Fridge freezer advice and suggestions please!

[wineandcatsandlego]

Just that really! We have finally had enough of the tiny fridge DH bought when he mset up home by himself 5 years ago, sick of juggling the tiny shelves, food packed in, cold not circulating properly etc. We spent 2 hours in Currys this weekend trying to decide between an American style fridge freezer, and a larger top fridge/bottom shelved freezer style one. Would appreciate your thoughts on the benefits (and drawbacks) of each type please! And suggestions for which ones you have at home before I go mad and spend a bloody fortune on one I'll regret as soon as I come to fill it....

[wineandcatsandlego]

Oh and I have always thought if I was spending mega£££ on a fridge freezer I would want it to have at least a water dispenser, possibly ice dispenser too, however is this just a fad I'd be sick of soon or is it worth losing internal space to have ice cold water on tap? Thanks

[wineandcatsandlego]

Bump

Anyone?! I'm likely to end up with the £1200 Samsung one with built in cameras and tablet if DH gets his way

[mumofnat]

I don't know how much help I can be but...

I have one of the more traditional fridge freezers with the fridge on top and freezer on the bottom. I don't have a massive house, so I couldn't imagine having a massive one. I suppose it depends on your circumstances but IMO I don't know how much benefit all these extras can be, I didn't understand the need for cameras etc. and would have rather spent the extra funds on something else.

I think it all depends on your disposable income/savings. If your DH really wants to splurge, I don't see an issue as I think they last a long time, but make sure it's what you really want and not a purchase you will regret later. Maybe have a look at reviews online together to see what people think about the cameras etc.

Sorry I couldn't be more help 

[JellySlice]

I've lived with side-by-side 'American' fridge freezers and would never buy one by choice. The narrow freezer section is a pain when freezing anything big - you can't freeze a cake, say - and little things get lost at the back. I also don't see the point of scrabbling away on the floor of the fridge for things I use every day, such as vegetables.

Same objection (frequently used food at floor level) holds for freezer-on-top combos.

The most comfortable combo I've had was drawer-freezer beneath and fridge on top. Freezing large items was still a challenge that required a bit of forward planning and reorganising the contents if the freezer drawers, but it was at least possible.

For my next fridge freezer I want a double width, double door fridge with a double width freezer drawer beneath.

[SoVeryOuting]

We have a Haier. I'd never heard of them either.

No plumbing in, no dispenser, but absolutely great. I figure less to go wrong, no need to site it near the pipes, and cheaper too.

Massive fridge part at the top and freezer at the bottom, very practical. Also has separate doors for each part. Long doors are less practical, I feel.

[JellySlice]

I disabled my water dispenser because the piping sprang a leak. I don't miss it TBH. I do miss the lack of ice on tap, as my freezer is too rammed for convenient ice-trays. I had a freezer with a manually-filled ice maker. That was clever, compact and useful.

Camera and Ipad? I haven't yet found a shopping list app that works for me, and I am highly dubious of the security around the Internet Of Things.

[averythinline]

Lookin for a new one too !
discounted water /ice - live i hard water area and think the limescale will be a pain....lose space , more to go wrong (dh quite gadget adverse on gadets )
discounted US style- can't fit pizzas/larger things in most of the freezers
we want a decent amount of freezer space so contemplating two seperate but dont really need a full height fridge
Make the most of your available height and go for at least a+ if not a++ if you can is result of my research so far
friends very happy with their LG also had a miele -

[PeridotCricket]

We’ve got a zanussi large fridge top, small shelf freezer. No ice dispenser but it’s got a neat little box for ice cubes. We also have a small chest freezer. Now kids have grown up if we replaced it we’d just get a fridge.

[BarbaraofSevillle]

We've got a 50/50 fridge freezer, which is very old, so I've spent years thinking about a new fridge freezer in preparation for when it finally dies.

New freezers look very small compared to older ones, and even though there's only two of us, we always seem to be short of fridge space, especially at Christmas and when we have people round. So our next one will be maybe 60/40 in favour of the fridge, with the fridge at the top (I think they're nearly all like this anyway). We already have an under counter freezer in our utility room, so can cope with a small freezer in the kitchen.

I don't want any dispensers, wifi or stuff like that - less room for food and more to go wrong. When I've been looking, some shops have a filter where you can choose a metal back - I think more are being made like this now, it's less of a fire risk. Careful about getting a very tall fridge if you're average height as you might not be able to reach/see the top shelf.

