Compare Kimchi Refrigerator Efficiency Grades by Capacity, Not Grade Alone

What do you compare on a kimchi refrigerator label?

The Korea Energy Agency's kimchi refrigerator product search list had 4,047 entries in total as of the date checked (October 8, 2026). The list columns are application number, company name, model name, effective volume of the kimchi storage compartment (ℓ), monthly power consumption (kWh/month), efficiency grade, previous efficiency grade, efficiency grade index, completion date, and report confirmation.

There are three values to use for comparison. The effective volume of the kimchi storage compartment is the compartment capacity, monthly power consumption is the electricity used in a month, and the efficiency grade is the value shown as grade 1 to 5. Monthly power consumption for ordinary refrigerators is covered separately in how to read a refrigerator's monthly power consumption, so this article only explains how to compare kimchi refrigerators against each other.

How do you compare when the capacity differs?

A higher grade doesn't necessarily mean lower monthly power consumption. The agency list values for the three models are an example.

The grade 3 Z135MEE123 uses 0.46kWh less per month than the grade 1 Z225MEE151, but its effective volume is about 58%. Looking at one number alone, the small model can seem to have the advantage, but the amounts they can hold differ, so it is hard to put them on the same line.

A simple way to account for the capacity difference is to divide monthly power consumption by effective volume and multiply by 100 to get a value per 100ℓ. Calculated from the agency list values, per 100ℓ per month, the Z386MEE241 is about 3.5kWh, the Z225MEE151 about 4.4kWh, and the Z135MEE123 about 7.2kWh. It is only an example calculation to help comparison, and it is a different number from the efficiency grade index in the agency list.

How do the candidate models' official specs differ?

I gathered the specs from the official LG Electronics product pages and the agency list values in one table. Power consumption is the value each source wrote, so they can differ from each other.

The official manufacturer pages and the Korea Energy Agency list were checked on October 8, 2026. Selling prices can change day to day, so check them yourself at the purchase link.

In the agency list's company name and the manufacturer page's maker item, the Z386MEE241 is LG Electronics Co., Ltd., and the Z225MEE151 and Z135MEE123 are Starion Sungchul. The agency list can be searched by model name, company name, or application number, so if the company name differs from the brand, search by model name.

For all three models, the monthly power consumption on the manufacturer page is larger than in the agency list. Neither page says why. In the notes on the list screen, the agency states that, for company reasons, a lower efficiency and grade than the reported measurement result may be written on the product label (Article 15, Paragraph 1 of the Operating Rules for Energy Efficiency Management Equipment). It also writes that efficiency and grade can differ by manufacturing date because of changes to the measurement method or tightened standards. It was not confirmed whether this notice explains the differences in the three models.

Does the grade change if the manufacturing date differs?

It can. The agency says the kimchi refrigerator efficiency grade standard was raised from July 1, 2017. This standard applies by manufacturing date, so even with the same model name, the grade shown can differ depending on when it was made.

So don't just take away the model name; ask the seller for the grade and monthly power consumption written on the label of the product you will buy.

Which model fits your home?

The criteria the official specs alone can separate are installation space and capacity.

• The Z386MEE241 is a stand type, 1,860mm tall and 101kg. Its 697mm width is the narrowest of the three after the Z135MEE123, but it is over 1.8m tall, so it doesn't fit a spot short on vertical space. The manufacturer introduces it as a Fit & Max type installed to match a cabinet depth of 700mm.
• The Z225MEE151 is a lid type, 920mm wide, 949mm tall, and 62kg. It is under 1m tall but the widest of the three. Check the room needed to open the lid and the spare installation clearance separately in the LG Electronics installation guide.
• The Z135MEE123 is 666mm wide, 900mm tall, and 41kg. It suits a home that wants secondary storage in a small capacity, and the capacity may fall short for a home that has to hold a large amount during kimjang season.

The LG Electronics product page explains that a stand type is the option if you will use the kimchi refrigerator as a second refrigerator or store foods other than kimchi, and that a lid type is also an option if you only store kimchi. Also check the guidance to pick an installation site with an ambient temperature of 5 to 43 degrees and to avoid sunlight. If you settle your use and where to put it first, the candidates shrink quickly. After that, match monthly power consumption between models of the same capacity range against the label of the product on sale.