Refrigerator buying checklist
Open a section, slide each feature to what you want, and print your own fridge wish list at the end.
How the fridge and freezer are arranged. More doors give more room and easier reach, but need more floor space.
Freezer on top, fridge below. The common choice for families.
Usable space in litres. Pick it by household size and how often you shop, since a bigger fridge also uses more power.
Roughly how many people each size suits.
The common family size, usually a double door.
How much of the space is freezer. A bigger one suits frozen meat, snacks and ice cream, a smaller one leaves more fridge room.
A week of frozen peas, parathas and ice cream
A rough idea of what each freezer size holds.
Roughly a quarter of the space. Enough for weekly frozen food.
The bottom drawer for fruit and vegetables. Humidity control holds in moisture, so leafy greens stay crisp for longer.
Vegetables keep for about a week
A rough idea for leafy greens stored well.
A deeper drawer that takes a week of vegetables.
Shelves carry heavy vessels and catch spills. Toughened glass is strong and easy to wipe clean.
Takes heavy pots and keeps spills on one shelf.
A water tap on the door, and sometimes an automatic ice maker. Some need a fixed water pipe, others have a tank you refill.
Nothing extra to clean or fill.
Direct cool fridges build up ice that you defrost by hand. Frost free fridges defrost on their own and cool more evenly.
No ice build-up and more even cooling. Standard on double doors and up.
How cold air reaches each shelf. Vents on every level keep the top and door shelves as cold as the back.
Vents on many shelves, so food cools evenly and quickly.
Lets you switch the freezer, or part of it, to extra fridge space. Handy at festivals, or to save power when the freezer is empty.
Turn the freezer into fridge space when you need more room.
The compressor is the pump that makes the cold. A fixed-speed one switches fully on and off, an inverter one speeds up and slows down as needed.
Lower bills, less noise and better at coping with voltage swings.
BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) stars show how much power the fridge uses. The label also lists units per year, the easiest number to compare.
Moderate units per year
A rough idea. Compare the units per year on each label.
A sensible middle. Ratings get stricter over time, so check the label year.
A fridge runs day and night. A quiet one matters in open kitchens and one-room homes.
A low, steady hum you barely notice.
Voltage in many Indian homes swings. A stabiliser-free fridge works safely across a wide range, so you can skip the extra box.
Works through common dips and spikes. Check the voltage range in the manual.
How well the fridge copes with power cuts. Inverter compressors draw little power, so many can run off a home inverter battery.
Low starting power, so a typical home inverter can run it.
The compressor is the heart of the fridge and its costliest part. Many brands cover it for far longer than the rest.
Common on inverter fridges. Often covers the part, not gas refills or visit charges.
Beeps if the door is left open. Saves food and power, especially with children at home.
A beep after a minute or so of an open door.
Wi-Fi lets you change modes and get alerts on your phone. Nice to have, but cooling and efficiency matter more.
Nothing to set up and nothing extra to go wrong.
Your wish list
FRIDGE WISH LIST
by TechPP Insights
Your next fridge should have these minimum features
Your picks will print here.
Scan to make your own wish list
techpp.app
Choose at least one spec to print your wish list.
Setting up a home? Washing machine checklist or AC checklist
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