A Cook's Guide to Refrigerator Shopping

Shopping for a new refrigerator is a big purchase. A new refrigerator can range in price to less than $1,000 to several thousand. If you love to cook, it's important to purchase a refrigerator that is going to meet all your needs. Not only does the refrigerator have to be spacious, but it also needs to have climate controlled areas for certain types of food. The following tips are meant to make your shopping experience easier and less time consuming.

Consider Size

Cooks obviously need a lot of space in their refrigerator. Of course, before you go out and purchase the largest model on the market, you need to measure your kitchen and see how large of a refrigerator you can purchase. Not only should you consider width, but you should consider depth as well. A refrigerator that sticks out too much could disrupt the flow of your kitchen. Lastly, remember to measure height, if you have cabinets above your refrigerator.

Opt for a French Door Refrigerator

As a cook, one of my biggest issues is being able to have enough space to store large platters of food. A French door refrigerator is the perfect solution. French door refrigerators allow you to open both doors and slide in large platters. Some people are concerned that the French door varieties don't offer enough freezer space, but if you're a true cook, chances are you have a separate freezer and the smaller space is not going to be an issue.

Look for Adjustable Shelves

The types of food and pots and pans that get stored in your refrigerator will vary. For this reason, you need adjustable shelves that allow you to store large stock pots or allow you to store a sheet cake on one shelf and lower the top shelf to provide more space. Some models even allow you to adjust half the shelf for even more storage options.

Purchase a Model with Climate Controlled Compartments

Meat, vegetables and even cakes benefit from being stored at a certain temperature. Models ranging in price from $1,500 an up provide these compartments and some even allow you to control humidity levels as well as temperature. If you store a lot of baked goods in your refrigerator, you would of course want a compartment that has a low level of humidity. On the other hand, you would also want to be able to store your fruits and vegetables in a humid compartment to prolong the freshness of your produce.

Make Sure the Water Dispenser Is Filtered

As a cook, chances are you use a lot of water and ice. A refrigerator with a built in dispenser only makes sense. But, not all water dispensing refrigerators have a built in filter. If you want the best taste and cleanest water possible, spend the extra money and choose a model that does have filtration. Another tip is to look for a model that has a universal filter that is easily replaceable. Otherwise, you may find your filtration system outdated and useless in a few years.