Selecting a refrigerator to buy is a major decision. In fact, you will most likely be buying a refrigerator only 4 times in your whole life. That's why it's important to pick the fridge that you know will work for you. And when you're on a budget and want something simple but functional for your limited kitchen space, you can never go wrong with a good single-door refrigerator.
In terms of choices, there are plenty of single-door refrigerators offered on the market. This makes it very confusing to choose the right one that suits your needs the most. We've prepared this buying guide and our list of the 10 best single-door refrigerators to help you in your decision-making. Also included in this article are a few tips on how to keep your fridge working like brand new.
Quick List - Top Single-Door Refrigerators
Panasonic
Refrigerator With Intelligent Sensors for Energy-Saving
Our recommendation articles are carefully researched and crafted by the mybest Philippines team of writers and editors. To stay true to our company’s mission and vision to help users’ selection process easier, we also collaborate with experts from various fields to ensure that our content stays factual and useful.
Table of Contents
A single-door refrigerator is one of the most basic types of fridges out there. Its single door seals in the cool air and gives access to its freezer, main shelves as well as its compartment for fresh fruits and vegetables- all fitted in a small footprint. These barebones features make single-door fridges comparatively affordable as compared to their bigger counterparts.
Single-door refrigerators are viable options when you have very tight space such as in condos or small kitchens. They're limited capacity makes them perfect for households with 1-2 people. Finally, their affordability makes them the best entry-level refrigerator for those who just want a basic fridge.
Even though single-door refrigerators are considered basic, there are still many features that you have to consider before buying one. Let's take a look at some of these features.
Remember to also take into account the swinging radius of the fridge's door. It is important to note that single-door refrigerators usually have big doors, so make sure that the door will have enough space to open wider than 90 degrees for easier maneuverability and cleaning.
Meanwhile, don't forget to measure the opening of your doorway first before even considering buying a refrigerator. This is to ensure that you can bring your new refrigerator inside your kitchen.
Another important consideration is the capacity that you need from your refrigerator. The general rule of thumb is that you'll need 4-6 cubic feet of storage for every adult in your household. For example, a personal or mini refrigerator has a 4 cubic feet capacity, while a single-door ref for a small family may range between 5-7 cu. ft.
With that rule of thumb in mind, also think about your family's eating habits. If you usually eat out or buy food online, then you might need a smaller refrigerator. If you like cooking and having homecooked meals, then you should consider getting a bigger fridge.
If you are really not sure how big of a capacity you need, keep in mind that it's better to have a fridge that's too big than a fridge that's too small. Just make sure that your kitchen has enough space for it.
All freezers inside a single-door refrigerator produce frost. This is because of the intensely cold temperature inside a freezer- to the point that even water vapor in the air begins to freeze, resulting in the build-up of ice inside.
Because of this, manufacturers have developed different mechanisms to eliminate the frost that has accumulated inside a freezer. You can choose between a refrigerator with manual defrosting and a semi-automatic defrosting feature.
Manual defrosting the freezer requires you to unplug the refrigerator and take the food out of the freezer. It is a tedious task since you will have to wait for all the ice to melt, which could take hours, even a couple of days for some.
On the flipside, manual defrost freezers tend to be more affordable since they have no self-defrosting machinery. If you're on a budget and don't mind the additional task of defrosting your freezer as well as the long hours that it may take, then this option is for you.
Semi-automatic defrosting is a much simpler process. With a push of a button, the freezer will start defrosting itself. This type of defrosting usually takes a few hours to finish, making it a much quicker process than manual defrosting.
Refrigerators with semi-automatic defrosting features are more expensive- but you can consider this as a good investment as it eliminates many hassles that come with manual defrosting. However, take note that self-defrosting refrigerators often have a higher energy consumption.
The heart of a refrigerator is its compressor. It is essentially the one responsible for producing the cool air that the refrigerator maintains. The two main types of compressors are non-inverter and inverter compressors. Let's take a look at how they work.
Non-inverter refrigerators are the conventional type of refrigerators. Their compressors can only work at a single speed. Since conventional compressors usually work at high speeds, they can cool food and drinks very quickly.
Their traditional hardware also makes them affordable. However, they tend to consume large amounts of energy. They also generate more noise than inverter refrigerator
Inverter refrigerators can operate at different speeds. Let's say you open your fridge's door, the inverter will sense this and start operating at a higher speed to compensate. Once you close the door and the inverter senses that the fridge has once again reached its optimal temperature, it will start operating at a lower speed to maintain this temperature.
