American fridge freezer or integrated?? Help me decide!

[FriskyMare]

We are extending and replacing our old kitchen. DH wants integrated appliances to give a more streamlined look. We have had an american style fridge freezer for the last 10 years which is now on its last legs and I quite fancy a french style - two doors at the top for fridge with two drawers underneath for the freezer.
My main concern is will an integrated fridge be big enough for a familyof 4 (2 early teens) who go through about 24 pints of milk a week?
Your experiences on both eagerly awaited.

Get 2 fridge freezers and have the doors opening a la American style ff. Best of both worlds?

If going the integrated look, it can work out more expensive as you have to buy the appliance and then the unit and doors. If you have the space go for a full length fridge and full length freezer you will gain look and space.
Most american's take at least 920cm not including door opening allowances
if you build over them, then 1000mm.
2 side by sides will be 1200mm and you will gain a lot more freezer space than an american

Only problem with matching separates is if one needs replacing before the other - they will have subtley changed the design so that the replacement won't match the older one.

Good point about the cost of the integrated appliances annalouiseh, I sort of want both, the sleek look of integrated but just can't get past the fabulousness of a large american fridge. We are having a mix of modern and 1950's iyswim (diner furniture, metro tiles). What to do??
:o at Swedish idea of 2 ff

if you go integrated the matching wont be an issue as they behind doors...
In the greater schemes of things with a new kitchen integrated wont be a deciding factor I think
decisions decisions.....
What kitchen you thinking of

We had looked at a pale blue Alno kitchen until we got the quote!! Might end up at Howdens with cream gloss, as with building work new appliances etc we are already looking at 30k with a standard kitchen.

I do actually have 2 ffs It's ace! No bending for stuff at the bottom of fridge. I can't imagine how we managed with one before and wonder where we put all the beer and wine

I am constantly looking at fridges in magazines and on the telly. It's driving me mad I tell you!
2 ff's - I have fridge envy :o

thats one end of the spectrum to the next.....
if you do go down the Howden route, upgrade everything you can like hinges and drawers.
Howden is the main council contract in the country and they supply the same carcass to builders/end users as they do council bar door fronts.

Yes, I used to covet the ones on Something for the Weekend - big massive and frighteningly expensive Miele ones

OOh, yes saw a huuge Miele one in a showroom at the weekend.
true about howdens, thought we'd try and spend the money on a decent worktop/sink/appliances etc

I replaced our poxy integrated fridge freezer with a full length fridge and put a chest freezer in the garage instead. We at least now have a fridge that's big enough! Couldn't be doing with trying to cram stuff into too-small freezer drawers.

I think I would go integrated fwiw.

Swedish how do you remember what you have stored in each fridge?

I love the idea of not having to bend down and scrabble around in teh bottom of the fridge but wonder how you keep track of what goes where?

Just open both doors at the same time so it's just like a wide fridge (is that what you meant?) I'm not very organised but I can easily see what's in there.

American everytime. Ice maker, water filter... I say no more.... x

American fridge. I love my big fridge.

We've got a tall built in fridge then an built in undercounter freezer (in the utility). The fridge is 330l so comparable to the fridge space in an american style fridge/freezer i think.

One thing to consider is where you'll put it, personally i think stand alone fridge/freezers can look ok if they're at the end of a run of units, or away from the built in part of the kitchen. I really don't like them where they're slotted into gaps between two tall units and wall units built over.

if you have a big kitchen, i think freestanding - personally with a cream gloss kitchen i'd go with a big pink Smeg! and not as part of a run of units

if it is smaller, then i think integrated - 24 pints of milk a week is about what we go through (mostly me i think!) and that is enough space (one shelf you can get 3*4 pinters as i have been finding whilst sainsbos have milk of 3 for £3)

i think the more you need the space to look neat and 'of a piece' an integrated fridge helps.

i wouldn't get an integrated washer/dryer again though (just saying, you probably wouldn't be that silly...)

I've got the french style and I love it, had side by side american before- and much prefer this one. The freezer is on the small side though (two draws, so have another in the utility room.

cate16 is the fridge part as big as a side by side? Not too worried if the freezer is smaller as we always seem to "lose" stuff in out current freezer!

Kitchen will be quite a decent size once extended - do smeg do a pale blue fridge? I have just ordered an american diner set in a pale/duck eggy blue colour. Quite like the whole retro/contemporary thing.

Yes the fridge part is just as bit as the side by side, ours took a bit of getting used to, as it has a big double draw at the bottom of fridge area- so need to open both doors when using that.
Also due to the design........ the cat finds it amusing to try and lay on the freezer draw tops when you open both fridge doors!!