Making sure you purchase the correct freezer and fridge for your household will make sure more of your food stays fresher for longer.
Whether you're looking to expand your refrigeration capacity or furnishing your first home, this guide will help you make an informed choice.
INSTALLATION
The first consideration you'll have to make is whether to have a freestanding or integrated model. This will determine the look of your kitchen interior and how it is installed.
Freestanding
Freestanding models offer greater flexibility with positioning and come in a variety of colours and designs. They also come in a wide selection of widths, depths and heights, so you'll be able to find the model best suited for your kitchen.
Integrated
For modern kitchen designs with seamless surfaces and units, integrated models will best suit your interior. Often coming in one standard width, these appliances will fit into your existing units.
There are two possible door hinge fittings for integrated models, a fixed hinge or a sliding hinge. It is important to check which hinge your current appliance has, otherwise your new model won't fit.
CAPACITY
After you've decided whether you'd like freestanding or integrated, you need to determine the capacity. This completely depends on your specific needs, mainly relying on the number of people in your household.
In general, freestanding models tend to offer the largest storage capacities. This is because the dimensions on the appliance can be much more varied than an integrated model.
- 1-2 people: we suggest 100-200 litre appliance that can hold around 5-10 bags of shopping.
- 3-4 people: we recommend a 200-300 litre appliance that can store 10-15 bags of shopping.
- 5-6 people: we propose a 300+ litre appliance that can hold over 15 bags of shopping.
FEATURES
As there are lots of different freezer and fridges on the market, it's important you evaluate the features available. Here are just a few.
Auto Defrost
Have you ever noticed ice building up on the back wall of your larder fridge? You'll want to look out for an auto defrost feature that will regularly defrost the back wall.
Antibacterial
To prevent bacteria growth and food spoiling earlier than planned, some models come with especially design antibacterial door seals or coating.
Fast Freeze
If you're putting in fresh left overs or loading up your weekly shop, sometimes your freezer interior temperature can rise. That's why it's important to look out for a fast freeze option that quickly lowers the temperature.
Frost Free
Keeping your freezer working efficiently, it's crucial to keep ice build-up to a minimum. Frost free freezers means you won't have to manually defrost regularly, making it much more convenient.
FREEZER & FRIDGE FAQs
Over the 40+ years we've been in business, we get asked a variety of questions by our customers looking to by a refrigeration appliance. Here are our most common questions.
What is the difference between a fixed and sliding hinge?
For integrated models, you'll have the choice between a fixed or sliding hinge. A fixed hinge attaches the cabinet door directly to the appliance door which supports the full weight.
On the other hand, a sliding hinge is attached to the kitchen door which allows it to slide in and out as the door is opened and closed.
What temperature should a freezer and fridge be?
To keep your food fresh and flavoursome, you need to make sure your appliance is kept at the correct temperatures. For fridges the ideal temperature is at or below 4°C, whilst freezers should be kept at around -18°C.
What is the difference between a larder and ice box fridge?
There are two different types of fridge, a larder or an ice box. Larder fridges don't come with an integrated ice box, giving you more room to store chilled produce. Ice box fridges are as the name suggest, they have a separate small freezer section at the top.
How long should I leave my new appliance to settle?
Once you've installed your new appliance, we advise you leave your freezer or fridge to stand for at least 4 hours before plugging in the appliance. This is to let the gases settle inside the cooling motor.
What is the cost of the cheapest freezer or fridge?
At Kitchen Economy we have a variety of models available at under £200.
