Size of the Refrigerator – We are referring to the exterior size of the refrigerator here. It’s essential to check the space availability where the fridge is to be placed.

If you are making this purchase as part of a significant kitchen renovation, you will, of course, have more flexibility to aid this decision.

Moreso if it’s an upgrade buy, chances are the new refrigerator will have larger dimensions and will require that additional planning to fit the device correctly.

You want to ensure that the swinging doors open freely, unhindered and without any obstruction from the existing furniture in the chosen area.

There should at least be 1-inch clearance/gap around the fridge and the surrounding cabinets to ensure there is sufficient airflow.

Most modern refrigerators do tend to have the sides getting warmer under normal operating conditions, so it’s crucial to have the bare minimum 1” space around the sides and back of the fridge.

While this holds true for a Freestanding refrigerator, If the Refrigerator is part of a built-in modular setup, you may want to consult a professional to advise the space and size compatibility.

Capacity of the Refrigerator – You are the best judge to take a call on this. The co-relation used is that the size of the family and the Capacity of the Fridge needed is directly proportional.

While this could be the basis of choosing the capacity of the fridge, it’s not the holy grail and should be taken considering other aspirational factors.

For example, even if you are a family of 4 or a couple, you may receive guests and host some parties or events, your buying habits (explained below) would also hold weightage here.

Factoring all this you want to ensure that the refrigerator is future proof at least in its space holding capacity.

Your buying habits – If you are a weekend grocery shopper and shopping is a weekly, rather than a daily ritual. You definitely want to counter that fact and choose a device designed to handle storage better accordingly.

Types of Refrigerator:

* Single door Refrigerator
* Double door Refrigerator
* Side by Side Refrigerator
* French Door Refrigerators

Single door Refrigerator – Used to be the popular choice until the late 90s and early noughties. These are commonly called direct cool Single door refrigerators, or Inverter direct cooled Single Door refrigerators.

They have an average from storage capacity from 180 to 270 Litres. Due to its compact capacity they are space-saving and should be considered if that is the deciding factor.

Double door Refrigerator – As the name suggests, Double door refrigerators have two doors and are more spacious compared to the single door variants.

Typical storage capacity ranges from 250 to 700 litres. The main storage door houses the chilled products, and the Freezer door opens to the frozen storage compartment.

They are frost-free as the auto defrost function prevents ice build-up. Depending on the model, the Freezer door may be either at the top or the bottom.

Our team vote is for the top freezer door model as a matter of convenience, to avoid leaning to pick up stuff from a bottom-placed freezer.

The double door refrigerator continues to be the popular choice in most Indian households.

Side by Side Refrigerator – These are comparatively spacious and roomier with storage capacity ranging from 525 to 900 Litres.

The freezer and the main compartment in these models are designed vertically with 1/3rd housing the freezer section and 2/3rd for the chilled compartment.

These variants are frost-free with the auto defrost function preventing ice build-up. The Width of the unit itself is naturally more massive, so placement can be accordingly decided.

French Door Refrigerators – These are refrigerators with 3 or 4 doors. The top 2 doors open’s to the chilled compartment while the bottom door/s opens to the Freezer.

In terms of storage capacity these refrigerators are similar to the Side by side refrigerators with storage capacity ranging from 500 to 900 Litres.

These model refrigerators are yet to become the popular choice in India compared to the Side by Side and Double door refrigerators that are the popular choice amongst Indian consumers.

Storage design of Refrigerator – Despite its simplicity, the shelves play a crucial role in the way the refrigerator operates.

Over the years we have noticed the old lattice and ribbed shelves make way for the good looking, hygienic tempered glass variant. Now, the former lattice shelf may have had some serious shortcomings, but the design ensured good air circulation and better cooling.

If you are worried about the modern design, you needn’t. Most of the current manufacturers have forced ventilation and efficient distribution.

Terms like Dynamic Air Flow and Multi airflow or similar sounding brand jargons that describe the airflow are what you should be checking out.

Check the compartments available to place fresh produce and the size of the freezer.

The design of the shelves is crucial as you don’t want them to hinder large vessels, the 2.5L aerated bottles or even large-sized fruits and vegetables for that matter.

Dairy products and desserts should ideally have a separate space, if not closed compartments since its prone to contamination.

Energy Efficiency – We like to factor in a device in our eco-system that works efficiently and with minimal energy consumption while doing so.

I know most of you reading this will have a needle eye approach to this, So Yes! check the star rating and the energy efficiency of the device

Budget – Goes without saying, that you deserve the best bang for your buck.

The Single Door budget average range is from 12000 to 24000.

The double door budget average buying price varies from 20000 to 65000. So you should target something available between the 20000 to 45000 mark.

In the case of the side by side refrigerator which is the luxury variant budget offerings are available between 40000 to 70000.

Although the premium side by side door refrigerator prices could go as high as 5 to 6 Lakhs INR we would recommend something around the 75000 to 1.25 Lakh price point. For the purpose and must-have features included.

Noise – While most refrigerators are noise-free, ensure the fridge you choose works silently. This is highlighted in case you are opting for a single door model.

Other Features to look for depending on the Type of Refrigerator

* 5 in 1 mode or Vacation Mode
* Inverter Compressor
* Adaptive Cooling
* Auto or manual defrost
* Smart Features and Wi-fi compatibility
* Stabilizer requirements
* Water Dispenser
* Warranty

Star Rating – This rating is given by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). The ratings are on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best—The Higher the star rating the more energy efficient the AC.

