Let’s talk about all the things you need to look for when selecting a refrigerator. Towards the end, I’ll highlight the best refrigerators.
WATCH INSTEAD OF READ?
First - you have to determine what size you need. These are general guidelines, you can adjust based on your cooking and storing style OR general preference for refrigeration style:
For upto 2 people, in general a 200-250L fridge is sufficient
For upto 5 people, a 250-500L fridge is required
And for a large family, a >500L is required (if not two fridges)
Today I’m covering refrigerators in the 2 door categories across the brands - Godrej, Haier, LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Whirlpool, AmazonBasics, MarQ by Flipkart, Lloyd, Motorola and Candy. All the refrigerators in the 2 door category I’m covering are 250-350L size - ideal for families of upto 4 people.
BUY BEST DOUBLE DOOR REFRIGERATOR IN INDIA
SIZE OF DOUBLE DOOR REFRIGERATORS
These refrigerators typically need a size of about 70cm in width and 60cm in depth and upto a 170cm in height. Ofcourse, check the space you have and the size of the specific refrigerator that you select.
PRICING, WARRANTY AND REVIEWS OF DOUBLE DOOR REFRIGERATORS
Let’s cover the pricing, warranty and reviews. All these models are available in the range 24-30K - varied based on the capacity and feature set. Almost all models offer a 1 year warranty on the product with a 10 year warranty on the compressor except for AmazonBasics - which only offers a 5 year warranty on the compressor. Better to select a model with longer compressor warranty - as it can be expensive to replace. In general - I’ve selected the best models in the market for comparison, so all models have a review of over 4/5.
CAPACITY AND UTILIZATION OF DOUBLE DOOR REFRIGERATORS
Now that we have covered that - let’s talk about a few key things that should help you decide. Like I already mentioned, all models are in the range 250-350L - ideal for upto 4 people in the family. But the capacity number listed is really the gross capacity. Some capacity is wasted with the shelving and positioning of the shelving - so net capacity will be lower. In general - upto 10 percent can get wasted and therefore the utilization is upwards of 90% - with Samsung offering the best utilization of 92.5%.
FRIDGE TO FREEZER RATIO OF DOUBLE DOOR REFRIGERATORS
Next is how much space is there between the freezer and fridge. Some people prefer a larger freezer and most people prefer a larger fridge. So even here - I’ve tried to identify the percentage split between the two. So for people who prefer the largest fridge capacity, Godrej is the best with an almost 80:20 split between fridge and freezer. Whirlpool, LG and Haier have the largest freezer split. So based on your preference, you can select the ones with the right ratio.
CONVERTIBLE TECHNOLOGY IN DOUBLE DOOR REFRIGERATORS
These days, some refrigerators offer a convertible technology that allows you to convert your freezer area into the fridge area as well - for people who occasionally prefer more area in the fridge - for example, in summers or you are hosting people. Every vendor has atleast one such model - if this is of interest for you. Many vendors will give 3-in-1, 6-in-1 and so on. These are just preset cooling options that they provide to manage the temperature in your fridge or freezer.
TEMPERATURE CONTROL IN DOUBLE DOOR REFRIGERATORS
Talking about managing temperature - in general temperature control can be digital - which can be controlled from outside/inside of the fridge or temperature control knobs - which can be controlled from inside. Only a few of the Haier, LG and Samsung models have this.
Many times you may see some items kept on the door go bad. In that case, door cooling becomes important. Only the LG models have this option.
INVERTER VS RECIPROCATORY MOTOR OF DOUBLE DOOR REFRIGERATORS
All models compared except for Whirlpool have an inverter motor. Whirlpool has a Reciprocatory compressor - which unlike inverter compressors turn on and off based on the temperature maintained. It is less energy efficient than inverter compressors.
STAR RATING AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF DOUBLE DOOR REFRIGERATORS
All models are 2 or 3 star, the 3 star models have a lower annual power consumption compared to the 2 star models. Power consumption also depends on the capacity, so higher capacity ones will consume more power. Amongst the ones compared, Whirlpool models consumes most power compared to the capacity (also because it is a reciprocatory compressor). There are a number of models highlighted that consume the lowest energy compared to the capacity. Remember - the actual consumption would differ based on your ambient temperature and also the temperature you are setting for the inside of the refrigerator. To make it easier to compare across these models, I’ve identified a metric - energy consumption per Liter. Lower this number, better. Remember - these energy consumption numbers are under test conditions, but since the test conditions are the same across different models - it helps to compare better.
BOTTOM FREEZER OPTIONS IN DOUBLE DOOR REFRIGERATORS
These days you also get bottom freezer options. In the models we have compared, the Haier models offer a bottom freezer. The pros of the bottom freezer is that the most utilized compartment - that is the refrigeration compartment - is easily accessible and at eye level without the need to bend to get anything out of the fridge. The con is that it is said to be less energy efficient compared to top freezer options (but the numbers don’t really showcase that).
BEST DOUBLE DOOR REFRIGERATORS IN INDIA
Now that we understand what we have to look for in a refrigerator, let’s go for the recommendations. Go for a convertible model only if you have a use for it, otherwise they are generally more expensive. My point of view on selection of such appliances is - a fridge is typically used for 10+ years. If you have to pay 2-3K extra to get the features you need, you should consider stretching your budget a little and buy it as it eventually comes down to less than Rs. 200-300 per year.
My first recommendation is the Haier HRB-2964CIS-E model that you see on the screen. With a 276L capacity, a 91% utilization, a 3 star refrigerator with one of the lowest energy consumed per liter, fairly large vegetable box, a bottom freezer which makes it convenient to access the most used items in the fridge, a convertible refrigerator and digital display - at a price of around Rs. 27K, this model scores on all accounts of a double door refrigerator
My next recommendation is the two LG models compared (LG non-convertible double door refrigerator, LG convertible double door refrigerator)- both have almost similar specifications at 260L capacity, approx 91% utilization, 3 star refrigerator, a larger freezer:fridge split - ideal for people who store more in the freezer and door cooling technology - which can be useful if you frequently see things kept in the door go bad. Only LG has the door cooling tech. One of them is a convertible model with a digital display at a higher pricepoint of about 28K and another is a non convertible one with conventional knobs at a lower pricepoint of about 25K.
My next recommendation are the two Samsung models compared (Samsung non-convertible double door refrigerator, Samsung convertible double door refrigerator)- again here like LG, both have an almost similar specification at 253L capacity with one of the highest utilization of over 92%, digital display, a 3 star refrigerator with OK energy consumption per liter and digital display across both models. One of them is convertible at a higher pricepoint of about 29K and the other one is non-convertible at about 24.5K
Comments