Buy the Suitable Fridge Freezer for You
HOW TO BUY THE BEST FRIDGE FREEZER FOR YOU
Generally, fridge freezers just stand there, looking boring, full of food. But try living without one and see how you get on. So which one do you need? The obvious answer to this is, "one that's big enough for your needs, and works". You could easily buy an anonymous, built-in unit, and not think about it again for another 10 years or so.
Fridge freezers come in two styles: single door models with a 60/40 split between fridge and freezer and, for those with extra space, two-door American-style leviathans that resemble portals to another universe made entirely of food and booze.
Most modern fridge freezers models come stacked to the rafters with clever tech that controls humidity and temperature while others go even further to include app-based diagnostics, automatic door opening and internet-connectivity.
Do you need that techy icing applied to the top of your food-storage cake? No you do not. Would you like to have them? Hell yeah.
THE BEST FRIDGE FREEZERS TO BUY TODAY
1. BOSCH SERIE 4 KGN34VB35G
Best fridge freezer under £500
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Freestanding
Fridge capacity: 214 litres
Freezer capacity: 105 litres
Energy rating: A++
No frost: Yes
REASONS TO BUY
+Good value+No defrosting required
REASONS TO AVOID
-Not much storage space in the door
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This exceptional, mid-priced free-stander comes dressed in glossy black and features a reversible door, sensor-supervised constant air circulation for uniform temperatures, and soft-start interior LED lighting that the manufacturer claims will last for the lifetime of the appliance.
The Serie 4's top refrigeration section has a net capacity of 214 litres and comes with three shelves – two of them adjustable – plus three slim racks in the door. Given that vegetables and fruit take up a large proportion of fridge space, Bosch has seen fit to include three humidity-controlled VitaFresh boxes that stay at 0˚C for crispier veggies and fruits, longer-lasting meats and fresher desserts.
The 105-litre three-part freezer compartment provides adequate grocery accommodation for a family of four and features Bosch’s spiffing NoFrost technology to stop ice from encasing the Tupperware container of lasagne you forgot you’d stashed away months ago. It also comes with an extra large drawer for stuff like turkeys, piglets and baby whales.
If you’re scouring the market for a good-looking, well-made fridge freezer that doesn’t cost a king’s ransom, give this model a whirl.
2. BEKO CSG1571W
Best cheap fridge freezer
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Freestanding
Fridge capacity: 175 litres
Freezer capacity: 87 litres
Energy rating: A+
No frost: No
REASONS TO BUY
+Great value for money+the 60/40 fridge to freezer ratio will suit many better than a 50/50
REASONS TO AVOID
-Almost entirely devoid of style-You will have to defrost it the old-fashioned way
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This workhorse fridge freezer is a 60/40 split rather than the Bosch above's 50/50, so the fridge element takes up more of the space. There's still plenty of freezer capacity, though – 87 litres to the fridge's 175.
Everything you'd want from a budget fridge freezer is present and correct, with LED lighting, solid energy efficiency, robust and easy to clean shelves and drawers. Nobody is going to walk into your kitchen, see this, and yelp, "Oh wow, that is such a cool and beautiful product," then go on to tell everyone they meet what impeccable taste you have. However, this Beko looks perfectly alright and won't let you down. There are pages and pages of positive reviews of it for you to read online, if you ever find yourself at an exceedingly loose end.
3. LIEBHERR CNEL 4713
Another cracking 50/50 fridge freezer
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Freestanding
Fridge capacity: 199 litres
Freezer capacity: 129 litres
Energy rating: A++
No frost: Yes
REASONS TO BUY
+Perfect 50/50 split+Deceptively spacious+Smart styling
REASONS TO AVOID
-It’s very tall
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If you’re on the lookout for a nicely balanced fridge freezer then the Liebherr CNel 4713 50/50 Frost Free appliance is perfect. This means you get a perfect compromise of storage between regular fridge space and the freezer segment. And, if you tend to buy a lot of fresh produce and, for example, make dishes for freezing, the Liebherr makes a lot of sense.
From the outside the Liebherr CNel 4713 oozes style with clean lines that benefit from a stainless steel finish. Open the doors and you’re greeted with a similarly no-frills and fuss-free design that is totally functional. There’s a neat bottle rack and the salad drawers are practical touches, for example.
As you’d expect from the innovative Liebherr brand, the CNel 4713 is great at accommodating your diverse taste in food and beverages too, thanks to its VarioSpace drawers. The freezer space in particular is great for bulkier items, such as large joints of meat. Remove them altogether if you’re aiming to store half a cow. Key controls are also really nicely laid out, with a digital temperature display that gives you an instant idea of what your appliance is up to. Liebherr’s NoFrost Technology also means that you won’t be bothered with any irritating internal ice build up either.
While that design does allow you to spread your purchases equally between fridge and freezer, the Liebherr CNel 4713 might prove a challenge if you’re a little on the short side. It’s tall and slim. However, if you’re after a fast and efficient fridge freezer then this 50/50 appliance is a very worthy alternative to the Bosch model at #1.