I don't know what the wifi fridges do - if you can connect to it when you're in the supermarket and can't remember if you already have any X, Y or Z, I can see the value, but I doubt it is that clever.

[SharpLily]

I never thought I'd want an American style but when I moved in with my husband he already had one and to be honest I wouldn't be without one now - but then we don't live in the UK, it's hot here and I store things in the fridge that I would just store in cupboards or elsewhere in the UK, so we need a lot of space.

I don't have any trouble getting pizzas or larger items into our freezer section but when I was investigating the four door, freezer below fridge options like the picture above, I found the freezer compartment was split into two narrow sections, neither of which could have got a pizza anywhere near them.

[Cutesbabasmummy]

Having had an extra large BEKO for 5 years which went wrong and resulted ion the fridge section freezing everything, we have just spent £469 on a stainless steel American style fridge freezer by BUSH! So far so good - it large and we can fit everything in it. It bleeps when you open the door and leave it open which is handy. So far so good.

[Theworldisfullofgs]

We have a Samsung. Freezer and fridge side by side. Brilliant.

[Clutterbugsmum]

I had a side by side one for 14 years and when it broke I insisted on one with the freezer on the bottom as it so much more useful

Be aware you will have to check whether it will go through your doors as they are bigger then a normal one. We had to remove doors to get it in and out.

[FrogFairy]

I have a Miele fridge on top, freezer on bottom ff, and a seperate tall freezer. The top shelf in my fridge and the seperate freezer is a bit of a stretch as I am a shorty.

With hindsight My ideal would be a tall larder fridge and seperate tall freezer.

[mayhew]

I treated my self to a "posh" AEG fridge freezer which cost twice as much as my old reliable, managers special, Indesit. Never again. Multiple faults and fruitless calls to supplier.
I now have a cheapie Chinese Hi Sense and it's great. 18 months without a niggle. Looks nice too.

Fridge freezers use more electricity than other appliances. I dread to think what some of those US style ones use.

My experience of expensive appliances is that there is more to go wrong and aren't as good as you think they'll be. I now buy from my local electrical shop on their value for money recommendation.

[wineandcatsandlego]

Lovely thanks all for your insight. You're completely right about the unnecessary add ons (cameras etc, great gimmick but likely to be used after a week?? Unlikely), unfortunately DH likes his tech so I'll have to work hard to persuade him against. Also yes to a PP, I'll definitely look at the energy rating and running costs, we have an ancient standalone freezer that only works on its boost setting, so dread to think how much electric that's using! I think I'll measure the doors into the kitchen and go from there. I think you are all right, a big top fridge and bottom freezer seems the most sensible way to go

[wineandcatsandlego]

And you are definitely right @barbaraofsevile, I'm only 5'2" and couldn't reach the top shelves of some of them in Curry's 0may have to look for one with built in step

[wineandcatsandlego]

@mayhew we both really liked a HiSense but they were really expensive! The cheapest our store had was one reduced to £779 from £899, we loved the unit but I was worried to spend all that on a brand I hadn't heard of, plus with only a 12month warranty. I may have to go back and have another look

[SharpLily]

We live off grid so electricity usage is a very important factor for any appliance we buy. Our current American style is a HiSense because it was by far the most economical in terms of energy use at the time - although to be fair it's clear that the build quality is not up to the standards of more expensive brands.

[Theworldisfullofgs]

Really don't bother with the gadgets. If you have water/ice remember it has to be plumbed in or the alternative is constant topping up.

[mayhew]

HiSense RB385 in stainless steel is the one I got. £349 currently at AO.

[CakeIsMyFavouriteAndBest]

Just check as Hisense have plastic backs and are on the list of fridges not to buy from Which. I've just had to replace a Servis fridge (faulty) and spent ages choosing. As I have a tall freezer I only needed a fridge and I've had a new Samsung one delivered today, expensive but better all round cooling and metal backed.

[CakeIsMyFavouriteAndBest]

Just to update, don't buy direct from Samsung, unpacked our fridge and it's got scratches and dents. Contacted samsung and they will collect but only refund/replace after 7-10 days and in the meantime I'll have no fridge.
Not impressed and their customer service is rubbish.