Skip to main content

refrigerator, kitchenOur small household is well served by this compact Jenn-Air refrigerator. Photo: John Gould Bessler

In our home, there are two refrigerators. There's a 22-cubic-foot freezer/cooler combo in the basement, which is used for bulk storage. In the kitchen, I happily use a 6-cubic-foot undercounter fridge as the everyday appliance; encased in a custom cabinet, it doubles as an island.
How, you may ask, does such an admittedly compact model work for us? Well, there are only two people in our household, and I use fresh ingredients for cooking. It's an unconventional arrangement, but for us, it functions flawlessly.

This goes to the point that with refrigerators, one size doesn't necessarily fit all. If you think of your fridge as just an appliance that fits into a gaping hole in a bank of cabinets, you're overlooking how this critical piece of equipment can truly make life easier. Analyze your household profile and how you cook, shop and entertain. A family with several kids still in the chicken-fingers-and-juice-box stage has different needs than one where gourmet cooking is a couples sport, or an empty-nester who likes to throw wine-tasting parties.

From point-of-use cooler drawers to drink-dispensing models just right for the game room to family workhorses, you'll find each of the following refrigerators has its own appeal.





http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=892774&pid=892773&uts=1276099855
http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf

Refrigerators the Cold Truth

Drawer-style refrigerators can be located outside the main traffic pattern of the kitchen, wherever fresh ingredients are needed.

Refrigerators the Cold Truth

Refrigerators the Cold Truth

Generally, bottom-mount freezers have a greater capacity than side-by-side configurations - good for families who buy convenience foods in bulk.

Refrigerators the Cold Truth

A slim 24 inches wide and totally flush with the surrounding cabinets, this column refrigerator is an inconspicuous element in the kitchen.

Refrigerators the Cold Truth

Limited space but unlimited tastes? This three-door unit combines cooler, freezer and wine storage in one appliance.

Refrigerators the Cold Truth

A through-the-door drink dispenser is essential in a home with children.

Refrigerators the Cold Truth

Filling the dispensing reservoir with your own beverage makes this fridge fun.

Refrigerators the Cold Truth

Where adequate clearance for a full-width door swing is a problem, an armoire-style refrigerator is the solution. The design stores all fresh food at waist level, with frozen items in the drawer below.

Refrigerators the Cold Truth

Would you like to send your own kitchen - or bathroom - to our design clinic? Email us at mykitchenclinic@aol.com with a photo and tell us your kitchen challenge.

Add Your Comments

  • New Users
  • Returning

If you are posting a comment for the first time, please enter your name and email address in the fields above. Your name will be displayed with your comment. Your email address will never be displayed.

Add Your Comment

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.

Sponsored Links

Advertisement

Follow Us

The Editors

 

Sponsored Links