How many times have you grabbed for ice cream only to find that it’s buried under more ice than a melted snowman? You scratch your head and then remind yourself that ‘ooohhh yes the freezer door doesn’t close’ or ‘right, that temperature control is broken’. Do you really need that reminder again? Maybe it’s time for a new refrigerator.
First step is to take stock of your current fridge. How old is it? Did you purchase the model you have or did it come with the flat or house? What problems does it have? How much does it hold and how much do you keep during a usual week? As with any big ticket purchase it’s important to fully assess your needs before flashing that credit card.
Now back to that ice cream… often units with the freezer inside of the door can cause problems if the freezer is overstuffed or becomes unhinged. A good solution can be the top freezer model. The hitch with this type of refrigerator is that you need a bit more space.Hotpoint has a couple of freestanding models that are under £250. They also include bin freezer bags which can be great for throwing in bags of frozen veggies or chips.
Bottom freezer models are another option and there are many more to choose from. While a bit pricier (around £1,000) Smeg makes vibrant, fun, colourful fridges with a lot more freezer capacity. Of a total capacity of 330 litres, 103 are for the freezer. A bottom model is also good if you are in and out of your freezer quite a bit – as it’s a bit easier to pull items out of a bottom model.
Small, compact, ‘integrated’ units are a good choice if you are pressed for room and, frankly, don’t need to bother with food older than yesterday. Electrolux Inspire refrigerators have four shelves and costs around £300.
Refrigerators are easily overlooked. But they are the type of appliance that doesn’t matter until it really, really does!
