How To Choose an American Fridge

You will find the energy label next to each refrigerator and it serves as a simple overview of key parameters to make your selection easier. You will find information on the energy efficiency of the appliance, supplemented by information on the annual energy consumption, as well as information on the usable volume of the cooling and freezing sections, as well as information on its noise level.

Energy Label

The energy class indicates the grouping of the refrigerator according to its energy consumption. Electricity consumption is derived from the operation of the appliance under ideal conditions, i.e at an ambient temperature of 20 ° C and the interior space being 70% full. Today, American refrigerators are in the A++ or A+ classes. Some more expensive models can be found in the most economical A+++ class.

Illustrative annual energy consumption of American refrigerators by energy class**

* Calculated with the price of CZK 4.80 / kWh
** The energy consumption of the refrigerator is affected by the refrigerator type, the size of the usable volume, the method of insulation and other parameters and additional functions.

Pozn.: The higher energy consumption of American refrigerators is not only due to their larger dimensions. They also usually have a built-in ice maker, which requires a more powerful motor engine and demands more energy.

Choosing an American style refrigerator based on its usable volume comes down to the individuals needs. For one member of the household, around 70 liters of refrigeration space and 25 liters of freezer space are recommended, but your individual lifestyle must also be taken into account, i.e if you stock large amounts of food in your refrigerator and freezer, or buy a lot of vegetables, whether you store fizzy drinks or alcohol in the refrigerator. The layout of the interior space is also important - the number of shelves or the type of drawers used etc.

The volume range of American refrigerators is large, so there is something for everyone. American refrigerators with an internal volume of the cooling compartment of about 230 to 300 liters are among the smaller models. A standard interior volume for American refrigerators is about 300-450 liters. However, you will also find American refrigerators on the market, providing an internal volume (of the cooling section) of up to around 500 liters and more. You will also find built-in wine coolers in such spacious refrigerators.

TIP: For the refrigerator to function properly, it is not suitable to fill it completely or, conversely, leave it half empty. To maintain good cooling properties, it is suitable to fill it by around two thirds.

American refrigerators are similar in height to classic ones. However, their width and depth are significantly larger. Therefore, carefully consider the location of the refrigerator and do not forget you will need to open the door on both sides so make sure the corners of the furniture or walls do not interfere. Also make sure to leave enough space on the sides and back of the refrigerator for free airflow.

The layout of the refrigeration and freezing compartments in American refrigerators is different and again provides several options to choose from to make the refrigerator as convenient as possible for you. There are two-door American refrigerators, which have a freezer and a refrigerator placed vertically next to each other. Then also a four-door refrigerators with a freezer at the bottom or with a drawer in which the freezer is located.

In a smaller number, you will also find a three-door refrigerator of the American type on the market, where the refrigerator consists of two parts and the vertical narrow part represents the freezer.

Each refrigerator, including the American styles, work best at the ambient temperatures specified by its climate class. At unsuitable temperatures, energy consumption can increase significantly and the refrigerator may not cool properly. There are 4 climate classes, but some refrigerators are adapted to operate in multiple classes, i.e in a wider temperature range.

Many people believe that this is the same parameter. However, the opposite is true.

• Freezing capacity

The freezing capacity of the refrigerator (sometimes referred to as the freezing capacity) indicates how many kilograms of food the freezer is able to freeze in 24 hours. The freezing capacity of American refrigerators is at least 12 kg / 24 hours.

• Freezing performance

Freezing performance indicates the temperature at which the freezer can freeze food. The number of stars under the name freezing class most often informs about this parameter.

Accumulation time indicates how long food remains frozen after a power failure. It basically indicates how well the freezer is insulated. The longer this time, the longer the food will last frozen.

Note: In the event of a power failure, open the refrigerator door as little as possible to prevent cold air from escaping.

American refrigerators are usually equipped with two compressors, which ensure separate and independent operation of the freezing and cooling part. This allows you to turn off only the refrigerator or freezer at any time. It can be used for cleaning or also when going on holiday. The division of the refrigerator’s cooling mechanisms has the advantage that the temperatures in the individual sections of the refrigerator are constant, which has a positive effect on maintaining the quality of food.

