Popular New Features of Refrigerators and Freezers

source: GE Appliances
GE, Model PGCS1RKZSS

Gone are the days when refrigerators and freezers were simple appliances used to store and preserve our food. Today’s refrigerators and freezers are much more sophisticated both in design and function.

Now, appliance manufacturers are creating these appliances with more specialty features such as upscale exterior finishes and flexible interior storage compartments reflecting the consumers demand for more convenience, performance and style.

In the past, the most expensive refrigerators tended to have the most bells and whistles, but with today’s advancements in technology many of these snazzy features that used to be exclusive to high-end refrigerator and freezers can now be found in a full range of price points.

The most common features available in most refrigerators and freezers today include automatic icemakers, automatic defrost, adjustable shelves with spill guards, and separate storage drawers for meats and vegetables, but if you want to get fancy, look for storage bins that have separate temperature and humidity controls as well as special dividers for better organization.

Some refrigerators even have cooling drawers that rapidly chill drinks or bottles of wine and full-width drawers great for storing party trays.

source: Samsung

source: KitchenAid

One popular feature that has been around for awhile is the in-door ice and water dispenser most commonly found on side-by-side refrigerators. The newer versions of these in-door dispensers are being designed with higher clearances to allow pitchers and other tall containers to be filled.

If you choose a refrigerator with an ice maker and water dispenser, you will probably want a water filtration system, which means you will occasionally have to change the water filter. Luckily, most appliance manufacturers have made the location of the water filter much more accessible and some refrigerators even feature an alarm that signals when it’s time to change it.

source: GE Appliances

source: KitchenAid

Some great new hi-tech features are happening with refrigerator and freezer controls too. Most new refrigerators have said goodbye to the mechanical controls and hello to the digital age. These electronic controls not only offer convenience but they provide more precise control of temperature and humidity, helping food stay fresh longer.

Controls can now be accessed through electronic touch pads with digital displays that show not only temperature settings, but the actual temperature of the interior.

Many even have an alarm that sounds if a door is left ajar or if there is a power failure.

And, if you like to display family photos on your refrigerator, say goodbye to your magnets because one of the newest features available on modern refrigerators is a USB port allowing you to download photos to the digital display.

source: Samsung

source: KitchenAid

Last but not least are the finishes available today. The most standard finishes for refrigerators and freezers are classic white and black.

Stainless is one of the most popular finishes and new advances have helped make this finish more fingerprint resistant. Because of the popularity of the stainless finish, many manufacturers have added more brushed metal finish options such as bronze and graphite.

There are also more contemporary finishes such as floating glass finishes available in a variety of colors. And, many of the higher-end models accept custom panels that can be made to match your surrounding cabinetry.

source: GE Appliances

source: KitchenAid