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Appliance Glossary: Refrigerators
Look up the definition of terms and phrases related to refrigerators.

A - C \| D - G \| H - P \| R - Z

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A - C

Automatic moisture control
An electronic sensor that automatically controls moisture in the refrigerator as the room's humidity changes.

Bottom mount
A refrigerator style in which the freezer is on the bottom.

Built-in
A refrigerator designed to be installed flush with the cabinetry for a finished look.

Can rack
A space-saving wire or plastic rack that lets you stack beverage cans on their sides for automatically dispensing.

Child safety
A locking device on the water and/or ice dispenser to prevent children from using it without supervision.

Chilled meatkeeper
A drawer designed to store fresh meat, poultry and cold cuts at temperatures colder than the rest of the refrigerator.

Chillers
Any compartment, bin or drawer in a refrigerator that keeps foods such as meat or milk at a lower temperature than the rest of the unit. Some refrigerators let owners control the temperature of the compartment.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
A gas used to make a refrigerator cold. CFCs have a negative impact on the ozone layer if they're accidentally released into the environment. Refrigerators made after Dec. 31, 1995 use refrigerants other than CFCs.

Coil-free back
A refrigerator in which the condenser coils are mounted on the bottom instead of on the back.

Coils
Tubes of the condenser that serpentine either along the back or across the bottom of the outside of a refrigerator or freezer.

Compact
A small-scale refrigerator with an average capacity of 1.70-2.40 cubic feet. They are commonly used in dormitory rooms and offices, as well as secondary units in homes for wine, sodas or snacks. Most units have small freezer sections, but don’t generally keep a zero temperature and require manual defrosting.

Condenser
A coil that turns the refrigerator vapor into a liquid, giving off heat and then dissipating the heat into the air outside the refrigerator.

Crisper
A storage bin for fruits and vegetables; many crispers have an adjustable humidity control.

Crushed ice
An option that lets a user select crushed ice--instead of ice cubes-from the ice and water dispenser.

D - G

Dairy compartment
An enclosure for storing butter, cheese and other dairy products. The compartment keeps the temperature warmer, so butter and cheeses are semisoft.

Defrost system
How the owner or refrigerator system can eliminate the eventual build-up of ice or frost in both the refrigerator and freezer. The three types are: manual, automatic and frost-free. Automatic, or cycle defrost, automatically defrosts the fresh-food compartment but the freezer section requires manual defrosting. Frost-free has a built-in heater, thermostat and timer or sensor that activates a defrost cycle to melt frost, drain water away and restart the cooling system.

Deli drawer
A compartment designed to store cold cuts or cheese at the same temperature as the rest of the refrigerator.

Door bin
A fixed or adjustable storage area in the door designed to hold bottles and jugs. Fixed bins have guardrails to keep jars from falling out. Adjustable bins let users change the position, according to what they wish to store.

Egg bin
A storage area for holding eggs to reduce breakage.

Flush, freestanding
A refrigerator that appears built-in (but isn't) because it's almost as shallow as the standard cabinet depth and can be covered with panels to match cabinetry.

Freestanding
A refrigerator designed to stand alone rather than one that's built-in.

Freezer basket
A storage basket in the freezer compartment that can be pulled out on rollers or glides.

Gallon storage shelves
Shelves in the door that are wide and sturdy enough to hold gallon containers.

Gasket
A long strip of rubber tubing around the refrigerator door that contains a magnet to provide a tight seal and to prevent the loss of cold air.

H - P

Hydrofluourocarbons (HFCs)
The gas used in new refrigerators to keep them cold.

Ice tray shelf
A shelf designed to stack ice trays in a freezer with no icemaker.

Ice-cube bin
Storage for manually made or machine-made ice cubes.

Icemaker
A small device in the freezer that makes ice automatically when connected to the cold water supply in your house.

Insulation
Material such as foam or fiberglass--sandwiched between the interior cavity walls and the exterior cabinet of the refrigerator and freezer--used to keep cold air from escaping.

R - Z

Refrigerator only
A refrigeration unit that only features cooling functions, not freezing.

Reversible door
A door in a top- or bottom-mount refrigerator that can be changed to open left or right by changing the hinges and pins.

Side by side
A refrigerator with the freezer aligned vertically on one side of the main compartment.

Slide-out shelves
Food storage shelves that slide out for easy access, so users can get to foods in the back.

Snack center
A door-within-a-door that opens from the outside to allow access to frequently used items.

Spill-catcher shelves
Glass shelves made with lips around the edges to help confine spills to them.

Split shelves
Half-width refrigerator shelves that can be combined as one full-width unit or separated into halves for storing items of varying heights.

Storage stabilizing clips
Clips in upscale refrigerator door bins that keep small items from shifting around when the door is opened or closed.

Tall bottle holder
An area designed to store tall bottles such as upright wine bottles and large soda containers.

Temperature selections
The number of temperature settings on a unit.

Thermostat
A device that measures and maintains the temperature in the refrigerator and freezer compartments.

Thermostat controls
The rotary dial, manual slide or electronic touchpad that lets an owner raise or lower the temperature inside the refrigerator or freezer.

Through-the-door dispenser
An opening in the door of the freezer section for dispensing chilled water and ice.

Top mount
A refrigerator that has the freezer compartment on the top.

Trim kit/panel kit
A package of cabinet-matching hardware such as brackets or clips that can be bought from the refrigerator manufacturer. It lets a cabinetmaker attach custom-made panels to the refrigerator door to make the appliance appear built-in. Another type of trim kit is a molding trim that goes around the perimeter of a refrigerator, installed flush with cabinet fronts. This trim gives the refrigerator a built-in appearance.

Water and/or ice dispenser
A device found in the door of a freezer that dispenses chilled water and/or ice. More commonly found in side-by-side models than other configurations.

Water filter
A device that removes impurities from water coming into the water dispenser or icemaker.

Wine rack
A hanging rack designed to store wine bottles horizontally.