Should I get a refrigerator with the freezer on the side, bottom, or top?  

The vast majority of the time when you are going out to purchase a refrigerator, you are also purchasing a new freezer. Very few models these days do not come with some combination of both, and so the considerations that you take into account with your fridge should also be taken into account with your freezer.

One of these things that you will need to think about is the location of the freezer in your refrigerator unit. There are generally three different places the freezer compartment may be located, and each has its own benefits and weaknesses.

   

 

  

 

Freezer Compartment Locations on Refrigerator Units

·        Freezer on Top

Perhaps the most well recognized freezer location is on top of the refrigerating compartment. Freezers are generally found on top of the units for a variety of reasons. First, many of the heavier items you will have to handle are going to be held in the freezer, and keeping it on the top reduces bending. The freezer also is usually one of the more difficult places to see the items you have available, so this keeps all of the items at eye level for easy viewing.

·        Freezer on Bottom

At the same time, some people prefer to have the freezer on the bottom for very similar reasons. Non-meat eaters, especially, do not often look inside the freezer and do not need it at eye level, because they open it infrequently and store less in there. With the freezer on the bottom, the refrigerator foods are at eye level instead. In addition, heavier foods such as frozen chickens cannot slip out of the freezer and fall onto you, which is a concern of those that have very full freezers.

·        Freezer Side by Side

The final location a freezer may be found is located to the side of the refrigerator.  There are a variety of different benefits and weaknesses of this type of model. Some of the benefits include greater amounts of space for your frozen items, easy placement of these items in the freezer, etc. However, this type of refrigerator usually steals space from the fridge compartment, which makes it less ideal for households that store a number of items. The freezer also does not handle wider foods well, as there is less width available to make up for the height. .

Choosing Your Freezer Type Should be Based on Personal Preference

Any time you purchase a refrigerator, chances are you are purchasing your new freezer as well. That makes it very important that you decide how you want your freezer placed on your unit, as the location of the freezer can drastically impact how easily the refrigerator is used, how much space is available, and whether or not you will be able to store all of your frozen items. Each of these types of models has its benefits and weaknesses, so your personal preference plays a fairly substantial role in which appliance you decide to purchase.

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