Smeg Retro Fridge & Freezer

[Woopsiedaisy]

Have been trying to solve my 'no freezer' problem for ages and have decided that the only real option that will fit my space issues (height) is a separate fridge & freezer.

After much searching have decided on a matching Smeg Retro Fridge & Freezer. However, this is a very big investment for me and I am a little concerned about some of the bad reviews I have read about Smeg Retro recently.

I already have an 11 year old Smeg Retro Fridge and it has been OK (just OK) except for a broken ice box door. I wonder if anyone has bought either a Fridge or Freezer in the last two - three years and could give me information about the current quality.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

After having a SMEG oven I would avoid that brand like the plague, their customer service is truly, truly shocking, the worst I have ever encountered.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Not just my experience either, my mum bought a dishwasher and an oven and both had to be replaced within 18 months, she gave up with customer service , useless! It actually cost us to get a replacement as they made us get an independent engineer's report as evidence.

[Woopsiedaisy]

Thanks for that input Dame

Perhaps I need to think again !!

[crayfish]

Don't buy them. I had the fridge and it was nothing but trouble, broke down all the time and when I finally gave up on it the guy who took it away (when the new one was delivered) said he removed loads of Smegs because they broke down so often. Style over substance I'm afraid. I also had a smeg oven and that was awful too.

[Caprinihahahaha]

I bloody loved my smeg. It looked fantastic. But honestly, terrible piece of crap.
So sad but really, just awful.

[Woopsiedaisy]

Thanks all,

I think I am going to go with a Gorenje Fridge Freezer and just live with a tiny freezer !!

[user12785]

I have one right now, and I hate it. Things freeze constantly in the fridge bit and are wasted (frozen cucumbers = not good!) Also the doors are so thick that when I get things out of the fridge I constantly hit my head on the freezer door when I stand up.

[Woopsiedaisy]

Is that a Smeg you have Eglantyne or a Gorenje?

[kate1296]

I have meg fridge freezer and matching dishwasher.. After googling bad reviews I took out extended warranty think it was extra £200ish for 5 years.. I've had them for over year now and had no problems.. And they do look so nice! X

[Woopsiedaisy]

Thanks Kate that is a really good idea.

I don't normally take extended warrenties because they are so expensive but it might resolve my issue.

I have now read as many bad Gorenje reviews as I have Smeg. I know I want the retro look and a cream finish so the Smeg would be ideal. I just don't want hassle with them.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

White goods should last a decent length of time before repairing, I remember Alice Beer from Watchdog saying 6 years minimum.

You shouldn't have to consider buying extended warrantees when the goods should be up to scratch on the first place.

[Caprinihahahaha]

Having an extended warranty is fine but personally having to keep calling out servicemen, stay in all day to wait for them plus the time without a working fridge would not be worth it to me.
I also found they were crap because bits of plastic snapped off shelves and drawers etc. I know myself well enough to know that I wouldn't be bothered to claim under the warranty for a snapped corner of a drawer but it pissed me off mightily seeing it every time I opened the fridge up.
But that might just be me.

You have to boggle at a company so dim that they lose a massive number of sales because they can't be arsed to improve the quality of what is quite a desirable product.

[Woopsiedaisy]

I agree Caprini the more I read and ask around the more surprised I am that Smeg haven't sorted this issue out.

I have an 11-12 year old Smeg Retro and the shelves etc have been fine, it is just the Ice Box door that is broken. So they were able to provide reasonable quality in the past but just can't be bothered to rectify the lousy quality decisions made over the last few years.

My first choice in the location I have is definitely for a Smeg look, but I am just not prepared to spend £2k and have issues. The extended warranty suugestion won't work because I can't find anyone selling a Smeg who wants to offer one. That speaks volumes in itself!!

[ouryve]

Yep - I got a Smeg oven about 15 years ago and it was great. Got another one, the same 3 years later, when I moved. It had changed slightly in functionality and wasn't nearly as good in performance or build quality. It's always heated unevenly and one of the elements blew just after it got out of warranty.

If you have space issues, I wouldn't have though Smeg Retro stuff would be the answer, anyhow. It's seriously bulky for the internal space.

And fridges or freezers should last seemingly forever or be a simple fix, really. We had quality issues with the drawer fronts in an inexpensive Beko freezer. DH emailed them and they sent us a bag of replacements! We no longer have the freezer because we needed something bigger (and DS2 kept obsessing about the fast freeze button) but the fridge is still going strong, with the odd handle replacement, which again is something easy to source and replace ourselves.

Anyhow, even my inner 12 year old boy has no desire for any more smeg appliances.

[ouryve]

Gorenje may be no better in the cheap plastics department, btw
www.johnlewis.com/gorenje-rf60309obk-l-freestanding-fridge-freezer-a-energy-rating-left-hand-hinge-60cm-wide-black/p1870186

Though, if height isn't a restriction, the 60:40 freezer on bottom Gorenje actually has about 20% more freezer space than the Smeg equivalent.

[ladybird69]

I'd always wanted a Smeg (20+yrs) and I managed to find a secondhand one within my budget. the ice box drawers and fronts were broken off but it didn't bother me! the fridge bottom is always frozen !
BUT I still love it it's beautiful 😍 if it stopped working tomorrow I'd still keep it as storage!
ps anyone know how to defrost the bottom without switching off the whole fridge freezer ? Tia

[Woopsiedaisy]

Thanks for the link ouryve, thats not good news !!

Love the idea of you keeping a dead Smeg for storage ladybird

But now totally confused about what make to choose.

I viewed a house on Saturday with a lovely retro fridge / freezer and had to ask. They said it was a Nardi. However searching on line I ca't find anyone selling that brand. Any ideas?

[ouryve]

Ouch!
www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/nardi-appliances-avoid-this-company-like-the-plague-c609891.html

Swan do some retro style fridge freezers, but it's not really a brand I associate with quality.

[ouryve]

Servis, of all people, do some designs worth a look. Easier to obtain, as well - and will be easier to obtain spares for. Some mixed reviews on argos, but with positive views of customer service when it's been needed.

[clc99]

We wanted a retro green fridge and looked at the Smeg - in real life it's quite plastic looking and the inner walls are so thick you can barely get anything in it. We went with a Swan fridge freezer, and I bloody love it! More than half the cost of Smeg, can fit loads in and it's gorgeously retro. It also works a treat so I'd recommend you look at those before buying Smeg. Good luck fridge hunting!

[ouryve]

I'm over-investing, now, but wondering if the Swan ones aren't made by the same manufacturer (Vestel) as Nardi.

The styling is almost identical (and much nicer than the Servis)
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b0/eb/d2/b0ebd24caad96df2c344fa9f3f9b1012.jpg
www.nardi.com.au/uploads/2011/retro/NR77RO_2011CMYK_scont.png