Total capacity
The total capacity of the refrigerator is the total capacity of all the main working chambers: refrigerating, freezing, zero, and wine chambers. The set of these chambers, of course, will be different in different models (see more about them above). Here we note that large volumes, on the one hand, simplify the storage of numerous products and, on the other hand, affect the dimensions and price of the unit. It is also worth considering that refrigerators of the same total capacity may differ in the capacity of individual chambers.
LED lighting
Indoor lighting based on built-in light-emitting diodes (LED) has several advantages over more traditional bulbs. Firstly, due to its high efficiency, it gives excellent brightness with low power consumption and also generates almost no heat. Secondly, small
LED lamps can be evenly distributed along the walls of the chamber, providing bright illumination of the entire volume of the refrigerator. The disadvantages of such lighting can only be attributed to a certain difficulty in repair and replacement. However, modern LEDs are quite durable.
Freezer capacity
The capacity of the freezer installed in the refrigerator. Such a chamber is designed to store products at temperatures well below zero (on average -18 °C). Its capacity is related to the total capacity of the refrigerator (and the capacity of the main, refrigerating chamber). However, there is no strict dependence here — models with a similar volume of the refrigerating chamber can be equipped with freezers of different sizes.
When choosing by capacity, it is worth considering how much frozen food you plan to store at a time. Note that it is undesirable to fill the freezer completely — this negatively affects the efficiency of work. However, if this chamber is planned to be used only occasionally, and you do not plan to keep numerous products in it, you can not chase after the capacity: for such cases,
25 – 50 liters, or even
smaller capacities, are enough. In the smallest modern refrigerators, the freezer capacity
does not exceed 10 liters. And vice versa, very roomy freezers come across — for
176 – 200 liters and even
more. Such volumes are typical mainly for side-by-side and French door units (see "Product type"). However, they are also found in models of the classic two-chamber layout.
Autonomy time
The autonomy time provided by the refrigerator when the power is turned off.
Often, this parameter describes the capabilities of the freezer. In such cases, the autonomy time is indicated as the time during which, at an outside temperature of +25 °C, the temperature in the filled freezer does not rise above -9 °C (this level is considered critical for the storage of frozen foods). Accordingly, the actual autonomy time may differ from the claimed one — depending on the ambient temperature, the frequency of opening the refrigerator, etc. However, this parameter describes the quality of thermal insulation quite accurately, and it is possible to evaluate different models and compare them with each other.
Also, autonomy time can be given for models without freezers: in such cases, we are talking about the time during which the temperature in the refrigerator compartment remains at an acceptable level under approximately the same conditions.
Energy consumption per year
The average amount of energy consumed by a refrigerator in a year of operation. Of course, these figures are not absolutely accurate; the actual power consumption may vary depending on the specific operating conditions. However, this parameter makes it possible to evaluate the power consumption of the refrigerator and compare different models with each other. At the same time, it often turns out to be more convenient and visual than the energy consumption class (see above) because in this paragraph we are talking about a specific figure (from which you can also calculate the cost of electricity consumed). For clarity, let's take the following example: a small two-chamber refrigerator with energy class A can consume less energy per year than a large side-by-side unit of class A+++, although formally, in terms of energy consumption classes, the second model will be more economical than the first.