While upgrading refrigerator for their homes people in India nowadays are considering side by side by models too if budget is not a factor. Most get attracted to bigger size side by side fridge mostly shown in TV ads. Double door models are hardly shown.

Lets discuss if for a typical Indian home is it a wise decision to buy a side by side refrigerator. Biggest factor against side by side refrigerator is freezer to fridge ratio(space of freezer out of total available space). In side by side refrigerators this is approx 40:60% of total space while in normal double door fridge it is 20:80%. Infact in single door refrigerators its even lower at 10:90%.

This is good mostly for working couple who like to cook and freeze there food on weekends so as to use it on working days. I doubt we have that kind of culture in India as we are strictly against frozen foods as our parents love to cook due to easily available fresh veggies from cart/vendor nearby.

Plus there is extra power consumption too due to this higher freezer space ratio. You’ll mostly notice that these side by side refrigerators are low on star rating due to this and become a major cost in electricity bills.

Better alternative for Indian home is to instead buy a refrigerator with following features:

  • Bottom Freezer – So that fridge part is easily accessible as Women mostly tend to have back problems.
  • Inverter compressor – Not only these are latest and power saving. These also tend to operate on wide range on voltage thus saving transformer cost and are super silent too.
  • Convertible fridge – Are the future where you can change freezer to fridge mode or even put it off for holidays. Tend to save power and increase life of compressor too.
  • Spend more on 5star or 4star power saving models as refrigerator is kept on 24/7 365 days.

Have a look at few good Bottom Freezer Refrigerators:

Bosch 559 L 2 Star Inverter Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator (Series 4 KGN56XI40I, Inox-easyclean, Bottom Freezer, 2022 Model)
  • The star rating changes are as per BEE guidelines on or before 1st Jan 2023
  • Warranty: 10 Year Warranty on Compressor, 1 year Warranty on product
  • Provides much more space for your food.
  • LED interior light: Illuminates the refrigerator evenly and glare-free, and lasts for its entire life.
  • Multiairflow system: Minimises fluctuating temperatures by ensuring optimal and uniform air circulation in the fridge.
Haier 320 L 2 Star Inverter Frost-Free Double Door Refrigerator (HRB-3404BMS-E, Moon Silver,Bottom Freezer)
  • Frost-free Double door refrigerator with Auto defrost to stop ice-build up
  • Capacity: 320 litres suitable for a medium sized family
  • Energy rating: 2 star, Annual energy consumption: 265 W
  • (Please refer energy label on product page or contact brand for more details)
  • Warranty: 10 Year Warranty on Compressor, 1 year Warranty on product
Haier 345 L 3 Star ( 2019 ) Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator(HRB-3654PKG, Black, Bottom Freezer)
  • Frost-free Double door refrigerator with : Auto defrost function to prevent ice-build up
  • Capacity: 345 litres suitable for a large family
  • Energy rating: 3 star, Annual energy consumption: 270 KW
  • (Please refer energy label on product page or contact brand for more details)
  • Warranty: 10 Year Warranty on Compressor, 1 year Warranty on product
Haier 445 L 2 Star Frost Free Double Door Bottom Mount Refrigerator Appliance (2023 Model, HRB-4952CKG-P, Black Glass,Convertible)
  • Frost Free Refrigerator: Auto defrost function to prevent ice build-up
  • Capacity 445 Litres: Suitable for families with 5 or more members| Freezer Capacity: 109 Ltr , Fresh Food Capacity: 336 Ltr
  • Energy Rating: 2 Stars - Energy Efficiency
  • Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year on product, 10 years on compressor.
  • Inverter Compressor with Cooling technology – Energy efficient, silent operation & more durable with Expert cooling technology
Voltas Beko RBM743IF 695 Litre Bottom Mounted Refrigerator (Inox Look) Biggest In The Category
  • StoreFresh+TM Have you ever seen vegetables drying up in your refrigerators It is the loss of humidity inside the refrigerator that leads to this condition, and this is where the StoreFresh+ technology comes into play. It makes sure that fruits and vegetables stay fresh up to 30 days longer. This is achieved through specially designed crisper that can regulate humidity inside.
  • Active Fresh Blue Light The Active Fresh Bluelight technology helps maintain natural lighting conditions inside the refrigerator. This preserves the amount of Vitamin C in fruits and vegetables, besides maintaining natural flavours and nutritional elements present in them. Rest assured, your food items remain as natural as they can be, inside a VoltasBeko refrigerator.
  • ProSmartTM Inverter Compressor ProSmart Inverter Compressor in refrigerators is proficient in keeping your electricity bills to a minimum. It’s 4x quieter compared to other compressors in the market and comes with a 12-year Warrenty. The smart cooling system adapts to any change immediately, thus creating less temperature fluctuations inside the refrigerator. This provides faster cooling with less energy, allowing food to stay fresh for much longer.
  • Neo FrostTM Dual Cooling The state-of-the-art technology uses two separate circuits to blow air into the freezer and refrigerator compartments ensuring that cool air is distributed evenly. This way, the odour isn’t transferred between the food items in different compartments, and moisture level inside the refrigerator is also regulated. Result, lasting freshness and regulated temperature, in every condition.
  • LED IlluminationYes Electronic DisplayExternal electronic temp. control & display Reversible DoorYes Multizone CompartmentYes
Haier 445 L 2 Star Frost Free Double Door Bottom Mount Refrigerator Appliance (2023 Model, HRB-4952BIS-P, Inox Steel,Convertible)
  • Frost Free Refrigerator: Auto defrost function to prevent ice build-up
  • Capacity 445 Litres: Suitable for families with 5 or more members| Freezer Capacity: 109 Ltr , Fresh Food Capacity: 336 Ltr
  • Energy Rating: 2 Stars - Energy Efficiency
  • Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year on product, 10 years on compressor.
  • Inverter Compressor with Cooling technology – Energy efficient, silent operation & more durable with Expert cooling technology
Haier 237 Litres, Frost Free Bottom Mount Refrigerator HRB-2872BMS-P
  • Direct-cool Refrigerator: Economical and Stylish
  • Capacity 237 Litres: Suitable for families with 2 to 3 members or bachelors.
  • Energy Rating: 2 Stars - High Energy Efficiency
  • Special Features: 1 Hour Icing Technology, Stabilizer free operation, Vegetable Box, 3 Toughened Glass Shelves, Connect Home Inverter, Anti-bacterial gasket, Base Drawer
  • 1 Hour Icing Technology: Get ice within just an hour with 1 Hour Icing Technology (HIT) in this direct cool refrigerator.
Haier 325 litres 3 Star Double Door Refrigerator, Black HRB-3753PKG-P
  • Direct-cool Refrigerator: Economical and Stylish
  • Capacity: 325 litres suitable for a small family.
  • Energy rating: 3 star - High Energy Efficiency
  • Warranty: 10 Years warranty on Compressor, 1 year warranty on the product
  • Compressor: The refrigerator comes with reciprocatory Compressor that is ideal for optimum cooling

Hope this helps in your refrigerator buying process.