Features
Various special features provided in the refrigerator, such as
holiday mode,
control via smartphone,
child lock, (
LED display or
TFT display),
door alarm reversible door. And now in more detail:
— Holiday mode. A special mode of operation in case of a long absence of users — when there is no foodstuff in the refrigerating chamber and there is no need for the unit to work intensively. In holiday mode, the temperature inside is maintained at about 12 °C; this prevents the growth of mould and unpleasant odours, while the energy consumption is very low.
— Control via smartphone. The ability of access to control the refrigerator via the Internet. The refrigerator, usually, is connected to the World Wide Web using Wi-Fi — via a router or a smart home system. The convenience of this function is obvious: it allows you to control the operation of the unit from anywhere in the world where there is an Internet connection. However, the specific implementation of such control may be different: some models of refrigerators use an application installed on a smartphone or tablet, and others allow you to work through a web page available in any browser. However, the user can thus obtain various data on the unit's operating mode (temperatur
...e and humidity in the chambers, the use of special functions, malfunctions and emergencies, etc.) and, if necessary, change its settings.
— Child lock. Various features to keep your refrigerator safe from small children. Often, it means blocking the control panel — so that a curious baby cannot change the settings.
— Display. Refrigerators of any level can be equipped with displays — from the simplest to the most advanced. Anyway, the screen provides additional convenience in operation: it can display various detailed information about the operation of the unit, as well as other useful data (for example, time). But the specific type of display may be different.
— LED display. Usually, they are very simple — they display one colour (maximum two or three basic colours) and a limited set of characters (numbers, individual letters and some special icons). However, such limited functionality is enough even for fairly advanced refrigerators, and LED displays are inexpensive.
— TFT display. These are already the most functional screens — like those used in smartphones, tablets, etc. They are capable to display a huge variety of information and can even be made touch-sensitive. And some units with TFT displays are not just refrigerators at all but multifunctional smart home components. However, such an appliance costs accordingly.
— Door alarm. An alarm system that warns that the refrigerator door is open for a long time (or not closed tightly enough). After some time after opening, such a system gives a signal (usually sound), notifying the user of the need to check the status of the door. It avoids a critical increase in temperature in the refrigerator chamber and damage to the contents. In some models, this system is also complemented by a light indicator that confirms the correct closing of the door — this further reduces the risk of leaving the refrigerator loosely closed.
— Reversible door. The ability to choose from which side the hinges on the refrigerator door will be located and, accordingly, in which direction it will open. It allows you to optimize the space in the kitchen, providing access to the contents of the unit from the most convenient side. Please note that this function is only available for classic design models, including display refrigerators (see “Product type”). In Side-by-Side and French Door refrigerators it makes no sense to provide this feature.Number of shelves
The number of shelves supplied with the refrigerator. In this case, only shelves placed inside the main (refrigeration) chamber are taken into account. And closed drawers, which are usually at the bottom, are not considered shelves.
In general, this amount depends on the volume: the more spacious the refrigeration compartment, the more shelves are usually provided in the kit. At the same time, there is no strict dependence here, and refrigerators of similar capacity can be equipped with a different number of shelves. As for specific options, the most modest models come with 1 – 2 shelves,
3 shelves and
4 shelves can be called an average, and
more are found in some units.
In most modern refrigerators the shelves are removable. In addition, they can be installed at different levels. In this case, it is not necessary to use the entire set: for example, if it is planned to place tall objects inside, one of the shelves can be removed, creating a vast space. And vice versa: if necessary, you can, usually, buy additional shelves. So the number of shelves in the kit only allows you to evaluate the overall possibilities for organizing space in the refrigerator. How to use these features depends on the user.
Freezer drawers
The number of drawers into which the refrigerator freezer is divided. For top-mounted freezers (see “Freezer”), this paragraph may indicate the number of levels, taking into account the shelves the fridge is equipped (drawers are not used in such chambers).
On the one hand, the abundance of drawers makes it easy to distribute different types of foods in different compartments. On the other hand, more drawers (for the same total freezer capacity) mean less height and capacity for each drawer. So when choosing, you should consider what is more important for you — extensive possibilities for sorting content or the capacity of individual drawers. As for the specific quantity, most modern refrigerators have
3-drawer freezers — this number is generally considered the best compromise between the nuances described above.
A larger number of drawers is found mainly in high-capacity units, but
1 – 2 freezer drawers can be found in all types of refrigerators — from small classic to large French Door and Side-by-Side (see "Product type").
Freezer temperature
The operating temperature of the refrigerator freezer.
The generally accepted standard for freezers is actually -18°C. It allows you to effectively store pre-frozen foods, as well as freeze them (with certain precautions). At the same time, for most modern refrigerators, lower temperatures are claimed — at
-24 °C, and in some models even lower. However, such indicators are not always standard — in many units, they are achieved only in the fast freeze mode (see "Features"). This should be clarified separately. However, the temperature of the freezer below -18 °C means good freezing features.
In turn, chambers with more modest minimum temperatures — -12 °C, or even -6 °C — are only suitable for storing pre-frozen products; they are not suitable for freezing any significant amount of contents. However, there are very few refrigerators with such indicators on the market — mostly low-cost or outdated models.
To indicate the temperature of the freezer, markings in the form of asterisks (snowflakes) are often used, each of which means a decrease in temperature by 6 °C. For example, in models at -24 °C, you can find the designation * (***) — four asterisks, one of which is highlighted. This usually means that in the standard mode the freezer operates at -18 °C (three stars), and at another 6 °C (down to -24 °C) the temperature drops during fast freezing.
Noise level
The average noise level generated by the refrigerator during operation.
The
quietest models of refrigerators are noisy at a level of about 30 dB — this volume is comparable to the whispering or ticking of a wall clock and does not exceed the sanitary standards for residential premises at night. In other words, such a unit will not interfere with sleep, even if it is placed right in the bedroom. At the same time, the standard place for a refrigerator is still a kitchen, and with such an installation it is isolated from other living quarters. Therefore, the noise of 40 – 42 dB, corresponding to a quiet conversation, is considered quite acceptable for ordinary household refrigerators. And with good sound insulation, a volume of up to 50 dB is allowed — this is the level of conversation at an average volume.
Higher values are rare among refrigerators and are mainly found in display refrigerators(see "Product type") installed in shops where noise levels are not as much important.
Country of origin
The country in which this refrigerator model is manufactured (according to the manufacturer).
There are many stereotypes associated with the relationship between the origin and the quality of household appliances. Thus, the location of production in Europe (
Germany,
Lithuania,
Poland,
Romania,
Serbia,
Turkey, etc.) is considered more prestigious than in Asian countries (
China,
Thailand) or CIS countries (
Belarus,
Russia, Uzbekistan, etc.). And different European countries have a different reputation among buyers in this regard. However, these stereotypes should be treated with considerable distrust: the actual quality of products depends not so much on the geography of production, but on the quality of the organization of processes by a particular manufacturer. As a result, equipment of a similar level, produced by different brands in the same country, may differ markedly in actual quality.
It is worth to say that the same refrigerator model can be produced in several countries at the same time. And units of the same model, produced at different times at different plants, may be on the market at the same time. As a re
...sult, it happens that one country of production is indicated in the general characteristics of the model and another in the documentation for the unit purchased. It is quite a normal situation. However, if the country of production is still important for you, you should clarify this point in advance before buying.