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7 Best Refrigerators Buyer’s Guide & Reviews!
Refrigerators have become common in India, with almost every home having at least one.
It is an essential appliance because the food can get spoilt in Indian climatic conditions if we do not refrigerate it.
Refrigerators are available in various configurations and sizes. The choice of the ideal refrigerator for the home depends on multiple factors.
- The number of people in the house
- The individual requirements of the occupants
- The budget
The budget is significant because one can get refrigerators under Rs 15K, as well as above Rs 50K.
Naturally, the features differ. In our buying guide for refrigerators below Rs 15,000, we shall consider the points you should look at when purchasing the ideal fridge for your home.
Best Refrigerator under 15000
1. LG 190L 4-Star – GLD201ARGY
LG has various models in almost all the price brackets. A significant majority of Indian homemakers prefer LG refrigerators to other brands because of its excellent features.
Remarkable Features
- Direct-Cool Single-door refrigerator
- A capacity of 190 litres, ideal for small families up to three persons
- 4-star BEE rating
- Smart Inverter compressor
LG refrigerators have a reputation for being highly efficient, durable, and ensuring tremendous savings. The smart inverter compressor should take the credit for these accomplishments.
These inverter compressors are designed to provide unmatched performance. Besides being noiseless, they offer excellent savings and a stabiliser-free operation.
These models had a 5-star rating in 2019. However, BEE has downgraded the rating to 4-star in 2020. It does not affect the performance much.
The advantage of the smart inverter compressor is that it is compatible with the home inverter system.
The functioning of the refrigerator on the home inverter does not put any additional load on the compressor. While consuming less power, this refrigerator can work for up to 36 hours comfortably. Thus, there are minimal chances of your food getting spoilt.
This appliance can work without an external stabiliser, as the inbuilt voltage stabiliser can handle voltage fluctuations between 90V to 310V.
This refrigerator features toughened glass shelves capable of withstanding weights up to 175Kg. The adjustable pattern of the shelves allows you to customise the space, depending on your requirements.
The LG refrigerator comes equipped with a unique lattice-type box cover over the vegetable crisper. This cover maintains the moisture at optimum levels, thereby ensuring that your vegetables and fruits remain fresh for extended periods.
This refrigerator is an efficient one for making ice cubes, as it can do so in 108 minutes. The anti-bacterial gasket is an excellent feature that ensures that your food remains hygienic.
Another exciting aspect of this appliance is the base stand with a drawer to store vegetables that do not require refrigerating.
- Extraordinary performance with excellent cooling
- Ideal for small families and single individuals
- Fantastic energy savings
- Manual defrosting is a significant demerit.
2. Samsung 192L 4-Star – RR20T182XR8/HL
Samsung has an excellent model in its repertoire to match the LG refrigerator described above. Similar to the LG model, this refrigerator has an attractive appearance with a floral design on the door. It also comes with excellent features.
Outstanding Features
- Direct-cool Single-door refrigerator
- A capacity of 192 litres, adequate for small families
- 4-star BEE rating
- Inverter Compressor
Samsung provides a new grand design for the door, thereby making it more enticing for the Indian homemaker.
The digital inverter technology ensures that this refrigerator ranks at the top as far as energy savings, noise production, and durability are concerned. The compressor adjusts its speed, depending on the cooling demand.
The grand door design enhances the look of the appliance to an entirely different level. Your kitchen ends up looking modern and sophisticated with such a refrigerator stealing the show.
The bar chrome handle adds to the attraction quotient while enhancing the convenience factor.
One of the merits of this appliance is the compatibility with the home inverter and solar panels. Thus, it ensures the food remains fresh even during power cuts. The compatibility with solar energy reduces your electricity bills even further.
This refrigerator does not need a separate voltage stabiliser because its stabiliser-free operation can handle input voltage between 100V and 300V.
The presence of LED lights enhances illumination while increasing storage space. This appliance comes with toughened glass shelves capable of bearing weights up to 175Kg comfortably.
The vegetable box is a large one that provides excellent facilities to store your fruits and vegetables in one place.
Besides, this refrigerator features a base stand drawer in the lower part of the appliance. You can comfortably store vegetables like onions and potatoes, that generally do not require refrigeration.
Another excellent functionality is the presence of the anti-bacterial gasket. It prevents the bacteria and fungi from accumulating, thereby enhancing hygiene levels.
This fridge is one of the safest single-door models because it comes equipped with a clean back cover to protect the vulnerable parts like wires and condenser tubes from damage.
