Tell me about your fridge-freezer and whether it looks good or not.

[HighFibreDiet]

What kind of fridge-freezer do you have, are you happy with it and what changes would you make if any?

We are planning a new kitchen, among other alterations to our house. Dp has brought in a house-doctor type person to advise us on changes that won't cost too much but will help us to sell the house when we are ready to. She keeps saying that 'of course' we don't want a stand-alone fridge freezer. First of all, I like our current one and am unhappy to get rid of something that works well, but grudgingly admit it will not look good in the new kitchen. So I have looked into built-in ones (using Which?) and they are far less efficient than my favourite stand-alone ones, cost more to run and provide less space to store food. Plus they cost more than the equivalent stand-alone model.

I would really love someone to back me up and say that a stand-alone doesn't really look that terrible. After all, American-style fridge freezers are standalone and they look pretty good. Surely if I get a stand-alone with shiny stainless steel finish it won't look too bad in our new fitted kitchen (and will save us a few hundred quid too)?

On the other hand if everyone on here tells me that I really need to ignore my eco-friendly and thrifty upbringing and pay for a built-in fridge freezer then I suppose I will just have to bite my tongue and go along with it.

I like built in ones, especially if you are a bit short of space, however I absolutely love the retro Smeg fridge/freezers that you can get in lots of different colours.

I know a few people who have them, and some even have them in addition to a built in one.

I think the one huge benefit is that you could take it with you when you leave!

Obviously though, this may impact the sale, because the new housebuyer would need to source their own new one IYSWIM.

I think it depends on the size of your kitchen but my view is that if everthing is built in and flush it can look a bit soulness and also not forgiving of the day to day clutter that comes with having a family/life fun.

I have a Miele fridge freezer which I don't mind the look of although it's not as lovely as some other. It is a great fridge freezer though - lots of space, realyl good functions. I am really glad we bought it.

I prefer free-stnading fridge/freezers, I think they look better and agree that having everything built-in can be a bit clinical and unforgiving.

We have a freestanding stainless steel Leibherr fridge which looks very smart, though it is quite hard to keep it clean (two young DSs who often have grubby hands)...

I think I prefer freestanding but just because the integrated ones always seem soooo small and always seem to have issues like water collecting in the bottom.

We've got a free-standing Maytag fridge freezer. It's fab. Looks great and dispenses ice and filtered water. We moved our old one into the garage and still use it for extra storage.

Feel like getting a new fridge now

Prefer free-standing. Where else can you put your fridge magnets?

What said said

[rummages]
ours looks lik ewww.housetohome.co.uk/imageBank/cache/h/Hotpoint-FF200T-Ultima-Full.jpg_e_9c53654d7f7c9c72667efde1da ba6b35.jpgthis, we love it.
Becuase of the layout of our kitchen/diner it stands by itself, not near any cabinets, and a built in one would have looked weird.
However, PIL (also Which readers) bought a standalone for their new kitchen, and it's in the corner at the end of a run of cabinets (ie where you'd put a built in one) and tbh it looks crap.

sell the old one and buy one that looks good in the new kitchen, be it standalone or fitted.

this I mean

I would love this

I have this www.gorenje.com/retro/en/products/vintage?c=282747 and I love it. Very nearly bought it in the red... Freezer part is deceptive, it looks small but you can cram an amazing amount in there!

They are the company who actually make the smeg products apparently, they are just entering the European market so they are much more reasonably priced.

I love the look of the Gorenje ones - and need to buy a new standalone fridge freezer.

I hate in built ones.

Who stocks the Gorenje ones?

In my fantasy life, I'd have one of these. Full of champagne!

Dh's only requirement when we got a neww kitchen last year was an American Fridge Freezer with ice/water dispenser. It's fab, far more room than anything built-in, the kids have never drunk so much water. We got a Samsung one. Love it.

Much prefer free-standing. Ours is an ardo one - similar to smeg but much cheaper! the cream one here

Thanks very much for all your comments. Those Gorenje ones look great, and A++ energy rating too! Now just need to persuade dp...

We have just got a freestanding one from John Lewis - their own make - made by AEG. We too really didn't want a built-in one (despite being told by lots of kitchen designers that we should have one). The JL one looks great - stainless steel and has plenty of room.

I have a red smeg. The biggest one with fridge on top, feezer at the bottom.

I love, love, love it, best money we spent on the kitchen and it'll come with us when we move.

Efficient and well designed although the freezer is not frost-free annoyingly. Npt sure if smeg have solved that yet. Mine's about 4 years old.

i think that if you have space a big free standing fridge looks great- but it needs to standalone- eg on a different wall.

my sister in law spent a lot money on a kitchen, left a gap in the middle of the units and then stuck her old fridge back in- it looks dreadful and will put people off when they sell without a doubt.

we've got a Maytag side by side, stainless steel jobby with ice/water at front.

Love it - but bastard to keep the outside spotless, very easily scratched too. Girlfriends wearing chunky dress rings have caused many a scratch when they've opened it.

I got my Gorenje fridge freezer from here and they were excellect. Also, if you buy more than one appliance from them they knock £30 off each additional appliance. Which worked well for us!