What is a bottom freezer refrigerator?
Refrigerators have been sold for years with the freezer component on top. Today you can buy one with the freezer on the bottom. All major appliance makers are selling these. The units are typically higher-priced, so why would you consider buying one? These are the selling points:
- If the bottom freezer is a pull-out drawer, then it will likely hold more than a top-freezer. Instead of carefully packing a top freezer so that items don’t fall out, everything can be dropped in quickly. Of course, the less time the freezer is open, the less electricity it requires.
- With the refrigerator portion higher and at eye level, it is easier to see and reach your cold foods.
- The unit may possibly be more energy efficient, but you will have to pay attention to the efficiency rating of individual appliances in order to be sure. The theory is that since hot air rises, the cold air of the freezer drawer stays in better. A top-freezer, by contrast, spills out its cold air, which then falls down towards your floor each time you open the door.
Refrigerators today are also sold with a side-freezer. These are typically less energy efficient than either top or bottom freezers.
One major draw-back of the bottom freezer is that if you are a person who uses the freezer compartment frequently, and you also have a weak back, then the extra bending and lifting is probably not in your best interests. Another criticism is that bottom freezer units tend to require more servicing than top freezer units, although the reason why this is has not yet been determined.
A bottom freezer refrigerator puts the fresh food you need to access most often right where you need it — at eye level. The less frequently accessed freezer section is moved to the bottom of the unit. The decision to purchase a bottom freezer refrigerator really depends on how important it is to you to have fresh food in a more accessible, easily viewable area. There are three general types of bottom freezer refrigerators: the swing door, the freezer drawer and the French door model. The swing door is the original bottom freezer model. It works just like a regular refrigerator door and swings open either on the right or the left. This type of bottom freezer refrigerator is probably the most difficult to access because you have to bend over to dig through the freezer. Although this can be a hassle, drawers and wire bins available in these models make it easier to organize your frozen food. The second type of bottom freezer refrigerator has gained in popularity due to its easier accessi
