The Refrigerators have seen a vast improvement in technology.
At one point in time, we had the manual defrosting refrigerators at home.
Old timers would still remember the lashing they had to face from the boss (naturally the woman of the house) in case they forgot to push the manual defrost button before going to bed every night.
Thankfully, this is not the case today with the introduction of the frost-free refrigerators. Let us go on to look at the difference between these two technologies
Read: Best Side by Side Refrigerators
Direct Cool Refrigerators vs Frost Free Refrigerators
Before going on to look at the differences between the two categories of appliances, would it not be better if we had a peek into the technologies involved in the same?
Direct Cool technology
As the name suggests, the refrigeration takes place by circulation of cool air takes place naturally without any external aid. Hence, there is no way you are able to control the temperature distribution. It is bound to be uneven.
Under such circumstances, you experience the collection of frost in and around the freezer box. You have to press a button manually to defrost this ice. You observe this direct cool technology in the single-door refrigerators.
Frost Free technology
Maybe, the person who invented this technology must have been heckled to the core by the boss. Jokes apart, this frost free technology is a fantastic invention that has made life very easy.
This technology works on the principle of even distribution of cool air inside the fridge by electric fans. As there is no formation of ice, there is no need of defrosting.
Now, let us look at the basic differences between the two technologies.
Read: Best Refrigerators in India
Direct Cool vs Frost Free Refrigerator
| Direct Cool Technology | Frost Free Technology |
| Circulation of cool air is because of natural convection | Electric fans are responsible for the cooling the interiors |
| This is an economical method of cooling | In comparison, this is an expensive method |
| Consumes less electricity | The presence of fans entails higher consumption of electricity |
| Available in single door refrigerators alone | You get this technology in double-door, triple door, and side-by-side door refrigerators |
| Capacity of refrigerators is restricted between 50 to 250 litres | You have this technology in refrigerators of higher capacity refrigerators |
| Food remains moderately fresh | This technology is best for keeping food fresh |
| Manual defrosting is necessary to remove accumulation of ice | Defrosting is an automatic process |
| The exteriors of the fridge does not become hot | This is a major disadvantage of frost-free refrigerators |
| The coils are exposed at the rear leading to accumulation of dust | No such possibility in frost-free refrigerators because it is fully covered |
| Great for small families | Ideal for larger families |
| Now mostly in use in industries | Residential use |
| Refrigerators using Direct Cool Technology are comparatively less expensive than frost-free refrigerators. | Frost-free refrigerators are comparatively more expensive than direct cool models. |
| Direct Cool refrigerators witness ice accumulation on the inner sides of the freezer walls. | There is no ice accumulation in the freezers in frost-free refrigerators. |
| Convertibility technology is not available in direct cool fridges. | Some frost-free refrigerators offer convertibility technology. |
You have just seen the difference between direct cool refrigerators and frost-free refrigerators. This plays an important role in choosing the right appliance for your home.
If you use seal pack/box for every food item then you will not get drying out effect. I am using frost free refrigerator for 3 years & it keeps food fresh for more days than my direct cool refrigerator.
Maintenance is easy in Direct cool refrigerator.
How is the new Voltas ‘Beko’fridge,for which company claims freshness of vegetables for 30 days ?.Is there any technical advancement in this model ?
Which model & company is best in 400 Litre fridge for domestic purpose ?
One important difference is that ‘drying’ of stored food, irrespective whether fresh or cooked, occurs in frost free refrigerators while the same doesn’t happen in direct cool models.