Galanz 12.0-Cu. Ft. Top Mount Refrigerators Reviewed: Three Terrific Types

Guangdong Galanz Enterprises Co. Ltd, or Galanz for short, is a manufacturer of electronic home appliances. It was founded on the 28th of September 1978 by Liang Qingde. When it first started, the enterprise dealt in the trading of duck feathers. It wasn’t until 1992, that Galanz entered the home appliance industry manufacturing microwave ovens. By 1993, Galanz produced 10,000 microwave ovens for a trial run and as of January 2019, they accounted for about half of the world’s microwaves. 

Guangdong Galanz Enterprises Co. Ltd is headquartered in Shunde District, Foshan City, and in Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province.

The company now supplies a wide variety of microwave ovens, air conditioners, full-sized refrigerators, bar fridges, washing machines, dishwashers, and several other small home appliances.

Galanz Top Mount Refrigerator Line-Up

Galanz has long been a reputable electronic home appliance manufacturer. Even though they manufacture nearly half the world’s microwaves, their refrigerator line-up deserves some limelight as well. They are high-quality, durable machines that provide great value at an affordable price. 

The focus of this article is to review their top mount refrigerators. We’ll start by outlining the differences between top mount freezers and bottom mount freezers. We’ll then look at 3 of Galanz top mount refrigerators making it easier for you to decide which one would best fit your home. Lastly, we’ll provide safety tips and answers to some of the most frequently asked questions by consumers.  

Top-3 Galanz 12-Cu. Ft. Top Mount Refrigerators Review

Galanz GLR12TBKEFR 12-Cu. Ft. Retro Top Mount Refrigerator

Google’s Rating: 4.1

This is a beautifully designed fridge that comes in a freestanding form factor. It has a retro finish that looks quite nice.

The Galanz Retro Compact Refrigerator line uses R600a high efficiency, low energy consumption compressors. They are powerful compressors that can cool food quickly with lower energy. It has two leveling feet that can adjust and keep level placement anywhere. It comes with five removable glass shelves, one crystal crisper, and a power cord. It has an adjustable temperature control system that allows for personalized use.The removable shelves make the cleaning process a lot easier.

The fridge’s temperature range is 32ᵒ F-47ᵒ F. Its glass shelves coupled with a large, removable slide-out glass shelf provide several ways to organize based on your personal storage needs.

Being a dual-door fridge, it is almost frost-free. This technology allows for an even distribution of cold air in the fridge through electric fans. Essentially, there is little to no formation of frost, which means defrosting the fridge is almost never required.

The fridge comes in four different colors: Black, Milkshake White, Bebop, Retro Red, and Red. It also comes in four sizes: 7.4 cubic feet, 7.6 cubic feet, 10 cubic feet, and 12 cubic feet.

Galanz GLR12TS5F 12-Cu. Ft. Top Mount Refrigerator

Google’s Rating: 4

This is a classic-looking fridge that embodies minimalism and has a stainless-steel finish.

Like the Galanz Retro Compact Refrigerator line, the GLR12TS5F Refrigerator line also uses R600a high efficiency, low energy consumption compressors. It has strong interior lighting that illuminates the inside of the fridge. 

A removable slide-out glass shelf provides more ways to organize your storage needs. It comes with five removable glass shelves, one crystal crisper, a power cord and a warranty card. It has an adjustable electric thermostat for smart temperature regulation and control. Given that the shelves are removable, the cleaning process is simplified. It also has a can dispenser section that can be used to store canned beverages easily and efficiently.

The fridge’s temperature range is 32ᵒ F-47ᵒ F. It also has a reversible door that makes it more flexible and easier to use in a constrained physical environment.

It comes in four sizes: 7.4 cubic feet, 10 cubic feet, 12 cubic feet, and 12.3 cubic feet. You have the option of purchasing it with or without an ice maker.

It must be noted that some customers  had issues with frost despite the model having frost-free technology. The noise level is a bit higher than the previous model as well. Some units came in damaged or dented and had to be returned or replaced. This seemed to be more of a delivery issue than a manufacturer issue.

Galanz GLR12TS2K08 12-Cu. Ft. Top Mount Refrigerator w/ Built-in Ice Maker

Google’s Rating: 4

The last fridge on our list is the Galanz GLR12TS2K08. While having a somewhat similar stainless steel finish as the Galanz GLR12TS5F Refrigerator, it manages to pull off a more modern, sleek design. 

It has some of the key features from both the previous entries, like the dual door capabilities of the GLR12TBKEFR Refrigerator, and the adjustable electronic thermostat for temperature regulation on the GLR12TS5F Refrigerator. It also uses the strong, power-efficient R600a compressor. Unlike those two though, it has a built-in form factor, not freestanding.

