Single door refrigerators are the perfect choice for smaller families with 2-3 members. When compared to double door refrigerators, they consume very less power (around 30-40% less) and are energy efficient.
Since single door refrigerators are compact in size, they take less space and fit perfectly well in smaller kitchens too. They are easy to clean and require very little maintenance.
If you are looking for an affordable option that will run well for at least 10 years, you can buy the best single door refrigerator in India under Rs. 15,000.
You should consider the following factors before buying a single door refrigerator for your home.
Table of Contents
1. Capacity:
Single door refrigerators are available at a capacity ranging from 150 liters to 300 liters. You can select the appropriate size for your house as follows:
- 150 – 200 liters: best for 2 members
- 200 – 290 liters: best for 3 members
Note: If you are a bachelor and stay alone, you can buy a mini-fridge that is available in 45 to 100 liters.
2. Refrigerator Size:
Before buying a refrigerator it is very important to check the dimensions of the fridge and check if it will fit well in the dedicated place.
Note: Also consider the door opening space, ventilation space, clearance space for door hinge, and how are you planning to get the fridge inside the house and the kitchen.
3. Energy Efficiency:
The efficiency of the refrigerator is provided by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. More stars means the efficiency of the fridge is high.
Some other factors that play a major role in defining the efficiency of a single door refrigerator are inverter technology and in-built stabilizer. Check our “Buying Guide” to understand them better.
To help you buy the best single door refrigerator in India, we have shortlisted some of the best brands that will provide the service for years. Let’s have a look.
6 Best Single Door Refrigerators in India 2021
| Best Single Door Refrigerators in India | Capacity | Energy Rating | Warranty | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LG 260 L 3 Star Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator | 190 liter | 4 star | 1 year | Check On Amazon |
| Godrej 190 L 5 Star Inverter Direct-Cool Single Door Refrigerator | 190 liter | 5 star | 1 year | Check On Amazon |
| Samsung 192 L 4 Star Inverter Direct Cool Single Door Refrigerator | 192 liter | 2 star | 1 year | Check On Amazon |
| Haier 195 L 4 Star Direct-Cool Single-Door Refrigerator | 195 liter | 4 star | 1 year | Check On Amazon |
| Whirlpool 190 L 3 Star Direct Cool Single Door Refrigerator | 190 liter | 3 star | 1 year | Check On Amazon |
| Hisense Single Door Refrigerator | 185 liter | 2 star | 1 year | Check On Amazon |
Top 6 Single Door Refrigerators in India 2021: Reviews
1. LG 190 L Single Door Refrigerator
LG is one of the most prominent world-renowned brands. Its direct-cool single-door refrigerator has a high energy efficiency with an energy rating of 4 stars.
This model, GL-D201ASCY, has a capacity of 190 L best suited for a small size family of 2 to 3 members and for bachelors. It has a smart inverter compressor that gives unparalleled performance and maintains complete silence while operating.
You can connect this refrigerator to your home inverter so that you can preserve your food when there is an unexpected power cut.
The refrigerator keeps your food moist and fresh with a special lattice-type box cover that maintains moisture at an optimum level.
There is a base stand at the bottom of the refrigerator that can be used as a storage area to keep vegetables like onion, potato, etc.
On the inside, the shelves are made of toughened glass that can bear up to 175 kg of weight.
On the door, it is equipped with an anti-bacterial gasket that keeps your food healthy and hygienic for a longer period of time.
It can operate at a voltage range of 90 to 310V. It means that it does not require a stabilizer to work.
