Refrigerator buying guide

It may have been a while since you have been in the market for a refrigerator, whilst their purpose hasn't changed, there is new technology to keep your ingredients fresher for longer.

With more style and configuration options on offer, we want to help make the decision process easy by creating this helpful refrigerator buying guide. Read on to find things to consider before buying a new refrigerator.

1. Refrigerator sizing: Things to consider

When finding the right refrigerator for your household, you need to look at the space your refrigerator will live, such as whether you will have enough space to both fit it and give it the breathing space it requires.

If you are building a new kitchen, choose your appliances first and build the cabinetry around them as they are elements that need the most consideration.

Kitchen layout

When it comes to designing the space for your refrigerator, you need to think about how you’d like to move around the room. It will be important to make sure your kitchen and appliances work with you. Things you need to consider are:

Consider your cabinetry

With your refrigerator, you need to ensure it fits within the cavity you have allocated for it, and it does not need to be a tight squeeze as each refrigerator has its own ventilation or breathing space requirements.

Kitchen triangle or work zones

When planning the layout of your kitchen, you need to think about how you want to work, whether it be collaboratively or individually. You can look to having a kitchen triangle or work zones configuration, and ultimately it comes down to the space you are working.

Work zones have it broken up into five zones: consumables, non-consumables, cleaning, preparation and cooking zones, which is the best layout for working with someone else. If your space is smaller, you should consider a kitchen triangle which your refrigerator, cooking appliances, and sink/dishwasher creating a triangle as if a line is drawn to link them together.

Purpose of your island bench

Whilst the position of your island bench does not have an enormous impact on your refrigerator purchasing decision, it is still something to consider when moving platters and other ingredients in and out of your refrigerator.

How to choose refrigerator size

When choosing a refrigerator size or capacity, you will firstly need to think about what fits in your cavity space, however equally important to this is the consideration of your lifestyle and household size.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle considerations may be things such as whether you need a large freezer space, high energy efficiency a particular configuration such as freezer on top or bottom.

Household size

Whether you are living in a family home or with housemates, the amount in your household will affect what is ultimately the best refrigerator capacity for you. If you are on the fence about whether to go bigger or smaller, we advise you to go a little bit larger than you think as you may, at different times of the year, run out of space.

Does it fit in your hallways and doorways?

Another thing to consider before buying a refrigerator is how much space you need to safely deliver your refrigerator into its new home, so be sure to measure the clearance before you buy.

What way does it need to open?

Whilst selected refrigerators can have their doors reversed; it is essential to consider what way you need to have your refrigerator door open, which could be limited by cabinetry and walls.

2. Types of refrigerators

French door refrigerator

French door refrigerators are the large capacity refrigerator freezer appliance perfect for any home. They come with plenty of storage and style options such as adjustable storage, as well as ice & water dispensers.

You can configure these into three sections - two refrigeration sections and one large freezer or two refrigeration sections and two freezer sections. Some models include a middle drawer which can be converted from refrigerator to freezer.

Ideal for:

• Large family
• Large kitchens
• Entertainer

Here are some things to consider when buying a French door refrigerator:

Capacity

500 - 700L

Fresh tasting ingredients for longer

TasteLockAuto maintains a humid environment to keep fruit and vegetables fresh with flavour for up to 7 days. A membrane automatically releases excess moisture to reduce condensation and stop your produce from spoiling early.

>>> Read more: How to keep green leafy vegetables fresh in fridge

Dark stainless 

You want your kitchen to survive the ever-changing trends by choosing timeless design elements and classic materials that will look good today and in a decade. You can incorporate dark stainless steel appliances into your plans, taking your kitchen in a fresh new direction.

Keeping your refrigerator clean of fingerprints

Whether there are little fingerprints in your household or just adult ones, we know fingerprints on your refrigerator are a problem in every family. We have made selected refrigerators with fingerprint-resistant stainless steel, maintaining a picture-perfect look for your refrigerator at all times.

Fresh. Crisp. Nutritious

The 800 UltraFresh+ feature keeps vegetables at their most nutritious. The sealed drawer has a humidity membrane which offers automatic condensation adjustment. Not to mention, vegetables are kept 40% more vibrant than similar drawers thanks to the antioxidation filter.

Controls with a stylish touch

Precise touch controls allow quick temperature adjustment. LCD display offers easy and straightforward control.

Below are Electrolux’s recommendation for buying a French door refrigerator:

Side by side refrigerator

Providing easy access to your refrigerator & freezer, you will have the right balance between the two spaces without taking up a large footprint. Coming with features found in larger and smaller capacity refrigerators, you can easily organise your space.

Ideal for:

• Families
• Medium household

Here are some factors to consider when buying a side-by-side refrigerator:

Capacity

500 - 620L

Know your temperature

With temperature sensors and internal temperature display, you can see clearly what temperature your refrigerator and freezer are at with the touch of a button.

You won't leave the door open

With a door sensor and door alarm you are notified when you leave your refrigerator door open, helping you to have your refrigerator working at its best.

Frost free

With a built-in frost-free system, gone are the days of needing to schedule in the freezer defrost.

Chilled drinks and ice always ready to be served

Side by side refrigerator coming with dispenser for ice and chilled can produce up to 120 ice cubes in 24 hours so you can always keep your guests refreshed.

