Fun times buying a fridge or a freezer

Fridges, fridge freezers and freezers
Once upon a time a fridge was a white rectangular box that sat in the corner of the kitchen keeping the food cool but now your fridge can say as much about you as your choice of car or where you choose to go on holiday.

Fridges, freezers and fridge freezers, like other appliances, can be freestanding or integrated into your units for a seamless look. They come in a wide variety of sizes and finishes but the bog standard white no-frills fridge, freezer, or fridge freezer is still out there and alive in appliance land. Whichever one you pick make sure that you check the energy rating (A is most efficient) as these are items that need to be kept running all day every day.

First of all you need to decide if you need a larder fridge or one with an ice box. The latter will allow you to store previously frozen food for a short period which will depend on the star rating. A 4 star rating (where the compartment reaches a minimum temperature below -18°C) means that you can freeze small amounts of fresh food. This is an ideal choice for a household that does not need a full size freezer or fridge freezer. 

Frost free
Frost free fridges and freezers have eliminated the need for tedious de-frosting.  Gone is the need to park the contents of your fridge around the kitchen whilst you manoeuver saucepans of hot water into your fridge which produce a flow of melt water onto the floor and yet further work. This miracle is achieved by a continual circulation of air inside the compartment.  Well worth paying a little extra for.

Extra features
To add to the appeal, many models feature ice makers and drinks dispensers as well as storage areas at different temperatures for different types of food.  Adjustable shelf heights and storage units are pretty standard nowadays.

If you came out on the financial upside of your divorce, think about an American fridge freezer
A fridge freezer is a always a good choice as long as you have plenty of height.  Large American style fridge freezers are becoming increasingly popular because of their enormous capacity and impressive styling.  They normally have a double door opening from opposite directions from the centre which is very grand.  The fridge is on one side and the freezer on the other. 

When choosing a freezer you need to consider carefully how much capacity you will need.  Chest freezers usually have a larger capacity and are good for bigger households who want to bulk freeze food.

Most people will opt for an upright freezer as they take up less space and are fitted with shelves and drawers for storing the food.  All freezers have a built in thermostat so you can keep an eye on the temperature, more expensive models will have it on the outside.