Special Features:
- Solar smart refrigerator that works on solar energy
- Fastest in ice making
- Stabilizer free operation
- Floral pattern design on the door
Capacity: 190 liters
Energy Rating: 4 stars
Warranty: 1 year on product and 10 years on compressor
Pros:
- Floral pattern design on the door
- 4-star energy rating
- Smart inverter compressor
- Anti-rat bite
- 6-liter capacity vegetable box
- Egg tray
- Door lock
- Base stand with a drawer
- Solar smart
Cons:
- After-sales service needs to be better
2. Godrej 190 L 5 Star Inverter Direct-Cool Single Door Refrigerator
Godrej is one of the most popular brands out there that mainly deals with refrigerators. As a result, you can even find a great single door option from Godrej
Talking about its capacity, you get a decent 190 liter capacity with this fridge that is quite similar to other single door options out there. Its door also has a large door for easily accessing the food items stored inside. You can find a toughened glass shelf inside this refrigerator that can be used for storing food items. Godrej offers a standard 1-year warranty with this fridge.
Best features:
- High power efficiency with 5-star energy rating
- Comes with a decent capacity
- Offers an efficient yet powerful inverter compressor
Capacity: 190 liters
Energy Rating: 5 stars.
Warranty: 1 year
Pros:
- Great performance for the given price
- External vegetable tray for ease of use
Cons:
- Compartments could have been bigger
- A freezer is on the smaller side
3. Samsung Single Door Refrigerator
Every corner of the world is aware of the brand Samsung and many households have at least one appliance made by it. The brand’s single-door refrigerator we have here is very economical and has effective cooling functionality without any fluctuations.
The model RR19A241BGS/NL has a capacity of 192 liters, best suited for a family of 2-3 members. Although its energy rating is just 2 stars, its price and other advanced features make up for it.
The refrigerator has a freezer room that preserves the freshness of the food. By just pushing a button, it power freezes food and makes ice 31% faster.
The bottom door has a Vege box, which is the largest compartment in the fridge for storing vegetables and fruits.
The inside of the refrigerator has shelves made of spill-proof toughened glass which are very easy to clean and can bear 175 kg of weight.
The door comes with a deep door guard that is spacious enough to fit larger bottles, milk cartons, juices, etc.
To protects its internal components, the refrigerator has a smooth safety cover called Safe Clean Back that can be easily wiped clean.
The doors are given an anti-bacterial gasket that keeps the door liner clean and effectively prevents the building-up of fungi and bacteria inside the refrigerator.
Best Features:
- Spacious deep door guard
- Smooth safety cover called safe clean back
- Anti-bacterial gasket
Capacity: 192 liters
Energy Rating: 2 stars
Warranty: 1 year on product and 10 years on compressor
Pros:
- Economical
- Cooling without fluctuations
- 1-year warranty on product and 10 years on compressor
- Stabilizer free operation
- Stylish crown design
- Big bottle guard
Cons:
- Not very energy efficient
4. Haier 195 L 4 Star Direct-Cool Single-Door Refrigerator
Haier is another highly popular brand out there if you are looking for home appliance options like a fridge for your home. Its offering is comparatively cheaper than other ones in this article.
You get a total of 4 trays inside this fridge that is quite decent for the given price and allows you to easily store everything inside this fridge. Unfortunately, the freezer compartment is quite small when compared with other single door fridge options out there. Just like various other refrigerator brands out there, you get a 1-year warranty with this one as always.
Best features:
- Multiple trays inside for easily storing things
- Comes with adjustable feet for balancing
- High capacity for the given price
Capacity: 195 liters
Energy Rating: 4 stars.
Warranty: 1 year
Pros:
- Efficient yet powerful compressor with a 4-star rating
- Decent build quality
Cons:
- A freezer is quite small
- A temperature controller is not the precise one
5. Whirlpool 190 L 3 Star Direct Cool Single Door Refrigerator
You can find a wide range of budget home appliance offerings from Whirlpool out there. It is also true for its single door refrigerator mentioned here in this article.
Despite being an affordable product, you get a pretty decent build quality with this refrigerator that is always great to have. Its Direct Cool technology ensures that you get a great cooling performance throughout the year. A great thing about Whirlpool is that it offers a 1-year long warranty with it along with a 5-year warranty on the compressor that is always great to have.