- Quick cooling and a reliable performance
- One of the most elegant looks
- Minimum noise pollution
- Vegetables tend to get soggy with moisture after three to four days
3. Godrej 190L 5-Star – RD 1905 PTDI 53 JW BL
Godrej refrigerators are one of the earliest brands to hit the market. The name Godrej spells reliability of the highest standard. This model comes with unique features to qualify as an ideal refrigerator in the Rs 15,000 pricing range.
Astounding Features
- Direct-cool Single-door refrigerator
- Storage capacity of 190 litres, best for small families
- 5-star energy rating
- Inverter Compressor
Godrej is a pure Indian manufacturer who proudly adheres to the Make in India campaign launched by the Indian Government. This refrigerator is one of the most eco-friendly models available in India.
This Godrej refrigerator is one of the few Direct-Cool models to offer uniform cooling throughout the appliance. This factor is responsible for this refrigerator bagging a 5-star BEE rating.
Another factor that contributes to higher electricity savings is the advanced inverter technology that adjusts the compressor speeds according to the cooling demands.
Besides enhancing efficiency, it also ensures silent operations.
The Anti-drip chiller functionality is an innovative one because it ensures that the chiller tray placed beneath the freezer compartment doe not have any droplet formation.
On the storage front, the Godrej refrigerator ranks as one of the best because it offers one of the largest vegetable trays amongst its peers in the market.
This refrigerator also boasts of the most extensive dry storage feature like a shelf at the bottom of the appliance.
This base stand drawer can store adequate vegetables like potatoes and onions that do not need refrigeration.
The toughened glass shelves can comfortably withstand weights up to 150Kg. The adjustable nature of the shelves allows for more significant storage space.
You can remove a couple of shelves or adjust their height accordingly to create more storage space if necessary.
This appliance features one of the best storage space for large 2L bottles on the door.
- Godrej is an excellent brand name that spells reliability.
- Fantastic performance matched by incredible power savings
- Full value for the money you spend
- The refrigerator features a single ice tray
- The backside is exposed.
4. Whirlpool 190L 4-Star – WDE 205 ROY 4S INV
Whirlpool is another exciting refrigerator brand having an excellent following in India. Whirlpool refrigerators come with their trademark Intellisense Inverter technology to save power while working noiselessly.
Amazing Features
- Direct-Cool single-door refrigerator
- 190 litres capacity make it ideal for small families
- 4-Star BEE rating
- Intellisense Inverter Compressor
Whirlpool refrigerators come with advanced insulated capillary technology to ensure up to nine hours of cooling retention. Hence, it is one of the ideal refrigerators to have during power cuts.
The Whirlpool refrigerator comes with a 4-star energy rating, thus saving on your electricity bills.
The Intellisense Inverter technology adjusts to the cooling demands and alters the compressor’s speed accordingly. Besides, the inverter compressor does not make any noise while functioning.
A crucial feature of this fridge is the stabiliser-free operation that obviates the use of an external voltage stabiliser.
There are facilities to connect this refrigerator to the home inverter. Hence, it should not matter if there is a power cut. The fridge keeps on functioning.
Besides, the cooling retention technology maintains the freezer compartment cool.
This refrigerator features excellent storage options with a large vegetable crisper, whereby you never run out of space when storing vegetables and fruits.
It also comes with a Quick Chill Zone with stackable ice trays, thereby ensuring maximum freezer space.
The toughened glass shelves can withstand the weight of massive vessels weighing up to a maximum of 150Kg. The adjustable shelves and jumbo bottle racks add to the fantastic storage space.
As far as maintaining the freshness of vegetables and fruits, this refrigerator ranks amongst the best in the business.
The honeycomb lock-in technology features a unique advanced moisture slider to help maintain optimum moisture and ensure that the vegetables and fruits stay fresh for extended periods.
Another highlight is the easy manual defrosting feature to ensure hassle-free defrosting to help the fridge maintain effective cooling performance.
- One of the best energy-efficient fridges in India
- Excellent performance
- Cooling retention technology is a stand-out feature
- Incredible storage space
- Customer service issues persist.
5. Whirlpool 190L 3-star – WDE 205 CLS 3S
Compared to the Whirlpool model discussed above, this appliance comes with a 3-star rating. Therefore, it is an inferior performer on the energy savings front. However, it is available at a lower price, when compared to the earlier model.
Incredible Features
- Direct-cool single-door refrigerator
- A capacity of 190 litres makes it ideal for small families
- 3-star rating
- Cooling retention technology
Though this refrigerator appears similar to the other Whirlpool model, there are stark differences between the two.
This refrigerator does not come with an Intellisense Inverter compressor. It features a conventional compressor but features an inbuilt voltage stabiliser to withstand massive voltage fluctuations in the range of 130V to 300V.
