5 refrigerators to suit different needs

New refrigerators are significantly cooler than anything our parents have been dealing with. They chill faster, run cheaper and some have those very important LED lights and buttons. We love buttons. 

Here's five terrific options based on price, the size of your room, how you prefer to freeze food and the glam factor. 

Walton WCG-3J0-DDXX-XX (Double Door)

Price: BDT 30,900
Type: Direct Cooling
Net Volume: 300 Litres
Temperature Control:  Mechanical
Dimensions: 1210mm X 675mm X 845mm

Warranty information: (By Walton)

• Replacement Guarantee (Compressor, Chamber, Condenser): 1 Year
• Main Parts (Compressor): 12 Years
• Spare Parts: 4 Years 
• After Sales Service: 5 Years

Pros: Double door chest freezer with two separate compartments. Smaller openings mean you don't lose much of the chill while searching for that packet of kabab. The doors swing upward, terrific for a small kitchen/dining with tight walking spaces. Exceptional Warranty promise (probably the highest duration provided by any brand in Bangladesh). Comes in varied colours and prints. 

Cons: Hard to get to items in the bottom. May require manual defrosting. Despite dominating almost 70% of the refrigerator market outside Dhaka, this Bangladesh brand is yet to be fully embraced by consumers in the country's capital.

Sharp SJ-EK301E - Top Mount Refrigerator

Price: BDT 51,205
Type: Fan Cooling System
Net Volume: 242 Litres
Temperature Control:  Mechanical
Dimensions: 545mm x 1,560mm x 588mm

Warranty information: (By Esquire Electronics Ltd: the Authorized Distributor of all the SHARP appliances in Bangladesh)

• Electrical Spare Parts: 5 Years 
• Compressor: 10 Years 
• Free Service: 5 Years 

Pros: Update of a traditional model, now with glass shelves and deodorizer to keep everything odour free. Old brand with a proven track record of long term reliability. Someone in your family has a Sharp for the past 20 years.  
A top mount freezer also adds to slightly better efficiency compared to freezers located at the bottom of refrigerators. Compressors of a refrigerator release heat. Being located at the bottom, some of that heat slightly affects the bottom mount freezers. 

Cons: Slightly outdated technology in 2021 but not quite a dealbreaker.

Samsung Top Mount Refrigerator RT42K5532SL/D2 

Price: BDT 74,900
Type: Twin Cooling Plus/Digital Inverter
Net Volume: 415 Litres
Temperature Control:  Digital
Dimensions: 675mm x 1785mm x 668mm

Warranty information: (By Transcom Digital)

• Digital Inverter Compressor: 10 Years 
• Spare parts: 1 Year 
• After sales service: 2 Years

Pros: Overall, all rounded good refrigerator for family usage. The best feature is the fact its temperature can be adjusted with just the click of a button externally. Inverter tech means compressor runs at decreased power when cooling needs are less.

Cons: Door handle is hard to grasp.

Hitachi Big French Refrigerator R-W690P7PB (GBK) 

Price: BDT 159,000
Type: Inverter Compressor/Dual Fan cooling
Net Volume: 586 Litres
Temperature Control:  Digital
Dimensions: 1820mm x 860mm x 710 mm

Warranty information: (By Transcom Digital)

• Digital Inverter Compressor: 10 Years 
• Spare parts: 1 Year 
• After sales service: 2 Years

Pros: A deeper, bottom mount freezer drawer means easier access to those heavy chunks of frozen meat. Massive door bins if you need to store a lot of liquids in big jars/bottles. Futuristic functions and performance, high end premium consumer experience. 

Cons: French door refrigerators often not ideal for typical tightly packed Bangladeshi households and they take up a lot of space. 

LG 360 LITER NO-FROST REFRIGERATOR EBONY SHEEN LG 2B402RXCB 

Price: BDT 68,920
Type: Smart Inverter, Door Cooling, Multi Air Flow
Net Volume: 360 Litres
Temperature Control:  Digital
Dimensions: 1780mm x 600mm x 685 mm

Warranty information: (By Butterfly Group BD)

• Digital Inverter Compressor: 10 Years 
• Spare parts: 2 Year 
• After sales service: 2 Years

Pros: Door Cooling technology (Trademark Technology by LG) prevents temperature fluctuation when doors are opened. It provides a cold air stream at the front of the refrigerator so that cold temperature is maintained despite kids opening a fridge and looking for food for the 19th time. Inverter tech keeps energy costs down. 

Cons: Stiff competition in this price segment by Samsung and Hitachi, better or similar options available by some local brands at cheaper prices.