A refrigerator is among the most important appliances every home should have. The work of these appliances is to keep your foods fresh for a long time. However, choosing the best refrigerator requires a lot of research if you want to get the best value for your money.
Before you decide on which one you should buy, you should know that there are two types of refrigerators which are direct cool and frost free refrigerators. Choosing either of the two can be very tricky especially if you don’t understand their differences.
To make your work easier, we have explained how each one of them works and how the two differs. This will make your work easier when making a choice on which one to buy.
Frost Free Refrigerators
What sets these refrigerators apart from the direct cool freezers is that they do not use ice or frost. Instead, they use electric fans which provides even circulation of air within the freezer. The cooling coil in these appliances is normally hidden and the electric fans help to supply cold air into the compartments. This cooling technology is referred to as convention or indirect cooling. Since they do not have ice, it means that they are very easy to maintain since you do not need to clean them frequently.
What are the benefits of frost-free refrigerators?
- The major benefit of these freezers is that they keep your food fresh for longer periods as compared to the direct cool refrigerators. This means they are the most effective.
- They are also spacious enough for medium to large families since they have a capacity of between 50-650 liters.
- Another benefit is that they come with a thermostat which helps to monitor their temperatures.
- They are very easy to maintain since they use electric fans for cooling. This means that you do not need to clean them.
Disadvantage of frost-free refrigerators
- As compared to the direct cool freezers, frost-free refrigerators are more expensive.
- They also consume a lot of electricity.
Best Selling Frost-Free Refrigerators
Direct Cool Refrigerators
Unlike the front-free refrigerators which uses electric fans, these ones circulate air naturally without external help. This means that you cannot control the temperature distribution. As a result, there is a collection of fronts around the freezer box, and this means that you will need to defrost this ice by pressing a button.
What are the benefits of direct cool refrigerators?
- They are very effective in keeping your food fresh
- They are suitable for small families of 1 to 2 members.
- In terms of maintenance, they are economical to maintain since they do not consume a lot of power.
- Unlike the frost-free refrigerators, the exterior parts of direct cool freezers are not exposed to heat which might cause damages.
- These refrigerators are also cheaper than the frost-free refrigerators which makes them ideal for those on a tight budget.
Disadvantages of direct cool refrigerators?
- The major disadvantage of these refrigerators is that they require frequent manual defrosting to clean them.
- They are also not spacious enough for large families.
Best Selling Direct Cool Refrigerators
What are the differences?
- Effectiveness– The work of a refrigerator is to keep your food fresh. In this regard, a frost-free freezer is the best if you are searching for a refrigerator that can keep your food for a long time. Direct cool refrigerators only keeps the food cool for a short time.
- Maintenance– If you are searching for a refrigerator that is easy to maintain, you should look for a frost-free refrigerator. A direct cool freezer requires frequent cleaning depending on how you use it. Manual defrosting and the frost formation, causes droplets to form on the inner part. This means that you need to clean them to prevent the interior color from fading which may also lead to contamination of food.
- Design– Frost free refrigerators come with separate compartments where you can store different items. Some of them are also designed in a way that allows you to change the temperatures for specific compartments. They also have a large vegetable compartment plus side door panels to maximize storage. On the other hand, direct cool refrigerators have a limited space.
- Settings-The frost-free refrigerators comes with extra settings which you cannot find in the direct cool freezers. They also have an easy to use control panel. They also allow you to set a timer for various functions.
- Price– In terms of price, direct cool refrigerators are cheaper than the frost-free models. They are also cheaper to maintain since they do not consume a lot of power.
- Heating problems- With direct cool refrigerators, there are not heating problems on the external parts. However, frost-free freezers use a heating system which prevents formation of ice. They also have external fans and motors which heats up. This is very dangerous because too much heat can damage the other parts. As a result, the performance of the refrigerator will be affected.
- Power consumption– As compared to the direct cool refrigerators, the frost-free versions consumes more power since they have a heating system and an external fan which works all the time.
- Durability– Most people prefer direct cool refrigerators due to their cheap price. However, they are becoming obsolete which means than in future, changing the internal parts may not be possible because most of the parts may not be easy to find. If you have been planning to purchase a new refrigerator, you should consider a frost-free model. Even if they are a bit expensive, they will give you the best value for your money.
- Capacity– If you have a small family let’s say of three, a direct cool freezer will be the most suitable. These refrigerators have a capacity of 50-250 liters. On the other hand, frost-free freezers are more spacious and are suitable for small to large families. Most of them can accommodate from 50- 650 liters.
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Other Types of Refrigerators
Refrigerators are also available in three types which include; the single door refrigerator, side by side refrigerator and double door refrigerator.
- Single door refrigerator– These ones have one door at the front and they also have a freezer, a vegetable bin and a fridge. They are entry-level refrigerators, and they are the best for anyone searching for an affordable frost-free refrigerator. You will also find that they have a compact design which makes them suitable for small offices or rooms with a limited storage space. Most of them have a capacity of between 30-300liters depending on the model.
- Double Door Refrigerators– These ones have two doors and are bigger in size. They have a storage capacity of 200-600 liters. One of the doors covers the freezer chamber while the other one covers the fridge compartment. The 2 doors minimizes chances of heat escape eve when you open the fridge frequently.
- Side by side Refrigerators– Just like a cupboard, there refrigerators features 2 doors one on each side. They have a large capacity and they can accommodate up to 810 liters or more. The cupboard like design creates a lot of storage space and the 2 doors also help to save the amount of energy it consumes.
Final Words
If you have been wondering whether to choose a direct cool refrigerator or a frost-free refrigerator, we hope that you are now conversant on how the two differs. In terms of quality and reliability, frost-free refrigerators are the best. They are also more spacious than the direct cool refrigerators. As a result, they are more expensive since they also come with extra features.
On the other hand, direct cool refrigerators are the best for small families due to their compact design. They are also cheaper to maintain as compared to the frost-free refrigerators because they do not consume a lot of power. However, you need to clean them frequently.
