Choosing the right fridge freezer.

For a little while now we have been slowly saving up to buy a new fridge freezer to replace our existing one which is unsurprisingly on its last legs having given us 10 years plus of loyal service after being given to me second hand.

Being a family on a tight budget the expense of buying a new fridge freezer is a large expense for us, and as such I want to make sure we buy the best fridge freezer for us and our budget. As there are so many brands and models of fridge freezers available on the market to narrow down our search and help find the right one for us, I have been looking researching what we should consider when buying a fridge freezer.

Fridge Freezer types

As I mentioned there is a huge array of fridge freezers available on the market, with the choice of styles and sizes being a vast one, but when looking at fridge freezer types there are 3 basic types to consider -

Freestanding fridge freezers: can be fitted anywhere in your kitchen/pantry and come in a range of sizes and colours. They are type of fridge freezer that is popular and plentiful on the market and often is the cheapest type of fridge freezer.

American-style fridge freezers: are large with fridge and freezer side-by-side, and as they are large they take up a lot of floor space. Not only are they expensive to buy they can also be expensive to run. Thanks to their large size they hold a huge amount of food and often have lots of extra features.

Integrated fridge freezers: fit behind kitchen cupboard doors rather than being on display. Integrated models tend to have a higher price tag than freestanding models with fewer models available on the market.

Whilst the novelty of an American-style model is appealing due to funds and lack of space they are not an option for us and as we cannot fit an integrated fridge freezer into our kitchen we are planning on getting a freestanding fridge freezer (this type is what we already have) which has the added benefit of being a model that would be easiest to take with us and fit in a new kitchen if we move.

Fridge freezer sizes and capacity

Whilst most people, us included, would plan on getting a fridge freezer of similar size and design to the existing one so that it can fit into the same spot in the kitchen, it is worth thinking about the type and amount of food you buy to help find the right model for you.

Your eating habits can play a part in what size and capacity appliance is best for you. If you are a freezer fully stocked type of person a model with a larger freezer featuring a greater number of draws might be better for you than a model with a smaller freezer compartment. Equally if you are a fresh groceries type of person a model with a large fridge would come in handy.

When looking at fridge freezers take note of the number of litres capacity along with the number of draws/shelves to find the best one to suit your lifestyle and eating habits.

It is also worth making sure that the fridge freezer is the right size for the space where you plan on fitting it as even a small change in dimensions to your existing appliance may be too much and it may not fit. As our space is tight and we have small doors we are having to take the size of the fridge freezer into consideration so that not only will it fit in the space we have for it in our kitchen but that it will also fit through our narrow doors!

Fridge freezer colour and finish

Whilst the colour of the appliance may not be of importance to some people, as the range of colours and finishes of fridge freezers is an ever increasing range it is worth considering what you would prefer especially if you want all of the appliances in your kitchen to be similar in colour or style.

Fridge freezers come in a range of colours including traditional white, silver, black and more colourful designs with stainless steel or brush steel finishes also available for some models.

Fridge freezer energy-efficiency

As money is tight for us a key feature we are looking at then buying a new fridge freezer is how energy-efficient it is so that we can hopefully keep the cost of running a fridge freezer 24/7 to a minimum.

When deciding on our new fridge freezer we will be looking at the energy label for all models we consider to see how energy efficient the appliance is; taking particular interest in new models with the highest efficiency rating of A+++ and the next highest energy rating A++

Fridge freezer features

Across the wide range of fridge freezers on the market not only does the cost and energy efficiency vary but so does the features integrated within the appliance. Modern fridge freezer features vary across the range, with some basic models being simply designed to chill and freeze your food without any extra features whilst top of the range models being designed with all the features available thanks to modern technology including open-door alarms, humidity level technology to keep fruit and veg fresh for longer and filtered water dispenser.

A key fact we are taking into consideration is that the more features integrated in the appliance usually equates to a more expensive appliance, and as we are on a tight budget we are keen to get key features that are useful and avoid appealing yet unnecessary for us features that may add to the price tag.

The top fridge freezer feature we want in our new model is a frost-free function so we don’t have to worry about defrosting the freezer. Another feature that is appealing yet dependant on the price is a temperature alarm so that we can be alerted if the freezer temperature rises.

***

So all we have to do now once our fridge freezer fund is full is pick the right model for us.

Do you have any tips for choosing the right fridge freezer or perhaps you can suggest a great model for a rilliant price? 

* In conjunction with Panasonic *