Hi,
We are about to replace our 28 year old Kenmore with a new refrigerator. An ice maker is a given. I've looked at similar looking refrigerators that range from $800 to $2500. I would assume the more expensive units are better built but otherwise don't have a clue what I am paying for.
Thanks, Gary
Beer?
I'd avoid anything electronic, or having a circuit board. That may be impossible to do, but I'd at leat try.
Serviceable. Unlikely, but we can dream. I have an old GE monogram double door the has the compressor on a roll out shelf on top. Very serviceable, but it has needed little & it has to be an early '80s model. In its life time with us it has needed a defrost timer, and a pair of defrost sensors.
I don't know much about the high end ones other than they are expensive.
What I'd look for would start with the following.
a good Energy Star rating - your refrigerator will run a long time, and is an appliance that can actually save you noticeable money.
glass shelves throughout
split shelves that will give you a lot of flexibility in spacing.
Big door shelves that can handle 1/2 gal soda bottles, gal milk containers, etc.
An egg tray
Big veg drawers with separate controls.
A bin for butter and cheese.
Some smaller door bins for mustard and other condiments.
A snack drawer that is up front and convenient.
Big freezer - you say you want an ice maker, but that probably won't leave you room to freeze racks of ribs when you find them on sale. I have an occasional wish that I'd gone for the ice maker, but it goes away when I see baby backs on sale for $1.99/lb.
Quiet operation - I don't know how you learn this other than from online reports, etc. Some refrigerators, even very expensive ones, are noisy to the point of intrusion. Most aren't, not even basic boxes, and noise probably varies within a given model. I've heard loud ones, and wouldn't want one in my kitchen.
just my thoughts,
K
We have a space problem so we had to pass on the double doors. Glass shelves are nice. Be sure and test the drawers to see how hard it is to take them out for cleaning. My last two refrigerators have been middle of the line Frigidaire's. I still have the old Frigidaire - the ice maker broke and it was too old to get a new one at a reasonable price - so we moved it to the garage and it is nice to have the extra freezer space. The only thing I don't like about the new one is that it so "deep" - stuff gets lost in the back of it.
I'd look for the thickness of the insulation, per year cost of energy, and as few features as possible. I like ice makers, but not through the door which wastes space. Check Consumers Reports, they have very good articles.
I'm on my way to Steve's house . . . .
-Frank
Make sure it cools food.
You beat me. You could have left just one beer?
On Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:29:43 +0100, against all advice, something compelled "Clot" , to say:
There's more. Look for it in the 'fridge.
Steve Daniels wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
Some leftover pepperoni pizza would be nice too.
Try to get one in Harvest Gold. I have one and I really like it.
Suggest you google your question and read some articles. A good deal part of choosing is how the thing is going to be used and part is what you like. If I had the $$ I would get a french door (has freezer on bottom). Brand is another story.
Good luck.
Lou
We had a Kenmore Eurotech (worked fine - just too small). It was 18 cf and top-freezer, about 15 years old. We wanted a larger fridge and bottom freezer.
We picked up a Maytag 20 cf unit from Sears Outlet store for something like $750 (it was a steal at that price).
This fridge seems to "cluck" about a dozen times every time the compressor comes on.
Our Eurotech was extremely quite - except that half the time the compressor shut down it did so with a loud clunk. It had an exposed rear radiator, but this new maytag must have the radiator under the fridge (nothing exposed on the back) so it needs a fan to move the air and cool the coils. I don't like that - I wish it had exposed coils and no fan (I don't like the additional noise of the fan, even though it's quiet by most standards).
The Maytag has an ice maker, but I don't go through enough ice to deal with installing a line and messing with maintaining it (keeping it clean, etc). It's easier to just throw some water in a tray and shove it into the freezer.
We specifically did not want double doors - you loose a lot of space with a french-door setup, and it just makes it less ergonomic.
I think the most desirable features are:
1) size -> 20 cf better than standard 18 cf.2) Bottom freezer -> better than top freezer (but they will make you pay a premium for bottom freezer)
3) swing freezer door slide-out freezer drawer (personal preference, maybe depends on available space in front of fridge, but they will REALLY make you pay for slide-open door vs swing-open freezer door)4) stainless steel vs painted (or powder-coated?) finish (personal preference I guess)
5) operating noise (hard to judge on a show room floor, very noticable in the dead of night in your kitchen)Amount of insulation or ease of service is next to impossible to judge. Many units from different brands are actually made at the same plant.
An
mm wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
You are cruel :-)
I find that for every 10% higher the price, you get 5% more in value. What you get extra is often not ever seen, such as the compressor system. Some are more efficient and quieter than others, but you won't find specifications of what is actually behind the fancy cabinet. More money tends to buy more features, heavier material, glass shelves instead of wire, and so forth.
I prefer the Whirlpool lines rather than say, the Frigidaire family of brands. You may see two brands under the Whirlpool flag with the same price but with different layouts inside. That is your preference.
Most models are now Energy Star rated and yours should be too. Given the age of your old unit, the electric bill will go down.
Be sure to check your local dealers too if you are looking at the big box stores. The local guy usually belongs to a co-op and can be very competitive in price and will usually offer better service for delivery, removal, setup, etc. If you have a problem, the local guy is going to be of more help than calling some conglomerate.
We ve never liked the SXS types..freezer part is too narrow. We do like the 22 cu ft, bottom "Roll out" freezer made by Amana and sold under their name, Maytag and KitchenAid (and maybe now Whirlpool since they bought Amana). It has an icemaker down there but plenty more freezer room. We have GOOD water here so I made sure I DIDN'T get one REQUIRING a water filter of ANY kind.
You put MUSTARD in the fridge?
You know you can maybe double the available space by NOT refrigerating some things. For example:
Anyway, check the container. Unless is SAYS "Refrigerate after opening" you needn't do so.
Some say it and you still don't need to.
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