Big Chill Fridge Buying Guide: Which Refrigerator is For You?

November 5, 2021 by Big Chill

Considering a new refrigerator? While style and aesthetics are at the typically at forefront of our minds when picking a new appliance, you’ll also probably need to consider the size and price range to accommodate your unique space and budget. Modern appliances offer a wide range of options, with various door designs and freezer accommodations. Before buying an investment piece like a kitchen appliance, its important to weigh your options to ensure you piece the right piece to match your space and needs. Big fridge? Little fridge? French doors? Swing doors? Weigh your options here.

Looking to customize your appliance with color? Check out our Big Chill Custom Color Swatch with over 200 custom colors and shades.

Big Chill Classic Refrigerator

Retro Collection

The Big Chill Retro Collection blends a vintage vibe with modern performance. The colorful appliance recalls the timeless American design of the 1950s.

Original Retro Refrigerator:

Original Retro Refrigerator

Total Capacity: 20.5 CU.FT

Meet the Big Chill Fridge that started it all. Our Original Size Retro blends a vintage vibe with modern performance and remains our most popular design today. With the largest capacity in the Big Chill line, a massive 20.5 cu. ft., the Original Size Retro’s superior storage accommodates fresh goods for keeping a family or a house full of party guests satisfied.

Retro Studio Refrigerator:

Retro Studio Refrigerator

Total Capacity: 14.4 CU. FT.

Add big style sizzle to small spaces with our Studio Size Retro. We took our most popular full-size fridge, the Original Size Retro, and trimmed it down for adding style to small apartments, brightening dark dens, or infusing a touch of vintage charm to the cottage.

Slim Refrigerator:

Retro Slim Refrigerator

Total Capacity: 11.6 CU. FT.

This fridge is small but mighty. Designed for small spaces and featuring our trademark vintage appeal, this 24″ stunner comes equipped with all of the features you expect from Big Chill: classy, vintage inspired design, a stamped metal body, and a pivoting chrome handle. Use it to sweeten the look in a city loft or tuck it into a tiny house kitchenette.

Retropolitan Refrigerator:

Retropolitan Refrigerator

Total Capacity: 18.5 CU. FT.

We loaded the Retropolitan Refrigerator with throwback appeal, then flipped the freezer to the bottom for a style savvy look with easy access. The slide-out bottom lets kids grab popsicles on-the-fly and puts the most-used items at arm level for adults.

Beverage Fridge:

Beverage Fridge

Total Capacity: 5.5 CU. FT.

Bring big style to your space with the Big Chill Beverage Fridge. This vintage style makes the perfect addition to a garage, dorm, office, she-shed, studio, playroom, home theatre and more

Classic Collection

The Big Chill Classic Collection is a strong sense of industrial style. American by Design.

Classic Refrigerator:

Classic Refrigerator

Total Capacity: 19.86 CU.FT

Introducing the Classic Fridge, our most anticipated new product. The Classic Fridge is the epitome of industrial chic and the perfect complement to any elegant kitchen. The Classic Fridge has 19.86 cubic feet capacity, an internal water dispenser and ice maker, plus stunning interior LED lighting.

30″ Classic Refrigerator:

30″ Classic Refrigerator

Total Capacity: 18.7 CU. FT.

You asked, we listened. We took our popular full-size fridge – the 36” Classic Fridge – and trimmed it down to 30”. The result is the epitome of industrial chic and the perfect complement to any elegant kitchen.

Pro Collection

The Big Chill Pro Collection blends modern styling and sophisticated colors into this exquisite collection.

Pro Fridge:

Pro Refrigerator

Total Capacity: 18.7 CU. FT.

The Big Chill Pro Line combines the best in present-day professional performance and contemporary design. Crisp, modern lines, silver trim, and bold colors make functionality feel fabulous.

Top Freezer or Bottom Freezer: Which is right for your kitchen?

Freeze up top, or down below?

Top Freezer

More energy efficient.

While all appliances have varying Energy Star ratings, it’s typically a safe bet that a top-freezer is more energy efficient in your home. The U.S. Department of Energy says that refrigerators with top freezers us 10 to 25% less energy than appliances with bottom freezers. While that might not effect your energy bill significantly, you can have peace of mind that you are doing your part to reduce electricity consumption.

More usable space.

When the freezer is on the top of the refrigerator, there is typically more usable space to store your favorite frozen goods. Drawer freezers can sometimes feel small with limited storage, while top freezers evoke the feeling of a wide open space to store your essentials and frozen treats.

Bottom Freezer

Puts the fridge at eye level.

With a freezer on the bottom, the refrigerator sits at eye level, making for easier access to your most utilized part of the appliance. Produce and beverages are clearly on display without having to hunch or bend over to sift through lower shelves.

Built-in organizers.

When the freezer is on the bottom, there are often organizing baskets or shelves to help you keep everything in order, as well as shelves on the door for even more well-organized food storage.

French Doors or Swing Doors: Which is Right for Your Kitchen?

Two doors, or one door? That is the question.

French Doors

More room in your kitchen.

With two doors swinging in opposite directions instead of one, wide-swinging door, the clearance is much more narrow on a French door fridge. This is better for kitchens with limited space, meaning you won’t have such a tight squeeze behind you when you maneuver around the most-utilized room in the house.

Food is clearly on display.

Unlike other styles of refrigerators, French door fridges feature the freezer on the bottom, usually as a pull-out drawer. With the fridge on the top, you’ll be able to see your produce right when you open the doors, without having to bend down uncomfortably. It’s an easy way to give VIP placement to your most accessed foods and beverages.

Energy-efficient.

Whenever a refrigerator door is opened, cold air is let out, causing the machine to work harder to keep everything inside at the designated cool temperature. With French doors, you have the option of opening only one door at a time, letting out less cold air and using less energy.

More room to organize

A French-door refrigerator has multiple tiers and drawers that allow you to use either the width of the fridge in its entirety, or split up items into perfectly organized sections inside of the refrigerator. Most of the biggest models on the market are made with French doors, allowing you to size up to have a bit more room to store and organize food or beverages.

Swing Door

Easier to close.

French-door fridges oftentimes need to pushed closed. Single-door fridges are usually much easier to close so you won’t ever have to worry about if you properly shut it. Keep in mind though that swing doors take up more room than their French door counterparts.

Fewer handles to clean.

This may seem like a small detail, but refrigerator handles are notorious germ hot-spots, and that number only doubles when you have two refrigerator doors. Germaphobes will appreciate the seamless, uncomplicated design of a swing door refrigerator.

Which fridge is right for you?