integrated fridges?

[Cabinetministers]

Am planning a new kitchen with a full height integrated fridge but of course the capacity is less than existing freestanding fridge. Are there any integrated fridges with capacity over 320 litres (no freezer required)?

Our cupboards will be bespoke so could be made to fit any size fridge. Is it possible to get a larger integrated fridge or could a standard fridge be built in or is that unsafe?

Any solutions welcome

Leibgerr do lots of larger build in fridges.

You have to remember that the fridge door slides with the cupboard door and you use a cupboard handle. Not the fridge handle. It’s a completely different installation. So I wouldn’t try and build in a standard fridge. It would be very annoying to have two doors!

Thank you i had not seen leibgerr and capacity looks good but they all have bad energy rating. do you know if there are any fridges with better ratings?

Yes i wouldnt want 2 doors but wondered if there was any other option.

Most built in fridges have poor energy rating! It goes with the territory!

I don’t know of any other door option. Non built in fridges ventilate differently so I would just suck up the fridge not being as green as you want. We have Leibherr and, being German, they last forever! I actually have two in my kitchen which works well. The freezer is between them and the coffee machine above that. One appliance not quite as good on energy rating won’t cost you that much more.

Have two? ( space permitting )

Thanks. I have never had an integrated fridge and wasnt aware of energy efficiency issue. Think my husband may not be persuaded. We used to have 2 fridges but we couldnt stay organized and couldnt use everything by sell by dates with it in 2 places hence having one large one. We were trying to keep spares in one fridge and in use things in the other as one fridge was further away. Do you have specific things in each fridge? we dont have space for 2 next to each other.

I have two fridges, one integrated and one spare in the utility room. The key is having set things that always go in the spare fridge. For me it's drinks, anything that you would notice you'd run out of e.g. next batch of milk, eggs and cheese. Then anything that is a 'complete meal' like pizzas, filled pasta etc.

The key is never put individual ingredients or meal components in, as they'll get forgotten about.

Spare milk
Spare eggs

We have an integrated fridge in the kitchen and a larger free-standing fridge freezer in the utility room.

One in the kitchen has the current milk, sandwich material, cooking ingredients in jars, yoghurts. Everything else goes in the utility fridge. If we have a mix and match approach then use by dates get missed and things feel chaotic.

When we redo our kitchen I will go for free-standing in the kitchen too.

Another recommendation for Liebherr. We have one now and are planning a new kitchen and were told the integrated Liebherr fridges are bigger than stand alones.

I have to say that since having this fridge I’ve noticed that fruit and veg keeps significantly longer than in our old Siemens fridge.

If you’re going for two, I would have an under counter one just for drinks.

Leibherr are brilliant fridges!

I use mine for separate foods. Proteins in one plus butter and spreads and a few beers! The other is vegetables, preserves, and any left-overs! I think a system works if it’s simple. These fridges have cupboards below and above.

Thank you again! Sorry what do you mean that they have cupboards above and below? That you can integrate small ones with units above and below? I am looking for a full height fridge with maximum capacity that will fit in my bespoke cupboards. I cant believe how many decisions are involved in fitting a kitchen - it is never ending.

You are right about decisions being never ending! I’m attaching a photo. The fridges are the larger cupboards on the right and left. The freezer is below the coffee machine. There are drawers below the fridges and top cupboards above. But you could have full height if you choose a larger fridge. We like two at easy access level. The top cupboards house picnic stuff etc that’s not used much.

Thank you very much for explaining. That would be fantastic but unfortunately we dont have the space to have 2 fridges side by side. Unless I redo the whole layout which might finish me off as all the decisions i have already made would need remaking.

Ok I do understand. Just go for a big fridge. As several of us recommended Leibherr you would not go far wrong with them. As it’s built in the higher energy ratings are difficult to find. Miele might do large fridges. Not sure. DD has a large built in fridge freezer and that’s an AEG.