Refrigerator capacity: Square watermelons aren’t the answer

Storing large or odd-shaped items in a refrigerator can be tricky, especially in the narrow compartments of a side-by-side. To make storage easier, manufacturers have added shelves that you can easily adjust to accommodate oversize foods or storage containers.

But what if your refrigerator isn’t equipped with adjustable shelves? Years ago, farmers in Japan found a novel way around this storage issue. They forced watermelons to grow in a cube shape by placing tempered-glass boxes over the growing fruit, making them an effortless fit in many Japanese refrigerators. (Watch a Japanese news report on the melons.)

The resulting melons (shown) are impressive and were even featured in the “Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo” episode of The Simpsons from 1999:

Marge: “Oh, my goodness! Homer, those [watermelons] are $150!”
Homer: “It's worth every cent. I'm tired of fumbling with round fruit.” [The watermelon reverts to its original shape, then Homer drops it.]

Still, these watermelons aren’t the solution to this refrigerator-storage conundrum: You never seem to have enough space for all that you need to stow.

You might be inclined to buy the refrigerator with the biggest claimed capacity. But, as our experts have demonstrated, manufacturers commonly overstate the capacity of their models. Companies will include in their capacity figures space that’s actually eaten up by hardware, shelves, and even the dispenser area where you fill a glass with water or ice.

The next time you’re shopping for a new refrigerator, ignore the claimed-capacity numbers and rely instead on the more-accurate, real-world measurements in our Ratings of bottom-freezers, built-ins, side-by-sides, and top-freezers (available to subscribers).

A big enough fridge could keep you from having to beg the neighbors to let you store a large tray of crudités or a big cake in their refrigerator the next time you’re having a party.—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: If you’re shopping for a refrigerator, find out which features are essential.