NOW CLOSED Tell Servis how you would design your own fridge and you could win a £100 voucher

[KatieBMumsnet]

We've been asked by the team at Servis to gather your ideas for what would make your perfect family fridge - share your top needs/ desires below and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 JL voucher.

So, what's the perfect design? What colour should it be? How many shelves? What special storage does it need? What else should it do? Is bigger always better? What about environmental factors?

Servis say: "We would love you to tell us how you would design your fridge, from a great piece or art to the outright crazy, let us hear how creative you can be! We look forward to reading your best ideas"

Servis are soon to be running a special competition on Facebook to win the fridge of your choice "giving you the opportunity to win a fridge exactly the way you like it. Fancy having your child's favourite drawing, your best photo or just a unique design...well you can. And don't worry, if you like our fridge freezers just the way they are then that's fine too" keep an eye out for more info.

Please note comments from this thread may well be used on the Servis pages on MN.

Thanks
MNHQ

[Badvoc]

More than 2 shelves in the fridge.
No silly nooks and crannies that are hard to clean.
An in built thermometer.
A bulb that lasts longer than 12 months

[lucifee]

I'd like a temperature reading, when I want to adjust it in the summer I've no way to gauge it accurately, and get confused which way turns itup or down! 5 adjustable shelves in fridge and in the door - i love the idea of hidden choc compartment! :)

[lucifee]

Just an afterthought - a lock for the door - my 2 year old keeps opening the door every time he wants milk and leaving it open - whether i am there or not!

[pussinwellyboots]

Apart from a fridge that is a tardis (much bigger inside than the space it takes up in my kitchen!) I'd love a futuristic fridge that you scan the food going in and it reminds you when things are going out of date! It would also shout loudly at my husband to buy more milk etc when needed!!!

[stealthsquiggle]

It needs to be flexible. The shelves need to be a lot more durable, especially door shelves and salad drawers. I need to be able to take all of the inside fittings out and chuck them in the dishwasher, leaving a smooth easy to clean surface. It needs to stay dry, and have an alarm that goes off if the door is left just ajar, not only if it is wide open.

Finish - brushed steel is fine. I don't need/want my fridge to be a work of art, and neither do I want it to be some unique size and shape - there is no way I am changing the kitchen around to fit a new fridge in, so it needs to fit in the same space as it's predecessor.

[InMySpareTime]

Pull-out slidey shelves for condiments etc.
Temperature sensor that records the temperature in the middle of the fridge but tells you on the front.
Dishwasher-friendly shelves etc.
Easy-wipe surfaces impregnated with antibacterial stuff.
Meat section at the bottom, salad section at the top (as per food hygiene rules)
No egg holder
Ability to store 2l bottles upright in the body of the fridge (perhaps a 2/3 width shelf somehow)
Self-clean function
I don't care about colour, my kitchen is white anyway.
Sensor that detects bacteria from spoiling food and alerts you.

[wonkylegs]

Easy to clean (just cleaned ours to move & it was awful.) inside & out.
No egg bits/butter drawers - never ever use them the just get in the way.
Thermometer - I keep prescription meds that I need to know the temp is ok for.
Less breakable salad drawers - always crack terribly.
A bigger lip on the door bit so tall bottles don't take a dive out of the fridge onto the floor.
Frost free freezer
Alarm on door to help with less helpful kids.
Temperature controls that aren't so easy to knock - ours gets bashed whenever the fridge is very full and ends up cooler than I need.
Low energy /high efficiency - as it's on the time I'd rather it didn't cost the earth
Easy to adjust feet (our Miele dishwasher feet all adjust from the front making levelling very easy on our wonky floors)

[SmellsLikeWeenSpirits]

i want the freezer part bigger than the fridge, our fridge never has much in it but i like to batch cook and the freezer is always bulging. we've no room for seperates

big is most certainly not better, lots of us have weeny kitchens mores the pity

[CreamolaFoamFan]

Another one wishing for less hard-to-clean nooks and crannies. Have curves, rather than sharp angles that are difficult to get the dirt out of. Also, the drainy bit at the back - pleeeease: one that doesn't get blocked up, or that is at least easy to get un-gunked. Can you guess I hate cleaning my fridge?