It comes with four glass shelves that are fully modular and a power cord.The side of the door has a can dispenser with a capacity of 9 cans.

The fridge’s temperature range is 32ᵒ F-46.4ᵒ F. Along with the dual door feature, it also has the two leveling leg features present in the GLR12TBKEFR Refrigerator.

It comes in four sizes:  7.4 cubic feet, 10 cubic feet, 12 cubic feet and 12.3 cubic feet. You have the option of purchasing it with or without an ice maker.

Some customers complained about the higher noise profile compared to other models, while others said the auto defrost function wouldn’t always work as advertised. The customer service leaves much to be desired as well.

Top Mount Refrigerators Vs. Bottom Mount Refrigerators

• Design Differences

Top Mount Refrigerators, otherwise known as top-freezer refrigerators, are fridge units that feature a freezer on the top and a fresh food and beverage compartment on the bottom. They are more readily available than their bottom mount refrigerator counterparts because they have a wider range of designs, styles, and features.

• Long term Usage

To determine which fridge is best for you, your individual usage must be considered. If you’re more likely to store heavier items like meat in your freezer, a top mount freezer would be more convenient as you won’t have to bend or strain your back lifting these food items.

On the flip side, if you must access the fresh food section more often, a bottom-mounted fridge would put less strain on your back over time. 

• Energy efficiency

When it comes to energy efficiency, top mount freezers are more energy-efficient than bottom freezers. The reason for this disparity in energy efficiency is the top-mounted compressor that’s designed in top mount fridges. This compressor, which generates heat as a by-product of providing the fridge with its cool temperatures, is tucked away underneath the unit in modern refrigerators. Therefore, a bottom-mounted freezer is closer to the compressor and forces it to work a lot harder to keep the internal temperatures cool. Whereas a top-mounted freezer’s compressor is generally further away making it easier to keep heat out.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, top-mounted refrigerators use up to 25% lesser energy than their bottom-mounted refrigerator counterparts. This translates not only to a reduced carbon footprint and economic friendliness but also to a lower electricity bill.

Bottom mount fridges can be better for larger families in some cases, but there are also fewer models on the market which cost a lot more than top-mounted fridges.

Safety Tips

Compared to most electronic appliances, refrigerators are generally a lot safer to use. Still, there are several safety tips that must be followed to avoid injuries. There are also crucial safety tips and regulations that will help keep the food and beverage inside the fridge from going bad. A few tips are listed below. 

• The USDA guidelines on maximum refrigerator storage times are as follows: cooked leftovers (3-4 days); ground beef, veal, pork, lamb (1-2 days); chicken, turkey (1-2 days); hot dogs in opened packages (1 week); macaroni salad (3-5 days); fresh fish or shellfish (1-2 days); fresh eggs in shell (3-5 weeks).
• Never store flammable objects near your refrigerator. The refrigerator’s compressor, fan or motor can cause sparks and ignite flammables.
• Leave at least an inch on all sides of the fridge for cold air to circulate around your food in your refrigerator and make sure not to block any air vents.
• Separate raw ingredients to minimize cross-contamination. Keep raw meat and seafood away from each other and from other cooked food and vegetables in your fridge.
• Clean your refrigerator at minimum once every other month and wipe any liquid or food spillage immediately. This will help mitigate the growth of bacteria.
• Always use a properly grounded wall power outlet and make sure your refrigerator’s power cord is in good condition. Never use an extension board to power a fridge.
• Do not connect your refrigerator’s power cord in a place where it may be accidentally turned off. 
• Manually defrost your refrigerator when frost starts accumulating in it. Frost can act as an insulator, and it makes your refrigerator use a lot more energy to keep food cold.
• Avoid setting your refrigerator’s temperature too low unless absolutely required. A good standard is to set the refrigerator’s temperature to between 38-40 degrees F and the freezer between 0- and 6- degrees F. The colder the fridge runs, the more energy it uses and the more it costs in power bills.This also reduces the life expectancy of the compressor.
• Do not use an ice pick, a knife, or any other sharp objects to remove frost, as this could potentially damage the refrigerator’s inner lining. Avoid storing perishable foods like eggs and milk in the refrigerator door.The temperature in the door is usually up to 8 degrees warmer than the rest of the fridge. Items that are better to store in the door include condiments and butter.
• Liquids and food stored in the fridge should be tightly covered. When left uncovered, they release moisture into the compartment which puts a lot of extra strain on the compressor to work harder. 
• The front grill of your refrigerator must be cleaned routinely from any accumulated dust particles to permit air flow to the unit’s condenser.

Final Word

Galanz offers a wide range of best-in-class, value-for-money top-mounted refrigerators. They’ve had a stellar reputation in the American and Global market for several years now. While their products have several notable differences among each other, there is something for everyone. You can’t go wrong with Galanz!

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