Some of our favorite refrigerators of late have drawers that can be set for different temperatures, air filters to keep produce fresher, alarms that trigger if you leave the door open, and even WiFi for remote monitoring.
Loads of styles
Depending on your budget and the look you want, you can choose from many different refrigerator styles.
Top-freezer refrigerators
These remain a good choice for many kitchens. Their no-frills style is actually more efficient than other types, and they’ll probably always be available. If you buy one in a stainless finish, it will suit a contemporary kitchen.
Bottom-freezer refrigerators
Fridges with bottom freezers are also relatively efficient. They put more of your chilled food where it’s easy to see and grab. Instead of requiring you to bend to reach produce, like a top-freezer model does, the crisper drawers are at waist-level.
Side-by-side refrigerators
This style is useful for those who can’t or don’t want to bend as often to reach the frozen food, and it needs less space for doors to swing open than top- or bottom-freezer models. The issue with many side-by-sides is that the freezer compartment is often too narrow to fit a sheet pan or a large frozen pizza. While this can be a problem for some, the convenience of side-by-side models is often appreciated, so much so that it has morphed into the French-door fridge.
French-door refrigerators
A refrigerator with French doors is a must for an elegant modern kitchen. This style rocks two upper doors and a bottom freezer, so refrigerated food is at eye level. Some of the models we’ve seen lately have four or more doors, and many sport a pantry drawer you can access from the outside. You’ll also find a number of counter-depth French doors—they stand flush with your cabinetry.
Column refrigerators
Columns represent the ultimate in refrigerator personalization. Column fridges let you choose separate units for chilled food and frozen food. Columns provide flexibility, letting homeowners select columns of any width. Most columns are built-ins, concealed behind panels to create refrigerator walls. Some specialty columns cater to serious oenophiles, monitoring temperature, humidity, and vibration to keep wine at its best.
Striking finishes
What color fridge will work best for your kitchen? Whether you want one of the newer white finishes, a variation on stainless (regular stainless, dramatic black stainless, or warm Tuscan stainless) or a standout color (so many choices!), if you choose an outstanding finish, your kitchen can look different from everyone else’s.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel appliances have been ubiquitous in kitchen design for the past two decades—and they will be with us for a long time to come. A shining stainless refrigerator looks sleek and gives the kitchen a professional look, especially if it has a smudge-proof finish. If it doesn’t, you may be polishing your fridge every day.
White
White refrigerators will never go out of style, and the newest ones can have a distinctive look in a matte or glossy finish. But if you really want a standout, a beautiful focal point for your kitchen, you can customize your plain white refrigerator with exceptional hardware.
Black stainless steel
Probably the most popular alternative finish, black stainless steel can blend into an otherwise all-stainless kitchen. Black stainless resists smudges and fingerprints, which sets it apart from a lot of stainless steel. It’s not perfect, though. Since most brands create black stainless steel by applying an oxide coating to regular stainless, it can scratch easily. We’ve discovered that Bosch bakes the black onto stainless, making the company’s black stainless steel more scratch-resistant than some.
Bright colors
Bright colors can lend retro style to refrigerators and can bring joy to a kitchen. We love the look, but many of the companies that build them are more into the design than the cooling quality. Do your research before investing, and bear in mind that even if the fridge works well, the color that you shelled out for may embarrass you if it goes out of style in a couple of years.
Post time: Jul-23-2024