Hi lemmings!
Moving into a new flat soon and will need to buy both fridge and freezer preferably in one combined unit. Been looking at the side-by-side ones. Anyways Ive got little to no knowledge about fridges and freezers and was wondering if there are any typical “gotchas” to look out for?
I am based on the EU and would prefer to buy from an EU brand too. Any recommendations or tips are plenty welcome!
Thanks as always ☺️
In my experience side by sides are the least efficient use of their space. Its hard to stack most frozen foods up tall and narrow because they slide around and will slide out the front every time you open the door. Freezer top or freezer bottom units can be packed a lot more efficiently since it maximizes horizontal space and I vastly prefer them.
“Nothing smart” is the only other appliance rule.
Something that works without WiFi.
My washing machine has wifi and an app. I bought it because I read the manual and all networking is disabled by default.
Otherwise, for all appliances, get ones with the longest warranty, unless there is a significant difference in price.
A warranty is only as good as the company offering it. I’d opt for a shorter warranty with good customer service
Size: height depth width… Can be easy to miss one dimension. Energy rating - obvious reasons Noise depending on the room it’s in Ergonomics - can you reach all the bits you need to… Imagine filling it with your weekly shop. - better energy rating=more insulation=less space. Doors can generally be reversed, but check. Some FFs have two compressor circuits, others only one. Can be important if keeping it in a garage. Do you need a water cooler/ice maker thing? More to clean, more to go wrong. YOUR FRIDGE DOES NOT NEED AN INTERNET CONNECTION Nor does it need funky windows & stuff Self defrost is a must. We spent ages discussing colour, now you can barely see it behind pictures & papers etc.
Think " is this a useful feature for me, or is it marketing fluff? "
Finally, while a fridge should be a long term purchase, is just a box that gets cold. Don’t lose sleep over it.
U forgot the most important part. Is your door big enough to fit the fridge.
And the stairway, if there is one
Liebherr is European and good. Expensive though.
Depth is the measurement most forget, check it fits. A deeper one is a good way to get more capacity.
Make a decision on your fridge freezer split. I do a lot of batch cooking, so went for 50/50 to get more room in the freezer.
We switched from side-by-side to a pullout drawer freezer on bottom and could not be happier. Side-by-side really limits your storage space, whereas top and bottom units allow you to store larger or unusually shaped things. And having the freezer in a drawer is clutch, way better than having it on top
I absolutely hate my side-by-side. Can’t fit a frozen pizza, the veggie drawers can barely hold a few days worth of vegetables. Had to move my water pitcher to a shelf because the door shelves are so small, but that also meant taking a shelf out of the fridge.
I’m getting the same style you have, and I’m super excited lol
This is not helpful but I just want to kvetch. It seems like any appliances you buy nowadays are just so shitty compared to even ten years ago. Even brands that have long been reliable are so hit or miss. I have a mini-fridge that’s almost 30 years old and still works fine. I keep being tempted to buy one with a better freezer or that’s more energy-efficient but I worry it would kick the bucket and be unrepairable within 5 years.
If you’re interested in energy efficiency, here’s a great video from Technology Connections!
Yes the headline is about chest freezers, but he just uses that as an example of highest possible efficiency before getting into other design of fridge/freezers
I had one with a bottom freezer and also a side by side and hated them both. A traditional top door freezer really is the best.
Get one with as few chips and features outside of it making things cold. The dumber your fridge/freezer the less problems you’ll have.
I prefer an under fridge drawer style frezzer. I find it easier to use and less likely to have to chase a frozen whatever across the kitchen.
Stainless or white smooth finishes can work as a whiteboard for DRY ERASE markers.
Not a Samsung. My wife used to be a big fan, but the last two brand new Samsung fridges broke within weeks, and their product support was terrible.
(Our current fridge is LG and we haven’t had any problems with it. There are probably other brands that are also reliable and well built).
Just be aware, LG’s linear compressors (ie. the ones that claim a 10yr warranty) are prone to failure; ours crapped out after ~3 years and was deemed uneconomical to repair.
Thankfully we have pretty strong consumer protections in Australia (and I expect similar, or better in the EU for OP); so we ended up getting a full refund from the retailer which we ended up putting towards a Hitachi model, after way too much research.
Hi, the main thing to look out for is that the two compartments should have separate temperature controls. As for brands, well I like Electrolux but it really depends on where in the EU you are to really get a local one.
Frost free freezer, it’s a pain in the arse defrosting. You do lose a tiny bit of capacity but it’s a trade off with making imo
We’ve been happy with our Bosch.
Small thing, but if you’re torn between two or more choices look and see if one uses accessible screws to attach handles. Mine are kind of snap on and one of them is loose. I’m thinking I have a 30% chance of breaking something plastic during removal and having to buy a completely new handle.
Make sure that the door style you choose fits with the space you have available. My fridge is kind right by pathway, so we have the dual-door style, to minimize blocking the path.
I also like using magnets on the fridge. Iirc, some stainless steel refrigerators aren’t magnet-sticky (10 pts if you can tell me what word I forgot).
