For most people, the largest appliance in the kitchen is the refrigerator. You don't always have to compromise on space and style to chill your food because you can purchase the best counter-depth refrigerator.
The counter depth refrigerators are typically wider, taller, and more compact compared to a standard model. You may notice that most have 20 cubic feet of space and adjustable shelves to improve the experience. These fridges will seamlessly slide next to the countertops, and any small or specially designed kitchen will benefit from their style and functionality.
With so many fridge brands and types to choose from, finding the best one for your kitchen can be difficult. In this short post, we have compiled a review of the five best counter-depth refrigerators as well as the factors you should consider before buying a counter-depth fridge.
5 Best Counter Depth Refrigerators
1. Frigidaire Professional Stainless Steel Refrigerator
- FPFU19F8WF - 33 Inch Freezer Column
- FPRU19F8WF - 33 Inch Refrigerator Column
- 33 Inch Refrigerator Column with 18.6 Cu. Ft. Capacity. Stylish...
- Internal Ice Maker Dual Bin Ice Maker located in the center left...
- CrispSeal Crispers Humidity Controlled crispers with Auto...
Are you looking for a refrigerator with a bigger space? Then the refrigerator freezer combo could be the best overall way to go. The Frigidaire Professional Stainless Steel Refrigerator is the best counter depth refrigerator that features 19 cubic foot independent units that can be placed side-by-side or installed apart. Each has wide shelves of 26 inches and pull-out drawers.
Both of the units are quite similar. The midsection meat or deli drawer lacks thermostat control in the interior, but there's a special soft freeze zone in the freezer for bread, butter, and ice cream. There is a lower pull-out drawer in this counter depth refrigerator, a humidity-controlled crisper, and three adjustable slot dividers.
The freezer features four adjustable bins on the upper side, and its fridge has five, including the dairy box. Other extras of this refrigerator counter depth include bright LED lighting, a smudge-proof exterior, an open door and temperature alarm, an ice maker which is not too bulky, four adjustable legs, and a PureAir Ultra filter. However, it lacks a water filter which may require you to install an inline water filter.
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2. Danby Top Mount Freezer, Energy-Star Rated Counter Depth Refrigerator
- Apartment Size Fridge: This Danby apartment refrigerator is the...
- 10.1 Cubic Feet (286 Liters) Capacity: The unit features a full...
- Frost-Free Operation: Enjoy maintenance free use, this unit...
- Ample Storage: 2.5 adjustable glass shelves with 5 door shelves,...
- Seamless Fit: Reversible door for left and right swing and...
If you're in search of a counter-depth refrigerator for your tiny space, then Danby Top Mount Freezer and Counter Depth Refrigerator is a great option. It comes with a stainless steel white and black finish and has a common top-freezer design. It also features ample food storage space and comes at an affordable price. Other features include a gallon of door storage and removable three shelves.
With this refrigerator, you can easily adjust the door bins to match your needs, especially when you have a large bottle to fit in the fridge. It also features two produce crispers and one wire shelf to add to the door storage. Although this fridge is quite a minimalistic one, space is maximized due to the fact that it lacks an ice maker.
This Danby refrigerator has reversible door hinges that make installation easy in different kitchen designs. The frost-free feature reduces the hand on the maintenance required, which in turn means easy to use.
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3. GE GSS25GSHSS Side Refrigerator Counter Depth
- Adjustable door bins creates additional storage for large items
- Deep door bins allow you to store gallon-sized or larger items,...
- Glass freezer shelves give a high-end appearance with secure...
GE GSS25GSHSS Side Refrigerator is a side-by-side fridge which means the fridge is on one side and a freezer on the other with a vertical division. Due to this design, the doors won't require a lot of clearance to open, which is handy for compact kitchens. This fridge also gives you easy access to the freezer.
This counter depth refrigerator offers you a space of 25.3 cubic feet, where 15.7 cubic feet is for the fridge and 9.6 cubic feet for the freezer. It comes with three adjustable shelves and two slide-out shelves that feature spill-proof glass, which makes it simple to keep them contained and clean. You also get two fixed bins and two-gallon bins, a snack drawer, an adjustable humidity drawer, and a fresh food multi-level drawer.
As one of the most attractive and best counter-depth refrigerators, this GE counter-depth fridge has an ice and water dispenser on the door. This dispenser has an LED light which means you can easily fill up your cup even when it is dark. With a stainless steel exterior and contoured doors, this counter-depth refrigerator has a sleek finish. Other extras include a frost guard, condenser, electronic touch controls, and four-sensor temperature management.
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4. Frigidaire 36 Inch French Door Refrigerator
- 21.7 Cu.ft.
- PureSource UltraII Ice & Water Filtration
- Even Temp
- Store-More Shelves
For a more spacious counter depth refrigerator, consider getting Frigidaire FFHD2250TS 36 Inch French Door Refrigerator. It features an amazing, adaptable interior with a number of useful features. The three adjustable split-half shelves and two uniquely stackable crispers drawers allow you to arrange the space as you want easily.
When it comes to the door space, only one of the three adjustable shelves can take a gallon container, and it also doesn't have a door hatch box. However, the bottom level has a large pantry drawer but with no thermostat controls. It is energy-star rated and features a turbo freeze and cool to stabilize the temperature.
The air filter also keeps the smell to a minimum and has a thermostat alert control which makes a sound when the temperature goes above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The fridge can be a bit bulky because of the ice maker that might take up the refrigerator and door space. Its water filter is certified to eliminate most contaminants and metals in the water.
