American Fridge Freezer Buying Guide
American fridge-freezers are a popular choice amongst customers because of the sheer size. They offer you twice the space on an average fridge freezer. They are great for large families and offer a wide range of unique features, such as icemakers, home bar and chilled water on tap.
What things do you need to consider when buying the right appliance for you?
Size
They come in three width sizes, Narrow (70-84cm in width), Standard (85-95cm in width) and Wide (96cm+ wide). Standard models of the American Fridge Freezer have around 500 to 600 litres of storage (good for a family of four) up to around 700 litres.
Door Configuration
You have 3 choices of door configuration
Two door – this is the most common type and is also known as a side-by side. It comes with both an upright fridge and freezer compartment.
Three-door – also known as French door, this has a double door fridge compartment at the top with a freezer drawer at the bottom. This layout means you have easier access to your fridge space, which you’ll most likely use more.
Four-door - this has a large double door fridge at the top, and a slightly smaller double door freezer at the bottom.
Other things to consider
Does it need plumbing in? - If you're considering buying an American Fridge freezer with a built-in ice/water dispenser then you'll want to check whether it's a plumbed-in or non-plumbed model. Non plumbed fridges can be positioned anywhere, however a plumbed-in model needs to be within 1.5 meters of a water source.
Can the fridge doors open fully? - It's a good idea to find an area in your kitchen that provides enough room for you to open the fridge freezer doors by at least 90 degrees, so you can enjoy quick and easy access to all your groceries.
Can it fit in my house? – Once you are happy it will fit in your kitchen you'll then want to map the best route for the appliance to take from delivery van to your desired location.
Door-in-Door storage - Look out for models with the useful Door-in-Door storage. This double layered door lets you easily get to the food you use the most without having to open the whole door. Not only is this handy, but it’ll also mean less cool air gets lost from the fridge.
Water and ice dispensers - a lot of American fridge freezers have water and ice dispensers giving you a fresh supply of fridge cold water whenever you need to quench your thirst ice on hand to freshen up your drinks.
Twin cooling – this technology uses two cooling systems, one for the fridge, and one for the freezer. Unlike standard fridge freezers that use just one for both, this method keeps your food in each compartment fresher for longer. This is because the air in the freezer needs to be dry, while the air in your fridge needs to be wetter.