Your Best Buying Guide to Fridge Freezers

When you’re on the lookout for the best fridge freezer for your needs, you may already have a good idea of what to choose. Perhaps you’ve seen a good one in a friend’s or family member’s kitchen, or maybe you saw it in a magazine. But aesthetics aside, what makes for a good choice in fridge freezers? It’s not a small investment, so you would want it to last, at least for a few years. But finding the ideal one takes a little know-how because it will depend on your preference, your kitchen’s design, and even the way you cook! So without further ado, here’s your best buying guide to fridge freezers. 

The type

Your very first consideration would be the type, according to Irwin’s Megastore, reliable suppliers of fridge freezers in Cork. There are three types to think about: freestanding, American-style, and integrated. If you are looking for a fridge freezer that you can easily incorporate into your kitchen and hide behind a cabinet or cupboard, then an integrated one could be the solution. Most come with designs that let them fit into cupboards with a width of 60 centimetres, and a common measurement is also 178 centimetres high. Remember, though, that they could be costlier compared to freestanding units. 

If you are thinking of choosing a freestanding model, they are ideal because you can place them anywhere and store enough food for a big family – there are fridge freezers, for example,  that can reach more than 200 centimetres in height. They are also cheaper, and the options and brands are plentiful. For American-style fridge freezers, you can expect double the size of a regular fridge freezer – they have double doors and lots of space for storage. It follows that you would need a spacious kitchen for this, and they are also costly – electricity for them is costly as well. But that said, they come with useful features like ice-cube makers and water filters. 

Aspects to consider

The size

You have to ensure that your chosen fridge freezer will fit into the allotted space in your kitchen – and this is especially true if you are choosing an integrated model. You also have to think about the split between fridge and freezer – most offer a split of 70-30 and 60-40, but there are also 50-50 models. 

You have to consider the capacity – if you have a large household, then you might want a fridge freezer with a bigger capacity. Aside from this, consider the number of drawers you need and the compartments (especially by the door). Some features for storage and shelves could be easy to adjust, so consider this carefully.

The cost of operations

Consider the cost of running the appliance. Some fridge freezers are costlier to run than most (for example, the American-style ones are more expensive to operate). Every appliance nowadays has a rating from A to G instead of the usual A+++, and most models have a rating of C up to F, which still makes them pretty energy efficient. If you want to save on operating costs, consider a more energy-efficient model. 

Other factors

There is a whole list of other factors you may want to consider – such as frost-free (although most are already frost-free), the design of the door, how well the fridge freezer preserves food, and some extra features such as rapid cooling and freezing, smart technology, a water dispenser, child-proof features, and more.