Those with American Fridge Freezers…

[Badromancer]

Trying to decide between integrated F&F or American.

I like the streamlined clean look of integrated but worried they are smaller inside?

Are American FF any good? How much food can you realistically fit in? 4 DC & lots of entertaining, so need serious storage!

Also, how far out does yours stick out? Does it bother you, look rubbish that it sits forward of neighbouring units? My would have to go in the middle of a long run of units. I could build over the top for ‘built in’ look but it will still protrude out for the doors.

Looking forward to unbiased opinions!

We have the American style but without the water thing or ice maker, so you get a lot more room.

I love my integrated liebherr freezer which has an ice drawer. It has so much more space than my old american one and the ice drawer is great. Seems to have doubled in price though since I bought it 2 years ago.
www.appliancesuperstore.co.uk/liebherr-premium-sign3576-no-frost-fully-integrated-built-in-freezer--ice-maker-4864-p.asp

I absolutely adore my American fridge freezer!! I mainly use the fridge anyway, the freezer is primarily veg, desserts and joints of meat.

However last Christmas we bought a really cheap chest freezer for a) really bulky items (we bought an extra turkey in the sales and froze it and b) so we could top up with extras.

I use my American freezer for bags of things I’d have open like peas or oven chips. And lollies 😂😂 The chest freezer is used for freezing bread, pizzas and meat. This combination is perfect for us.

We have a utility area so can’t really say if it sticks out though. I think that I’d make the American fridge freezer a feature right than trying to hide it away.

I couldn’t wait to get an American F/F, when we had our new kitchen in our last place around 15 years ago, absolutely hated it in reality. Replaced it with a standard f/f around 10 years later, typical really, the bloody thing wouldn’t die! With the American I didn’t like freezer shelves rather that baskets, very small freezer as water/ice dispenser takes up space. Would never get another. Also they are very deep and tend to stick out in the kitchen etc.

Have American. Nearly every kitchen designer website suggests integrated. With electric now such a factor surely more will go integrated.

A friend of mine has these in her kitchen, fridge and freezer in cabinet housing next to each other - ao.com/product/rr39m7340sa-samsung-rr7000m-fridge-silver-46362-30.aspx

They look like American style but have so, so much more space.

We had an American fridge with a water dispenser. We rarely used the water dispenser and if you have the ice maker it takes up sooo much room in the freezer.

The freezer in the side by side American ones are literally the size of a regular frozen pizza box so they're not big at all.

We now have a haier top and bottom one. The freezer is still relatively small but the fridge is immense. I love it!

I needed this thread. I have an under counter fridge and teens. I have to shop almost every day. My tall freezer needs replacing but I'm reluctant to replace with an American ff due to energy costs and what if it breaks and everything goes.

Such a helpful thread, thanks. We've been researching the American style ones but some of the issues here and running costs have really put us off. Like the idea of two separate appliances giving the same overall look of American style. Also pleased to see that Samsung features in many posts.
Upon declaring that our integrated fridge was terminal, the engineer recently recommended Bosch,Samsung and Miele for reliability.
Have to say Samsung looked really robust when we did have a look at some models.

We paid about 1600? We were lucky as we saw it go up online to £3k and rang them to ask for the previous price, which they did (I think it was ao.com). This is the top of the range model, but it is much cheaper now if you get the pull out draw freezer. The side by side models are much cheaper, but for French doors, the layout is much the same and there can be a considerable difference in price.

I am also 51 and Dave for a few years of renting, have only owned three fridges in my life. It’s worth spending a little bit more on electrics if possible as it does feel that they last for longer.