4. HAIER HRF-450DS6
A better looking fridge freezer at a sub-£500 price
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Freestanding
Fridge capacity: 273 litres
Freezer capacity: 177 litres
Energy rating: A+
No frost: Yes
REASONS TO BUY
+Enormous interior+Frost free+Exceptional value
REASONS TO AVOID
-Reliability is an unknown factor
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Two-door American-style fridge freezers are de rigueur among trendies with large enough kitchens to accommodate them. And yet they’re also perfect for very large families, Iceland shoppers and anyone who’s had enough of running out of fridge space. If only they were a bit cheaper.
Well here comes China with a cracker of a model that costs less than £500. This silver-clad, Which? awarded Haierfridge-freezer combo not only looks snazzy – the manufacturers have made their logo subtle enough not to draw attention to itself – but it comes with rapid cooling tech, no-frost freezing and full air circulation in both the fridge and freezer compartments for fresher, longer-lasting contents.
The fridge section on the right has a substantial 273 litres of grub estate and comes with five interior shelves (four adjustable), two giant crisper boxes and three large shelves in the door. The frost-free, 177-litre freezer on the left is equally well endowed with seven compartments (two closed) and four large shelves in the door for oft-used items like ice creams and frozen fruits.
If you hanker after a budget behemoth but have never been able to afford one, this here Chinese entry is the answer to your culinary fantasies.
5. MIELE KFN 29483 D EDT/CS
Best luxury fridge
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Freestanding
Fridge capacity: 242 litres
Freezer capacity: 101 litres
Energy rating: A+++
No frost: Yes
REASONS TO BUY
+Soft door closing+Exceptional performance+Reliability is a given
REASONS TO AVOID
-Very tall
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If you have kids, or indeed adults, who constantly slam the fridge door, try them out on this Rolls Royce of Miele models. Its SoftClose anti-slam system gently closes itself as soon as the door reaches a 30º angle. It’s just as effortless to open.
At over two metres high, this is one of the tallest single-door fridge freezers on test, so be sure you’re tall enough to reach its top shelf.
Its 60/40 split offers ample refrigeration space with two crisper drawers, four shelves (three fully adjustable), a bottle rack and three door shelves, and another three drawers in the freezer department downstairs.
Dynamic cooling ensures food remains fresher for longer by way of a fan that distributes a constant stream of chilled air throughout the interior. This allows you to store any product anywhere in the fridge.
The Miele is A+++ rated for energy efficiency and that’s outstanding. More to the point, when you buy a Miele, you get unflinching reliability and the highest quality of components as a matter of course.
6. BEKO ASD241
Good value, American-style fridge
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Freestanding
Fridge capacity: 364 litres
Freezer capacity: 190 litres
Energy rating: A+++
No frost: Yes
REASONS TO BUY
+Superbly priced+Huge capacity+Tech aplenty
REASONS TO AVOID
-Naff logo plastered on front
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The ASD241 is Turkish manufacturer Beko’s latest offering in the arena of American-style fridge-freezers. It’s a stonker for the price, and also available in either black (ASD241B) or stainless steel (ASD241BS).
It’s no slouch on the tech front, coming as it does with NoFrost dual fans for maintaining the correct humidity and Air Flow Cooling in both the fridge and freezer compartments.
Take a look inside the 364-litre fridge section and you’ll find two main vegetable and fruit containers, a 0˚C chiller compartment for meats and other delicate items, three adjustable shelves and a wine rack. The inside door is comprised of three main shelves, a closed butter and eggs compartment and an admittedly small water reservoir for the door-mounted water dispenser.
Over to your left is a 190-litre freezer equipped with seven slim storage compartments and, rather ingeniously, two Double Twist & Serve ice makers.
This is a mighty model with dapper looks and some great features at a price that can be considered very reasonable for a model of such burly proportions.
7. LG GSX961NSAZ
Best fridge freezer for gadget fans
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Freestanding
Fridge capacity: 405 litres
Freezer capacity: 196 litres
Energy rating: A++
No frost: Yes
REASONS TO BUY
+Packed with tech+Very generous capacity+Quiet operation
REASONS TO AVOID
-Bulky if you’re short on space
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The mighty LG InstaView Door-in-Door GSX961NSAZ is an imposing appliance that looks a treat in its stainless steel finish. That’s not even the best thing about it though, because this American-style beauty comes bristling with tech.
App fans should approve of the way this fridge freezer features LG Smart ThinQ, which allows you to manage all of your LG smart appliances, including the GSX961NSAZ, using a mobile device. You can keep tabs on energy efficiency as well as tweaking settings from anywhere. It offers smart diagnosis too, just in case there’s a problem.
Adding a touch of show to the tech theme is the InstaView function, which on face value looks like a window in a door. It might be just that, but tap twice on the door-in-door area and it’ll light up and show you what’s inside. A gimmick? Maybe. But it’s cool too, and preferable to having a camera fitted inside. Oh, and that door-in-door is just that, allowing you quick and easy access to those grab-and-go type drinks as you head out the door in a hurry.