LED lighting

Our refrigerators have LED lighting helping you see every cm of your refrigerator, ensuring no ingredients or food goes to waste.

In addition to the features above, side by side refrigerators also come with options such as fingerprint-resistant stainless steel and FlexStor for flexible storage.

Single door refrigerator

Giving you more space for your family, a single door or vertical refrigerator can be a secondary refrigerator to take on your grocery overflow or can be paired with a upright or vertical freezers to create extra-large grocery storage.

Ideal for:

• Large family
• Secondary refrigerator

Here are some factors to consider when buying a single door fridge:

Capacity

310 - 518L

Flexible organization solutions

Organise the refrigerator your way with adjustable door bins and shelves and removable basket.

Titanium door finish

New, modern color can perfectly fit in any kitchen design.

Extra large capacity

XL capacity refrigerator offers ample storage space.

Below are Electrolux’s recommendations for buying a single door refrigerator:

Bottom freezer refrigerators

Perfect for a first refrigerator coming in a range of capacities, a bottom freezer refrigerator is perfect for a small family or apartment living where your space is limited. Coming with quite a few features seen in large capacity refrigerators, this layout is perfect for someone who wants easy access to their refrigerator over their freezer.

Ideal for:

• Small family
• Apartment living
• Share house

Here are some factors to consider when buying a bottom freezer refrigerator:

Capacity

300 - 520L

Fresh taste and texture for longer

TwinTech® FrostFree technology ensures an optimal humidity level throughout your refrigerator. Food stays fresh for much longer thanks to the independent air-cooling systems and the frost-free freezer.

Low-energy cold storage

The bottom freezer refrigerator can be high performing at energy efficient at the same time if it comes with A++ evergy efficiency rating.

At-a-glance overview of everything inside

Too crowded inside making it difficult for you to find what you need? Say no more if your freezer refrigerator comes with SpacePlus freezer drawer which allows an at-a-glance overview of everything inside.

Professional look at all times

Choose refrigerators with stainless steel and anti-fingerprint finish to maintain a professional and timeless look for your kitchen.

Besides the above features, top freezer refrigerators also come equipped with other highlight functions such as:

• FlexStor for flexible storage
• Quick chill function
• Frost free
• LED lighting

Below are Electrolux’s recommendations for buying a bottom freezer refrigerator:

Top freezer refrigerator

A top freezer fridge is a more traditional layout of single door refrigerator with the freezer placed at the top for eye level access for your frozen ingredients or treats. This style of refrigerator would be suitable for a small family or apartment living where you access your freezer quite regularly.

Ideal for:

• Small family
• Apartment living
• Share house

Here are some factors to consider when buying a yop freezer refrigerator:

Capacity

250 - 500L

Excellent energy efficiency

By keeping the temperature in your refrigerator consistent, the NutriFresh inverter compressor helps to save energy efficiently, while still keeping food and drinks fresh.

Hygienic, convenient storage

The stainless steel tray is easy and simple to remove and wipe clean. It also ensures a hygienic and fresh condition for your meat and seafood.

Chilled in prime condition

The attached ChillRoom compartment offers a perfect place to store meat, cheese and deli snacks.

Keep your food tasty for longer

EvenTemp feature keeps your food fresh for longer by diminishing temperature fluctuations. By chilling each shelf individually, a stable temperature is maintained throughout the entire compartment, preserving taste and texture for longer.

Other features also offered for top freezer refrigerators include:

• Frost free
• LED lighting
• Door sensor and door alarm
• Twist and serve ice maker
• TasteSeal keeps fish for 7 days without freezing.

Below are Electrolux’s recommendations for buying a top freezer refrigerator:

3. Refrigerator design & other considerations

In addition to the abovementioned tips for buying a new refrigerator regarding capacity and type, there are also other factors to take into consideration as follows:

White, natural or dark stainless steel

We all know the expense that goes into renovating a kitchen and want it to last as long as possible, you can do this by using classic materials and having some elements elating to current trends as you don't want to be renovating every time the trend has made its way out.

Your appliance finish choice could be away to take your kitchen in a fresh new direction without taking too much risk. There are three options in appliance finishes with traditional white or a more modern update with natural or dark stainless steel.

Contrast or complement your cabinetry

When choosing a new refrigerator, it is important especially when you are fitting it into an existing kitchen, what finish would work with your cabinetry. If you have light colours such as bright whites or cream, you can use dark stainless steel as a contrast, adding a statement in a light kitchen or you could use it to complement a dark or stained wood kitchen.

Coordinate your accessories

When planning your kitchen design and thinking about styling elements such as lighting fixtures, splashback colours or artwork, it is important to consider what complements different elements of your kitchen. These can include cabinet colour or style, what finish you have chosen for your appliances and more.

Choose from one brand

One thing to note when upgrading your kitchen is, just as there are 52 shades of white, same goes for appliance finishes. For the best results, buy your appliances from one brand to make sure everything is seamless.

Does your refrigerator need to be plumbed?

When looking at refrigerators that come with an ice and water dispenser, you will need to consider the need for it to be plumbed, which could add to the cost of installation where models without are plug and play. 

4. Refrigerator customer support

We have a Customer Care team available to assist you over the phone seven days a week, and a national network of experienced technicians and selected service agents. Offering a fixed price guarantee with no additional hidden labour costs, giving you peace of mind that your appliance is in good hands. Click here to contact customer care.