Buying and Caring for Your Fridge.

Fridges use to be the least attractive of all the home appliances but not anymore. Manufacturers have long evolved from making boxy boring white fridges to making beautiful, smart, and more appealing fridges that come in sleek colors. This invention has seen new features being added to the fridges, designs meant to blend with the house décor, and a lot of new smart features like the knock to see what is in the fridge without opening it. Leaves one to wonder whether ol’ icebox might be going through a bit of an identity crisis, discussion for another day, I promise.

Like all reinventions, the fridge now comes with a lot of new models, colors, and features to choose from. This can be overwhelming and this is where we come in, to help you choose a fridge that is suitable for you.

1. Energy Label.

When you’re buying a new appliance for your home, look out for its energy label, this is the most important detail. The energy label will give you an idea of how much energy that appliance uses, comparing it to similar appliances. This will help you find appliances that use the least amount of energy.

• Size and Storage.

The size of the area where you are going to keep your fridge will most definitely determine the size of the fridge that you are going to buy. The notion that the bigger the fridge, the better is very far from the truth.

• Features.

What you are looking for in a fridge is very important, are you looking for a top freezer or bottom freezer? If you love cooking using fresh ingredients, then you may want to consider a fridge that will take care of your ingredients. Different brands come with different climate controls in their compartments and dedicated adjustable temperature drawers. If you love your frozen leftovers, there are fridges with advanced frozen features that eliminate freezer burns while others come with wine compartments for your chilled wine.

• Smart Fridge.

Just like the name suggests, this is a smart fridge that has a touchscreen and built-in Wi-Fi. Smart fridges do a lot of things like energy monitoring, voice control through Alexa where you command your fridge door to either open or close, and lastly, the knock which allows you to see inside the fridge to see what you have inside.

Like any appliance, you need to care for your fridge so that I can serve you well and for a long period of time,

1. Door Seals.

A loose seal lets air seep out of the fridge, this waste a lot of energy which in turn makes the fridge consume a lot of power. Clean the seals twice a year with a soft brush and baking soda.

• Coils.

Dirty condenser coils make the fridge insufficient. The dirty coils will make the fridge not to work effectively. Twice a year, pull the machine from the wall to reveal the coils in the back (or snap off the grille if the coils are on the bottom front), unplug the refrigerator, and vacuum the coils with the brush attachment.

• Temperature.

The right temperature for your fridge is the most important thing to note. The wrong temperature will either run for too long or too short. There are several ways to keep your fridge at the right temperature, and the most important is ensuring the door seals are functional. In cases of a power blackout, constantly opening the fridge doors to check on the food inside will make the food go bad faster. An unopened refrigerator will keep food safe for four hours; a freezer will maintain its temperature for 48 hours if full and 24 hours if half-full.

In the end, finding the right fridge is all about understanding your own needs and asking the right questions, and most importantly answering the questions. The best part is, there is a fridge out there for everyone depending on your budget. Millions of people are hanging on to life by the finest of threads.  One more shock & many will die – Let’s do something and preserve life!