Great Refrigerators

KIMA

Story Published: Jul 9, 2008 at 6:32 PM PDT

By Heather Reese

Refrigerators typically get replaced after 14 years. If you need a new one, Consumer Reports says now is a good time to buy. Even basic refrigerators are coming with glass shelves and door shelves that can hold gallon milk jugs. And today’s refrigerators use a lot less energy—just half what they used in 1990.

Consumer Reports tests refrigerators inside a temperature-controlled chamber to make sure they’ll keep your food at a constant temperature. This round of tests included 88 two-door, three-door, and even four-door refrigerators, including the GE Profile. The freezer has two drawers. That gives you easier access to your frozen food. And the Samsung has two drawers on the bottom that you can change from a freezer to a refrigerator, depending on what you need.

Ice and water dispensers are more common, and Consumer Reports finds they’re getting more elaborate. The GE Profile lets you set exactly how much water you want. But those added features come at a cost. Refrigerators with features such as those sell for $2,500 or more.

And Consumer Reports’ measurements show all those drawers and ice dispensers cut into storage space for food. Some of those refrigerators only give you 60 or 65 percent of the promised capacity. But you don’t have to pay top dollar to get a refrigerator with handy features.

--Like pull-out shelves that makes it easier to reach food in the back …
--Drawers that have their own temperature control to keep meat colder…
--And crisper drawers with a humidity control to keep vegetables fresher.
--Those are handy features that don’t add a lot to the price tag.

Consumer Reports tests show you don’t have to spend top dollar to get a good refrigerator Consumer Reports Best Buys include a Whirlpool top freezer for 850 dollars. It’s model number ET1FTEXS.

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