December 2007
Refrigerators
Buying based on space claims. Range and microwave ovens aren't the only appliances whose manufacturers promise more space than they deliver. Refrigerator
makers also include useless nooks and crannies in their capacity measurements.
Forgetting to measure the space. The time to know that you need a 33-inch-wide fridge between the countertop and wall is before the store delivers a 36-inch model.
For more information. Look to our buying advice for more helpful information.
Ratings of top-freezers, bottom-freezers, side-by-sides, and built-ins, are available to subscribers.
Smart move: Check the usable space column for the fridge and freezer compartments in Consumer Reports' Ratings, which is based on our in-lab measurements. As a rule, top- and bottom-freezer refrigerators tend to be closest to
their capacity claims and side-by-side models furthest overall. For more information, read Refrigerator capacity claims don't add up.
Forgetting to measure the space. The time to know that you need a 33-inch-wide fridge between the countertop and wall is before the store delivers a 36-inch model.
Smart move: Measure the width you have before you go to the store. Also measure the space you'll need to open the refrigerator and freezer
doors as well as the heights and widths of the doorways and the route your new fridge will travel when it's delivered so that
you know it will fit.
For more information. Look to our buying advice for more helpful information.
Ratings of top-freezers, bottom-freezers, side-by-sides, and built-ins, are available to subscribers.
