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Best refrigerators: a buyer’s guide

gaggenau integrated refrigerator and wine cooler

If you’re an enthusiastic foodie with an appreciation for gorgeous ingredients, then you’ll know how essential it is to keep them safe and perfectly stored. These days, refrigeration has ascended its basic boundaries and a slew of clever, technologically enhanced options are now available. With kitchens fast becoming the central hub of modern living, these appliances are valued as much for their aesthetics as they are for practical functionality. And, with ever-changing climates and an increase in health awareness, the precision with which they work is of paramount importance. So it’s worthwhile making an investment and finding the best one available. Gaggenau refrigerators combine innovative engineering with industrial aesthetics, making them some of the best in the world. We review them further along in this article.

How refrigerators work

Temperature settings

The key function of any refrigerator is to maintain your food at temperatures cold enough to keep it fresh and bacteria-free. Here are the guidelines:

  • Fresh produce: 32°F /0°C – 39°F /4°C
  • Dairy products: 36°F/2°C – 39°F /4°C
  • Meat and poultry: 36°F/2°C – 39°F /4°C
  • Fish and seafood: 30°F/-1°C – 34°F /2°C
  • Beverages: 34°F/1°C – 38°F /3°C

All frozen goods should be stored below 0°F or −18°C

If your unit is not maintaining a controlled temperature, check your thermostat and settings. Other reasons for fluctuations could be dirty coils, blocked air vents or too many items in your fridge.

How compressors function

There are five basic components to a refrigerator:

  • Fluid refrigerant
  • A compressor which controls the flow of refrigerant
  • Condenser coils situated on the outside of the fridge
  • Evaporator coils situated on the inside of the fridge
  • Expansion valve

Essentially, the compressor constricts the refrigerant gas, raising its pressure and temperature. The gas then passes through the condenser coils. The colder air outside the fridge causes the gas to become liquid and cool down. The liquid then flows into the evaporator coils, absorbing the heat inside the fridge and lowering the temperature of the air. As this happens, the refrigerant reaches the expansion valve causing it to expand and evaporate back into gas. The refrigerant then flows back to the compressor and the cycle begins again.

gaggenau double door fridge and integrated wine cabinet

Gaggenau refrigerators review

The sleek refrigeration units in the Gaggenau 400 series are unmatched when it comes to intelligent technology and exceptional performance.

Their signature, stainless steel interiors with anthracite aluminium elements and clear glass shelving are stylishly revealed by assisted pull-to-open or handle-free push-to-open doors. A nearly invisible rail system allows you to easily adjust and align the heights of the shelves across the full range, creating seamless uniformity. Some models even include a motorised top shelf that can be adjusted when fully loaded.

Warm, glare-free LED lighting gently illuminates and accentuates interiors. Precise, evenly distributed temperatures ensure the freshest of ingredients and a variety of climate zones can be individually adjusted. The cooling drawer functions at the ideal storage temperature of close to 0°C, ensuring that your meat and fish are preserved for longer. As an added bonus, you can use Home Connect to control everything remotely.

Some of the features across the range include:

  • TFT touch display operation
  • Dynamic cold air distribution
  • Automatic defrosting with defrost water evaporation
  • No-frost technology with fast cooling
  • Open-door malfunction alarm

By partnering your choice of Gaggenau refrigerators, freezers, fridge-freezers or wine coolers into a modern landscape of cooling systems, you’ll add a touch of class and intelligence to your kitchen. If you’re looking for something in a slightly lower price range, Miele has a great range to choose from.

gaggenau double built-in fridge

Gaggenau refrigerator cost calculator 

If your heart is set on a Gaggenau refrigerator, you will want to find out the cost before you head out to purchase one.

Our Gaggenau cost calculator will tell you how much the fridge costs, as well as the prices of all our other Gaggenau appliances. You can check it out here.

Refrigerator buyer’s guide

Before embarking on a shopping spree, it’s valuable to understand the full spectrum of available options. Once you know your measurements and have decided on capacity and size, here’s the low-down on what to look for:

Configuration

The orientation of a refrigerator is a major consideration. For convenience, adjustable shelves and drawers are a must-have. There are six possible door designs:

  • Top-Freezer Units: are the most traditional and accommodate reasonable storage in a limited space. Allow for a wider door swing and remember that you’ll be bending down a lot to get to your food.
  • Bottom-Freezer Units: house the less-used freezer at the bottom, so that you have more accessibility to the contents of your fridge.
  • Side-by-Side Units: allow for a fridge on one side and a freezer on the other. They usually have narrower doors and compartments, which can be insufficient in terms of storage capacity. Most of them include water and ice dispensers.
  • French-Door Units: have two narrow, small-swing doors at the top and a freezer section below. Some come with an additional drawer in between, which is useful for storing beverages.
  • Built-In Units: are the most expensive option. Made to fit seamlessly into your kitchen cabinetry, they are available in bottom-freezer, side-by-side and French-door styles.
  • Door-In-Door Units: are the latest trend. They allow you to open a small outer door, giving you easy access to items in the door racks.

Energy consumption

Look out for refrigerators with an Energy Star rating to save on electricity.

Freshness features

Some units come with a quick-chill option designed to instantly lower the internal temperature with the press of a button. You can also get fridges with air purifiers that help eliminate odours and bacteria.

Innovations

To keep up with modern living, manufacturers are constantly finding ways to trick out refrigerators with a range of brilliant gadgets. Aside from LED touch displays for smart operations, these include coffee makers, TV’s, touch screens, cameras and a variety of useful apps.

Conclusion

In a world where food safety is constantly under scrutiny, refrigeration is something we can’t do without. So it’s worth taking the time to find an appliance that ticks all your boxes in terms of functionality, durability and style. Explore all your best options by browsing through our range here.

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