While their newer technology makes them more expensive, they do save you money in the long run. Inverter refrigerators are up to 30% more energy-efficient than non-inverter ones. They also give off less noise than conventional fridges. However, they cool food and drinks slower- take that into consideration if you're switching from a non-inverter fridge.
We already know that inverter refrigerators are more energy-efficient than non-inverter models, so why do have to know the energy efficiency? Well, energy efficiency becomes extra useful when comparing inverter models with other inverter models, or non-inverter models with other non-inverter models.
Inspect the energy efficiency factor (EEF) to learn how efficient a fridge can be in using energy to cool its compartments. When buying in a physical store, this information is found on the yellow tag. The bigger the EEF, the more energy-efficient the refrigerator is.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Condura Single-Door Inverter Refrigerator|CSD500SAI | ![]() | Energy Efficiency in a Gray Chassis | |
2 | LG Smart Inverter Refrigerator|GR-Y201SLZB | ![]() | Keeping Veggies Fresh With Its Moist Balance Crisper | |
3 | Panasonic Single-Door Inverter Refrigerator|NRAQ211VS | ![]() | Refrigerator With Intelligent Sensors for Energy-Saving | |
4 | Haier Fast Cooling Inverter Refrigerator|HR-IV188SBPS | ![]() | Inverter Fridge With Adjustable Wire Shelves | |
5 | Condura Single Door Inverter Style Refrigerator |CSD700SAi | ![]() | Get the Perfect Single-Door Refrigerator for Your Home Business | |
6 | Everest Single-Door Refrigerator |ETR235L | ![]() | Single-Door Refrigerator With Odor Control Filter | |
7 | Fujidenzo Single-Door Refrigerator With Black Glass|RSD60P GDBT | ![]() | Stylish Single-Door Fridge to Suit Your Interior | |
8 | Hisense Single-Door and Direct Cooling Refrigerator|RS-23DR2S | ![]() | Fridge With Spill-Proof Tempered Glass Shelves | |
9 | Fujidenzo Personal Refrigerator|RB-30MKS | ![]() | Keep Your Essentials Chilled With an Energy-Saving Design | |
10 | Brikk Retro Undercounter Fridge|BRF-130LCR | ![]() | Vintage Style Ref for an Instagrammable Look |
This single-door refrigerator by Condura is boasted to be the Philippines' most energy-saving refrigerator. That bold claim is supported by the fridge's very high EEF of 467. Condura claims that its electricity consumption may even get as low as 3.98 PHP per day!
This comes with a convenient semi-automatic defrost function. Its 5.8 cu. ft. of capacity makes it perfect for 1-2 people. All of these features are packaged in an elegant Millenium gray finished chassis. You'll also enjoy a spacious area for organizing your groceries with its big freezer and main compartment racks.
This LG single-door refrigerator features LG's Smart Inverter technology. It is designed to have fewer friction points as compared to conventional compressors, making this refrigerator much more quiet and efficient during operation.
It also has a Moist Balance Crisper, which is a special vegetable drawer that ensures optimum moisture level to keep your veggies fresh. This special vegetable drawer is also bigger as compared to the conventional drawer. Coupled with its 6 cu. ft. capacity, this means that you will have plenty of space.
The fridge door has tempered glass shelves that are designed to withstand weights of up to 150 kg. It has a metal chassis and comes with a 10-year warranty for the compressor, which makes this perfect for those looking for a long-lasting single-door refrigerator.
If you like maximum efficiency with your refrigerators, then take a look at this inverter refrigerator by Panasonic. It features 3 ECONAVI sensors that detect the movement of the door, the room temperature, and the internal temperature.
The refrigerator analyzes these data to optimize the fridge's cooling performance to save energy, as can be seen through its impressive EEF value of 500. All this efficiency comes at a price, though, as this refrigerator has a manual defrost freezer. This is perfect for you if you don't mind defrosting your freezer every once in a while.
Efficient and fast-cooling- only a few fridges have these qualities, with this Haier single-door refrigerator being one of them. It features a fast-cooling inverter compressor that is not commonly seen in other refrigerators.
Its hairline silver color makes it look very streamlined, and you can even use it as a table top for displaying plants or extra grocery items due to its compact design. It also has adjustable wire shelves, a vegetable crisper, and a recessed handle- all incorporated in its 6 cu. ft. capacity.