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5. Fisher Paykel Activesmart French Door Counter Depth Refrigerator
- Glass Shelves
- ActiveSmart Technology
- Humidity Control System
- LED Lighting
- Smart Touch Control Panel
The Fisher Paykel Activesmart French Door Counter Depth Refrigerator features a well-designed contour with a luxury finish at an affordable price. The interior of this fridge is spacious since there is no ice maker or water dispenser to worry about. It has a space of 12.1 cubic feet, which is enough for about four people, depending on the meals you need to store.
It features contact monitoring of humidity, airflow, and temperature to ensure an optimal environment is maintained. The turbo freeze features enable it to stabilize the temperature faster. The interior of the refrigerator has solid plastic bins with a sliding divider and aluminum railing, which looks different from a standard refrigerator. It features four-door bins in every door, where two of them, the top bin and bottom gallon bin, are fixed.
The fridge also has three adjustable glass shelves, where two have raised edges to manage the spills. This 32 inch counter refrigerator features three-tier freezer storage that is fully extendable storage. Although this model lacks an ice maker, the top left tray can be used as an ice caddy, and it also has a door alarm.
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Factors to Consider When Buying a Counter Depth Refrigerator
1. Types of Counter Depth Refrigerators
There are different types of counter depth refrigerators, including;
a). French Door Refrigerators
This is a popular refrigerator type that consists of both upper and lower compartments. The bottom compartment has a large freezer drawer, while the top compartment features two swing-out doors that gi.ve access to the fridge. For the refrigerator section, the height makes it even more convenient to access foods around the eye level.
However, there are newer styles that have added different styles to the normal setup. Some french door fridges come with four swing-out doors, where two are for the freezer and two for the refrigerator. Others come with two drawers at the bottom, where one is a freezer compartment, and the other one is a drawer for easy-to-access food.
b). Side by Side Refrigerators
It comes with two side-by-side doors where the refrigerator is on the right and the freezer on the left. This type of refrigerator gives a greater freezer space and a reduced refrigerator space.
c). Smart Tech
Smart Tech refrigerators include built-in screens on the door to allow you to add notes, recipes, calendars, watch TV or play some music. They feature high-tech iceboxes that will text you if the fridge runs low on ice or it's left open.
Moreover, you can connect them with other smart devices so that you either set your oven temperature, lock your front door or access your doorbell cameras. However, with all these features, these refrigerators come with a very high price tag, which means you should think twice before purchasing them.
d). Door-in-door
It includes a smaller outer door that has been built to one of the doors to allow you to view what's in the fridge without having to open the whole door. The newer side by side and french door fridges also come with a door-in-door style. It is reviewed to increase the convenience while still allowing the refrigerator to maintain its temperature because the number of times you open the fridge is reduced.
e). Bottom Freezer
These ones have a large door for the refrigerator and a freezer drawer at the bottom. They offer more capacity showers since they feature wide-swinging doors; they require more space to open, which might be a problem for narrow kitchens.
2. Storage Space/Capacity
This refers to the amount of food the fridge can hold in both the freezer and refrigerator. For counter depth fridges, they have less space on the interior compared to the standard depth fridges. This is because they are not as deep. The average storage capacity of counter depth refrigerators ranges from 20 to 22 cubic feet.
However, some counter-depth refrigerators are designed to be wider and taller to make up for the difference in depth and make it easier to organize. The shallow and wider style eliminates the hassle of digging food placed in the back.
3. Available Space for the Counter Depth Fridge
The space available in your kitchen is one of the most crucial factors that shouldn't be ignored. You don't want to buy a fridge, and then you realize it's too wide for space. To avoid this, measure the depth and height of the space. You also need to measure the refrigerator openings from different angles. Manufacturers of these counter-depth refrigerators often add an inch to their size descriptions to cater for installation.
4. Noise Level
Since all refrigerators use a compressor to create cold air, the compressor can be noisy when turned on. However, manufacturers have designed compressors that have been insulated to mute the noise. Any fridge operating under 40dBs is a quiet model, with the normal decibel range being 32 to 47dBs. Also, you can check the reviews to know about the noise level of a particular counter depth refrigerator.
5. Ice and Water Dispenser
Nearly all counter-depth refrigerators come with water and ice dispensers. Although it is not a must-have feature, it is worth considering. It allows you to prepare drinks easily. Some models may feature multiple or customized settings on the dispenser. However, you need to note that a dispenser may increase the price tag and cut down the capacity of your fridge.
6. Finishing of the Counter Depth Model
In most models, expect to find a stainless steel finish including a black stainless, black slate, standard stainless, and slate. This should be entirely based on personal preference; however, you want it to match your kitchen style.
7. Extra Features
Some counter depth refrigerators come with additional features like;
- Door alarm to know when you left the freezer or fridge open for too long
- Convertible compartments that can be converted from a fridge to a freeze and vice versa.
- Speed chilling to cool the freezer and fridge quickly
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Counter Depth Refrigerators
1. What is the most reliable counter-depth refrigerator?
The best counter depth refrigerators are dependent on a number of factors, including your kitchen space, needs, and preferences, capacity, extras, etc. According to us, our favorite has to be the Frigidaire Professional Stainless Steel Refrigerator.
2. What’s the main difference between a standard-depth refrigerator and a counter-depth refrigerator?
In comparison, counter-depth refrigerators will take up lesser space than standard refrigerators. Typically, a standard one has a depth of about 30 to 34 inches, while counter-depth refrigerators have an average depth of 23 to 27 inches. This also means that counter-depth refrigerators have less capacity than standard-depth refrigerators.
3. Is a counter-depth refrigerator worth it?
Yes. Counter-depth fridges give a more streamlined and attractive look to your kitchen, especially if you have a compact kitchen. They also give easier access to the contents on the fridge just because they are shallower than the standard refrigerators.
