A kitchen is the heart and soul of a home. More than the dining or living room, the kitchen is where most socialization occurs.

In my family, as with most, the core of the connections, interactions, and joyful moments happen while preparing and cooking food.

Because the quality of appliances can make or break a kitchen and the memories built within, it is important to choose the right ones for your lifestyle.

A refrigerator is one of the largest appliances in a home. So, it begs one to wonder, are expensive fridges worth buying?

Yes, expensive fridges are worth buying! High-quality refrigerators are more dependable, efficient, and in the long run, more cost-effective.

Additionally, they can offer convenient features, such as touch screens, smart functions, high-end drawers, and more storage. Aesthetically, more expensive fridges offer a more elegant look and can blend into the surrounding cabinetry, creating a comforting atmosphere.

Let’s take an in-depth look at the main differences between expensive versus cheap fridges and the reasons why expensive fridges are worth buying.

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Expensive Fridges Vs. Cheap Fridges – The Main Differences

Before we go into why you should consider investing in a more expensive fridge rather than a cheap one, let’s look at the main difference between an expensive fridge and a cheap fridge.

Ice Makers

Refrigerators with ice makers tend to be more expensive. A fridge with an ice maker requires additional manufacturing due to the special, flexible tubing required to connect to the home’s water supply and the complexity of integrating an ice maker into the appliance.

The refrigerator’s special ice-making feature is typically reflected in the price of the appliance. Therefore, a fridge without an ice maker will be cheaper.

Additionally, connecting your ice-making fridge to the water supply will require a plumber, which is an unexpected expense that will add to the overall cost of your already expensive fridge.

However, the convenience of having ice on demand and avoiding those flimsy, messy ice cube trays is worth the splurge, especially during the hot summer months.

Built-In Refrigerators

Built-in fridges are more expensive than regular or traditional refrigerators because they are custom-built for your home.

The refrigerator doors, in particular, must be custom-built to match the rest of the kitchen aesthetic, including the cupboards and cabinets.

Because built-in refrigerators are made from high-quality materials, they are considered the crème-de-la-crème of kitchen design, making them more expensive than traditional, mass-produced refrigerators.

While traditional refrigerators are cheaper than built-in fridges, they do not blend seamlessly into the cabinetry and do not offer the grandeur and elegance of custom built-ins.

Keep in mind, however, you will need a contractor for your built-in fridge, but not for the cheaper, traditional refrigerator.

Energy Saving Capabilities

Refrigerators are the biggest pull of energy in a home since they constantly cool the interior to keep food cold, fresh, and safe.

Energy-efficient refrigerators use better materials, such as insulation, and improved processes and technologies to produce cold air faster and longer.

On the other hand, traditional, cheap fridges use standard technology and low-cost materials. So, while they do keep your food cold and safe, they are not energy efficient.

Therefore, even though energy-efficient refrigerators are more expensive, in the long run, the money they save you on electricity will make them more affordable.

Compressors

More expensive refrigerators use two compressors to cool, one for the freezer and one for the fridge itself.

Although more expensive due to manufacturing and the special parts required, the two compressors make higher-end fridges more efficient.

On the other hand, cheaper fridges only use one compressor. As a result, while more affordable fridges do their job of keeping your food cold, they are less efficient in the long run.

Light Bulbs

Higher-end, more expensive fridges use halogen light bulbs in the interior versus incandescent bulbs in cheap refrigerators.

Halogen bulbs can last 2,500 hours and produce an off-white light versus 1,000 hours for incandescent bulbs which produce a more orange-hued light.

Ultimately, while more expensive, the higher-end fridge offers longer-lasting bulbs that allow for improved visibility of the food within.

Additional Wiring

High-end refrigerators require more electrical wiring due to their unique features, such as smart technology.

Additionally, the extra electrical wiring of more expensive fridges requires the help of a specialized electrician.

The cheaper, more traditional refrigerators, however, do not have extra electrical wiring and thus do not require a specialized electrician to connect them.

High-Quality Brands

It is widely known that some brands are more expensive than others. Even refrigerators with the same features can have widely different price ranges based only on their brands.

Established brands that have been around for a long time and are known for their high-quality materials are typically more expensive.

On the other hand, lesser-known brands are usually cheaper because they have yet to prove themselves and their quality of materials and manufacturing.

Thus, the brand can make a big difference when comparing expensive versus cheap refrigerators.

Special Technological Features

With technology advancing at an astronomical rate, consumers expect their appliances to pair seamlessly with their smart home devices.

Some unique features found in high-end, more expensive fridges include screens that allow you to view recipes and touch screens that can inform you about the contents inside your fridge.

Touch screens can also allow you to write notes, recipes, and ingredients.

It appears that the more features a refrigerator has, the more expensive it is. Therefore, a plain, traditional refrigerator without all the fancy gizmos and gadgets will be much cheaper.

4 Reasons Why Expensive Fridges Are Worth Buying

Here are my four personal reasons why expensive fridges are worth buying.

More Storage and Easy Access

In general, more expensive fridges have additional space and extra shelving on the doors, which makes a huge difference when storing groceries.

And who couldn’t use more storage in their lives?

Additionally, because of the extra space, you can separate different types of food, add organizational containers, store leftovers, and in some cases, have extra space for platters and holiday dishes.

Most expensive refrigerators fall within two categories: French door refrigerators and built-in fridges.

The beauty of French door refrigerators is that most have the freezer on the bottom, making it easier for short people and those wheelchair-bound, such as myself, to access the freezer without issues.

Quality Performance

Because more expensive fridges are made of high-quality materials and state-of-the-art technologies, they can function more efficiently than traditional refrigerators, saving you money in the long run.

As a result, you not only have a fridge that is energy efficient but one that can have a longer life than a cheaper fridge because it is made of superior materials and has been through more advanced testing during development and manufacture.

Furthermore, due to their high efficiency, more expensive fridges can cool down the interior more uniformly, ensuring your food stays fresh and doesn’t spoil.

Enhanced Features

Yes, technology does make life easier, and with WIFI connectivity, you can have complete control of your fridge at your fingertips.

Touch screens and smart home functions can inform you when your food is about to rot, when you may be running low on an item, or notify you of temperature fluctuations.

And to make things even more helpful, you can upload recipes, shopping lists, and notes to the screen for your entire family to see.

In addition to smart features, more expensive fridges also include ice makers that can make ice in various forms – crushed, chips, and cubes, as well as hot and cold-water dispensers.

While it is true that the more complex your refrigerator and the more features it has, the more expensive it will be, the convenience attained from such enhanced functions is well worth it.

Unique Design

Luxury, high-end refrigerators offer more than functionality. They can add a timeless, elegant look to your kitchen as they blend with the surrounding countertops and cabinetry.

Furthermore, compared to a traditional refrigerator that sticks out from the cabinetry, more expensive refrigerators can be custom-made to be countertop depth, allowing for a more seamless, streamlined, grand look.

Do you think expensive refrigerators are worth buying? Let me know in the comments!