Inverter AC – At the onset, these AC’s are more expensive than the Non-Inverter Variants. However in the long run, these are more energy-efficient and provide Consistent cooling as the AC regulates the compressor speed according to the surrounding temperature.

Special Additional Features to look out for in an AC as per your requirement

The type of refrigerant the AC uses. We recommend looking for ACs that use R32 refrigerant.

Smart AC’s can be controlled by smartphone Apps. With the Internet of things (IoT) evolving, there is also the option of Voice controlling the AC when paired with Google Mini or Alexa.

Dual Inverter Compressor ACs – These ACs have the additional heater option for the Winters.

Air conditioners with an adjustable capacity adjust the temperature as per the number of inhabitants in the room and the prevailing ambient conditions.

Air conditioners designed to work at higher than average Temperatures – These ACs perform optimally even when the Outside air temperatures are at 52° C

Air conditioners with anti-bacterial filters – have the ability to destroy bacteria, allergens, and pollutants in the indoor air, ensuring a healthy breathing space.

Mosquito away technology features in some ACs have an inbuilt mosquito repellent.

Washing Machine placement
The first thing to decide is the placement of the Washing machine
1) Free Standing Washing machine – As implied by the name, these variants offer the flexibility to be placed at any suitable place at home. This also happens to be a popular choice in India.
2) Built-in Washing Machine is usually embedded or part of the modular kitchen furniture.

Now that the placement of the washing machine is decided, the next to determine are two key factors
1. Type of Washing Machine
2. The load the washing machine can handle in 1 cycle.

Type of Washing Machine
Before we deal with this subject, let’s understand the difference between

Automatic v/s Semi-Automatic Washing machine.

The semi-Automatic machine has two tubs and needs some manual intervention amidst the washing cycle, hence the term “Semi- Automatic.” One tub is dedicated to the usual soaking, washing, and rinsing. While the other tub is specially designed to spin dry the clothes.

The manual intervention comes into play when the clothes have to be transferred into the spin tub after the washing and rinsing cycle.

This becomes challenging as the clothes are wet and dripping and a bit heavier to deal with, considering the laundry is soaked. If there are sick or older adults who will handle the machine we would strongly advise to go in for the Automatic Variants.

The Automatic machines have one tub, and the complete cycle of soaking, washing, rinsing, and spin-drying is completed in one tub, thereby doing justice to the term, “Automatic.”

The automatic machine has two variants, which are differentiated by the method of loading the laundry in the boot.

Top Load automatic machines V/s Front Load automatic machines:-

1. The top-load automatic machine where the laundry is loaded from the top.
2. The Front load automatic machine where the laundry is loaded from the front door of the device.

There are some crucial differences to consider–

The Front load automatic machine uses the most water per cycle compared to the top load machine, and in terms of operating noise levels is the most silent. This also happens to be the priciest option.

The USP makes the top load automatic machine the popular choice because it does not involve the user to bend to load the laundry. This is of paramount importance when there are users who complain of back or joint pains.

The top-load automatic machine is usually less pricey compared to the front load automatic machine variants.

The load the washing machine can handle in 1 cycle directly impacts the size. Depending on the chosen model, washing machines typically can take between 5 to 12 Kgs of clothes in one cycle.

This is also affected by other factors like the no. of people in the family and the frequency of washing. The type of fabric that needs to be washed.

If the frequency is daily or on alternate days, a washing machine that caters to 5 to 6 kgs should be good. If the fabric involves many pieces of wool or delicate fabrics, a device that can handle a more massive load in one cycle is recommended.

Wool, for example, absorbs much water, and if it’s a significant component of your laundry, you may want to consider a machine that can handle a heavier load per cycle.

Noise Level – this is a critical factor as we all want the machine to operate as silently as possible. Strangely when we discussed this parameter amongst our team members, there was a consensus that very little attention was paid to this factor.

Yes, it’s possible that as a buyer, you get carried away with the other elements and pay little attention to this aspect.

Ultimately we do want the best cleaning results but, of course, no compromise on the sound level that the machine makes. We recommend a device that operates at around 45 to 55 dB and drying (spinning) at 70 or less.

Additional Features available

Program Modes – The more the modes, the more options the user has to customise and control different wash cycles.

Depending on the selection, these modes can control water consumption, fabric handling, the wash cycle schedule, and emphasis on soaking, rinsing, or Drying.

Time Delay – Allows the washing cycle to be scheduled by the user.

 Inverter technology – This familiar technology is power saving.

Inbuilt Heater – Where hot water is used to wash the clothes.

 Monsoon settings are handy in the monsoon season, where odour from damp clothes is reduced.

Child lock – Important to prevent accidental door openings and random panel control. Incredibly useful when there are little ones around.

Auto Restart – Mostly available in most modern models where the machine resumes work from where it left in a power cut.

Voltage Range – If you live in an area where there is an erratic power supply, it would be worthwhile to check the voltage range at which the machine operates. Alternatively, an additional stabilizer would be warranted.

Smart Features – Smart technology continues to evolve, and if you want to integrate your machine into the smart home ecosystem, this is a factor to watch out for.