Refrigerator

A refrigerator (often shortened to fridge) or freezer is an electrical appliance that uses refrigeration to help preserve food. A domestic refrigerator is present in 99.5% of American homes. It works using phase change heat pumps operating in a refrigeration cycle. An industrial refrigerator or industrial freezer is simply a refrigerator used in an industrial setting, usually in a restaurant or supermarket.

Types

• Counter/cabinet depth: a refrigerator can be approximately 30 inches deep as opposed to approximately 35 inches deep like a normal refrigerator. This allows the unit to be more flush with surrounding cabinets. A counter depth refrigerator tends to come at a steep price premium despite providing less capacity.
• Built under: fridges and freezers which can be installed under the counter top.
• Integrated.
• In-Column fridges or freezers: these are built into a tall cabinet in your kitchen furniture. The appliance is built in to your kitchen so that it looks like a normal cupboard. Getting the right size fridge is very important when choosing integrated.

Door situation

• Eye level freezer refrigerator (or top mount).
• Bottom freezer refrigerator (or bottom mount). The freezer is generally bigger and the refrigerator has two independent motor-compressors.
• French door (or trio). Similar to bottom freezer, but the refrigerator (top) section has two doors that swing outward like a kitchen pantry.
• Side-by-side. The unit is divided into two tall compartments, with the freezer on the left and the refrigerator on the right.
• Wide-by-side. Similar to side-by-side, but the refrigerator compartment is wider at eye level and becomes narrow at the bottom. Allows the convenience of a side-by-side, but able to fit wider items in the refrigerator. Made popular by Maytag.
• Single door. Originally, most units featured only one door, with the freezer compartment located within the larger refrigerator compartment. Beginning in the early 1960s manufactuers began offering units with separate freezer compartments, which gradually took over the market. One-door models, though still manufactured, are now rare.