Noise is an important parameter in American refrigerators that needs to be taken into account. American-style refrigerators are noisier than other types of refrigerators. This is mainly related to their greater performance. Operating noise for various models of American refrigerators ranges from 36 dB to 50 dB, which is similar to the noise level of street.

If you want a quiet refrigerator, we recommend a model with an operating noise up to 40 dB.

TIP: American refrigerators equipped with an inverter compressor tend to be less noisy. In addition, manufacturers often provide a 10-year warranty on this type of compressor.

American-style refrigerators are characterized, among other things, by their chilled water dispenser. There are two systems that allow this:

• American refrigerators without a water connection – are equipped with an integrated water dispenser, i.e a container with a limited amount of water. Water must be added to the integrated container manually.

• American refrigerators with water connection – are connected to the water mains in the household. They are equipped with a water filter that removes unwanted components, including chlorine, from the water.

The ice maker is closely related to the water supply. American refrigerators with an ice maker are equipped with a special device that will automatically produce ice cubes or chips for you. The ice dispenser can be accessed from the outside of the door or inside the freezer compartment. With regard to your use of it, it is necessary to pay attention to how big the ice maker is and how much usable space it will take up in the freezer.

American refrigerators are characterized by a large number of functions and above-standard equipment. Modern functions will help you adjust the refrigerator exactly to your needs, significantly facilitate maintenance, extend the shelf life of food and can affect the consumption of electricity.

• No Frost – a frost-free system that does not require defrosting and at the same time keeps food fresh longer. The No Frost technology creates cold and dry air, which circulates in the refrigerator and is optimally distributed throughout its space. The refrigerator thus maintains a constant temperature and there is no icing on the food or on the walls of the refrigerator. The constant air flow also ensures faster cooling / freezing of food. Low humidity in the refrigerator minimizes the occurrence of bacteria and fungi.

• Zero zone – also called perfectfresh, biofresh, fresh balance or vitafresh depending on the manufacturer, is a special compartment in which you can reduce the temperature to 0 ° C. A temperature around zero minimizes the growth of unwanted bacteria and thus prolongs the freshness of food. Thanks to the zero zone, the food retains its aroma and taste longer and there is no loss of vitamins. In the zero zone, you can choose a humidity of up to 90% that suits the food being stored. For example, relatively high humidity is suitable for vegetables and fruits during storage, but a moisture content of around 50% is required for proper storage of meat.

• Super cooling – also called the Super Cool function, quickly cools newly adderd food and protects already chilled food from warming up. After activating this function, the temperature in the refrigerator drops rapidly to +2 ° C, and when this temperature is reached or after a certain time interval, the function automatically switches itself off.

• Super freezing – ensures fast freezing of newly stored food and at the same time prevents thawing of already frozen food. Thus the vitamins and the original taste of the food is better preserved. You can use this short-term sharp drop in temperature not only when putting new food in the freezer, but also when looking for something in it.

• Ionizer – enriches the air in the refrigerator with a large amount of negatively charged ions and thus minimizes the occurrence of unwanted microorganisms. The ionizer creates a "healthy" microclimate for food and thus prolongs its freshness. At the same time, it effectively neutralizes the odor of aromatic foods.

• Ventilation: the refrigerator's ventilation system prevents warmer air from being kept at the top and cooler air falling to the bottom. Ventilation distributes cold air throughout the interior of the refrigerator and maintains the same temperature everywhere.

• The display, often in combination with touch controls, allows convenient and clear control of the appliance. The display shows important information about the operation of the refrigerator and freezer, as well as function settings.

• Twin Cooling – the double cooling system ensures the flow of air in the cooling and freezing compartments completely separately and ensures optimal humidity and temperature in both parts. In addition, it prevents unwanted mixing of food aromas.

• CrisperBox – a special compartment for fruits and vegetables. The adjustable degree of humidity ensures freshness and the wavy profile of the bottom protects the food from condensed water.

• 6th sense – sensor technology that affects the performance of compressors so that ideal temperature conditions are maintained for food storage. As soon as the sensor measures a temperature increase, it activates the fast cooling mode. This technology extends the freshness and shelf life of food.

