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Fridge Freezer: Buying Guide
A helpful guide for purchasing a fridge freezer
A fridge freezer is often the most visited appliance in your household. It has the important job of keeping your groceries fresh or frozen. But which one is right for your home?
How to find the best fridge freezer
There is no one “best” fridge freezer. Everybody has different needs and preferences! So, you may think one fridge freezer is the best, but someone else may pick something completely different. So, to help you find your ideal fridge freezer, we’ve created the guide below.
In this guide, we cover all things fridge freezers, including types, styles, heights, configurations, and features.
Type
Integrated
An integrated fridge freezer is built into your cabinetry. This style gives a clean and sleek appearance to your space.
Freestanding
A freestanding fridge freezer can be moved around the room. This gives you the freedom to rearrange the layout as you need.
Configuration
The configuration of your fridge freezer refers to the size ratio of fridge vs freezer. The most popular split configurations are 70/30 and 60/40.
50/50 Split
A 50/50 fridge freezer is 50% fridge and 50% freezer. This configuration is preferable if you find that you have an equal amount of frozen and fresh food.
60/40 Split
A 60/40 fridge freezer is 60% fridge and 40% freezer. This is a popular choice amongst many families.
70/30 Split
A 70/30 fridge freezer is 70% fridge and 30% freezer. This is a popular choice amongst many families.
80/20 Split
A 80/20 fridge freezer is 80% fridge and 20% freezer. This is helpful for households who need a lot of refrigeration space, and not as much freezer space. Those with 80/20 fridge freezers often have another separate freezer.
This is a common question amongst those who need more freezer space than fridge space. Unfortunately though, a fridge freezer will always have either an equal amount of fridge and freezer space or a larger fridge. However, some fridge freezer models have a convertible fridge compartment. These are spaces that can be converted into either a fridge or freezer space. So if you need extra freezer space, you can get it!
Style
There are a few different styles of fridge freezers to choose from. Which style is best for you will depend on your available space, required capacity, budget, and individual preferences.
American Style Fridge Freezers
An American style fridge freezer, otherwise known as a side by side fridge freezer, is a fridge freezer with a fridge on one side, and a freezer on the other. These are typically the largest style of fridge freezers, offering lots of internal space.
French Style Fridge Freezers
French style fridge freezers also offer a lot of internal space, however often aren’t as wide as American styles. They are similar appliances in many ways, which is why you’ll find our range of French style fridge freezers within our American style fridge freezer category.
The main difference between an American style fridge freezer and a French style fridge freezer is where the freezer is located. A French style fridge freezer has its freezer below the fridge compartment. They often have larger fridge spaces than freezer spaces.
Top or Bottom Freezer Fridge Freezers
The most common fridge freezers in the UK are bottom freezer fridge freezers. These are fridge freezers where the freezer is below the fridge compartment. On the other hand, top freezer fridge freezers have the freezer on top of the fridge compartment. These aren’t as common because you’ll find yourself needing to bend down to reach fresh produce on a regular basis.
Size
Capacity
The capacity of your chosen fridge freezer should be the most important deciding factor. It’s no good buying a fridge freezer that can’t fit in your groceries! It’s also not ideal to have a fridge freezer that’s much too large. A half-filled fridge freezer will simply just be wasting energy.
On average, fridge freezers have a capacity range from 200-300 litres. Some American Style fridge freezers can have capacities of 400-600+ litres!
Using Shopping Bags to Measure Fridge Capacity
Many retailers will help you understand the capacity of a fridge freezer by working out how many bags of shopping will fit in. However, they often use the volume of plastic shopping bags to work this out. Because not many people use plastic shopping bags anymore, this information is outdated and can be misleading.
A standard plastic shopping bag has a volume of ~18L. However, a standard reusable shopping bag in the UK has a volume of ~30L. We have used this data to calculate how many reusable bags of shopping can fit into your fridge. Please bear in mind that you will have some items in your fridge freezer that will remain in there for longer than a week.
Dimensions
If you are simply replacing a fridge freezer in the same space, you may already know the size that you need. However, if you’re buying a fridge freezer for a new space, or it’s your first time buying, you may not.
To determine how big of a fridge freezer you need, you should first measure the space you have available. These measurements include the height, width, and depth.
Fridge Freezer Heights
The height of your fridge freezer can vary a lot. It’s therefore really important to check the height measurement of each fridge freezer model you have your eye on.
Our range of fridge freezers typically fall within a height range of 120cm – 219cm. However, the most popular heights are between 175cm – 185cm.
How tall you’d like your fridge freezer will depend on the space you have available and your preferences. If you want cabinets above, you should first consider the height of your ceiling and the capacity you’ll need.
Frost Free Fridge Freezers
Frost free fridge freezers use innovative Frost Free technology that prevents the built up of frost. It does this by removing warm or humid air from the freezer, which is what causes ice build-up. This saves you many hours defrosting your freezer – because you’ll never have to again!
Energy Rating
Fridge freezers come with an assigned energy rating from A-G, with A being the most efficient. Because fridge freezers run 24/7 energy efficiency is particularly important. By choosing a more energy efficient fridge freezer, your food can stay fresh and frozen for cheaper.
A fridge should be set between 0 – 5°C, and a freezer at -18°C. If it’s colder than it needs to be, it will use more energy! Airflow is also important for keeping your fridge freezer at the ideal temperature. Allow a ventilation gap around the outside of your fridge freezer, and don’t pack your food too tightly inside.
Warranty
It’s always a good idea to check how much warranty you’ll receive when buying a new fridge freezer, or any appliance. Even the best quality fridge freezers can develop problems, so it’s good to have protection just in case. Standard warranties for fridge freezers are 1-2 years, however some come standard with longer warranties. You may also have the option to extend your warranty for a fee.
Features
Many additional add-on features provide additional practicality. This includes fridge freezers with water or ice dispensers, or even smart fridge freezers with screens. We’d recommend looking at as many models as possible for inspiration. Here are a few fantastic features to look out for!
Water and/or Ice Dispensers
Reversible Doors
Humidity Controls
Wine Racks
Internal Temperature Display
Smart Features
Holiday Mode
Quick Freezing
Power Cut Failsafe
Flexible Space
Check out our range of fridge freezers in our wide and varied refrigeration section. We offer a host of refrigeration products, also including stand-alone fridges and freezers. With top products at great prices from leading brands, you have the luxury of choosing from the best fridge freezers available today.
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