Best Counter Depth Refrigerators

A counter depth refrigerator is designed to be flush with your kitchen counter.  This is more aesthetically pleasing, because the refrigerator doesn’t protrude from the kitchen cabinets. You can make it blend in perfectly with your cabinets--in fact, some make the doors of their refrigerator match the appearance of their cabinet doors, effectively camouflaging it! In any event, a counter-depth refrigerator will conserve space. But you should familiarize yourself with the options out there, to get the best balance between expense and aesthetics. You’ll see refrigerator designs that maximize the amount of interior space. There are other designs that have your comfort in mind, making it easy for you to see what’s inside the fridge and access it quickly.

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting a counter depth refrigerator. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of  counter depth refrigerator,

• See useful tips about that particular type of counter depth refrigerator,

• Read reviews of different counter depth refrigerators, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of counter depth refrigerator, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

Types of Counter Depth Refrigerators

There are four major types of counter depth refrigerators.

• Top Freezer: This is the most popular, where the lower compartment is the refrigerator, and the upper compartment serves as the freezer. Having the freezer on the top is more energy-efficient, it that it cools off the refrigerator compartment more effectively, using 10-25% less energy. But the single wide door swings open into the kitchen area and takes a lot of space. Also, the bottom shelves may prove hard to reach. The familiar design is illustrated by the Kenmore Top Freezer Refrigerator (Model No. 60505).

Kenmore Top Freezer Refrigerator (Model No. 60505)

• Bottom freezer: This model has the freezer in the bottom compartment. People like this design because it puts the food you need the most at eye-level, as exemplified by the Kenmore Elite Bottom Freezer (Model No. 79043).

Kenmore Elite Bottom Freezer (Model No. 79043)

• French door: This employs four separate doors: two main doors, like a side-by-side model, and two slide-out drawers in the bottom. The bottom-most drawer is the freezer compartment, and the drawer on top of it is storage space with adjustable temperature. An example is the Smeta Counter-Depth French Door Refrigerator.

Smeta Counter-Depth French Door Refrigerator

• Side-by-side: In this design, there are two compartments standing side by side. One side is the freezer compartment, and the other side is the refrigerator. This is better for a small kitchen since opening the door will not take up so much space. Even though half of the fridge’s volume is the freezer, you might not have enough room for large items, such as a pizza. Since there are two doors, each door is smaller, so it doesn’t occupy as much space when you open it. Also, opening the door lets less cold air out of the refrigerator, so it runs more economically. An example is the Bosch 300 Series Side-By-Side Refrigerator.

Bosch 300 Series Side-By-Side Refrigerator

• Lighting inside: Some refrigerators have some cool lighting ideas, so that you can see what’s inside your fridge. The Kenmore 60505 Top Freezer uses LED lights inside, that illuminate effectively without heating up the refrigerator’s interior.

• Drawers and adjustable shelves: Consumers say that it’s important that a fridge gives you room to organize items, so that you can find things easily. Fridges with adjustable shelves that you can draw out, as well as removable vegetable bins, make organizing the fridge much easier.

• Measure your space: Be sure to measure the available space in your kitchen before making a purchase. For example, even though the Kenmore Model No. 60505 refrigerator has a 21-cubic feet interior, the external dimensions are 32.63” L x 29.88” W x 66.13” H. Make sure that you have room to insert the fridge in the available counter space and consider the door handle and the coils in the back.

• Capacity: Counter depth refrigerators will be less deep than the larger counterparts--so you have to be prepared for a smaller capacity. Experts recommend a refrigerator of 19-22 cubic feet for a family of 4. But there are some obstructions in the fridge, which keep you from using all that space. You probably only use 80% of the actual volume of the fridge. French door fridges will have somewhere from 22-28 cubic feet of volume, while bottom freezers will have the least volume, with a capacity of 12-19 cubic feet.

• Give up on the ice and cold water dispenser: A popular feature is an external dispenser for ice and cold water, as in the Bosch 300 Series Side-By-Side Refrigerator illustrated above. But refrigerators with such an option generally require more repairs.

• Use of middle drawer: You’ll see refrigerators with a middle drawer, besides the freezer. This middle drawer can be adjusted to a different temperature than the rest of the compartments. Also, the freezer is cooled separately from the refrigerator, instead of a fan taking the cold from the freezer and pumping it into the fridge section. Typically, the freezer should be at 0 ℉, the main compartment should be at 37 ℉, while meat and poultry should be kept at 32 ℉.

• Smeta--is a maker of refrigerators and wine coolers. They make compact refrigerators, beverage coolers, mini-fridges, gas and propane powered fridges, and more.

• Kenmore--was founded in 1913 in Chicago, Illinois, as a brand of household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers and dryers, ovens, ranges, cooktops, vacuums, air purifiers, and much more. They are a subsidiary of Sears Holdings.

• Samsung--besides its electronics holdings, has a division for home appliances as well. They make TVs and home theater units, computers and peripherals, refrigerators, ranges, ovens, microwaves, dishwashers, washers/dryers, and more.

• Frigidaire--was founded in 1918 by William C. Durant, as makers of the first refrigerators. They later expanded their product line to include all major types of home appliances: air conditioners, ovens, dishwashers, and washing machines.

• Bosch--is a German home goods producer, founded by Robert Bosch in 1886. Today the company is an international conglomerate, that produces power tools, home appliances, and more. They make side-by-side refrigerators, French Door, bottom freezer, and single door refrigerators.