..to be fed up with American-style fridge-freezers?

[AFridgeFreezerMadeForTwo]

My 10 year old fridge freezer is showing signs that its useful life may be nearing an end (i.e. it's knackered) so I've been looking round for a replacement.

Current one is medium size and I don't think we have ever filled it. There are only two of us; most of the time it's about 1/4 full so we bulk it with bottles of tap water in an effort to save energy.

For obvious reasons, I now want to go as small as I can with a replacement. But since I last bought one, the market seems to be dominated by enormous American-style models. Even the non-American style models seem to be mostly about 6ft tall!

I can see why they'd be great for families but my point is, surely there must be a significant market for small ones? Especially now people will want to conserve energy. Does everyone have an enormous kitchen - no. Does everyone have a large family - no.

It looks as though I am going to have to go 'basic' all round to get a smaller one, but given the chance I would pay extra for many of the useful features you find easily on the large ones - auto-defrost, integrated wine-rack, built-in ice trays, for example.

Only a rant really, but I would be interested to know if anyone else has found this problem.

Also, if you are a single person or one of a couple, what size of fridge/freezer do you have?

We could go a little wider - it's not an 'exact' space as the FF is at 90 degrees to drawers on one side so we just need room to comfortably access and open the drawers, but the main reason we want to go smaller is to economise.

but given the chance I would pay extra for many of the useful features you find easily on the large ones - auto-defrost, integrated wine-rack, built-in ice trays, for example.

OP, you’re being ridiculous. I’ve literally just googled AO Fridge Freezer and the very FIRST one result meets your requirements. It’s also a similar height and depth to your current one.

Half an hour shopping around and I bet you’d find what you’re looking for.

ao.com/product/gbb72pzefn-lg-fridge-freezer-stainless-steel-67435-28.aspx

I don't think I could ever have a big enough fridge. My friend has a walk in fridge and I am soooo envious.

They're known as 'American Style' fridge freezers; I didn't invent the term. I don't hate them, they just seem to be disproportionately represented in the market by comparison to small fridge-freezers at the moment. If I had a big kitchen and a family I'd love one, but they're not suitable for my lifestyle.

It’s also a similar height and depth to your current one.

As I've explained, I want a smaller one than my present one because my present one is nowhere near being filled.

Second that one. Freezer's just the right size for a single person.

I do appreciate the recommendations and suggestions, thank you.

@TowerRaven7 It's just occurred to me that you might not be in the UK. In the UK 'American Style' is a term for a specific style of fridge-freezer - often with double doors and bigger capacity than a 'standard' fridge freezer. I didn't mean to suggest there was anything wrong with American fridge freezers as a whole, I am sorry if I offended you.

Do you not have any fresh food? Fruit and veg? Drinks? Ours is about 6 ft tall and 60 cm wide 50/50 fridge/freezer, so a standard fridge freezer, not an American one and it's far too small for the two of us. I'm constantly rearranging it and cramming things in and we eat hardly any fruit and veg by MN standards.

It's getting on for 25 years old and I was waiting for it to break so we could get a new one, but I've now worked out that it's quite energy hungry, so plan to get a new one some time this year. One of the features I want is a fruit and veg box that can get a cauliflower or an iceberg lettuce in, because ours can't. I don't know if these items have got bigger over the last 25 years?

But DM (lives alone) got a new one a year or so ago and hers is around 5 ft tall and 60 cm wide and seems to be about right for her.

Currys do a small fridge freezer, more than big enough for just the 2 of you.

I live alone and I've got this one www.johnlewis.com/bosch-serie-4-kgv39vweag-freestanding-70-30-fridge-freezer-white/

Same Op. I have a narrow Beko fridge freezer from AO. However the build quality of the salad and freezer drawers are shocking and they have all cracked or broken. They appear to be made from the same thickness of plastic as Invisalign braces.

I’m currently looking for a fridge with drawers rather than shelves. So much easier to see what you have. My friend has one that’s years old but they are rare as hens teeth.

OP isn't insulting Americans. It's a thing here https://ao.com/l/americanfridgeefreezers/1/26-27/?gbraid=0AAAAADmq138sAm2DxTttGlEPF5HJn86&effid=Cj0KCQjwteOaBhDuARIsADBqReitHQmxRSEnLeSSZuvro3P0Vr4rt-H09AZiWSSnUh3oaNkBaQd6gTMaAgNlEALwwcB:G:s&sskwcid=AL!8149!3!492870301916!e!!g!!american%20fridge%20freezer&&utmmedium=search&utmmsource=google&utmcampaign=gen%20exact%20-%20american%20fridge%20freezer%7Cgen%20exact%20-%20american%20fridge%20freezer&utmmterm=generic%7Cexact&utmcontent=kwd-168447283&gbraid=0AAAAADmq138sAm2DxxTtGlEPF55HJn86&gclid=Cj0KCQjwteOaBhDuARIsADBqReitHQmxRSEnLeSSZuvro3P0Vr4rt-H09AZiWSSnUh3oaNkBaQd6gTMaAgNlEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

link fail, try this tinyurl.com/yfp495wh

OP it could be a false economy buying smaller - the energy usage of this one for example, is A rated and costs less to run than some of the smaller ones that are F rated. So if it were me I’d look at the energy efficiency rather than the size. The initial outlay will obviously be more on the one linked.

Link here:

Have always had a standard 60/40 type, ie fridge ontop of freezer. Pretty standard. New one is integrated so looks nicer

Used to be 2 of us, now 2 and toddler. It’s always full after shop and I have another old separate freezer in cellar also.

Do you not cook much or eat at home? We eat all meals basically at home.
Fridge is just three shelves. Bottom one is drawer that’s full of salad and veg. Middle cheese, yogurt, any meat or fish. Top washed berries/ chopped melon, random open jars of mustard, cornicons, ginger etc. door a bit of milk, sparkling water, maybe juice. And it’s full.

Freezer full of homemade soups for lunches, homemade meals ie curry/ lasagne/ roast veg sauces. frozen berries, ice cream. Most meals that are sauce based I make double so we have a fast meal another night.

Do you not have any fresh food? Fruit and veg?Drinks?

We don't refrigerate fruit as we prefer it at room temperature. We mostly buy frozen veg for cooking as it works out cheaper; salad veg doesn't fill more than the salad drawer at the bottom.

At one time it was quite full of drinks, but I gave up Diet Coke and similar a couple of years ago and we're lucky enough to live somewhere with decent tap water so we don't have many refrigerated drinks nowadays (apart from wine bottles!).

The fridge is mostly used for leftovers, cheese, salad veg, yoghurt, cold sliced meat, a joint of meat or a chicken once a week, milk and any condiments which have to be refrigerated.

Argos. Look up fridge freezers. You can specify white and it has filters for size/splits between freezer and fridge.

Do you not cook much or eat at home?

The opposite really, we rarely eat out and we cook most things from scratch. But we tend to pop out to the supermarket (10 mins walk from us) to get things as and when we need them a few evenings a week, rather than getting the car out to do a big shop once a week, and storing lots at home.

I have a smeg which is retro looking and comes with wine rack. I think it’s about 5’ I’m 5 11 and it’s a good bit shorter than me.

Uh, I have a 60/40 single door (wide) fridge. There are many fridges on the market. Try Curry's....

Smeg surely do those mid height type ones with a smaller freezer on top?

I'm struggling to find a no-defrost model there; I may have to settle for a manual defrost.

I love the appearance of the Smeg ones, but they're out of my price range.

And there are no cheaper brands doing similar format?