to its contemporaries, which makes it a prime choice for small urban kitchens. Top freezers are the most basic no-frills option that provides adequate storage for grocery staples. On the other hand, those who want to spare their backs from crouching down might want to switch things up with a bottom freezer. We use our freezers less anyway and this setup makes it easier to go through all your chilled items at eye level.
If you want a bigger freezer, a side-by-side refrigerator gives you equal access to both chilled and frozen goods. It is ideal for galley kitchens since its doors don’t swing out as far as top or bottom freezers would. These models give you a bang for your buck with enough room for storage and a handful of modern features to boot. It’s not unlikely for you to find a model with in-door ice makers, water dispensers, and touch controls.
A french-door refrigerator typically comes with all the bells and whistles, you might even spot a smart fridge for yourself in this category. This is a popular variety since most grocery lists consist of fresh produce, deli, and dairy items, and the two narrow doors up top easily make them within arm’s reach. You can think of it as a sleek combination of a side-by-side and bottom freezer refrigerator with the most colors and finish options obtainable. Packed with more features, more doors, and boasting sheer style, you must be willing to pay top dollar for this type of refrigerator.
If you’re quite picky or you want a fridge that seamlessly blends in with the rest of your kitchen or home décor, a built-in refrigerator is worth considering. It will undoubtedly be a lot pricier than ready-made models but you’ll be able to nail the design from the get-go and enjoy every bit of customization possible. Freestanding counter-depth refrigerators are look-for-less versions that are available in side-by-side or french-door configurations. It seems like it’s built-in since the dimensions it has for depth won’t protrude past your kitchen cabinets.
Whether you eat in or have your food to go, you’ll appreciate the benefits of refrigerated storage and not just in your kitchen. Be it in your dorm room, bedroom, or office, a minifridge or a beer fridge can come with a handful of perks.
Dos and don’ts when buying a refrigerator
Don’t just focus on the door style you want and do consider the size you need first. A refrigerator is a big appliance that comes at a high cost so the last thing you want is to have a nice looking one that just seems out of place in your kitchen or worse a model that couldn’t even get past your front door. If you’re replacing your current unit, you can easily filter out your options by selecting one of very similar design and width as it is often the game-changer. However, if you’re in the midst of building or remodeling your kitchen, you’ll have more designs to work with but size remains a determining factor.
While refrigerators are usually listed in their internal cubic capacity, its external measurements are what you need to assess at this point. Apart from its width, you’ll also have to check for its depth and height. You’d want to make sure that there’s a 1-inch allowance from the top and the back to provide ventilation for its motor and compressor. Since most refrigerators need their doors to be fully open to access all its shelves and drawers, it is wise to leave two inches of extra space from its hinge so your fridge as well as the walls, or cupboards are spared from a beating.
Do evaluate your shopping and cooking habits and don’t forget to account for storage capacity. Thinking about this will also get you closer to deciding which door style is most appropriate for your household. It is good to keep in mind that each adult generally needs four to six cubic feet and more for special occasions. An organized fridge will help you keep tabs on expiration dates and improve your visibility so a model with adjustable shelves and pull-out bins allows you to assign proper places for each type of produce.
Don’t discount color and finish and do watch out for an Energy Star-certified one. Ideally, you’d want your refrigerator to match its surroundings. As with any large appliance, you wouldn’t want it to stand out for the wrong reasons. A stainless steel and finger-print resistant exterior is a popular choice as it blends in with most décor and ticks the right boxes for durability and hassle-free cleaning. Nobody wants to be stuck with a bloated bill so an Energy Star certified model can save you $300 more or less over the next five years as much as you can reduce your carbon footprint.
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