Refrigerator capacity
The total capacity of the main working chamber of the refrigerator. If there are separate zero chambers, compartments for wine and other additional functions, this paragraph takes into account only the volume of the refrigerating chamber itself, without additional equipment. In the smallest modern units, this figure
does not even reach 100 liters, in the largest it can exceed
400 liters.
The choice of capacity depends on the actual storage needs of the products. At the same time, both the volume of stocks and the frequency of their replenishment (every day, once a week, etc.) matter. The chamber should not be stocked completely; this adversely affects the quality of the refrigerator. On the other hand, it is worth remembering that large volumes accordingly affect the dimensions and price of the unit.
In general, for one or two people, a capacity of
200 – 250 liters, or even less, is considered quite sufficient. The optimal capacity for a family of three is about
250 – 300 liters, for four to five people —
300 – 350 liters, and larger volumes are really needed mainly for specific situations when food has to be stored in large quantities and for a long time.
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.
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").
Slim shelf
The slim shelf is a low (up to 5 cm) tray, which is the best suited for storing seasonings, rolled puff pastry, ice, butter, meat preparations and other small-sized products. In such a container, you can not place products one on top of the other, so finding the needed frozen food will be much easier.
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.
Freeze capacity
Approximate amount of fresh food that a refrigerator can completely freeze from room temperature to freezer operating temperature in 24 hours. Power up to 10 – 15 kg/day will be quite enough for everyday use, but if you plan to freeze food in large volumes and often — you should pay attention to more
performant freezers.
Energy class
Refrigerator energy class according to the old European standard valid until 2021.
The energy class shows how economical the unit is compared to other models with similar specifications. It is used for devices manufactured before March 1, 2021. Initially, in this standard, classes were designated in Latin letters from A (most economical) to G (high power consumption). However, later improved classes A+, A++, and others appeared. (the more pluses, the more effective is the device). For modern refrigerators, marking A according to the old system is actually the minimum level of energy efficiency specific for outdated and low-cost devices; most models are classified as
A + and
A ++, and most
A+++. There is no need to wait for more pluses. Since 2021, all new equipment will be marked according to the new system, where class G will correspond to the old class A, class F to class A+ and so on.
Note that a higher energy efficiency class (with similar specifications) means a higher price but this difference can quickly pay off due to energy savings.
Energy class (new)
Refrigerator energy class according to the new European standard applicable from 2021.
In general, the energy class shows how economical the unit is compared to other models with similar characteristics. In the old system (current until 2021), the most energy efficient class was designated as A+++. However, the development of technology inevitably leads to the emergence of even more economical devices, for which even more pluses would have to be added. To simplify labelling, it was decided to switch to a new notation system. In this system, all letters were "shifted down":
— the old class A approximately corresponds to the new class G;
— old class A+ — class
F ;
— old class A++ — class
E ;
— old class A+++ — class D.
The new labelling standard will apply to all refrigerators manufactured after March 1, 2021.
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.
