Refrigerator shopping

When you are shopping for a refrigerator, it’s not your father’s Oldsmobile anymore. There are more bells and whistles to delight and confuse. Here are a few items to look for when out and about at your local appliance store.

Size – how far does it stick out from your cabinets. Nowadays, the trend is for a “fitted” look and refrigerators can come in cabinet depth sizes so your fridge is flush mounted. Or you can purchase under the counter freezers, coolers, etc., with door facades that match the rest of the kitchen, making the appliance indistinguishable from your cabinetry. Or if you have behemoth sized chilling needs, Sub-Zero has topped theirs out at 21 cubic feet. Northland, Aga’s sub has come up with a sixty inch, 40 cubic foot refrigerator freezer. If you are wondering what that means, think 24 Pepsi cans lined side by side. GE went a foot better at 41 cubic feet and priced it at $14,000.

Low Tech – Look for shelves that roll out via a button for easy cleaning. Halogen lights are great for better viewing and beat the single bulb of yesteryear. For filtered water, Whirlpool has a “Fast Fill” pullout shelf and capacity setting. Just push a button. As for ice, U-Line’s freezer (under the counter, of course) churns out a whopping 60 pounds of ice per day. Kids not shutting the freezer drawers? There’s an alarm that sounds when it is left open too long. Neato. Colors go beyond stainless (the harvest gold of the new millennium) and for those with a retro penchant Elmira Stove Works produces period looks with au courant capabilities. You can get rounded corners and just the right ‘50’s colors to match your taste, and they’ll even custom color your fridge.