This refrigerator comes with advanced insulated capillary technology that offers up to nine hours of cooling retention.
One of the advantages of this appliance is the facility of large freezer capacity. Besides, it also features a chiller sufficient to store adequate milk packets and cans.
On the storage front, this refrigerator is well equipped with a large vegetable crisper to store adequate vegetables to last a minimum for a week.
The vegetable crisper features a unique honeycomb moisture lock-in technology to maintain optimum moisture in the vegetables, thereby keeping them fresh for extended periods.
The unique advanced moisture slider helps to retain the optimum moisture in your vegetables to keep them fresh.
This refrigerator features wire shelves instead of toughened glass other refrigerators discussed above have.
The best part of these shelves is that they are easy to customise. However, they have a disadvantage because these shelves cannot bear the weight of heavy utensils.
This refrigerator features a jumbo bottle rack that enables comfortable placing of three large 2L bottles.
Another highlighting feature of this refrigerator is its sleek appearance. The pocket handle placed at the top of the door blends with the overall design of the appliance.
It adds to its modern looks. On the hygiene front, the removable anti-bacterial gasket helps in preventing the build-up of fungi and bacteria inside the device.
This fridge comes with a manual defrosting option that is easy to operate.
- Forms ice quickly and retain cooling during power cuts
- Adjustable racks make for excellent storage options.
- In-built voltage stabiliser
- No inverter compressor
- Electricity consumption issues, as it is a 3-star appliance.
6. Haier 195L 4-Star – HED-20CFDS
Haier is an international brand manufacturing some of the best refrigerators under 15k. This direct-cool single-door fridge comes with excellent features.
Fantastic features
- Direct-cool single-door refrigerator
- 195L capacity to cater to small families comprising three persons
- Reciprocator Compressor
- 4-star BEE rating
Haier refrigerators are renowned for their style, savings, and superfast cooling. Besides, these fridges are easy to maintain. These 195L refrigerator models come with door locks to prevent children from splurging on ice creams and chocolates.
On the hygiene front, it is one of the safest because of the presence of the anti-fungal gasket that keeps bacteria and fungi out.
The aesthetic looks of this single-door refrigerator are its highlighting features. The attractive doors and stylish handle adds to the modern and lavish appearance of your kitchen. This appliance comes in a range of gorgeous colours.
On the operational front, the hour-icing technology is an excellent one where you get ice within one hour of filling the ice trays with water.
Despite its superb cooling performance, the appliance does not allow the formation of much frost around the freezer compartment. If it does so, you have the defrosting button that you need to press to get rid of the excess ice.
Storage is never an issue with this Haier model as the large vegetable box can keep your perishable fruits and vegetables fresh for a long time. The multi-airflow technology aids in maintaining the freshness.
Toughened glass shelves capable of withstanding heavy utensils add to the excellent features of this appliance. It makes sure that you need not store your food in small containers.
This refrigerator comes with a PUF insulation on the door to help retain the internal temperatures efficiently for better cooling performance.
Though this refrigerator has stunning looks, it is a powerhouse of a performer when it comes to performance. Therefore, it is an energy-saving appliance, as evidenced by the 4-star BEE rating.
The stabiliser-free operations ensure that voltage fluctuations should not be an issue anymore. This appliance can work with an input voltage as low as 135V.
- Excellent value for the money you spend
- Classic looks complemented by an exemplary cooling performance
- Adequate for small families
- Does not have adjustable compartments
7. Haier 52L 3-Star HR-62VS
Mini refrigerators are standard amongst individuals who live alone. Bachelors, especially love such refrigerators because it provides them with ample space to store their drinking cans and bottles. The portability makes it an excellent device to have in the bedroom.
Stunning Features
- Direct-Cool Single-Door refrigerator
- 52L capacity, ideal for single individuals
- Non-inverter compressor
- 2-star BEE rating
This 52L refrigerator is ideal for storing your ice creams, fruit juices, and other drinking cans. This appliance comes with a mini-freezer to make ice as quickly as possible.
One of the highlights of this Haier fridge is its ease of maintenance. The anti-fungal gasket prevents the formation and accumulation of bacteria or fungi, thereby keeping your food safe.
The sleek looks of this refrigerator can entice anyone to purchase it even if they have another fridge in the home. This 52L appliance can come in handy as an additional cooling device in the bedroom.
The low noise levels also make it the perfect one. Though it does not come with an inverter motor, the compressor makes noise as low as 43dB.
The separate ice compartment ensures better ice formation. Its strategic placement does not occupy any space, thereby allowing easy storage of your other ingredients.
