Counter depth refrigerators add a defined style and elegance to our kitchens. All major retailers have stocked various brands and styles of counter depth refrigerators in their stores.

But are all counter depth refrigerators same? The answer is no. Counter depth refrigerators vary with sizes, styles, and models.

Pros and cons of a counter depth refrigerator

Counter depth refrigerators are the first choice of consumers at large. The term counter depth can be quite misleading, as all counter depth come with different dimensions.

Pros

• Built-in look
  A seamless kitchen, where everything including a refrigerator fits-in to the T, is perfect. The reason behind the popularity of counter depth refrigerator is its uniform look. The fact that your refrigerator is aligned with the countertop gives a nice feel to the kitchen.
• Accessible
  All the drawers and shelves are placed at a height to eliminate unnecessary bending. The advantage of a counter depth refrigerator is its easy accessibility. Food items stored at the back is easy to retrieve without having to dig around.
• Choices
  Counter depth refrigerators have all types of styles to choose from, like standard, side-by-side, French door and bottom freezer. Of course, while choices are galore, dimensions matter.
• Easy flow
  There can be traffic of sorts in the kitchen area if the refrigerator is too close to the island or is protruding outside. But the same cannot be said for a counter depth refrigerator, as it matches very neatly with the kitchen cabinets without any hinges hanging out.
• Organized
  The door bins are wider and longer to store maximum things of any size, which is missing in a standard refrigerator. This keeps food organized and easier to locate.

Cons

• Replacement
  If buying a counter depth refrigerator as a replacement for your old refrigerator, then one has to be certain about the height, depth, and width of the area where the refrigerator has to be placed. A counter depth refrigerator requires enough depth to fit in.
• Less freezer space
  Though the counter depth refrigerator gives more storage room in the refrigerator section, it compromises on the freezer space to compensate. Whatever type of freezer, one selects, be it top mounted or bottom mounted; the freezer space is less compared to the refrigerator.
• Clearance
  Whether the door opens either way or it is a 2-door counter depth refrigerator, it will require certain clearance from either side to open wide. Any cabinets nearby can cause hindrance and trouble opening the doors.
• Crisper drawers
  While crisper drawers are a good feature to keep fruits and vegetables fresh, they are shorter and smaller. Accommodating bigger and bulkier foodstuff like celery or watermelon can be a challenging task.
• Lack of coordination
  The problem with counter depth refrigerators is their uneven sizes. At times because of a space crunch in old houses, either they are smaller than standard units or they lack depth if they are wide enough. Either way, a buyer has to compromise on many fronts.
• French doors
  Some buyers do not find the idea of French doors reasonable. To get one food item, they have to open both the doors, which can waste energy and leaks cold air.

Investing in a counter depth refrigerator is a long-term decision. Weigh the pros and cons before you think of buying one. While space is an important factor that determines which type of refrigerator is ideal for you, there are other considerations like features and area clearance too, that matters. Investing in a counter depth refrigerator is more like having a functional space than mere cubic feet.