@kitchenplans
Oh thanks for that link-
That would work well for us - we need a larger fridge freezer , but have a narrow turning space at door

I bought a much wider than 60cm Bosch fridge freezer

Think it's 90cm

Great! Lots of storage

I love my fisher and paykel. Water is brilliant, we haven't bothered with the ice side of things as wanted the freezer space more. But you can have it in or out/on or off as you desire. Can fit a surprising amount in the freezer too. Size is great (narrower than a lot of American FF, sticks out about 15cm once you allow for the handles, this has never been an issue. I tend not to walk along the front of my cabinets that closely, I think we all leave an instinctive distance between ourselves and walls.
It's this one.

https://www.johnlewis.com/fisher-paykel-rf523gdux1-freestanding-65-35-american-fridge-freezer-stainless-steel/p4403158?sku=238299036&sppc=2dx92700070984466752&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=CjwKCAjwvsqZBhAlEiwAqAHEleqLxW9DLK9jRxO0juPBaQAPu10-ykTCcezFVD8fi6KroUwEWhsP1RoCcVAQAvDD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

My friend's Samsung door handle fell off 13 months after they bought it, so out of warranty. She has the gift of the gab, however, and managed to convince them to fix it anyway.

We used to have a Samsung American FF before our current Haier and it only lasted about 6 years before the motor went. We're now on 4 years for the Haier and it's still going well (touch wood!).

That said, my FIL has a Samsung American FF and has had his since before we bought our Samsung one and his is fine, so I think we may have just been unlucky.

when we re-designed out kitchen I decided on built in F&F and we've put out american fridge in the garage...so we still have access to the ice maker.

I have a Samsung American. I inherited it with my house, as did the previous vendor. It's around 15 years old and never had any issues with it. I noticed when I moved in that it was on the recall list thing so I contacted Samsung and they came and fitted something on it. The guy told me the newer Samsungs have no end of issues, mainly with the motor giving up. He said it's imperative to keep a good supply of air around them, as this is main reason of them packing up.

I couldn't be without mine, but would consider separate if they were both full height with similar space. The freezer would be too narrow for me if it was my only freezer, but I have a chest freezer in the garage for bulkier stuff etc. My kitchen includes what would have been an understair cupboard though, so it's in front of that and doesn't protrude, and means I can easily access the filter.

We inherited a Fisher Paykel like the one in the link above when we moved. It's okay -I do really rate the chilled water and ice! The fridge shelves are nice and wide but they do feel a little flimsy and bow slightly when heavily laden.

I have had a Westinghouse American fridge freezer for over 40 years.
It still works fine. I am sure it is not as energy efficient as modern ones. But it is better to get a good make and spend a bit more than having to constantly replace them, which ends up costing more in the long run.
The exterior was getting some unsightly brown rust spots but I just painted it with white appliance paint and it looks new. The inside is so spacious, which at Christmas time you really need for a very large Turkey.

We were in the same situation, last American FF died, then we had a kitchen refurb.
www.currys.co.uk/products/hisense-pureflat-rq563n4ai1-fridge-freezer-stainless-steel-10192294.html
It does stick out a bit as so deep, but we had a space built in the new kitchen for fridge and drinks cupboard (priority) side by side, the cupboard is set back.
The space is brilliant compared to last AFF which was a two door one with Ice maker which took up loads of space. The shelves in this one are metal shelves (bit like shelves in stops)

I got this earlier on this year. Am shocked by the price increase, I paid £600!

But I love it. The fridge space is great. And the freezer drawers means that you aren’t pulling stuff out on shelves to find something. I’ve got a drawer for frozen veg, one for uncooked meat, one for “easy” dinners such as scampi, pies etc. another drawer for frozen ready meals. And two drawers for portions from batch cooking.

The design works well for me. The fridge is used more often - being double width and at eye height means it’s easy to access everything. I’ve got in the habit of making sure that regularly used items are kept on the right-hand side, so only need to open that door.

Freezer baskets, to me, are easier than shelves. And, as I know roughly what each drawer has in it, I’m not rooting around in them trying to find stuff. I definitely don’t think I’d get on with a freezer that has shelves rather than drawers.

ao.com/product/htf556dp6-haier-american-fridge-freezer-silver-66913-27.aspx

I'm currently looking for an American ff. This thread is surprisingly as the top 6 on Which? Are all Samsung!

We were about to buy the Samsung full height fridge and freezer but read reports of a large action suit they are facing in the US because of the problems they have had so decided to go for Bosch instead. The model we wanted had only been on the market for about a year and, although it had a good warranty period, didn’t want to risk the freezer packing in with a load of food being ruined.