Best features:
- High value for money refrigerator with an affordable price tag
- Comes with a decent 190 liter capacity for storing food
- Small and compact option for smaller kitchens
Capacity: 190 liters
Energy Rating: 3 stars.
Warranty: 1 year
Pros:
- Offers a 1-year warranty along with a 5-year compressor warranty
- Decent build quality for the given price
Cons:
- Only two storage trays
- The compressor has coil whine
6. Hisense Direct-Cool Single Door Refrigerator
Hisense is a multinational brand that is expanding its market with promising features and unique advancements in its products. Its single-door refrigerator has a capacity of 185 liters, best suited for small families.
This model, R229D4ASB2, has dimensions 53.6 x 51.9 x 128 cm which does not occupy more space than it has to. On the inside, the shelves are made of safety glass which is four-time stronger resulting in high durability of the shelves.
It has a fresh zone which is very spacious to store bulkier items. The transparent design makes it easy for you to see what’s inside.
There is a fast freeze zone which can reduce the temperature up to -6° very fast. This rapid cooling preserves all essential nutrients in your food and maintains the original flavor.
The refrigerator has 4 door balconies that provide more space to store all your favorite beverages and enjoy them anytime you want.
It is equipped with a bright light that provides light to all levels. The light turns on and off automatically with the door being opened and closed.
The refrigerator is designed with extra care to be a perfect fit in your house and to elevate your class.
Special Features:
- Safety glass shelves
- Premium aesthetics
Capacity: 185 liters
Energy Rating: 2 stars
Warranty: 1 year on product and 10 years on compressor
Pros:
- Better illumination
- 1-year warranty on product and 10-year warranty on compressor
- Economical
- Fresh zone
- Fast freezer zone
Cons:
- 2-star energy rating
Buying Guide – Best Single Door Refrigerators
Going through the factors mentioned below will help you buy the best single door refrigerator for your home that will work for years. Let’s learn more about these factors:
1. Capacity:
The capacity of the fridge is considered as one of the most important factors that you should look for before buying a refrigerator. You should always select the capacity on the basis of the size of your family along with the frequency of cooking that you do.
Single door refrigerators are available at a capacity ranging from 150 liters to 300 liters. The following table will help you select the capacity on the basis of the number of members in your family.
| Capacity | Number of Members in the Family |
|---|---|
| 150-200 liters | 2 |
| 200-290 liters | 3 |
2. Refrigerator Size:
The size of the refrigerator is another important factor that you should consider while buying a new fridge for your home. Most users check the sizes incorrectly. They assume that checking the height, width, and depth of the fridge is enough but what they fail to understand is there are other dimensions too that you should check.
Some of the other things that you should also measure are the door opening space, ventilation space, cleaning space, and the clearance space that you might need to adjust the door hinge. You should also think beforehand that how are you going to get the fridge inside your house and in the kitchen.
3. Energy Rating:
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), India rates the refrigerators in terms of energy efficiency. Almost all the refrigerators of good brands and leading manufacturers mention the energy efficiency by the star rating offered by the BEE. The higher the number of stars is the better the energy efficiency of the fridge will be.
Naturally, a fridge with a higher number of stars will be expensive than the one with a lesser number of stars. Since the fridge is a one-time investment, you must not compromise with the efficiency as it will be beneficial in the long run. It also indicates the average electricity consumption by the fridge annually.
| Star Rating | Energy Efficiency |
|---|---|
| 5 | Excellent |
| 4 | Very Good |
| 3 | Good |
| 2 | Average |
| 1 | Very Poor |
4. Direct Cool Technology:
The direct cool technology is a process where the fridge uses a natural convection method for cooling without the involvement of fans. Thus, you will not be able to control the temperature distribution. Due to this, you might notice uneven cooling throughout the different sections of the fridge.
In these situations, you might also notice the collection of frost in and around the freezer box that is a result of the higher degree of cooling. You will have to defrost the freezer manually by pressing a button at regular intervals. Some brands offer an auto-defrost feature where the fridge defrosts the compartments at regular intervals.
