Small Kitchen: How to Choose the Best Fridge

Refrigerators are a major appliance, so before getting one you might be wondering about the best refrigerators that might fit inside a small apartment or dorm room. You’ll want to get a compact model that won’t just keep your foods fresh, but one that will also fit inside the limited space you might have at home. In this article, we share everything you need to know about choosing the best fridge for a small kitchen. 

Choosing a Fridge for a Small Kitchen 

Before spending your hard-earned money, make sure to do a bit of research on the right fridge for your kitchen. 

Measuring for the Right Fit

When you’re working with small spaces, this is one of the most important factors to consider and to make sure that you stay on the right track, you will need to take measurements. First, measure the width of the area where you want to place your new refrigerator; because the width can vary from one point to another, be sure to measure around different places. It’s also important to consider the depth, width, and height of the fridge you choose to make sure that it will be the perfect fit.     

Depending on where it’s placed, leaving enough space between the hinge side of the fridge door and the wall is crucial to limit problems when opening it. 

Has Proper Ventilation

Always provide extra space all around the unit to allow for proper airflow; ideally, you’ll leave a minimum of ¼ inch of space on both sides of the fridge, 2 inches at the back, and an inch above. This should be enough room for electrical and water connections, but if you plan to install your fridge along a wall, it’s best to leave a minimum clearance of 3.75 inches. It’s also good to remember that you’ll need to account for the room needed when opening doors — models with ice and water dispensers will need more space to accommodate the supply line.  

Enough Refrigerator Clearance

Once you know your fridge will comfortably fit within the existing space in your kitchen, the next step is to ensure you have enough clearance to get your fridge safely inside your home. Use the shortest route possible where there aren’t many turns and obstacles — your fridge should fit through the front door during the delivery. It will also help to think about maneuvering up and down the stairs, going through narrow doorways, and turning tight corners along the way. 

How Much Food It Fits

Another big consideration to keep in mind is your food-buying habits; if you purchase more fresh food items, then be sure to get an option with lots of storage space and can provide easy access to your food. However, if you purchase more frozen products, you will need a fridge with more freezer space that can be easily reached. Moreover, if you don’t cook too often, there’s no need for such a big fridge so a mini fridge or a small refrigerator with a freezer should be enough. 

What to Look for in a Fridge

There are a few factors to consider when choosing the best refrigerator for your kitchen; be sure to think about what you need, and what your preferences are. It’s also important to look for the following features. 

• Capacity: You will need to know the right refrigerator size for your needs. For example, if you have a large family, you’ll need one that will hold a lot of food, drinks, and storage. 
• Type: Fridges come in a wide range of door configurations and designs so think about the best kind of fridge for your food storage needs. Some kinds will hold large amounts of food while others can help to give easy access to items. 
• Energy Efficiency: These models are designed to help save energy consumption and significantly lower your energy bills every month. As such, you can save a good amount of money after a year — look for ENERGY STAR-certified refrigerators.   
• Air Filtration System: Refrigerators with this feature come with a built-in carbon filter to keep your unit fresh. 
• Smart Refrigerators: These great models have plenty of features and conveniences to offer, which include shopping lists, climate controls, integration and memos, and home automation systems. 
• Door-Within-Door: This comes with a panel on the door that opens to more built-in storage. As such, it can save you energy since you don’t need to open the whole door to get access to specific items.  
• Dual Ice Makers: These are used to create ice for bigger families and large gatherings; it’s usually collected inside the pull-out freezer drawer. 
• Dual-Cooling Systems: Having this will allow your freezer to circulate cool air separately from the fridge to keep every compartment within the right temperature. It will also maintain the right humidity levels to keep your ice from tasting like leftovers.
• Ice and Water Dispenser: Both water and filtered ice are common features found in French and side-by-side door models, but there are different configurations that you can look into. 
• In-Door Ice Storage: When you’re in a hurry for some ice and want to save on freezer space, this can help by moving the ice bin from your freezer to the door. There are some models where the ice bucket can tilt out or be removed entirely for bulk dispensing. 
• Programmable Control Pad: With this, you can set the temperature, check filter conditions, lock your ice and water dispensers, and preset the amount of water for dispensing at the push of a button. 
• Fingerprint-Resistant Refrigerators: These come with a special finish to make these models easier to clean. 