I do think that anyone who designs these things should have to live with them for six months or a year before they're released on to the unsuspecting public.

[nannynick]

What are those boxes at the bottom of the fridge for? Crisp salad... hmm, not in my experience, things seem to go limp quickly. So remove those and replace with space for bottles... milk, coke, water.
Things are variable heights these days, so adjustable shelf height is a must. Have seen one where part of the shelf came out... so meaning a larger item such as a bottle could be put in. So shelves with sections that can be removed could be useful.

Airflow - some fridges blow air around, some don't. Which are better?

Frost free, no need to defrost.

Self cleaning would be great... if an oven can self clean, can't a fridge?
Remove as many small things that trap dirt.

Easy to read display on the front that gives temp in fridge, and freezer (if a fridge freezer).

Silent running... impossible dream perhaps but some fridges make a lot of noise. I live in a flat so I effectively sleep with my fridge - it's just a few metres away from my bed. So I need something nice and quiet.

On a hot day like today, would be nice if it could also air condition the room

[WhyIRayLiotta]

I would like it to be like the tardis! Failing that - being able to custom design the outside is a fab idea.

The door shelves should be wider - to fit in the milk / jars without a struggle.

I would like freezer drawers that open and close easily.

An alarm if the doors are left open.

An easy to fill and empty ice cube tray.

A pull out tray underneath the veggie drawers (which have holes)- so I can easily throw out all the old / fallen off mouldy bits.

Easy to clean is a must. and a chocolate compartment

[asuwere]

I don't care what the colour is - mine is always covered in magnets/notes/pictures anyway.
For fridge/freezers - freezer at the top would be great option so kids can still get in the fridge easily.
As others have said easier to clean.
No egg trays.
Thermometer and make the adjuster dial easy to set - mine currently has 1-5 but I always forget which is coldest and have to look it up - if it went blue to red or similar, would make it much easier.
adjustable shelves -mine currently has a shelf which has a hatch in it so you can open just half for some tall things but still have use of rest which is very handy!
drink dispenser would be fab - access from outside so no need to keep opening door. Easy to refill bottle!
removable spring on door so it automatically closes (so kids don't leave it open) but can be removed/unhooked easily if putting shopping away and need door open for a bit.

Love ArtisanLentilWeaver's corner fridge idea! :)

[DoodleAlley]

Since DS got campylobacter last year I've been shocked to discover how many food packages have it on their outside. At present I'm careful I wash stuff but as DS gets older there is more of a chance of him grabbing stuff out without that care.

I'd love the option of more drawers or compartments I guess like a freezer, especially a lower one for meat. It would also make it easier to find what I wanted in a rush!

[Yonilovesboni]

I would like a shelf that tilts. So when I have a bottle that has been opened it doesn't then leak everywhere when I inevitably don't have space in the door rack!!

[StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes]

BIG with lots of separate drawers, a wine rack under the top shelf, deep door shelves with one for 2 litre bottles, one for larger jars and one for cheese etc. would love the option of temperature control for each compartment so you could keep fruit and veg cool, meat and fish a bit cooler and drinks very cool. also like the pull out ice cube drawers and a large drawer underneath to tap them into so you always have ice available.
outside, easy to programme controls and love the idea of changable 'skins' or to be able to order one with a specific colour or customised design. a digital photo frame built in could be fun as could a slot to slide in pictures, recipes, notes to the family etc or a finish that worked as a blackboard / whiteboard with pens so you can write nots or draw your own pictures on and wipe off when fed up with them. some models could have the water dispensers but with an easy washable container, perhaps two side by side so you could have juice and water? I could design a great one I think... can you arrange one with a refillable automatic wine section

[StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes]

I'd love a futuristic fridge that you scan the food going in and it reminds you when things are going out of date! THIS is genius

[StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes]

and could it scan stuff that has run out as you finish it and add it to a shopping list on the front so kids stop moaning that theres no xxxxx left.

