Editorial · April 9, 2019
Refrigerator Buying Guide: Inverter, Size and Doors
This refrigerator buying guide helps a Vietnamese household pick the right fridge in three steps: choose a size for the people you feed, choose a door layout that fits your kitchen, and read the energy label before you pay.
Start with size: count the people you feed
Buy for the people in your home, not for the biggest box in the shop. Add a little extra room if you shop once a week or cook a lot of fresh food.
A single worker or a couple can often manage with a small fridge. A bigger family, or a home that stores bulk meat and soup for Tet, will want more room.
Too small a fridge forces you to cram food in. Air cannot move, and some shelves stay warm. Too large a fridge wastes power cooling empty space.
Measure your space before you go to the shop. Check the width, the depth and the height. Leave a few centimeters of gap at the back and sides so the heat can escape. Also measure your front door and your stairs, because many fridges get stuck on the way in.
Compare door layouts
There are four layouts you will see most often. Each one suits a different kitchen and a different way of cooking.
Top freezer: the freezer sits above the fridge. This is the cheapest and most common layout. It is a good fit for small homes. You bend down to reach the fresh food you use most.
Bottom freezer: the fresh food is at eye level and the freezer is a drawer below. It costs more, but it is easier on the back if you open the fridge many times a day.
Side by side: two tall doors, one for the freezer and one for fresh food. These models are wide, so check your kitchen space. They suit families that freeze a lot, but the shelves can be narrow for big plates and trays.
Multi-door: three or four doors, often with a separate drawer for fresh vegetables. They look neat and keep cold air in when you open only one door. They are also the most costly option.
Think about how you cook. If you buy fresh food at the market every morning, a bigger fresh section matters more than a big freezer. If you batch cook, the reverse is true.
What inverter means and whether it is worth it
An inverter fridge has a compressor that changes its speed. A basic compressor switches fully on, then fully off. An inverter compressor runs more slowly and more steadily, and it only works harder when the fridge needs it, for example after you load warm groceries.
Inverter models come from many brands. They usually cost more on the shelf. In return, they tend to run quieter and use less power, and the temperature inside stays steadier.
Whether it pays off depends on how long you keep the fridge. A fridge runs 24 hours a day for ten years or more. If you plan to keep it a long time, the extra price can come back through lower power bills. If you rent a room and move often, a simple model may be enough.
Ask the shop for the rated power use on the label, and compare two models of the same size side by side. Do not trust a claim that is only said out loud. Ask to see it printed.
Read the energy label
Many fridges in the shop carry an energy label. Ask to see it before you decide.
The label is there to help you compare power use. Look for the label on the front or the door of the display model. It should show the model name and the yearly power use in kilowatt hours.
Use the label to compare only fridges of a similar size. A small fridge will always use less power than a huge one. The useful question is which of two 300 liter models uses less.
A quick way to turn the number into money: multiply the yearly kilowatt hours by the price you pay per kilowatt hour on your own bill. Do this for both models, and subtract. That is the yearly saving.
A short checklist before you pay
Run through these points at the shop, and write down the answers for each model you like.
Size: does the volume match the number of people in your home, and does it fit the space?
Layout: can you reach the shelves you use most without bending or stretching?
Compressor: is it inverter or standard, and what is the extra price?
Label: how many stars, and how many kilowatt hours a year?
Warranty: ask how long the compressor is covered, who repairs it, and where the nearest service center is. Keep the receipt and the warranty card in one place.
Delivery: ask whether the shop carries the fridge up the stairs and whether it takes away your old one.
After delivery, follow the maker's manual for when to plug in and which setting to use.
These steps cost little and take about an hour. They save most buyers from a fridge that is too small, too loud, or too costly to run.