• Built-in wine cooler – a convenience of really large refrigerators, in which there is space for a wine cooler, which will provide excellent conditions for storing wine. Depending on the model, they are equipped with, for example, two circuits to ensure the optimum temperature of both white and red wine and or thermal insulation glass with a UV filter to maintain the quality of the wine.

• Minibar – a small space for storing your favorite food or drink, which is accessible without having to open the main door of the refrigerator. As a result, there is no leakage of cold air or unnecessary energy consumption when the main door is opened frequently.

• Holiday mode – can reduce the performance of the refrigerator when you go on holiday or be away from home for a long time. Thanks to this function, the internal temperature is kept at around 12 ° C so that food is not spoiled and at the same time there is no unpleasant odor. You will save energy while on holiday without having to switch off the refrigerator completely.

• Intelligent control – these are so-called smart refrigerators, which can be controlled using a mobile application from virtually anywhere. You can remotely set, for example, the temperature of the refrigerator, control individual functions or perform general diagnostics of the appliance and more. It can come in very handy for example when the fridge door isn’t shut probably and you are notified by a message on your phone. It also can play an alarm to let you know the fridge door hasn’t been closed properly.

The American refrigerator is sometimes also referred to as a free-standing combination refrigerator, Side By Side (it depends on the manufacturer how they label their product). In this case, it is a two-door refrigerator of the American type, where the freezer and refrigerator stand vertically next to each other. These two parts cannot be separated. This type of American refrigerator is the most common.

However, there are also monoclimatic refrigerators, to which manufacturers also supply a free-standing freezer of the same type and design. By placing these two free-standing appliances next to each other, you will assemble a combined refrigerator in the same style of the American Side By Side refrigerator. The advantage of this combination is that you can arrange them separately if necessary.

The main thing about American refrigerators is that they provide a really large usable volume. In general, a volume of 70 liters for the cooling compartment and a volume of about 25 liters for the freezer compartment per person is a good guideline for figuring out what volume of refrigerator you need. Consider in particular whether you replenish food more often, but in smaller quantities, or whether you do larger weekly shopping. In addition to numerical data, we recommend paying attention to the internal arrangement of shelves and drawers with regard to the usual amount of stored vegetables, fruits, meat and drinks. Keep track of the size of the drawers for fruit and vegetables, meat and sausage storage - whether they are sufficient for your purposes. If you like chilled drinks, make sure that there is enough space in the door for them.

TIP: When choosing a refrigerator according to capacity, also allow for a reserve, because the refrigerator should never be completely full. To maintain its proper functionality, it should be two-thirds full. You can learn more about this topic in the article How to take care of the refrigerator, where you will also find recommendations for the correct distribution of food in the refrigerator.

Each refrigerator must be cleaned regularly, as various impurities and microbes could get into food. We recommend cleaning the refrigerator about once a month with a clean cloth and a non-aggressive refrigerator cleaner. They are safe for contact with food, perfectly eliminate dirt and absorb unwanted odors. But natural cleaners, such as water with baking soda, can also help. Vinegar is also suitable, which can also be effective against odors. When cleaning the refrigerator, always remove all the food and proceed from top to bottom when cleaning. Then wipe all shelves and walls of the refrigerator dry..

It is advisable to clean the freezer thoroughly approximately twice a year, and if there is over-icing this must also be removed (icing causes a significant increase in energy consumption and can also lead to damage to the appliance). Set aside a colder day for it. Take out not only the food, but also the shelves and drawers, which should be washed thoroughly, for example in a bathtub. Be careful to wash them in lukewarm water to prevent heat shock and warping of the shelf. Don't forget the seal around the door, which can be a breeding ground for mould. Then dry everything thoroughly with a clean dry cloth and put everything back in place.

Note: You can learn more about how to clean the refrigerator or how to remove the smell from the refrigerator in our article How to take care of the refrigerator.

Yes, some stainless steel models are equipped with a special surface treatment that prevents fingerprints and thus facilitates their maintenance. However, this is not a matter of course i.e such models are quite rare.