[manfalou]

My ideal fridge freezer would be...

-tall standing side by side with push button door opening high up so the kids can't get in when they feel like it.

• Cream or silver but not overly shiny
  

-a split drinks dispenser on the fridge door which could hold 2l water and 2l of another drink of choice

• the door should have 2 full width bucket shelves, bottom one tall enough and deep enough to hold 2l bottles, the top tall/deep enough to hold a 2 x 4 pint of milk and egg tray at the top.
  

-fridge to have 1 wine bottle holding shelf at the top, 4 normal shelves, 2 large veg draws and a small meat draw at the bottom to avoid dripped blood going anywhere. Would be nice if the shelves rotated. discretely colour co-ordinated which correspond to chopping board colours e.g red for meat, blue for fish etc
All shelves to be easily removed and the ability to higher/lower/ remove shelves should you wish to.

Freezer to have 3 deep shelves and 3 deep draws. The door to have 4 deep shelves on to put boxes of fish fingers in etc

[lookoveryourshouldernow]

...an on/off switch for the water supply that is accessible from either inside or the front display panel..

I speak from bitter experiment !!!

More hard wearing shelves/runners - this seem to be the first thing that break..

[HazeltheMcWitch]

I'd also like some practical features, foremost - no nooks and crannies for crumbs and muck to get into. Or for DC to spill milk, which instantly sours.

I'd also like that drainage hole at the back to not clog up with ice.

A lock/security switch would be ice too, as would very strong shelves so that I can pile things in and not worry about warping.

[JosiePosiePuddingAndPie]

No salad draws at the bottom, who wants meat stored above salad?? It's just grim! Why aren't the salad draws at the top where nothing will spill on them. Plus an easier was of cleaning the hole bit at the back when it gets gummed up.

[skyeskyeskye]

I have always had a large fridge as I dont like under the counter ones, so have an 80/20 built in fridge freezer. I preferred my old fridge which had glass shelves.

The door pockets in my current one are good, bottom one deep enough to hold 2l water bottles, the next one up deep enough for wine and milk.

More drawers would be good, sort of half way up the fridge, where all the yoghurt tubes and cheese strings could be kept! just narrow ones under a shelf would be great.

an alarm would be good as 5yo DD is always leaving the door open.

[JosiePosiePuddingAndPie]

Temp dials which are easy to use, I never know if 1 is coldest or warmest. And built in child locks so you don't have to fit those horrible stick on ones.

[hermancakedestroyer]

I would like my fridge to be A rated energy efficient. I would like a spacious fridge with a large freezer drawer. I would like a lot of shelf space as I have a family. A drinks dispenser would be a nice touch. Personally I would like a fridge in a choice of more exciting colours than white. A large salad drawer with compartments. A cheese block holder and an onion storage facility. Oh and obviously a wine rack / dispenser

[daisychicken]

1. I'd like to have a fridge which maximises the space available as I find there's so much unused space due to the shape of fruit or veg - ideally lots of drawers or boxes that stack - need to be different sizes for different produce - so all the space could be used - ie a cheese drawer, lunchbox snack drawers ie mini cheeses & pepperamis or a yoghurt box; boxes that stack for meat; salad drawers and 2-4 vegetable drawers.
   

These need to adjustable as to where they fit in the fridge - I want meat at the bottom of the fridge and space for leftover containers near the bottom - so no leaks/drips over my fruit & veg.

1. Rectangular leak proof containers to fit on a shelf or in the door for water and squash would be ideal - needs to be large - 1L each - currently I have lots of bottles of water which fall over. Space also needs to be left for the milk bottle. Perhaps a holder or two for a wine bottle.
   

1. Good space for jars/bottles - perhaps a pullout shelf or a lazy susan for easy access
   

1. Colour isn't important. Glass shelves don't bother me. Just needs to be easily cleaned.
   

1. An easy to read temperature dial would be good - the number dials mean nothing!
   

1. A good light for easy viewing.