Why Europeans Have Smaller Refrigerators (2024)

FAQs

Why Europeans Have Smaller Refrigerators? ›

However, kitchens in European homes are generally very small. This is one reason refrigerators are so compact. Kitchens there don't often have the counter space or light that American kitchens do. It's also not as common to store frozen foods in bulk; in fact, a kitchen isn't even a place where Europeans gather to eat.

Over the course of the nineteenth century, ice went from a luxury to a necessity for the vast majority of Americans and has remained so ever since. In the early twentieth century, the market for ice developed into a market for large refrigerators to keep all the foodstuffs that ice once preserved.

Refrigerator – Most American kitchens have a refrigerator that's roughly 2.5-3 feet wide and 5-6 feet tall. You might find smaller refrigerators in tiny apartments, university housing, wet bars, and small vacation cabins, but they're uncommon in “normal” homes.

Refrigerator Size

And generally speaking, smaller refrigerators consume less energy than bigger ones. Speaking of size, you should also carefully measure the space where you want to place your refrigerator and compare it to the sizes of the models you're considering.

What widths do fridges come in? Freestanding fridges can come in a range of widths, but they're commonly around 60cm wide.

The key reason for this is that in an American-style unit, the compressor – which gets hot – sits close to a large vertical freezer compartment. It doesn't take a physics expert to see the problem here. In short, the compressor needs to work extra hard to keep things suitably chilly, and so uses more energy to do so.

However, kitchens in European homes are generally very small. This is one reason refrigerators are so compact. Kitchens there don't often have the counter space or light that American kitchens do. It's also not as common to store frozen foods in bulk; in fact, a kitchen isn't even a place where Europeans gather to eat.

The key difference between the two is that an American style provides the fridge and freezer displayed side by side. Whereas a French style uses the top section as a spacious fridge and the bottom half as a large freezer compartment.

Side by side fridges give you two tall but narrow compartments while French door fridges provide shorter but wider spaces. Both models tend to come with a wide range of features such as exterior ice and water dispensers, adjustable shelves and door bins, along with higher-end finish options.

A medium, standard refrigerator size is 24 to 32 inches wide, 66 to 70 inches tall, and 29 to 36 inches deep. A medium refrigerator with 20 cu. ft. is ideal for a family of 4.

What is the optimal refrigerator size? ›

A 20-year-old refrigerator could use 1,700 kWh of electricity every year, compared with about 450 kWh for a similarly sized new ENERGY STAR model. At an electrical cost of 12 cents per kWh, that represents a savings of $150 per year and a potential payback of about 7-9 years.

The standard refrigerator dimensions of a French door refrigerator are between 29 to 35 inches wide, 67 to 70 inches in height, and 29 to 34 inches in depth. The standard size you'll find that's most common is 35 inches wide.

Out of all kitchen appliances, refrigerators are the least standard in terms of depth, however, height is usually around 1780 mm and width is usually around 915 mm. Depth can vary considerably depending on whether the refrigerator is considered a counter-depth refrigerator or not.

In terms of predicted reliability, the best built-in brands are Bosch and Thermador. They're the only brands to earn an excellent rating.

As the largest of all the American Appliance companies, the answer is yes. Based in Benton Charter Township, Michigan, with major manufacturing centers throughout North America, Whirlpool employs tens of thousands of American workers. The company has been making refrigerators since 1955.

The appliances of days gone by were built for longevity. They were made using simple parts — and perhaps more importantly — parts that were fixable. In fact, appliances manufactured in the 1970s often last from 30 to 50 years.

The shortened form Yank is used as a derogatory, pejorative, playful, or colloquial term for Americans in Britain, Australia, Canada, South Africa, Ireland, and New Zealand. The full Yankee may be considered mildly derogatory, depending on the country.

Un réfrigérateur (frigo) américain

Though, many of the French now have fridges that are comparable in size to American fridges.

Do Germans use refrigerators? ›

This statistic shows data on the share of private households with refrigerators or fridge-freezers in Germany from 2008 to 2022. In 2022, 99.9 percent of all private German households had a fridge.

Paris kitchens are filled daily with super-fresh food due to tiny fridges. Full-size (American-style) refrigerators are less common in Paris.

Mini fridges are great for those who live in smaller spaces or who just want the convenience of having their food right next to them at all times. One major benefit is that these fridges come in many sizes. You can find mini fridges that are large enough for a family-sized meal or small enough to fit on your desk.

The word we pronounce \FRIJ\ came about in the 1920s as a shortened and altered form of refrigerator, replicating phonetically the second syllable in the longer word, although early uses were spelled frig.

Cons of a French Door Fridge

Door storage in French door refrigerators can be quite narrow, forcing you to use the main space for items like large beverage containers. If you often dine on prepackaged meals or other freezer items, the bottom drawer might be less convenient for you to access regularly.

In the energy efficiency battle of bottom-mount freezer vs. side-by-side fridges or top-mount freezer vs. side-by-side fridges — yes, it does matter where that freezer sits: The most energy efficient refrigerator style is a top-mount freezer refrigerator.

Make the most of the latest technology. Frost-free freezers, humidity regulators, fast chill settings, auto defrost, holiday mode and blue light technology (to keep food fresher for longer and help lock in nutrients) are just some of the advantages of American fridge freezers.

Because they have such a large interior capacity, many French door refrigerators will be more expensive to run than other configurations of fridge. This is simply due to the nature of physics: it takes more energy to keep a large space cool than it does to cool a small space.

