Fridge Freezer Buying Guide

When buying your new fridge freezer, you might find yourself daunted by the massive range on the market. There are plenty of brands, models, sizes, and designs to choose from ” if you’ve only ever purchased the standard freestanding style of fridge freezer before, you may find yourself lost when trying to search through the huge selection available.

I’ve put this buying guide together to help you make sense of the different types of fridge freezers on offer, and what they can bring to your kitchen. In this guide, we explore the various advantages and disadvantages of each model ” what are their features, what difference do their energy ratings make, and what are their capacities? If you already know what kind of model you want, then simply go to our individual reviews in that category to learn more!Types of Fridge Freezers

There are three basic types of fridge freezers, though these all come in different shapes and sizes. To learn more on the pros and cons of each, as well as a few pointers to consider before you buy, click on our links below to visit additional pages.Freestanding fridge freezers are the most common and cheapest type ” these are the standard style, which can basically fit into your kitchen wherever you need it to. Various colours and sizes are available.American fridge freezers are very different to the freestanding style, as the two compartments are side by side rather than on top of each other ” opening both doors puts the two sections right in front of you. Thanks to this design, these can hold a vast amount of food and typically come with multiple features.Integrated fridge freezers are designed to sit behind cupboard doors in your kitchen, to ensure they blend in with the rest of your decor.Different Sizes of Fridge Freezers

Whether you’re replacing a previous fridge freezer or looking for your first (perhaps if you’ve moved into your own place after leaving home), you’re likely to have an idea in mind of how much space you’ll need. Depending on the size of your kitchen, you’ll have plenty of room to fit a big American fridge freezer in, or you’ll feel that the smallest model you can find would be better. It’s essential to take this into account before you buy, otherwise you may end up with an appliance that’s too big for your kitchen.

Another thing to consider is the types, and amount, of food you buy on a regular basis. Do you eat a lot of fresh foods, like vegetables and fruits? Do you want to keep a freezer filled with frozen ready-meals and the like? This will help dictate what capacity you should aim for ” you may prefer a model that has a greater ratio of fridge to freezer (or vice versa). The size of your household will also steer your choice, as if you have a big family, you’ll obviously need more space to store more food than if you live alone.Fridge Freezer Capacity As we’ve already discussed, American-style fridge freezers provide the biggest capacity, with most offering more than 500 litres inside. Understanding the difference between storage capacities can be confusing, and just looking at an appliance isn’t much of a guide to know the amount of space. While, in most cases, the bigger the appliance, the more food that can be fitted inside, this isn’t always true: some fridge freezers provide more space than similar models.

Manufacturers measuring the space in litres is helpful, but as they take this reading with the drawers, shelves, and door-storage removed, they’re not entirely accurate on a practical level. We provide you with the amount of space in litres, as well as the number of shelves/compartments in both the fridge and freezer ” this will help to give you more of an idea of the appliance’s everyday functional capacity.What about Features?

Your next fridge freezer will come with specific features, which can vary from water dispensers to auto-defrost technology. Whichever features a model has may affect the price, and how useful it will be in your kitchen: for example, if you often find yourself storing bottles of water in your fridge, which obviously takes up space, a water dispenser will reduce the need for this as you would have constant access to cool, fresh water. Auto-defrost and anti-bacterial features will negate the need to manually defrost the fridge & freezer from time to time, and keep your chilled interior free of mould & bad smells ” keeping your appliance fresh. Other features might include door alerts (to remind you when the fridge / freezer has been left open), LCD screens, and salad crispers to keep fresh food in good condition for longer.

Not all fridge freezers will have plenty of features, though ” the most basic designs will simply keep your food chilled or frozen, and these tend to be the cheapest models. Depending on your budget, your requirements, and the size of your household, you may or may not find you need added features. The more extras your fridge freezer has, the higher its price is likely to be.Choosing Colours and Finishes

We cover a huge range of fridge freezers, across most of today’s brands, with a wide assortment of prices for all budgets. There is a huge selection of colours and finishes available on the market, to suit kitchens with different decors and themes. Whites, blacks, and silvers with sleek finishes are most common, but more diverse styles are available.How about Running Costs?

Even though your fridge freezer is active 24/7, you may find you forget that it constantly draws on electricity ” it’s easy to take this for granted. However, with more and more of us aware of the amount of energy we use, finding a fridge freezer with a low running-cost can help you save on bills.

All fridge freezers carry an energy label, which displays its energy-efficiency rating as a guide: the scale of efficiency runs from A+++ to D, with each different grade marked with a colour. The deepest green denotes the most efficient, while red applies to the least-efficient type ” these EU-regulated energy labels are a great guide, but they don’t tell you how much your fridge freezer will cost to run each year. To find this figure, you may want to use a calculator tool (there are numerous ones available online).Delivery Costs

Each company will have its own delivery charge for bringing fridge freezers to your doorstep, while some will also install it for you if needed (possibly for an additional fee). Before you buy any model, it’s vital to check the company’s delivery rates, as you want to avoid paying more than you expected. Arranging for re-delivery or pick up from another location can be quite frustrating, so you should make sure to get the most accurate delivery-time at booking.Installation

Some fridge freezers need to be plumbed in during installation. If you’ve done this before, or have easy access to a friend or relative able to do this, then you can take a DIY approach. However, if you have no idea what this entails, and have nobody able to do it for you, you should take the retailer’s offer of installation (even if there’s a small fee) to avoid potential mishaps.

We hope this buying guide helps you find the right washing machine for your needs and budget before you buy!

Read More Post