The removable wire shelves add to the flexibility, whereby you can adjust the shelf size accordingly. The best aspect of this mini-fridge is that it features two sturdy door racks to enable you to place your 1L bottles comfortably.
Though small, it is a spacious appliance because it comes with a separate bottle rack, freezer compartment, and a central storage area for other foods.
The PUF insulation on the doors ensures that the internal temperature does not go down when the door is closed. It then provides better cooling.
The refrigerator features an inbuilt-voltage stabiliser that can handle input voltage in the range of 135V to 290V comfortably.
- Compact in size, but a superb performance
- Excellent device to have in the bedroom
- Incredible cooling
- Low energy consumption
- Though ideal for single individuals, not useful for families
- Cannot store large vessels
Points to Consider when Purchasing a refrigerator under Rs 15,000
We are looking for a refrigerator in the budget range of Rs 15k. As we have a low budget, we cannot look beyond the Direct-cool or the Single-Door refrigerators.
The fridges with multiple doors and other features like convertibility are available at much higher prices. Therefore, we shall concentrate on the Direct-cool refrigerators alone in this article.
Direct-cool Refrigerators
Direct-cool refrigerators function in the most basic manner that involves the use of fans for cooling the refrigerator compartment.
These appliances use the convection mode for cooling the interiors. The disadvantage of these refrigerators is that they do not cool the entire appliance uniformly.
Nevertheless, these appliances are highly efficient. They come with specific advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of Direct-cool Refrigerators
- The natural convection process ensures good-quality cooling.
- These appliances come with an efficient design.
- On the pricing front, these refrigerators are the most affordable.
- They are ideal for bachelors and small families comprising of three persons.
- These refrigerators have high-quality freezer compartments because the cooling is focused on the freezer chambers.
- Some of the latest models come with inverter motor technology, and auto defrost mode.
Disadvantages of Direct-cool Refrigerators
- These appliances are not suitable for families having more than three members.
- The Direct-cool refrigerators generally come with manual defrost options. This option can result in accumulation of frost.
- As these appliances come with capacity less than 250L, people often face space constraints for storing food.
- Generally, the backside of these refrigerators is exposed. Hence, it can accumulate dust.
Manual Defrosting Vs. Auto defrost or Frost-free
The single-door refrigerators usually come with manual defrosting. One has to activate the feature by pressing a button.
These appliances focus the cooling near the freezer compartment. Hence, there is a massive build-up of frost.
On activating the defrosting button, the ice starts to melt. The water trickles down through a tube into a container strategically placed above the compressor.
The water evaporates due to the heat generated by the compressor. As the ice melts away completely, the refrigerator starts functioning again.
Some of the latest single-door fridges come with auto defrosting options. The advantage of such appliances is that you do not have to activate the defrosting option manually.
However, the procedure of defrosting is the same. These appliances have a heating element inside to ensure the melting of the ice inside the freezer compartment.
The advantage of the frost-free option is that there is no build-up of ice inside the freezer compartment.
The frost-free refrigerators are convenient to use, but the sides of these appliances tend to heat up.
The capacity of the refrigerator
Single-door refrigerators come in various sizes with a maximum capacity of 250 litres.
Depending on the number of people in your home, you can select the ideal size.
Single persons can opt for refrigerators ranging from 40L to 100L. Families with three persons would require an appliance in the range of 150L to 250L.
Space
Compared to the multiple-door refrigerators, the single-door fridges occupy less space.
However, refrigerators need a lot of room to enable the doors to open fully. Therefore, the space available in the house determines the fridge you choose.
One should also ensure adequate space at the back for comfortable ventilation.
BEE Star Ratings
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has mandated that refrigerator manufacturers include the BEE star ratings on the appliances.
The ratings range from 1-star to 5-star. The 5-star rated refrigerators save the maximum power but are the most expensive of the lot.
However, you can recover the additional investment within a couple of years, as a 5-star refrigerator can save up to Rs 1,800 a year by way of energy savings.
Compressors
Generally, direct-cool refrigerators come with a standard compressor that runs at constant speeds.
These motors switch off when the temperature inside the appliance reaches a threshold level. It switches on again after some time to maintain the cooling. Thus, these compressors tend to make some noise.
The latest generation of direct-cool refrigerators come with inverter motors.
The advantage of an inverter motor is that it does not switch off at all. Instead, it runs at varying speeds, depending on the external and internal temperature, and the load inside the appliance. Therefore, inverter motors save energy.
Refrigerators equipped with inverter motors get a 5-star rating, thereby making them initially expensive in comparison.
Other features to consider
Frequently Asked Questions
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