Compared to frost-free, refrigerators with direct cool technology are less expensive in terms of both production and operation. They even consume less energy.
5. Inverter Technology:
The inverter technology works on a simple principle where it optimizes the power of the compressor unit. In a regular refrigerator, the compressor keeps on alternating between the on and off positions at regular intervals. Due to this, the fridge ends up consuming a higher amount of electricity as the compressors operate at a single speed.
However, the inverter technology lets the compressor to operate consistently at different speed levels so that it delivers the required output depending on the cooling load of the fridge. When the temperature falls below the set temperature, it works by turning the compressor to a lower capacity. Whenever the cooling is required, the compressor again starts functioning at maximum capacity.
This conversion process helps in saving around 20-30% of electricity consumed.
At stable temperatures, this electricity saving is more and is in the range of 20-40%.
6. Shelves & Compartments:
Most of the single door refrigerators come with toughened glass shelves. However, a few of them use wired shelves too.
Many models of the refrigerators allow you to adjust the size of the compartments so that it is easier for you to store bigger vessels. The shelves can be used to store around 100 kg load.
Usually, single door refrigerators come with 2 shelves along with a vegetable basket so that you can store most of your stuff. Some models even have adjustable storage inside the door so that you can keep big bottles.
7. In-built Stabilizer:
Voltage fluctuations are very common in India. Most of the time, you will experience the input voltage within the range of 135 volts to 290 volts.
Due to the wide variation in the input voltage, some of the delicate parts of your fridge can get damaged. Thus, people usually buy external voltage stabilizer.
Most of the modern refrigerators come with in-built x`stabilizers; you will not have to worry about buying a voltage stabilizer separately. These stabilizers allow smooth operation in the fridge even when there is frequent voltage fluctuation.
8. Deodorizer:
As we store different types of food items in the fridge, it eventually produces a foul smell inside. Most of the refrigerators these days come with pre-installed Active Carbon Filter. This filter is useful in deodorizing the air inside the fridge so that the food remains fresh for a long time and there is no weird smell too.
9. Anti-Microbial Protection:
You should always check whether the fridge that you are going to buy offers some type of protection against the growth of microbes or not.
A special coating on the crispers or a removable gasket should be more than enough.
10. Handling Power Cuts:
Some of the high-end models of refrigerators offer a new technology that helps in maintaining the freshness of the food items even when there are power cuts (for around 2 to 7 hours). Refrigerators offering this feature might be a bit expensive though.
11. Price:
You can easily find a good single door refrigerator in India within a price range of Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 23,000. The price may vary depending on the capacity and the additional features offered by the brand.
12. Warranty:
Most of the manufacturers of refrigerators offer a warranty on the entire unit along with some additional warranty on the compressor.
While some brands offer a warranty of 5 years on the compressor, others offer a warranty period of 10 years too.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Single Door Refrigerators:
There are many advantages of owning a single door refrigerator. However, there are few cons too. Let’s look at some of the pros and cons:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Compact in size; don’t take up much space in the kitchen | Smaller capacity |
| Ideal for couples or smaller families | Manual defrosting. A few models allow digital auto defrost |
| Energy efficient | No direct access to the freezer |
| Affordable | Not suitable for larger families |
| Easy to clean and maintain | A bit difficult to store big bottles |
Single Door vs. Double Door
| Features | Single Door Refrigerator | Double Door Refrigerator |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 50 L to 300 L | 250 L to 550 L |
| Family Size | 1 – 3 Members | 3 – 5 Members |
| Power Consumption | Low | High |
| Cooling Technology | Direct cool with natural convection | Frost free with electric fans |
| Shelves | Number of shelves is less. It is difficult to keep bigger bottles or vessels. | More number of shelves |
| Freezer | Small in size | Large in size |
Best Practices for Maintaining the Single Door Fridge:
Following these practices will help in maintaining the fridge so that it runs efficiently for years.