Organizational Features

Organizational aids and smart compartments can make it much easier to keep your food neatly displayed and fresh. Look for these additional features:

• Gallon-Size Door Bins: These allow you to efficiently store juice, milk, bottles of soda, and more, making it easier to take items without them taking up space on the shelf. 
• Adjustable Glass Shelves: Refer to shelves that slide in and out of the refrigerator cavity. These also have shelves that can flip vertically using hinges by the outside edges of your shelves to create a customized space. 
• Humidity-Control Drawers: These are used to display fruits and vegetables while keeping them fresh through customized settings for humidity.  
• Pantry Drawers: A refrigerator-width pantry drawer can help you create a separate temperature zone for snacks and party trays. 

Types of Refrigerators

There are also different types of refrigerators you can choose from, each with its own distinctive style and advantages. 

Standard Depth Refrigerators 

These will vary by style, model, and manufacturer, but they will generally measure between 30 to 34 inches in width and up to 70 inches in height. They’re also deeper and bulkier compared to counter-depth refrigerators, which means that they come with a bigger storage capacity. Getting a 36-inch model will extend out past your cabinetry or counter by around 6 inches, so you may want to stick with 30-inch-wide refrigerators. 

Also known as traditional refrigerators, these are among the most common models in the market and offer simple installation that won’t involve more than plugging them in. 

Built-in Refrigerators

A built-in refrigerator is built directly with your existing cabinets and kitchen space to give it a more customized look. While they won’t offer the same depth as freestanding units, they can stand over 80 inches tall and can reach 48 inches wide. Some will come with door panels to help them create a seamless look in your kitchen but will need special installation. 

Counter Depth Refrigerators

This offers an economical option that provides a flush fit that you won’t get from freestanding models and will often need professional installation. Measuring around 23 to 27 inches deep, these refrigerators are more aesthetically pleasing and will give a more finished look to your kitchen since they blend right into the counter space. 

Mini Fridges 

These are best suited for offices, dorms, garages, and other places where space is limited. Mini fridges can be as small as 1.7 cubic feet, but can also get larger with a 5.6 cubic feet capacity.  

Other kinds of fridges include:

• Compact refrigerators
• Drawer refrigerators
• Commercial refrigerators
• Freezerless refrigerators 

Styles of Refrigerator Doors

Different kinds of refrigerator doors provide different features which are listed below. 

French-Door Style Refrigerator

French-door models have two doors which open to the full-width compartment for fresh food; at the same time, a drawer can be pulled out to a freezer that’s also full-width. A French-door fridge can be a great addition in kitchens with tight spaces and can keep all the fresh food closeby. The most common options are ones with 4-door configurations that typically feature a refrigerated drawer — the 5-door options come with 2 additional compartments. 

Side-by-Side Refrigerator 

Running from the top to the bottom of these units are similar-sized fridge and freezer compartments and are the best options for kitchens with limited space. This is because their narrow doors won’t need as much space to move around as full-width doors. The best options will offer features such as spacious interiors, quiet operation, and flexible shelving. 

Top Freezer and Bottom Freezer Fridges

These come with wide shelves both in the freezer and fresh-food compartments. Because they’re so wide, they will need plenty of space, but most options will come with reversible doors to fit a wide range of kitchen designs. Top-freezer fridges come with a traditional design while bottom-freezer fridges keep the main compartments up to your eye level. 

Moreover, bottom-freezer units will feature a pull-out freezer drawer; these tend to come with a smaller capacity than refrigerators with side-by-side doors or French door fridges. 

Best Refrigerator Brands to Consider

Here are some of the most popular brands to consider if you plan on purchasing a new fridge. 

• Samsung Refrigerators
• Whirlpool Refrigerators
• Frigidaire Refrigerators
• LG Refrigerators
• Bosch Refrigerators
• GE Refrigerators
• Maytag Refrigerators
• KitchenAid Refrigerators

Conclusion 

Whether you’re looking for big or small fridges, you’ll want to get the best buy for your money and come home with the right refrigerator. You should also consider getting an option with a sleek design, preferably with stainless steel construction to ensure durability, and plenty of such as freezer drawers. Luckily, we’ve already done the research for you, so you won’t have to keep guessing what to look for, which brands are best, and what kind of refrigerator will be the best option for your kitchen.

Sources 

• lowes.com
• homedepot.com
• appliancesolutionstulsa.com