Fans of cold stuff will also revel in the ice department of the LG InstaView Door-in-Door GSX961NSAZ. It can supply crushed ice and chilled water on demand and for as long as you want it, though you’ll need to go easy filling your glass as this appliance really goes for it on the dispensing front. It’s just like being in America. It doesn’t need to be plumbed in, as there’s a water tank – though you will need to top that up from time to time, of course.
Meanwhile, take a tour of the inside and you’ll find more than enough room for any kind of meat, veg or liquid refreshment. There are no less than six freezer compartments and four in the fridge section, while shelves can be adjusted to suit the many and varied types of items you lug back from the supermarket.
LG offers you a helping hand too, having labelled the containers to advise on what is best suited to which location. It’s handier than you think.
The LG InstaView Door-in-Door GSX961NSAZ is big, however, so you’ll need to have a decent amount of space to give it a home. Around the back there’s an inverter linear compressor, which means there are fewer moving parts and that makes it quieter and more energy efficient.
8. ZANUSSI ZRT23103WV
Another excellent budget fridge freezer
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Freestanding
Fridge capacity: 184 litres
Freezer capacity: 44 litres
Energy rating: A+
No frost: No
REASONS TO BUY
+Great price
REASONS TO AVOID
-Cheap-looking interior-Comparatively small
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Freestanding fridge-freezers don’t come much cheaper than this relatively diminutive model from Zanussi. It’s almost like having a normal under-counter fridge with a separate freezer compartment on top. At 44 litres, it’s not the biggest freezer, admittedly, but enough to stash a few pots of Häagen-Dazs, some frozen French fries and a small bag of ice. The essentials, in other words.
The fridge has a net capacity of 184 litres and that’s just about right for a couple, or ménage-a-trois.
A smidge under 300 smackers gets you a standard no-frills salad and veggie box, four interior shelves (three adjustable) and door space for a couple of pints of milk, two litres of water, half a dozen eggs and a chunk of cheddar.
9. NEFF KI6873F30G
Best integrated fridge freezer
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Integrated
Fridge capacity: 209 litres
Freezer capacity: 60 litres
Energy rating: A++
No frost: No
REASONS TO BUY
+Ample capacity+Extra large freezer box
REASONS TO AVOID
-Rather expensive
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This integrated 269-litre fridge-freezer is ideal for kitchens with floor-to-ceiling cabinets.
The 209-litre fridge section comes equipped with five door trays, four height-adjustable glass shelves and in the small, 60-litre freezer compartment you get two storage containers, one of which is big enough for a small ostrich.
Its FreshSense function uses sensors to keep the fridge at the optimum operating temperature while its HydroFresh vegetable box adds extra life to your perishables.
The manually-set SuperCool and SuperFreeze options lower the temperature of both the fridge and freezer when adding new groceries and rest assured that, should there be a power cut, your meats will stay frozen for 'up to 26 hours'.
10. SAMSUNG FAMILY HUB
Best fridge freezer with a, er, camera in it
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: free standing
Fridge capacity: 351 litres
Freezer capacity: 119 litres
Energy rating: A+
No frost: Yes
REASONS TO BUY
+Humungous capacity+Integrated tablet on the front+Interior cameras
REASONS TO AVOID
-Who the hell needs cameras in a fridge?-Or a tablet on the front, come to that?
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Samsung’s always ahead of the curve when it comes to appliances, but the South Korean manufacturer has truly excelled with the Family Hub.
This massive double-door American-style 550-litre model comes festooned with sci-fi tech, including a huge 21.5-inch internet-ready touch screen plastered to the fridge door, a pair of 5-watt speakers and web-connected cameras inside.
The front-mounted Android tablet is an app-laden online portal that provides instant recipes, web browsing, doodling and Google and Outlook calendar syncing.
The three interior cameras face towards the contents. The idea is that when you’re out shopping and can’t remember if you have any mayonnaise left, you just launch an app on your iOS or Android phone and have a look inside the fridge. Er, right.
You can also take a snapshot of the fridge interior, then drag and drop ‘use by’ timers over the various contents, so you can eat everything before old man salmonella pays a visit. Er, right.
That's all borderline useless, but tech bonuses also include precise cooling, a storage door specifically for keeping meats fresh, dual humidity control for both fridge and freezer sections, an automatic ice maker and water dispenser, and even a stainless steel tray for holding marinated meats. Now THAT is handy.
If you’re a tech-savvy type, like keeping up with the Joneses or have more money than sense, then please step this way sir and empty your pockets into that till over there.
(Image credit: Bosch)
11. BOSCH SERIE 6 KIN85AF30G FRIDGE-FREEZER
Perfect for keeping fruit and vegetables fresh
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: free standing
Fridge capacity: 154 litres
Freezer capacity: 92 litres
Energy rating: A++
No frost: Yes
REASONS TO BUY
+Fast freeze+Great internal layout+Quality build