- For maximum efficiency, keep the doors of the fridge closed always. You can check for a fridge that comes with door alarms.
- Clean the fridge regularly and throw away the items that have expired already. Take a soft wet cloth to clean the shelves. You can use a mild cleaning solution or baking soda too.
- Never put hot food or dishes inside the fridge immediately. Wait for some time and let the food cool down till it comes to room temperature and then put it inside the fridge. Also, don’t forget to cover the food item while putting it inside.
- Don’t keep the fridge at a place that is exposed to direct sunlight. Due to sunlight, the cooling power of the fridge will reduce and this, in turn, will increase the load on the compressor.
- Never stack the food items inside the fridge as it will obstruct the airflow inside. This will reduce the cooling power too.
- If the fridge offers power saver mode, you should keep your fridge in this mode only as it is helpful in maintaining the efficiency of the fridge. It also helps in reducing the electricity bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the best brands of refrigerators in India are LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, and Haier.
You can follow the steps mentioned below to defrost the refrigerator:
First, check the amount of ice or frost that has formed on the wall of the freezer. If it is more, you will have to defrost the refrigerator.
For models with Auto Defrost feature: Press the ‘DEF’ button to start the defrost process. Once all the layers of the frost have been removed from the freezer, the fridge will start automatically.
For Manual Defrost: You will have to rotate the defrost knob towards the ‘OFF’ symbol. Once the frost has melted, turn the knob again to the ‘ON’ symbol.
When you are defrosting the fridge, it is recommended not to open the door as it will cause more frost to build up. This will reduce the cooling process momentarily. Thus, you should avoid opening the door frequently while defrosting.
Some of the important things that you should look for before buying a single door fridge are:
Check the star rating: You should always prefer buying star rated appliances as they help in saving a lot in the electricity bills.
Don’t just assume the size: Instead, calculate it properly. Calculate all the dimensions properly and see if the fridge fits properly in the allocated place. If you miscalculate it, you will have to struggle later by shifting things here and there.
Make proper use of the compartment: Place the things at correct places so that it will not look clumsy and you will get everything easily. You should manage the space inside the fridge wisely.
You should not let a lot of frost to accumulate inside the freezer. This will reduce the efficiency of the fridge. Hence, you should keep a check on the accumulation of the frost regularly. You can defrost it on a weekly basis.
No, single door refrigerators are not frost-free. They use direct cool technology with natural convection.
Conclusion
Whether you are on a budget or just want a compact fridge for your house, single door refrigerators can be a great option. Although such kinds of refrigerators are so commonly used, there are a wide range of options out there. You can even find a few of the best single door refrigerators in India mentioned above in this article. We have even provided their major features and options, along with a detailed buying guide. As a result, you can learn more about fridges in general and choose the perfect one for you. Although, if you still cannot buy a fridge, then you can consider one of our recommendations:
• If you want a high capacity single door refrigerator, then you should go with the LG Refrigerator. It offers a capacity of up to 190 liters that is quite decent. Another great thing about this fridge is that you get a separate compartment for the freezer that is always great to have. This smart inverter compressor equipped refrigerator offers a 4-star energy rating that could have been certainly better.
• Although, if you want a highly efficient single door refrigerator, you can go with the Godrej refrigerator. It is the only option present in this article that offers a 5-star rating to the user. You even get a decent 190 liter capacity with it that is to be expected from most other single door refrigerator options out there. As for the warranty offered by it, you get a 1-year warranty that is the same as all other options present in this article.
• But if you have any budget restrictions, you can go with the Whirlpool refrigerator as it is the cheapest option present in this article. Despite the lower budget price tag of this fridge, you get a 190 liter capacity in it. And since this is a budget-friendly product, it comes with just a 3-star rating for its power consumption rating. As you would expect from any other budget option, it has a single combined compartment that houses the freezer inside it.
Make sure to share your thoughts in the comments section. You can also post any questions down there if you have any!