Which is better: a side-by-side refrigerator or bottom freezer? Bottom freezers are great for size capacity, stacking, and efficiency. Side-by-side refrigerators are best for accessibility, small spaces, and price.

Thankfully, the first refrigerator arrived on the domestic scene in 1927, and by the year 1944 85% of American households owned a refrigerator. The appliances of the 1950's brought on a wave of new technological innovations and advances that would continue to keep consumers intrigued for decades to come.

Will a 35.75 refrigerator fit in a 36 room? ›

Yes, it should. Mine measures 35.75" wide.

Standard refrigerator sizes range from around 24 to 40 inches in width, 62 to 72 inches in height and 29 to 36 inches in depth. Generally speaking, french door and side-by-side refrigerators will be larger in width and height, though counter-depth models are frequently available in these two configurations.

For reference, each adult needs approximately 4 to 6 cubic feet of refrigerator space. That said, industry experts assess that a typical family of four needs at least 20 cubic feet of capacity to house a healthy amount of groceries.

Better organization and less food waste.

Research shows that a lot of food is wasted simply because it's forgotten somewhere in the fridge behind other food items. A bigger fridge will enable you to organize its contents and have a better overview over them, so you'll always know what's on stock.

Most refrigerators are designed to last between 10 and 20 years. If you're having any of the other problems on this list and the fridge is over ten years old, you'll probably save more money in the long run by simply replacing it. Otherwise, you could sink money into repairs for a fridge that's already on its way out.

For a family of 2 to 4, I recommend a fridge capacity of 200-500L. Alternatively, a family of 4 will ideally need a fridge capacity of around 500L. Families larger than 4 members will need a fridge with an even bigger capacity.

Older Appliances Were Designed to Last

Another reason that older appliances tend to last longer is that they were designed to be repaired, rather than replaced. The parts were simple and easy to fix, so people could keep their appliances running for much longer than they can today.

A refrigerator can last anywhere from 10 to 20 years. The older your unit is, the more it may cost to repair it. Eventually the cost of repairs will start to outweigh the cost of a replacement.

French door refrigerator cons

Reduced freezer capacity: A focus on fresh items leaves less space for frozen foods, which may be problematic for those who prefer making and freezing meals ahead of time.

Is there more room in a French door refrigerator? ›

Aside from aesthetics, what really separates side-by-sides and French doors is the way they make use of the space inside. For starters, French door models typically offer a little more room in the fridge section than comparable side-by-sides.

It is an American-made brand that has become synonymous with excellent quality, longevity, and modern design. If you ask someone who has one, they'll likely tell you that a Viking fridge is one of the best cooling units you'll ever own.

Standard mini fridge dimensions

The specific size of mini refrigerator that you need will depend on what you plan to use it for, but most often range from 30 to 35 inches in height, 18 to 24 inches in width, and 19 to 26 inches in depth.

These smaller refrigerators work just fine for many Brits, as they tend to shop more often and buy smaller amounts of fresh food. Microwave – The microwave in the kitchen above might be considered a bit small in many US homes, but it's a very normal size for a UK kitchen.

Undercounter (81.5 to 85cm) Fridges.

The reason that the fridge sticks out a bit is to allow the doors to open properly. Some people say that they would like it flush with the tall units, to make it line up with all the other units but the American Fridge/Freezer is supposed to be fitted like this.

Standard refrigerator sizes range from around 24 to 40 inches in width, 62 to 72 inches in height and 29 to 36 inches in depth. Generally speaking, french door and side-by-side refrigerators will be larger in width and height, though counter-depth models are frequently available in these two configurations.

What are the disadvantages of American fridge freezers? ›

Possible disadvantages

Unsurprisingly given their capacity, they are an awful lot bigger than the typical fridge freezer. You need more height, more width and more depth in your kitchen to accommodate one. So measure carefully, especially if you have a kitchen that's on the smaller side.

Make the most of the latest technology. Frost-free freezers, humidity regulators, fast chill settings, auto defrost, holiday mode and blue light technology (to keep food fresher for longer and help lock in nutrients) are just some of the advantages of American fridge freezers.

You can expect your American fridge freezer to last for up to 14 years. Proper maintenance and servicing will make it last longer than this. The parts of a fridge can still be functional for up to 20 years, so if yours is broken you might be able to salvage some parts that might be of worth to someone.

Typically, the standard size for a professional-grade refrigerator falls between 30 to 36 inches width, 67 to 70 inches in height, and 29 to 35 inches in depth. When it comes to the interior, the refrigerator itself should provide you with 14 to 20 cubic feet of space.

Pros of a French Door Fridge

Their modern design—often with a stainless steel finish—offers a sleek, elegant look to any kitchen. The wider dimensions allow for storage of larger food items, like sizable storage containers and large serving trays. If you often host dinner guests, this could be a major benefit for you.

Luxury refrigerators are made to last. They are often made with higher-quality materials and use the latest technology to provide a better refrigeration experience. You may find that there are advanced features and design options with your luxury refrigerator that you won't get with standard models.

Since the 1970s, the standard fridge has grown in size, but uses a quarter of the energy of those older models. And you're getting more for less money, since the manufacturer price of the fridge has halved (adjusting for inflation) in those 50 years.

As for capacity, most manufacturers recommend 19 to 22 cubic feet for a family of four. But if you do a big weekly shopping trip or buy in bulk, you may need more—up to 30 to 33 cubic feet.