Sharp is a big brand in product’s market. I initially zeroed down to Hitachi(26SVND) for my needs but continued doing research due to unavailability of model for next 2 days. No hard feelings for hitachi, that too is a good product.
Sharp, Toshiba and Hitachi are premium brands(accordingly to me). If your budget is >30k, go for it without a doubt for a size of 3-5 people.
I narrowed down my choices based on(1) Available space(most imp)(2) Budget(3) 2/3 door depending on food habbits. Choices and brands are unlimited in the market but you need to understand what you are paying for and what are you getting back within your space/budget needs. Inspect a refrigerator physically in a showroom - do not go on pictures from internet - you are likely to find differences.
A refrigerator at any home runs 24X7; this model has a 5 star rating. I personally prefer star rating products - something to help save natural resources and save on bills.
The freezer unit is enough size for our family - 99 ltrs. Some refrrigerators which I checked physically by toshiba have bigger freezers - this is an obvious choice for non-vegeterian folks.
The fridge door that opens has bottom row for bottle, another row for bottles/smaller items, 2 half size compartments and then a top compartment with egg rack - enough space to store daily and regularly needed essentials.
Nano deodorizer - I purposely kept sour curd open and some cut onions and garlic to test the nano deodorizer. Its works like magic - no smell in the fridge and other food items didnt catch any smell.
The fridge has a vegetable compartment, 2 tempered glass shelves and 1 fresh room. The freezer comes with twistable ice tray / box and one horizontal compartment to divide the 99 ltrs of space and the opening door of freezer has only 1 compartment to store food.
Hybrid cooling - seems intelligent based on explainations on sharp UK and Australia site. Its a shame that this technology is not explained on Sharp india website.
Vegetable container has an movable vertical plastic partition, I didnt find it very useful - so removed it. Use of plastic zip lock pouch is better to store vegetables in this as the compartment is half the size of fridge(due to the compressor on the back). The design makes it smaller for us as we are used to shop for 1 or 2 weeks of vegetables at a time.
the fridge and freezer comes with a temperature dial control and the freezer does not have a light in it.
The leg covers are losely fitted. I realized they have holes for screws which were not delivered with the product, maybe the techician who comes for demo will have it. The warranty card, documentation of the product too, does not come within the packing, I have asked them to be carried by the demo guy.
Dont forget to check your newly delivered fridge at delivery for stratches, dents etc. Return products immediately to the delivery guy.
Before buying, check for customer complaints on various websites, you will find the least for Sharp. Infact, the sales person told me they dont even get calls for servicing. Its a trouble free fridge. I generally dont go on the recommendation of sales guy in showroom - opinions differ from person to person, so do your own R&D - after all, buy something of your choice and ask within friends if anyone has any word for using the product of your choice. They give you the best opinions.
The back is fully covered till the compressor. Leave at least 2-4 inches of space from the sides - applicable for any refrigerator and is meant for good ventiallation.
When ur fridge is delivered, do not start it for the first one hour. Let all the coolants etc settle down. After 1 hr, start the fridge & refrigerator on max settings but do not load it yet for the next 1 hr. Switch it off and now load after wiping the entire fridge with a clean soft cloth. This ensure proper functioning of machines with the refrigerator
Overall, another best product in my house.