Refrigerators in Europe

"How big a refrigerator do you need? Most Americans are used to living with a refrigerator measuring anywhere from 20 to 26 cubic feet. When Americans visit European homes, however, they are often startled to discover that most Europeans are happy with refrigerators that are only half as big.
It's hard to find up-to-date data on the average size of European refrigerators. One source, however, described the "average European fridge-freezer" as one with 215 liters [7.6 cu. ft.] of refrigerator space and 60 liters [2.1 cu. ft.] of freezer space - that is, an appliance with a total volume of only 9.7 cubic feet.

Anecdotal reports by Americans who are surprised at the small size of European refrigerators are common. Here are some examples from blogs written by Americans living in Europe:

* "I've lived in Paris for about six months now, which is both long enough to get used to and appreciate a different way of life and also long enough for the novelty of certain differences to have completely worn off. One such difference between my life in Chicago and my life in Paris is my teeny-tiny fridge."
* "Refrigerators in Europe are similar, if not identical to the ones we all had in college."
* "Sure, there are exceptions, but in general, fridges [in Paris] are about half the size of an American fridge."

So, here's my bold suggestion of the week: the next time you buy a refrigerator, consider buying a small one. I'm an enthusiastic cook who enjoys preparing large home-cooked meals three times a day, and my family of four has lived happily with a 10-cubic-foot Sun Frost refrigerator freezer (an RF-12) for 20 years. It uses only 171 kWh per year."

Source: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/choosing-energy-efficient-refrigerator