How to choose a fridge freezer
This is an appliance that runs continuously for a decade or more, so the running cost and the noise are not details. Get the measurements right first — everything else is preference.
Measure three things, not one
Width, height and depth all matter, but so does clearance: most appliances need a gap at the back and sides to vent, and the door has to open far enough to pull the salad drawer out. In a galley kitchen, check the door swing against the opposite run of units before ordering.
Frost-free is worth the space it costs
A frost-free freezer circulates air to stop ice building up, which means never defrosting it again. It gives up a little internal capacity to do that, and it is almost always worth it — a freezer that has iced up loses more usable space than the system ever cost.
Energy rating compounds
The scale was reset in 2021, so today's C is a genuinely efficient appliance and few models reach A at all. Because a fridge never switches off, the gap between a D and a B is a real recurring cost over ten years rather than a rounding error.
Noise matters more in open-plan rooms
Anything at or under about 38dB reads as quiet. In a kitchen that opens onto a living space you will hear the compressor every evening, and it is the complaint people raise most often after living with a new appliance.
Plumbed or not
Water and ice dispensers need either a plumbed supply or a refillable tank. Refillable models avoid a plumbing job but need filling regularly, which is fine in a small household and tiresome in a large one.
