These days it is becoming much more common to see an American fridge in a UK kitchen. A few years ago, people tended to buy these items for show as status symbols, or to impress guests at dinner parties. The presence of one of these appliances was even said by estate agents, especially in London, to add a substantial amount to the value of a house. Now, however, consumers are increasingly aware of the other benefits that they bring. If you are not familiar with these fridges, you may have a number of questions about them.
One of your concerns may be that, being American, an American style fridge may be too big for your kitchen. It is indeed true that these models are wider than Europeans are used to, because the fridge and freezer compartments are side by side instead of having the freezer on top. In actual fact, the width difference is only about 40 centimetres the length of your computer keyboard but it would certainly be a good idea to check that it would fit into your kitchen, before buying rather than after. Having the upright freezer compartment actually gives you a lot more storage space than the top-side ones not quite as much as a chest freezer, but a lot more convenient, since you can see at a glance exactly where everything is.
Your storage options are actually enormously increased with an American fridge, especially on the insides of the doors. The freezer compartment has as many door shelves as the refrigerator compartment which is a lot so you can get at things really easily without having to root around. The refrigerator side has a huge amount of storage capacity in the doors, which frees up space in the main compartments.
You may have heard that the first giant-size refrigerators to arrive in the UK were far from being efficient and used a huge amount of power. This may be a problem for you, with fuel prices being what they are, plus the concern about carbon emissions. These days, however, your American style fridge can be as energy efficient as you want it to be. Appliances have energy ratings ranging from G, which is power greedy, to A++, which is ultra-efficient and can save a great deal on running costs. In addition, these fridge-freezers have all sorts of additional features to make them even more energy efficient. Some models can go into sleep mode when not being used, so cutting down on energy waste, and some have a holiday feature, enabling you to switch off the fridge (emptying it first) and keep the freezer at its coldest temperature.
Everybody knows that Americans have ice dispensers on the outside of the refrigerator door. You may or may not consider this an indispensable feature for the British climate. However, these fridges really do have a lot of features that will make life easier for you. One of these is “miracle zones”, or specific cooling zones, enabling you to keep different foods at specific temperatures. This means that you can have special sections for salads, dairy products, sauces, meats and so on, and choose different temperatures for each one. What is more, you can have a digital temperature control panel on the outside of the door, so that you can control the temperature of each section precisely. A door cooling feature means that air currents flow from all four sides of the appliance, not just the back, meaning that the temperature is kept even throughout the interior. You can choose a model either with frost free technology, or with an automatic defrosting switch, and safety features include an anti-bacterial coating, and non-shatter glass shelves.
Apart from these very useful features, there are additional gadgets you can also have on your American style fridge if you so desire. You may fancy a chilled water dispenser or water filter, or else a home bar, which is a compartment on the outside of the door to store your drinks, so you can grab a beer without even opening the door. Some models even have a built-in television. You can also find models with electronically adjustable humidity controls for separate vegetable and fruit drawers, since it appears that different varieties of fruit and vegetables require different humidity levels.
In the past, a refrigerator was usually something you acquired for its utility, rather than for its visual appeal. Now all this is changing. These fridges come in a range of elegant styles so you can use them to complement your household décor as well as impress your friends, of course. You can choose panelled styles in a variety of woods, or with mirrors, or alternatively in brushed stainless steel. Some even have their own cabinets.
Perhaps you have the idea that an American fridge is eye-wateringly expensive. Actually, however, those at the top end of the price range are the ones with all the bells and whistles. There is a considerable variety of prices, so that you can choose the features you really want and that will really make life easier for you. For instance, do you really want a television in your refrigerator? If you study what is available, there is a good chance that you will find the one that is at the right price for you, and that will truly enhance your lifestyle.
Check out our favorite Best Chest Freezers 2016
Summit VT225 21.5 Cu. Ft. White Chest FreezerCheck PriceEquator Chest Freezer, 5 Cubic Feet, WhiteCheck PriceAvanti 7.0 Cu. Ft. Chest Freezer WhiteCheck PriceEcoSolarCool Solar Refrigerator/ Freezer 14 Cu FtCheck PriceSunStar 14 Cu.Ft. Solar-Powered Chest FreezerCheck Price
0 comments:
Post a Comment