Condura's sulit refrigerator lineup, including this model, provides an ideal solution for your small home business. It features a 7.3 cu. ft. capacity, wire shelves, a 4-layer door shelf, and an egg tray to help you organize your stock. Additionally, it includes a semi-auto defrost feature to save you time and effort in maintaining the freezer.
Powered by Negosyo Inverter Compressor, this refrigerator is known for its energy efficiency and quiet operation, keeping your electricity costs low. Satisfied customers rave about the spacious interior and remarkable energy savings, making it an excellent choice for both home and business settings.
Everyone hates having a smelly fridge. It's a good thing Everest developed this single-door refrigerator with an odor control filter. This feature helps in absorbing food odors, keeping your fridge fresh all the time. It also has a semi-automatic defrosting feature to keep your freezer from having an ice build-up.
Its use of a fast-cooling, non-inverter compressor means that you don't have to wait too long for your food and drink to cool. It makes its 6.5 cu. ft. capacity seem gigantic with its 4-layer door trays, 2 layers of wire shelves, and chiller tray.
Single-door refrigerators may be affordable, but they can also look very high-end. This Fujidenzo single-door fridge looks stunning with the combination of its black glass door and the contrasting silver trims and sides.
It features tempered glass shelves for extra durability. The semi-automatic defrost system allows you to easily defrost its big freezer with a push of a button. While it comes with a non-inverter compressor, Fujidenzo does promise that it is energy efficient and can quickly freeze and cool your food.
This Hisense single-door refrigerator has a non-inverter compressor that cools your food and drinks fast. It has spill-proof tempered glass shelves, preventing spilled liquids from going to other shelves. The fridge door even features a self-closing mechanism, ensuring that it doesn't waste energy when you forget to close its door.
Its drawers are fully accessible without the need to fully open the fridge door, making this perfect for small and cramped spaces. Defrosting its freezer is easy with its semi-automatic defrosting feature. All these small features, when added up, give you a well-rounded product.
This Fujidenzo personal fridge offers many features in a compact design. Its 3 cu. ft. capacity is small enough for a bedroom yet spacious enough to serve as the main fridge in an apartment. You can arrange snacks, treats, and fruits on its two adjustable wire shelves.
Additionally, you can store your milk, juices, and other drinks on the door bin and bottle rack. Fujidenzo claims it is energy-efficient, even with a non-inverter compressor. Users rave about its compact yet powerful design, making it a perfect fit for small spaces without sacrificing quality.
Ending our list is this Retro Undercounter Fridge from Brikk. It's a mini-fridge, freestanding at around 32 inches- perfect for your condo or as a functional statement piece in your family's lounge area. It uses a static cooling system with no fan and has an energy rating of A+.
It's smaller than other single-door refrigerators, but it is complete with easy-to-access compartments, including a freezer for storing your favorite ice cream, 1 and a half glass shelves, 1 salad drawer for fruits as well as 3 wire retainers on the door for cooling drinks.
This refrigerator has a plastic cabinet interior and a metal exterior. You can choose between the cream and red variants. You can also check out the limited edition UK-inspired personal ref. It comes with an LED lamp, castors or adjustable feet, and a retro metal handle.
Now that you have a fridge to store your fresh ingredients in, you're gonna need some quality cooking appliances to make your MasterChef dream a reality. Check out below our top picks for convection ovens, pressure cookers, and gas ranges!
When you're in the market for an affordable and space-saving refrigerator, definitely consider getting a single-door refrigerator. While they can't boast the fancy, high-tech features of bigger refrigerators, they do give you the most important and basic purpose of a refrigerator: They keep your food and drinks cool and fresh.
Author: Adriel Coseip
No. 1: Condura|Single-Door Inverter Refrigerator|CSD500SAI
No. 2: LG|Smart Inverter Refrigerator|GR-Y201SLZB
No. 3: Panasonic|Single-Door Inverter Refrigerator|NRAQ211VS
No. 4: Haier|Fast Cooling Inverter Refrigerator|HR-IV188SBPS
No. 5: Condura|Single Door Inverter Style Refrigerator |CSD700SAi
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
Beauty
Health
Household goods
PCs and laptops
Home appliances and electronics
Cameras
Food and drinks
Kitchen supplies
Clothing
Shoes
Accessories
Mom and baby
Interior and furniture
Hobbies
Outdoor
DIY and tools
Sports and fitness
Pets
Books, CDs, and DVDs
Games
Cars and motorcycles
Gifts
Home improvement and tools
Smartphones and tablets
Banking and finance
Insurance
Audio
Smartphone applications
Others