Refrigerator Features

Think Pizza & Drink Glasses!

What kind of refrigerator is already in the home you are looking at? 

Or - do you have to buy a new refrigerator?

This appliance is probably the most important one in the entire house!   You touch it several times every day!   It needs to be large enough to hold the quantity of food you need to feed your family for several days & it may need some special features for specific food items you use.

So, you know to look at the cubic feet of the inside & the energy rating, and you'll want the color to match the kitchen and other appliances.   What about the Width, Height & Depth needed? - - yes, depth is extremely important!  Does the space in your kitchen limit your choices?  Measure very carefully!! Link to other Refrigerator comments in Kitchen page!

If you are buying a new refrigerator check to make certain that the door has deep shelves for large milk containers & that the main shelves have rims around the edges to contain and prevent spills from running over and dripping down on to every other shelf and the bottom! 

Also, we found that our side by side could not hold a frozen pizza box horizontal - it was not wide enough.  We had to adjust the shelves, then put them in vertically.  That meant we had to reposition all the toppings when we went to bake the pizza because they fell off to one side!

Have you checked to see where the Ice Maker is or if it has one?  I haven't owned those ice cube trays for years!  Do you use lots of ice for drinks?  The position of the ice maker in the freezer or the door can take up quite a bit of space and eliminate space which might be needed for other types of food you like to keep on hand. 

Check if there is an ice maker, where it is and how much space it takes away from the rest of the freezer space.  In a side by side model, the ice maker is often in the top of the freezer side.  If the ice maker is in the door you will have more room for food in the main freezer section.  Also, does it have a replaceable water filter to improve the quality of the water you drink & the clarity of your ice?

Does the unit have controls on the front for ice, water and cubed ice versus crushed?  If so, are the buttons lighted?  Can you see them in the dark at night or do you have to know the exact location of another button that turns the light off and on? 

Our friends recently bought a new refrigerator with the bottom freezer drawer and double doors on the top.   They liked this setup & had it delivered.  Once it was installed they found they had made several mistakes with their selection!

1. They had not measured the depth needed to match the counter tops - only the height & width.  The new refrigerator stuck out past the edge of the counter top!  Because of the shape of the diagonal kitchen counter angle beside the refrigerator space, it actually blocked one of the drawers from opening!
   
2. The buttons on the front don't light up until you press an on/off button, so you always have to turn on the kitchen lights to see how the buttons are set on the ice and water dispenser.  One button controls which item is dispensed - ice cubed, crushed or water.  The best setup we recommend is a separate button for water dispensing.
   
3. How easy are the button's to press?  This model has touch pad type buttons that are not very responsive to the touch, and you have to look closely to see if it responded to your selection - or you get water instead of the ice you expected!  Often when the kids are not paying attention this causes a mess on the floor to clean up.
   
4. Also, they primarily use tall ice tea glasses and the height of the area to push for ice is too short for the glass!  They have to reach in and press the button while holding the glass at an angle out below the dispenser!

Make certain that you make a list of your important criteria before shopping for a refrigerator,  or consider the limitations that will impact your livability with an existing installed appliance.  Do you need to budget & save for a new one?

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